Development of a Precast Concrete Supertile Roofing System for the Mitigation of Extreme Wind Events

Residential roofs have traditionally formed the weakest part of the structure. The connections of roofs to the walls has lacked a clear load path with the result that the structure is weak at this point, leading to the compromise of the structure. Indeed roofs have multiple points of failure that lead to the weakness of the residential structure as a whole. Even if structural failure does not occur, compromise the roofing membrane can lead to high repair costs and property loss. The failure lies in the complex forming of the roof components as the roof aesthetics are placed to protect the underlayment and the underlayment protects the sheathing and trusses. However, the aesthetics, such as the roof tile, not being structural can be damaged easily and lead to the compromise of the roofing system as well as endangering surrounding structures. The shape of the roof tile lends itself well to structural design. The wave motion leads to structural redundancy and provides a significant ability to provide stiffness. Using the shape of the roof tile, a structure can be created to encapsulate the shape and provide structural strength. The aesthetics are already accounted for in the shape and the shape is strengthened according to necessity. A system has been devised for flexural strength and applicable connections to demonstrate the constructability and feasibility of creating and using such a system. Design concepts are accounted for, the components are tested and confirmed, and a full-scale test is carried out to demonstrate the concepts ability as a system. The outgrowth of this work is to produce design tables that allow the designer the ability to design for certain building conditions. Taking the concepts of flexural strength and wall to roof, panel to panel, and ridge connections, the design is broken down into appropriate design parameters. Tables are developed that allow the concept to be used under different structural conditions and geographical needs. The conclusion allows us to show specifically how the concept can be applied in specific geographical regions