1.1 Objectives of this guide

The roof constitutes the most important part of a building and special care has to be taken in preparing it and its elements. The best available raw materials should be used and throughout the production process it should be kept in mind that a sub-standard and ill-designed roof may not only result in a defective roof, but may also lead to severe damage of the whole building.

In order to construct a reliable roof, not only must the cover material be of a high quality, but the entire roof structure and cover must function as a coherent system which is adapted to local conditions such as climate, available skill and materials. This guide therefore aims at facilitating the design of a suitable roof shape and adequate structure. It also provides guidelines on proper attention to details and on the construction and maintenance of the roof in a sound manner.

Scope

This guide is generally valid for sloped roofs which are covered by any kind of light and even material such as tiles or sheets. Emphasis is placed on basic and simple roof forms.

Target group

The guide is addressed to architects and engineers involved in the design of buildings and to builders, site engineers and overseers implementing construction.

Producers of roof-cover materials can also use the guide as a basis for advising their customers on the successful use of their products.

This guide can also be used as a teaching aid during training.