C ONCRETE I DEAS

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A system for building sloped concrete roofs

BY M.K. HURD

n spite of the growing acceptance

I of insulating concrete forms (ICFs)
for residential construction, concrete
generally stops at the roofline. Even
the roofs of most ICF homes are
conventional wood-frame construc-
tion. The few concrete roofs that
have been built usually are flat and
have little aesthetic appeal for most
homebuyers.
However, the residential roofing
market may soon change due to the
ingenuity of architect Jose Hen-
riquez and engineer Francisco

All photos courtesy Enviro-Safe Concrete Roofing System Inc.

Bermudez. They have developed a
method of forming and building
sloping roofs of reinforced concrete
and have applied for a patent for
their system, which uses commonly
Wood 2x2s placed on the
available construction materials
roughly finished first layer of
and methods. roof concrete (right) retained
Because both men live and work the concrete for the final layer,
in South Florida, they’re especially creating a tiered slope. The
conscious of the need for stronger gleaming white finish (above)
roof structures, anchored to resist was achieved with two applica-
the ravages of nature. In fact, the tions of an elastomeric coating.
name of their company, Enviro-Safe
Concrete Roofing System Inc., was joists, which are
selected to reflect their concerns typically spaced 16
with homeowner safety and envi- inches on center. A
ronmental issues such as resource network of metal or
and energy conservation. plastic channels
placed along the
Roof construction edges of the insula-
The sloping roofs are suitable for tion board projects
homes having masonry or concrete above it to support
walls. Forming for the roof begins with the roof reinforce-
post or scaffold-type shoring, erected ment.
to support wood joists and stringers The
like those used in conventional sus- 35⁄8-inch-deep steel
pended-slab construction. Workers studs used in com- Conventional shoring supports formwork joists and
place the form sheathing—4x8-foot mercial/residential stringers for the roof. Form sheathing is made of polyiso-
sheets of polyisocyanurate insulation framing are suitable cyanurate insulation panels that remain in place in the fin-
board, 278⁄ inches thick—directly on the for the channels. ished structure.
Embedded 3⁄4 inch into the roof slab
after concreting, these channels retain
the insulation and serve as attachment
points for interior ceiling finishes.
Workers can assemble the form-
work on the ground in large sections
then use a crane to lift the sections
into place. Reinforcement projecting
from the concrete or masonry walls
is bent to the slope of the roof and
lapped with the roof’s rebar to pro-
vide secure anchorage.
A stiff concrete mix, specified at
3000 psi, is pumped into place as
workers advance up the slope to vi-
brate and finish the concrete to the
desired thickness. Polypropylene
fibers have been used in the concrete Shoring has been removed, exposing the insulation panels and metal studs, which
for the roofs constructed thus far. A are ready to receive the interior finish.
corrosion inhibitor also is added if
the roof will be exposed to salt-laden Folded-plate design Reinforcement consists of #3 bars
ocean air, and Bermudez says they spaced 9 inches on center.
Structurally these roofs are folded
plan to experiment with fly ash in
plates, so they require an engineer-
future roof mixes. Cost of construction
ing design. But Bermudez says the
Curing practices must meet local design is relatively simple to create The initial cost of the sloping
requirements, with a minimum cur- using finite-element software. The concrete roof can be significantly
ing time of seven days. When the roof should have a slope of at least 3 higher than the cost of the conven-
concrete has gained the required on 12, with a practical maximum of tional wood-frame alternative—as
strength, workers can remove the 6 on 12. This permits concrete place- much as $5 more per square foot in
shoring, joists and stringers, leaving ment without the use of top forms. some areas. But for this price pre-
the insulation in place. Hipped roofs are ideal for this mium, the homeowner gets a fire-
Roofs can be finished with an elas- method of construction, but gable proof, lifetime roof that, in combi-
tomeric coating, conventional roof- roofs can be constructed by adding a nation with masonry or concrete
ing or clay tiles. The roof shown in tie beam across the gable ends. walls, will withstand hurricanes and
the photos has a distinctive stepped With a concrete thickness of 5 or 6 tornadoes of great intensity. Calcu-

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concrete surface, primed and coated inches, the folded plates can span up lations indicate the roof will resist
with a white elastomeric material. to 38 feet. The roof shown in the pho- uplift in winds as strong as 400
Interior ceiling finishes such as dry- tos, which was recently constructed in mph, a real plus in South Florida
wall can readily be attached to the Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., is 5 inches thick where the hurricane season is an an-
channels along the edges of the in- and has a maximum span of 32 feet. nual event. The construction

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sulation board. method will also be available for li-
Runner to hold
cense in other states.
Rebar
insulation down M.K. Hurd is an engineer and
writer specializing in concrete build-
ing methods. She is a former editor
Concrete
of Concrete Construction and author
of Formwork for Concrete published
by the American Concrete Institute.
Insulation

Publication #C99A144
C-shaped metal Intermediate support Copyright© 1999, The Aberdeen Group
or plastic channels for insulation
a division of Hanley-Wood, Inc.
Cross-section view of a finished roof. Metal or plastic channels holding the insulation All rights reserved
panels project just high enough above the panels to act as supports for the reinforcing
steel. Concrete and insulation thicknesses are designed to meet local requirements.