Among the "Five Points of New Architecture" formulated by Le Corbusier, terrace gardens figure as a way to take advantage of a building's so-called fifth facade, either as leisure areas or landscaping spaces. Thanks to technological advances in reinforced concrete in the mid-twentieth century, usable flat roofs are far from new. There are traces in Mesopotamia and vernacular architecture from Greek and Arab civilizations. However, problems that frequently arise relate to infiltration and leaks. Water is relentless in finding a place to drain, and flat roofs are exposed to this when execution and design are not carefully thought-out. In fact, as documented in several letters, this was a source of disagreement between the owner and the Swiss-French architect in the case of the influential Villa Savoye. Today, nonetheless, there are good waterproofing options on the market that provide durability, resilience, adaptability and, above all, avoid headaches and fights between builders and owners. Elevate is built on 40 years of history in the production of roofing membranes, as well as insulation and vapor barriers, and develops solutions for waterproofing flat roofs with a low inclination.
The main material is EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer), an extremely resistant, high-performance synthetic rubber membrane comprised of two primary ingredients: ethylene and propylene, derived from oil and natural gas. It is a totally inert product, with long durability and little impact on the environment. Its high performance is attributed to both the properties inherent to the EPDM polymer, and to its simple application and low maintenance. Essentially, installing the material in the roofs can be done in three main ways:
- Fully Adhered System: The membrane is glued to the substrate.
- Mechanically Attached (RMA) System: Self-adhesive strips are screwed to the substrate, on which the membrane is glued.
- Ballasted System: The membrane is loosely laid on the substrate, and some ballast (gravel, pebbles, concrete pavers, and so on) is placed on top of it.
Based on these possibilities, it is possible to waterproof several types of roofs. Green roofs, for example, have been encouraged and are increasingly appearing in cities, as they contribute to the thermal insulation of buildings, reduce urban heat islands and create natural landscapes. The roofing system is composed of a layer of living plants placed over a waterproofing membrane.
In this Coffee factory in Georgia, for example, the building blends into the landscape through its undulating vegetated roof, punctuated by several skylights. In this case, a 6,500 m² surface was coated with Elevate RubberGard EPDM 1.1 mm via the Ballasted System. “The roofing membrane’s extreme durability, its ease and speed of installation, the expertise of the roofing company and the support from the local Elevate team were all factors that contributed to their decision. In total, about 6,500 m² of Elevate’s 1.1 mm-thick RubberGard EPDM roofing membrane were used on this project.”
Solar or photovoltaic (PV) installations have also been gaining popularity over the last two decades as a source of renewable energy to power commercial and industrial buildings, offices and homes. Since it is a high investment to purchase the panels, it is imperative that the coverage is reliable and maintenance-free –or easily accessible for system maintenance.
In the Dutch flower bulb company Royal De Ree Holland, 33,000 m² of the roof was covered with Elevate's RubberGard EPDM waterproofing membrane and equipped with 11,000 solar panels. This product has high resistance to ozone, UV radiation and extreme temperatures. It is available in large seamless panels, resulting in a shorter installation time.
For modular, prefabricated buildings that are transported to the construction site, it is important that the waterproofing system be robust, but that it is also able to be made in the factory and has great flexibility. Rubbergard EPDM is ideal for this, thanks to the advantages it brings during the construction phase and throughout the life of the finished building. Its flexibility and elasticity allow it to accommodate to a building's movement, offering excellent resistance to puncture and guaranteeing a resilient, durable solution. It is a product that does not require working with fire, since the membrane can be fully adhered or mechanically fixed to the substrate. The water tightness of each modular unit can be checked at the factory before transporting them to the jobsite for assembly. Once there, they can be easily connected using Elevate's self-adhesive seaming products. EPDM-covered modular units can also be easily disassembled, relocated, and resealed, even decades after initial construction.
This was the case of Cougnaud Construction, where “after a prototyping phase, Cougnaud Construction validated the implementation of the RubberGard EPDM roofing membrane, fully adhered onto the wooden roof deck.”
Another possibility are the so-called blue roofs, which are nothing more than roofs explicitly designed to provide initial temporary rainwater storage and then gradually release the stored volume.
At The Bodegas Beronia winery in La Rioja, Spain, the building blends into the landscape through its garden roof, which is also a water reservoir under the vegetation layer. “Elevate RubberGard EPDM roofing membrane was selected especially because of its low carbon footprint and extraordinary life expectancy to achieve the project’s high environmental demands and provide a durable and reliable basis for the green roof system. Drainage elements were incorporated into the roof build-up to distribute and store water that could be used for irrigation of the nearby vineyards.”
Learn more about Elevate's products, as well as other possible solutions, in our product catalog.
