Quantification of Uplift Resistance of Adhesive-Applied Low-Slope Roof Configurations Subjected to Tensile Loading Test Protocol

Abstract

The Adhesive-Applied Roofing System (AARS) is a new generation of built-up roofs gaining popularity in North American low-slope application. AARS uses no fasteners, and all components (e.g., steel deck, vapor barrier, insulation board, cover board, and membrane) are integrated by application of adhesives. Although AARS has been in use, existing standards address only mechanically attached or bonded roof assemblies. To quantify the wind-uplift performance of the AARS, an industry–university–government collaborative research project, Development of Wind Uplift Standard for Adhesive-Applied Low-Slope Roofing System, has been initiated. The project has three major tasks: experimental investigation, formulation of a numerical model, and development of wind design guide and standards. Task 1 developed test protocols to quantify the uplift and peel resistance of small-scale AARS specimens respectively subjected to tensile and shear loading. Using the standardized tensile test parameters, this paper identifies the effect of material combinations and variation in the adhesive applications on the uplift resistance of AARS subjected to tensile loading. This parametric study not only verified the applicability of the developed tensile test method for variations in the configurations, but it also identified the weakest link in AARS. Data from this small-scale testing can facilitate industries to optimize the material combinations such that it can be correlated with the systems wind uplift resistance.