Durability analysis of pvc-p membrane in inverted flat roof

Abstract

Nowadays, the inverted roof is certainly, the most used solution in flat roofs, in this study this constructive system will be analyzed, it places the insulation above waterproofing material as a “protection”, limiting the thermal variations that the waterproofing material bears, up to the end of its life cycle. This configuration is believed to provide a longer life cycle, and greater protection for the roof elements. There are well known incompatibilities between construction materials, these are originated by interactions between some of them, which produce modifications in their internal structure, degenerating, and even discomposing them totally or partially. In the case of this paper, the inverted flat roof will be analyzed from different points of view, on the one hand from the perspective of the “incompatibilities” that occur between the extruded polystyrene board (EXPS) and the PVC-P (plasticized polyvinyl chloride) waterproofing sheets, on the other hand the barrier effect that the separating geo-textiles normally used; i.e. polypropylene, polyester, etc, provides for the solution. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014.