Over the last decades there have been many advances in building science technology. Advances in the use of polyurethane foam in particular have helped buildings become more energy efficient than ever. Despite all these advances, the use of traditional roofing materials such as clay-fired tiles and glazed tiles remains high, especially in
The use of clay-fired and glazed roof tiles began in the Neolithic era in
Spray polyurethane foam has been a part of the roofing landscape in western societies for over 40 years, however, spray foam use is largely limited to flat/low pitch roofs, and is not conducive to being made into tile pieces for application on a construction project. In contrast, the novel use of moulded rigid polyurethane illustrates the possibility of using the material’s properties in an easy to use form of individual roof tiles.
PU meets environmental needs
In response to the need for a technically advanced roofing system, that is easy to manufacture and apply while creating only a minimal carbon footprint, SWD Shanghai has developed a unique polyurethane roof tile system that meets these demands. The tiles can deliver superior insulation and waterproofing properties compared to traditional clay tile systems and are designed to meet ever increasing green building and environmental requirements
The PU tile geometry is designed for an integrated assembly that allows them to be locked to each other without seams and gaps. Currently the system is available in a traditional Chinese tile pattern, but more designs will be offered in the future. Installation is easy and the working life of the tiles could be up to 50 years or longer. Its physical properties make the tile suitable for 10 – 90 degree roof slopes on single family homes, condominiums, apartments, as well as for renovation of flat to low slope roofing projects. It is suitable for use with all substrates including wood, concrete, and metal. The new PU roof tile is available immediately for sampling in
Single shot moulding
Compared with traditional clay tiles, the PU tile production process requires less energy, and completely eliminates the need for the firing process. The PU tile is produced in a one shot moulding process with tile body and top protective layer moulded together. The special characteristics of the material create a lightweight tile that has high strength, and high impact resistance. The PU tiles are also designed to be wear resistant, earthquake resistant, and safe to residents should they come loose.
Specifications
The new PU roof tile offers many advantages over traditional materials including:
•Thermo-conductive coefficient: The PU roof tile has a thermo-conductive coefficient of 0.019 W/(m•K). Compared with traditional insulation materials, it outperforms fibreglass by 2 to 1, perlite by 8 to 1, and vermiculite by 10 to 1.
• Easy installation and high adhesive properties: It is designed for easy installation, with interlocking pieces fixed to the substrate by two rivets. The adhesive strength between tile and substrate is over 60 kPa which means it could withstand a Class 10 Typhoon.
• Impact resistant and good age stability property: The roof tile can be applied in temperatures from –60 °C to 120 °C. It is stable in acid, alkaline and corrosive ambient conditions, impact resistant and offers long term weather resistance.
• Lighter roof loads: The PU roof tile has a high compressive strength (? 800 kPa). Being both dense and light, these tiles can reduce the roof load to one eighth of traditional roof tiles. The lighter roof load therefore helps to improve the over¬all building structure while also reducing construction costs. During an earthquake the PU roof tiles will not cause excessive harm or damage, because of their light weight.
• Environmentally friendly: The PU roof tiles are made from an environmentally friendly, solvent-free material without VOCs being emitted during production and use. The production process effectively eliminates the damage of land resources and atmospheric pollution that is caused during the production of traditional fire-baked tiles.
• Economic advantages: Because the PU roof tile system provides insulation and waterproofing in one tile, it also reduces construction costs. The tile’s insulation performance also improves the internal temperature by 3 – 5 °C and reduces the heating/air conditioning costs by up to 50 % compared to uninsulated traditional roof tiles.