4.

Roofs
4.1 Roofs & their types
4.2 Timber roofs (Single/Double/Multiple timber roof)
4.3 Steel trusses and their components (Angle & tubular truss)
4.4 Roof coverings
4.1 Roofs & its types

Roofs:
• Covering provided over the top of the building to protect the building from
rain, sun, snow and wind.
• Consists of covering material like thatch, wood, tiles, etc. over structural
elements like trusses, slabs, etc.
• Flat and sloppy are two types of roofs.
Functional requirements of roof:
– Efficient water proofing
– Well drained
– Should grant desirable insulation against sound and heat
– Structurally stable
– To keep out rain, wind, dust and snow.
– Should provide strength and stability to the building.
– Preventing excessive heat loss in winter.
– To keep the interior cool in summer.
– Provide resistance to the passage of sound.
– Safety to occupants
– Aesthetic beauty

3
Roof Terminology:
 
• Ridge: The spine (beam) at the top of the roof.
• Rafters: Load bearing members of a roof, spanning between wall and the
ridge.
• Wall plate: The bearing and fixing medium for roof members; it distributes
load over the supporting walls.
• Purlins: Beams that support the roof covering; run perpendicular to
rafters, ties rafter together & help reduce the span of rafters. 
• Struts: Compression members of a roof truss transferring load to support
within the span of the roof
• Rise: The vertical distance between wall plate and the ridge top
• Pitch: The inclination (slope) of sides of the roof 
• Valley: Acute angle gutter formed by intersection of two slopes 
• Hip: The ridge formed by the intersection of two sloped surfaces at an
angle of more than 180°  
• Gable: Triangular portion of end wall 
• Eaves: The lower edge of the roof surface of a pitched roof 
• Battens: Small timber bits nailed to the rafters supporting the covering
materials
Types of Roof:
1. Pitched or Sloped roof
2. Flat roof or Terraced roof
3. Curved / Shelled roof

The type of roof is selected

according to shape or
plan of building, climatic conditions
of area and type of constructional
materials available.
1. Pitched or Sloped roof:
• Slope of roof varies from 10-70 degree which depends upon the span,
climate, covering material, etc.
• Used in areas where there is rainfall/snowfall, throughout the year.
• Maintenance of pitched roof is very difficult.
• Pitched roofs have further types :
1. Single roof
2. Double roof
3. Triple or truss roof
4. Mansard roof truss
5. Composite roof truss
6. Combination of king-post and queen-post truss
7. Truncated roof truss
8. Steel sloping roof truss
1. Single Roof:
• Roofs that have only the rafters supported between the eaves and ridge.
• `Used when the span is limited to 5m.
• Its types are:
a. Lean to roof 2.5m
b. Couple roof 3.6m
c. Couple close roof 4.2m
d. Collar roof 5m
e. Scissor roof
Lean to Roof Coupled Roof Couple-closed Roof Collar Roof Scissors Roof
 Lean to Roof

Coupled Roof
 Couple-closed Roof

Collar Roof
2. Double Roof:
• Unlike single roof, it consists two members i.e. rafters and purlins.
• Also called Purlin roofs.
• Purlins supports the rafters.
• Spacing of rafters are generally 40-60 cm c/c.
• Recommended where span is more than 5m and up to 7.5m.
3. Triple or Truss Roof:
• Used when the span of the room is more than 5m.
• Purlin trusses are provided at an interval along the
length.
• Consists of three elements (Rafters, Purlins and trusses).
 Rafters supports the cover above.
 Purlin supports rafters.
 Trusses supports purlins.
• Type of truss roof:
 King Post Truss 5-9 m span
 Queen Post Truss 9-14 m span
i. KING POST ROOF TRUSS (5-9m)

 Consists of lower tie beam, 2 inclined principle rafters, 2 struts and

king post.

 Principle rafter support purlins.

 Purlin support common rafter.

 Common rafter support roofing material as usual.

 Trusses spaced not more than 3m c/c.

 Lower, horizontal tie beam receive end of principle rafter, and prevent
wall from spreading out due to thrust.
i. KING POST ROOF TRUSS (5-9m)

 King post prevent tie-beam from sagging at its centre of span.

 Struts connected to tie beam and principle rafter in inclined direction,

prevent sagging of principal rafter.

 Tie Beam rests on stone pad embedded on either sides of wall so that
load is distributed to a greater area.

 King post rests on tie-beam which is attached with ridge and connected
with rafters with help of struts.

 Lower face of tie beam provides space for ceiling joists which are
designed for the provision of false ceiling.
KING POST ROOF TRUSS
ii. QUEEN POST ROOF TRUSS (9-14m)

– Differs from king post by having 2 vertical posts, rather than one.

– Vertical posts known as queen post, whose tops are connected by a

horizontal piece know as straining beam.

– 2 struts are provided to principle rafter.

– Straining sill provided in tie beam to counteract thrust from inclined struts.

– Queen posts are tension members.

– Joint at head of queen post is formed due to junction of 2 compression

members ( principle rafter and straining beam) and tension member (queen
post)
QUEEN POST ROOF TRUSS
4. Mansard Roof Truss (French Roof):
• It is a two storey truss and has two pitches, lower and upper.
• Lower varies between 60-70 degree and upper varies between 30-40 degree.
• It is a combination of king-post and queen-post truss.
• Upper portion consists of king-post truss and lower portion consists of
queen-post truss.
• Provides more space underneath the roof.
5. Composite Roof Truss:
• Such roof truss are made of two materials such as timber and steel.
• Steel member acts as tension member and timber member acts as
compression member.
6. Combination of King-post and Queen-post:
• Roof trusses that are made of king-post and queen-post both.
• Suitable for span up to 18m.
Truncated Roof
2. Flat Roofs:
• Roofs laid at an angle of less than 10 degree.
• Drainage problems are very hard to adjust because of low slope.
• Flat roof may be used as a living spaces.
• Stronger than pitched roofs.
Shelled Roofs:
• Such type of roofs have thin section.
• Mostly constructed in curved surfaces like parabola, hyperbola, etc.
Domed Roofs:
• Curved roof that has roof area more than a semi-circle.
• Possesses large roof area among all.
• Requires skill manpower to make such roofs.
4.2 Timber roofs (Single/Double/Multiple timber roof)

– Timber roofs are generally sloped roofs.

– They may consists of single, double and or multiple numbers of rafters
in the roofing system with or with out intermediate supports in it.
– Flat timber roofs are found in the areas of low rain fall, such as; Jumla
Single timber roofs:
• One system of rafters with out any intermediate support.
• Types:
– Lean to roof - span limits 2.5 m, one side slope.
– Coupled roof - span limit 3.6 m, two side slope.
– Couple-close roof - span limit 5.0 m, two-side slope, additional tie in
wall level.
– Collar roof - span limit 5.0 m, two-side slope, additional tie above wall
level.
– Scissors roof - span limit 5.0 m, two-side slope, scissors from wall level
to center of roof slope.
Lean to Roof Coupled Roof Couple-closed Roof Collar Roof Scissors Roof
Double and Triple roofs:
• Roof that has additional structural member (purlin) at mid span is
double roof or purlin roof.
• Double roofs are made up to the span of 7.5 m in general.
• Triple roofs are fundamentally the trusses roofs and are made for
span more than 7.5 m and has more than two structural members in
the roof.
• Types of trusses
– King-post truss (5-9 m)
– Queen-post truss (9-14 m)
– Mansards truss
– Truncated truss
– Belfast truss (30.0 m)
 Principal
Rafter
King post Tie Beam

Queen post Queen post

King-post Truss

Queen-post
Mansard roof Truss
Truss

Tie Beam

Principal
.Rafter

Queen post Queen post

Belfast Truss Truncated roof Truss

4.3 Steel trusses and their components (Angle & tubular truss)
Steel Trusses:
• Used for span more than 10m.
• Economical, easy to construct, durable and are more rigid.
• Steel trusses may have tubular or angle steel sections welded and bolted.
• Tubular truss are used for large span construction (25m-30m) and are light weight
trusses.
• Gusset plates (not less than 6mm) are used for joining members and joining is done by
rivets or by welding.
• When rivets are used, minimum pitch should not be less than 3 times rivet diameter.
• Maximum pitch is up to 15 cm for compression members and 20 cm for tension
members.
• Generally 15mm dia. rivets is used for small spans and 20mm dia. is used for large
spans.
• At least 2 rivets should be used at each span.
• At foot of truss, short angles are fitted on both sides of gusset plate, which are
connected to bearing plate.
• Bearing plate is joined to concrete bed through rag bolts.
• At apex, suitable ridge section is fitted.
Components:
1. Rafters 2. Purlin 3. Tie 4. Struts
5. Gusset plate:- Members are joined here either by rivets or by wielding.
6. Cleat:- Connection
7. Rag bolts:- Connects bearing plate and concrete blocks.
Advantages of Steel trusses over timber
trusses:

• Easier and faster to construct.

• Stronger and possesses long time.
• Easily available in required dimensions.
• Fire and termite proof.
• Less wastage of material.
• Can be constructed in any architectural design and shape.
• Do not have restriction of the span >> used for any required
large spans
• Easy in transportation
4.4 Roof coverings:
• Roof covering is the material used as a protective barrier over the framework
of roof structure.
• Types of roof covering are:
– Thatch-Dry vegetation, slope more than 400
– CGI-Sheets-slope more than 250, lapping 15 cm on edge & 1 & 1/2
corrugation at side.
– AC – Sheets- Fibre cement sheet, cheap, light, impervious and fire proof.
– Slates-Slope more than 250, heavy so requires a strong roof truss.
– Tiles-Slope 200-450, made by ceramic material, hard and brittle.
– Wood shingles-Thin slabs of wood.
– Metal roofing
– Glass covering
– Bituminous felt
– Asphalt mastics
– Plastic sheets, etc
Slates
Tiles
Wood Shingles
Glass
Plastic
Metal