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The first phase of the project is the renovation of the roof of the building. The new roof consists of profiled aluminium sheets which are anchored by means of clamps on aluminium fastening clips.
The 2nd phase, once the roof has been finished, consists of the placement of a 50 KW thermal solar installation on top of the aluminium sheets.
Significant use of aluminium
The roof is made of profiled aluminium sheets, laid out on a substructure of galvanized steel profiles with a double layer of different densities of rock wool insulation.
A system made out of aluminium clips with thermal breaks, placed on the steel substructure, allows for the longitudinal expansion of the aluminium sheets.
The existing weather station will also be covered by a ventilated aluminium skin built using the same system as the roof.
Energy efficiency
A 50KW solar/thermal installation will be placed on the renovated roof. In the summer, it will be used to generate hot water, and will also be used as a source of heat for the generator of a water cooling plant.
In the winter, this installation will be used for heating the building.
Life cycle thinking
The extraction and production of aluminium, and its associated depletion of natural resources and energy, must be fully justified by a complete life cycle analysis.
Evidently, the life cycle of an aluminium can is not the same as a roof made out of the same material.
In construction, generally, the reasons for using aluminium have more to do with the enormous virtues of this material, namely, its resistance to corrosion, strength, light weight, ductility and malleability, watertightness and durability.
The dome of the church of San Gioacchino is the oldest known application of aluminium in building, dating from 1897, and still in a good state of conservation. It’s worth mentioning that the aluminium used back then would not meet the current demanding quality standards.
In our project, the aluminium life cycle is fully justified; after 100 years fulfilling the purpose it was used for, it will be recycled and used once more.
Contemporary design
From the ridge of the roof, the V-shaped design presents a convex drop down to the lower gutter.
The solution to the problem faced consists of the use of conical/convex-shaped profiled sheets where the two gables meet, in the shape of a fan. The rest of the gables were covered with convex-shaped sheets.
Socio-economic impact
The new roof covering allows energy savings by reducing heat loss, due to the rock wool insulation under the aluminium skin.
The experimental solar installation will analyze the performance and impact of the 50KW solar field on the building’s heating and cooling system. The renovation and installation have been done entirely by locally-based firms.
The use of this roof cover will reduce the maintenance needed, both in the short and in the long term.
Added value to the original building
The watertightness of the roof cover is guaranteed due to the use of a mechanical system without screws. The way the aluminium sheets are anchored by means of clamps allows the expansion and contraction of the sheets without the filtrations which would eventually appear if a traditional system of screws was used. This feature will lengthen the life of the roof.
The high resistance to corrosion of the aluminium used is evidently an added value to the roof, since it offers an effective barrier against the local climactic conditions. Aesthetically, it has also improved the building.
Condensation inside the building will also be controlled thanks to the vapour barrier. Lastly, the improved acoustic insulation has also improved the overall quality of the building.
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