Laboratory Investigation of Selected Sensors for Use with Passive Roof Leak Detection Systems.
Abstract
The U.S. Army has a large inventory of buildings with low-slope membrane roofs. Between the time that leaks to these roofs occur and are detected, located, and repaired, water damage to roofing systems, structures, and building contents can be quite costly. Providing Army managers with a system to detect roof leaks could reduce the Army's roofing maintenance budget. An initial investigation identified the four components of a passive roof leak detection system (PRLDS): sensors, signal, transmission medium, and a signal processing unit. Laboratory investigations of six promising sensor technologies were conducted to evaluate their effectiveness for application with PRLDS. For Phase I, sensors in roof samples were exposed to four temperature/humidity environments for 30 weeks. In Phase II, different combinations were assessed to establish system design requirements. Results showed that all of the evaluated sensors can be expected to exhibit adequate durability performance when placed in typical roofing system environments. Except for one sensor, they performed reasonably well in detecting leaking water within the roofing system. Typical roof system designs for loose-laid and ballasted membranes and mechanically fastened membranes are excellent candidates for PRLDS, especially because of the inability to visually inspect ballasted systems without the removal of stones or pavers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA339042
Entities
People
- Allen Prell
- Christopher Coad
- David M. Bailey
Organizations
- Construction Engineering Research Laboratory