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Milwaukee Public School’s Roof Drainage System Is In A Class All Its Own
The Milwaukee Public School System consists of 178 elementary, middle, and high schools. Combined, they account for over 86 million square feet of roof. As if that wasn’t enough, almost half of the schools in the district are a century old or better. But that should pose no problem for a crew of, what, 20 workers? Dennis Fula laughs, “20? No, it’s just me and three other professional roofers.” There are inherent problems with getting any system of this size under manageable control. “With our particular situation here in Milwaukee, and with so many of these structures being old flat type roof construction of mainly concrete and metal, I’ve discovered that in the past they have just been layering new roof upon old roof, over and over again. And although they were designed to last longer, the school system was only getting 20, 15 or even only 10 years out of a roofing surface,” stated Dennis. “Now any good roofer will tell you that getting the water off of the roof is the best way to make a roof last longer. So, when I took over the roofing program here, the first thing I knew I needed to do was to update myself with information about the latest products and technology, and I’ve been in the roofing business for 30+ years. One of the things that surprised me the most was the advancements made in insulation materials, particularly the vastly improved insulating qualities of polyisocyanurate (polyiso). When I discovered that you could use it in a tapered system, and get the R-factor desired, I started looking into it more thoroughly, and began working with Atlas Roofing to develop positive drainage roofing systems.” That system has evolved into what is now known as the Atlas Roofing Corporation’s Certified Drainage Program (CDP).
Dan Dalle Nogare, president of Adroit Marketing, Inc. in West Bend, Wisconsin, has been an independent sales rep for Atlas Roofing since 1988. Dan is heavily involved in this Milwaukee Public School system on-going roofing project. “There is a major commitment from Atlas Roofing to make this program work,” explains Dan. “We measure the roof perimeter, establish the drain locations, locate any penetrations or curbs on the roof, and do an initial estimate. We then do an auto level survey of the roof to determine if there is any structurally designed slope to the deck or deck deflections which may develop over time. There are some roofs where we can easily identify if the roof is structurally sloped. We may have to core the roof system to get the needed information, or we may be able to look at the underside of the roof structure, and determine that there is no structural slope. That is where we get involved with certified drainage. By knowing the existing parameters of the job, we are confident that we will be able to determine the required tapered slope of 1/8”, 3/16” or 1/4” per foot.” The entire purpose behind the Certified Drainage Program is following the principle that an ounce of prevention in the beginning is worth a pound of cure. By spending the time up front to determine what needs to be corrected on that roof and then designing a tapered system that is going to drain the water properly, preventing ponding water, will in turn ensure longevity for the actual roofing system.
Let’s summarize: 178 schools and 86 million square feet of roof to calculate. All right class, let’s all do the math together... |
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Project Information Project: Related Products
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Most people might think the hardest job in the public school system is being a high school principal. Others may give the nod to school superintendent, or a second grade teacher just given her first class of 30 precocious munchkins. Although each of these positions poses its own unique challenges, one man could probably lay claim to having the toughest job in the Milwaukee Public School system hands down... the roofing foreman, Dennis Fula.
Ed Krusec, AIA, CSI, manager, Tapered Systems Group, at Atlas Roofing was there when it all began, and explains the value of Certified Drainage Program™. “Tapered insulation systems are the most costly part, material-wise, of the roofing system, and therefore the greatest target for value engineering. Value engineering occurs when someone redesigns some facet of the initial tapered design to reduce the cost. Value engineering a tapered insulation system will reduce the costs. However, in the process, the efficiency is compromised. While an architect’s or building owner’s intent may be to have the most efficient design (a tapered system which moves water effectively to the drainage facilities), invariably somewhere along the line, someone is going to compromise that four-way slope direct to the drain. Basically, what the Atlas Certified Drainage Program does is leave no room for compromise.” Mr. Krusec continues, “I’ve been on roof areas where there is 3” or 4” of ponding water, and if water ponds longer than it’s supposed to, it could void the membrane manufacturer’s warranty. Not only that, it also has an effect on the life cycle or life expectancy of the membrane. Ponding water also promotes vegetational growth as it collects dirt. Additionally, ponding water can add a tremendous amount of weight to the overall structure. All of this has an enormous negative impact on the membrane. So, in effect, what we are really doing with certified drainage is making sure the tapered insulation system is going to perform as it would be expected to, and that’s to move the water effectively off the roof.”
How easy is it to get a company like Atlas involved? Dennis Fula explains, “Atlas researches and informs me of what I will need for each school, because they’re the ones that are going to certify the drainage. I tell them what roof and what system we are going to be using and Atlas addresses each roof area as a separate project. Every roof is different, each with its own unique challenges. Atlas takes all of that into consideration. Most architects do not even know what positive drainage is. An architect should know that if they would call Atlas, Atlas Roofing would design their tapered insulation roof design for free.” “That’s true,” states Krusec. “Design assistance is one of our gratis services. It’s a ‘no-brainer’ for an architect or a designer who is looking for help to contact Atlas and let our design specialists put together the information on how to extend the life of the roof on their project through the use of a tapered insulation system.”
But how much time can you really add to a roof’s performance by having it drain properly? Dennis Fula puts that into perspective. “The way I look at it, with the old roofing systems, if everything would start to break down in say 15 years, you would have to tear the entire system off and start from scratch. But, if the roof drains properly, and since polyiso does not deteriorate, we can put another roofing system right over top. The cost difference is roughly $1000 per square originally to tear everything off and re-roof, verses an estimated $200 a square to recover the roof in 20 years. We are spending a little more up front, but in the long run, our planning is going to pay for itself five times over.”