Industrial Construction

Stef-Bud

Daylight, ventilation and smoke extraction in one roof design

The first selection criterion is the roof structure. Its slope matters, as do the spacing and direction of the load-bearing elements and whether the roof already exists or is still being designed. Point skylights are installed on flat roofs and roofs with a shallow slope; continuous rooflights on flat roofs and on pitched roofs with a shallow incline. The layout of the light openings follows the structural grid, so that load-bearing elements are left untouched and unusual flashing details are not multiplied.

The second criterion is how much light is required and how evenly it is distributed. A high-bay warehouse, where light in the aisles between the racks matters most, is lit differently from a production hall with workstations spread across the whole floor, and differently again from a sports hall, where glare has to be avoided. At this stage the area of the light openings, their spacing and the infill are set: clear polycarbonate sheets transmit the most light, opal sheets spread it more evenly.

The third criterion is ventilation and fire protection. Some buildings only need periodic airing — opening flaps in a rooflight or a skylight are enough. Where the design and the applicable regulations require smoke and heat to be released, smoke exhaust vents are planned in the same roof slope, triggered automatically by a smoke detector or manually with a smoke vent button. The scope of these requirements follows from the building documentation, so we agree it with the designer or the investor before selecting the equipment.

In practice, these solutions rarely stand alone. The most common arrangement in a hall is a continuous rooflight with built-in ventilation and smoke flaps — one structure then handles daylight, airing and smoke extraction. Smoke exhaust vents work in a similar way when their covers are filled with a light-transmitting material: besides their fire-safety role, they light the interior like point skylights. We have extensive experience in building continuous rooflights together with ventilation and smoke flaps.

Our structures are made from aluminium and steel profiles with an infill of cellular or solid polycarbonate sheets, in a clear or an opal version; the profiles are powder-coated in any colour from the RAL palette. The course of the work is the same for each of these solutions: measurement on site, selection of the variant and dimensions, production, delivery and installation carried out by our own team. We take on non-standard projects and, since 2007, have been delivering orders throughout Poland.

• roof structure and its slope — flat, shallow-pitched or pitched
• amount of daylight required and its distribution across the hall
• clear infill for maximum light, opal infill for diffused light
• need for airing the building and the number of opening flaps
• smoke extraction requirements from the documentation and regulations
• installation in an existing building or during construction of the hall