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Light Weight Concrete Roofs

Light weight concrete roof vaults are strong, comfortable, durable, easy to construct and maintain, attractive, and inexpensive.Concrete is strong in compression so concrete roofs are ideally built in shapes that are strong in compression; shells, domes, or vaults. In my opinion, flat concrete roofs do not represent good thinking. The only way to make flat roofs strong enough to support themselves, and the loads they will carry, is to use a LOT of metal reinforcing and hard, structural concrete. Even at that, they are prone to failure. There were some very ugly pancakes of flat concrete roofs and floors after the last big earthquake in Mexico D.F. Vaulted roofs have much less tendency to collapse in this manner.

Light weight concrete vaults are easier to build and maintain and can be build with a fraction of the metal reinforcing needed in flat concrete roofs.

Rooms with vaulted ceilings have a great feel in the lived-in space. This is especially evident in low income / cost dwellings. Ceilings seem higher than they actually are and everything feels more spacious.

Lightweight aggregate roofs are good insulators and the thickness can vary according to the climate. Three to four inch ( 8-10 cm) roofs are about right for the mountains in Mexico to give you "warm in the winter and cool in the summer".

Sealing: Here in Mexico, we've been sealing roofs with polished, fibered mortar. They are then, usually painted later with latex roof paint. In harsher climates one has to resort to more exotic membranes.

Patching: We have had excellent success patching these roofs and patches almost always "take". Simply chisel out the offending crack with a wood chisel, wash out the crack, paint on a cement slurry to bond, and then polish with fibered masonry.

A well-built and maintained concrete roof should last at least 200 years.
"Cabbage roof" under construction, Tim's small shop. Light weight aggregate made it easy to nail on 3/8 re-bar and plaster
This is the roof in my living room, a shell shaped boveda. The largest span is 6 ½ meters. The ribs are reinforced concrete beams for a second floor above.
Shell shaped, light weight concrete roof over my studio
The kitchen roof at my house. This was my first attemot at the shell shape. It ended up too flat and therefore needed a lot of iron in the reinforced beam in the ribs. This roof is built to support a second floor above.
Carport roof at Tim's. Once again shell motifs.
Another view of the carport roof at Tim's
Spanish tiles in an undulating, wavy pattern, laid over a light weight concrete roof. The large shop at Tim's
Looking down from the top of Tim's house, cascading , domed roofs.
Inside view of cascading domed roofs, the loft area in Tim's house.
Structural beams support the light weight roof of Tim's kitchen.
A view of Tim's kitchen from the outside. This side faces west.
A 7 X 7 meter, light weight roof under construction.
Closet area roof at my house, three intersecting shell shapes of light weight concrete.
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FlyingConcrete
  • Home
  • General Info
    • Concrete Manual
    • Workshops >
      • More Info
      • Past Workshops
    • Site Map
  • New Stuff
    • Other New Stuff
    • More Stuff
    • Yet More Stuff
    • Yet Even More Stuff
    • Still More Stuff
  • Projects
    • Jeff & Ruth's >
      • Slideshows >
        • Introduction
        • Foundations
        • Roofs
        • Buttresses
        • Roof Fill
        • Interior Finish
        • Windows
        • Doors
        • Stairs
    • Diamond Vaults
    • Inflatable Greenhouse
    • Steve & Emilia's
    • Craig & Peggy's
    • Tim's Ranchito
    • Rental Unit
    • Pozos Compound
    • Mike & Bettie's
    • Art Nouveau House
    • Cost Effective Construction
    • Wine Cellar
    • Tina's House
    • Dave's Catenary Vault
    • Garden & Sculpture
    • Miscellaneous Stuff
  • Construction
    • Vaults >
      • Wave of the Future >
        • Other Roof Forming Systems >
          • Roof Panels
          • Roof Forming
          • Lloyd Turner >
            • Lloyd's Tips
          • Nez's Hypars
          • Bo's Page
      • Costs
      • Reinforcing
      • Movable Formwork
      • Barrel Vault Interiors
      • Comparisons
      • Vaults A&B
    • Roofs
    • Catenary Vaults
    • Simple Barrel Vaults
    • Doors and Windows
    • Stairs and Rails
    • Shear Walls
    • Vapor Barriers
  • Links
  • Contact - About
    • Support This Site
    • River Trips >
      • Usumacinta >
        • Usumacinta Gear
      • Rio Santa Maria >
        • Rio Santa Maria Gear