ABSTRACT
Wind flow over a mechanically attached roofing assembly (MAA) can lift the membrane and cause it to flutter or “billow”. Air leakage into the assembly from building interior is a concern for wind uplift resistance of MAA. MAA is a growing segment of the low-slope roofing market however there is no widely accepted standard specification or test method to quantify air leakage through them. An experimental procedure has been under development for quantifying the air leakage rate of MAA. Assemblies with two barrier types, conventional polyethylene film and reinforced modified bituminous film, were evaluated. Data clearly indicates that MAA with barriers had lower air leakage rate than without. The air leakage impact on wind uplift resistance has also been evaluated under dynamic environment. Assemblies with barriers performed better than the assemblies without one.
