Study on the wind-uplift resistance of glass fiber felt in single-layer roofing system

In modern building roofing projects, wind-up damage has become one of the main threats to roof damage, especially in coastal areas prone to typhoons and hurricanes. Single-layer roofing systems are widely used in commercial buildings and industrial plants due to their light weight, excellent waterproof performance and convenient construction. However, the wind-uplift resistance of such roofing systems has always been a topic of focus for engineers. The introduction of glass fiber felt as a reinforcing material has significantly improved the wind-uplift resistance of single-layer roofs and effectively reduced the damage caused by strong winds, such as tearing and bulging of the roof.

The essence of wind-up damage is the process in which the roofing material is lifted up by the negative pressure generated by the airflow under the action of strong winds. This destruction process usually goes through three stages: first, the wind load acts on the roof to produce local negative pressure, causing the roof material to bulge slightly; then, under the action of continuous wind pressure, the bulge area continues to expand, and the stress on the joints or fixing points continues to increase; finally, when the wind suction exceeds the tensile strength of the material or the anchoring force of the fixings, the roof will be torn or lifted up as a whole. This process is affected by many factors, including the size of wind speed and wind pressure, the roof structure, the strength characteristics of the material itself, and the choice of fixing method. Among them, flat roofs are more susceptible to wind-lifting damage than pitched roofs because air vortices are easily formed at the edges.

The key to the ability of glass fiber felt to significantly improve the wind-lifting resistance of single-layer roof systems lies in its unique material properties and structural advantages. Glass fiber itself has extremely high tensile strength. When the suction generated by strong wind acts on the roof, the glass fiber felt can effectively bear the main tensile force and prevent the roof waterproofing layer from being directly torn. The uniform fiber distribution structure of glass fiber felt enables it to have excellent stress dispersion ability, and can evenly transfer the local concentrated wind load stress to the entire roof system to avoid bulging or cracking caused by stress concentration. In practical applications, glass fiber felt is usually combined with roofing membranes such as TPO and PVC through thermal lamination or adhesive processes to form a composite structure with both flexibility and strength. This structure not only retains the necessary flexibility of waterproof membrane materials, but also provides additional tensile support through glass fiber, so that the roof system can remain stable under wind load and is not easy to deform or detach.

Looking to the future, the application of glass fiber felt in the field of wind-resistant roofing will continue to deepen and develop. The introduction of intelligent monitoring systems will enable roofs to have the ability to monitor wind-resistant risks in real time, and through the integration of strain sensors, potential dangers can be warned in time. Advances in materials science will promote the research and development of lightweight and high-strength composite materials, such as mixed felts of glass fiber and carbon fiber, which are expected to further improve wind resistance. The development of environmentally friendly binders will also become an important direction, by reducing production energy consumption and improving recyclability.