Roof System Suitability for IT Mission-Critical Facilities

Abstract

Information technology (IT) mission-critical facilities house operations that, when interrupted, can prove disastrous to an organization's operations. Limited market research is available to determine what roof system types are best suited to meet the unique demands of these buildings. The purpose of this research was to rate the suitability of commonly used roofing systems for IT mission-critical facilities and determine their associated lifecycle costs. This research was performed with a leading US based telecommunications company to help evaluate roofing system options used in their IT mission-critical facilities. A survey was administered to roofing professionals across the US to obtain lifecycle cost information and ratings for various roofing systems. The research found that single-ply roofs generally had lower annual lifecycle costs than built-up roofs, due to lower installation and removal costs and increasing life expectancies. Metal roofs also had a low annual lifecycle cost due to the longer estimated lifespan. On the other hand, lowest installation cost was not the governing factor for recommended selection of roof systems for IT mission-critical structures. Rather, built-up and metal roofs were rated highest by roofing professionals, for their value in mission-critical facilities, ultimately indicating a necessary prioritization for risk reduction versus cost savings.