A panelized roof system for residential construction : development, application, and evaluation

Abstract

The challenge of providing affordable housing has long been an issue with which architects and builders have been struggling. In an effort to improve both the quality and the affordability of the housing stock that is being constructed today, the Innovative Housing Technologies Program at M.I.T. has proposed a panelized roof system for residential construction. Although the system had been 'developed conceptually and even applied to a proof-of-concept structure prior to the involvement of this author, much of the detailed analysis and investigation had been left undone. This thesis carefully examines the roof system in terms of its structural integrity and the ease of its installation. Utilizing basic structural analysis tools, and some more advanced techniques, including finite element modeling, the system has been thoroughly analyzed with regard to both gravity loads and lateral loads. Furthermore, the system has been installed on a complete house in Pittsburgh, providing the valuable insight of a real-world application. From this examination and experience, several design changes have been identified which will improve system performance during manufacturing, delivery, installation, and throughout the occupancy of the home. Each of these design proposals will be presented in this thesis. In addition, this investigation has also created an acute awareness of the system's capabilities and weaknesses. From this, a series of guidelines for the system's application have been prepared. These will be identified, and the implications that they have on the design of houses will be discussed.