Many people believe that a sliding roof is an invention of modern designers, but this is a delusion: a similar type of roof devices was used in ancient Rome. Proof of which is the fact that at the Colosseum, in order to protect the audience from the scorching sun or bad weather, it was a movable roof that was equipped. What is this device, what are its advantages and features?
Abroad, such devices have been used for a long time and gained popularity, but in Russia they began to be used quite recently. This is hindered by the conservatism of Russian architects, since they are sure that the sliding roof will not be able to withstand wind and snow loads. This opinion completely rejects the fact that in Canada, which has similar weather conditions, many large public buildings are equipped with sliding roofs.
Scope of application
You can see the sliding upper structure on structures for various purposes. These are shopping and cultural centers, sports grounds, water parks.
A special place is occupied by stadiums built in:
- Texas (CowboysStadium).
- Astana (Astana Arena).
- Warsaw (Stadion Narodowy) and other major cities of the world.
But you can build such roofs not only in giant structures: you can use such structures to extend the operation of open restaurants, cafes, terraces.
Features and Features
The advantages of top sliding structures include the following:
- Providing natural light.
- Saving electricity.
- Access fresh air.
- Reliable protection from bad weather.
- Excellent aesthetic performance.
- Able to quickly install.
It is very important that there are no restrictions on the shape and size of structures. They can be installed both above the entire building and above its part, for example - above the veranda near a private house.
Types of roofs
Today, thanks to the use of the latest mechanisms, materials, devices, a sliding roof can be equipped in any way and be:
- Sliding. This system provides "driving" parts of the roof in different directions.
- Mobile. The structure moves along guide rollers from one side to the other. May have 2-3 or more limit positions.
- Partially sliding, when not the entire surface is moved, but only a few elements, and the rest is fixed.
Device Features
The sliding roof mechanism is so simplewhich allows each segment to move along separate guides. For the manufacture of the base, an aluminum profile is used, since this material does not rust. The steel frame is used less frequently due to its high cost and significantly greater weight. Next, panels are attached to the frame. What material will be used for their manufacture depends on where exactly the sliding roof is installed. It could be:
- Tempered glass. Its strength, reliability and durability are undeniable.
- Cellular polycarbonate. It has excellent sound and heat insulation properties. Light weight.
- Any opaque materials.
Sliding system smoothly and quietly opens the structure. At the same time, the rollers perform their main task - they move and hold the roof segment in the desired position. The system can work both in manual mode and automatically. In the second case, you will need to provide electricity.
If this is, for example, a greenhouse with a sliding roof, in order to improve the microclimate inside the building, you can install sensors that will respond to temperature and humidity. When they rise or, conversely, fall below the permissible level, the sensors will give a signal, and the drive will close / open the sections of the structure. For more complex systems, you will need to install a controller.
