Many believe that a movable roof is an invention of modern designers, but this is a misconception: a similar type of roof devices was used in ancient Rome. The proof of this is that at the Coliseum, in order to protect the audience from the scorching sun or bad weather, it was equipped with a movable roof. 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 only recently. The conservatism of Russian architects prevents this, since they are sure that the movable roof will not be able to withstand wind and snow loads. This opinion is completely rejected by the fact that in Canada, which has similar weather conditions, sliding roofs are equipped on many large public buildings.
Scope of application
You can see the movable top structure at structures for various purposes. These are shopping and cultural centers, sports grounds, water parks.
A special place is occupied by stadiums built in:
- Texas (Cowboys Stadium).
- Astana (Astana Arena).
- Warsaw (Stadion Narodowy) and other major cities in the world.
But such roofs can be built not only in gigantic structures: similar structures can be used to extend the work of open restaurants, cafes, and terraces.
Advantages and characteristics
The advantages of the upper sliding structures include the following:
- Providing natural light.
- Saving electricity.
- Access to fresh air.
- Reliable protection against inclement weather.
- Excellent aesthetic characteristics.
- Possibility of quick installation.
It is very important that there is no restriction on the shape and size of structures. They can be installed both over the entire structure, and over its part, for example - over the veranda of a private house.
Types of roofs
Today, thanks to the use of the latest mechanisms, materials, devices, a movable roof can be equipped in any way and be:
- Retractable. This system provides the "traveling" of parts of the roof in different directions.
- Mobile. The design moves along the guide rollers from one side to the other. May have 2-3 or more limit positions.
- Partially movable, when not the entire surface moves, but only a few elements, and the rest is fixed.
Device features
The sliding roof mechanism is so simple that it 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 often because of its high cost and significantly greater weight. Further to the frame, the panels are attached. What material will be used for their manufacture depends on where exactly the movable roof is installed. It could be:
- Strained glass. Its strength, reliability and durability are beyond doubt.
- Cellular polycarbonate. It has excellent sound and heat insulation properties. It has light weight.
- Any opaque materials.
The sliding system smoothly and quietly opens the structure. At the same time, the rollers fulfill 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, for example, a greenhouse with a movable roof, 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 an acceptable level, the sensors will give a signal and the drive will close / open sections of the structure. For more complex systems, you will need to install a controller.