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Advanced enclosure failure investigation · Lesson 1 of 4

Advanced enclosure failure investigation: principles and terminology

Why a failed edge is more than a leak, the four families of failure, the words the standards use, who does what, and the safety and authority steps that come before anyone touches a roof.

You will be able to: Define failure, mode, mechanism and root cause, name the four failure families of metal roof-edge and wall enclosure elements, and state who investigates, where each role stops and the safety boundaries before any access.

12 min · 12 slides · 9 questions

All lessons in this module
Slide 1 of 12

Why edges get investigated

ES-1's commentary says a loose roof edge component endangers surrounding property or persons and exposes the roofing to blow-off, starting at the roof edge.

In a study of 145 FM Global built-up roof losses, 85 (59 percent) occurred because the roof perimeter failed.

That figure describes one group of FM Global built-up roof losses, not every roof.

Sources

Glossary

Failure (ES-1)
In an ES-1 test, loss of securement of a component of the roof edge system.
Mode, mechanism, root cause
This course's three steps: mode is what you can see, mechanism is the physical process, root cause is the decision or condition that let it happen.
Fastener pull-out
A failure mode in which a fastener pulls away from the substrate, such as a nailer, or from the edge system component under load.
Fastener pull-through
A failure mode in which the fastener shank stays secure in the substrate and the component pulls over the fastener head.
Cleat
A continuous metal strip, or angled piece, used to secure metal components (ES-1 definition).
Evidence preservation
Keeping information and physical items intact so they can be analysed later; ASTM E1188 is the practice for it.