Page 600 - Handbook of Thermal Analysis of Construction Materials

Section 5.0 - Roof Covering Materials 567

Figure 2. Two families of polymer-based roofing membranes: thermosets (TS) and
thermoplastics (TP).

Type of Reinforcements. Conventional roofing felts are made of
organic fibers and are impregnated with asphalt. They act as binders and as
reinforcement in the waterproofing component in the BUR. In recent years,
non-woven fabrics have made significant inroads in roofing in addition to
many other fields, such as the geotextile and medical fields.
Most of the reinforcements used in roofing are woven fabrics or
mats and scrims of non-woven glass fibers and synthetic fibers. They are
placed within the body of the membrane. In some cases, a lightweight
reinforcing mesh is incorporated to act as a carrier during manufacture.
Some exposed modified bituminous membranes without granule surfacing
have a light glass mat embedded in the top surface to make it crack resistant.