Essentially Rubber: Energy efficiency hits the roof

Leading-edge designs and applications showing how elastomer materials contribute to all aspects of life and lifestyle in the 21st century:

Holcim Elevate, formerly Firestone Building Products, has reported on a project for the Les Trèfles school in Anderlecht, Belgium. The Passive House building, it said, is "a model for sustainable design and superior energy performance."

The building consists of four overlapping circular structures featuring advanced energy-efficient solutions such as heat recovery, natural light, sun protection and rainwater recycling systems.

For the roof, Elevate supplied its insulating UltraPly TPO roofing system to maximise energy-efficiency while enabling an outstanding 7000-m2 'green' roof, which can remove heat from the air and reduce surface temperature by 30-40% compared to conventional roofs. 

Designed for easy installation, the full build-up consisted of a self-adhesive barrier membrane, two layers of insulation boards and a 1.5 mm-thick single-ply membrane. At end of life, UltraPly TPO can be easily recycled.

The choice of roofing membrane was determined based on a life cycle assessment of total environmental impact, noted Holcim Elevate.