Measuring a flat roof on a typical commercial building with a parapet can be arduous and complicated.
Height of flat roof parapet.
Bs 6229 2003 flat roofs with continuously supported coverings code of practice and bs 8217 2005 reinforced bitumen membranes for roofing code of practice both state that if unwanted water ingress into the building is to be avoided all weatherproofing upstands occurring around the roof area.
Install a non penetrating full height railing.
Also there may be several roof penetrations and other obstacles that should be factored into the measurement.
However fall protection would still be required for work on roof top equipment design features at heights greater than 6 feet over the edge of the parapet on the face of the building and for work near unguarded roof openings and skylights.
First of all commercial and multi unit residential buildings are a lot bigger than single family homes in most cases.
Courtesy of max baker and the national research council of canada.
The height of the building is calculated to the highest roof element not the parapet or mechanical protrusions vents chase etc.
Including parapets of sufficient height is also advantageous when green features.
If penetrating the outside of the wall is not an option a freestanding non penetrating railing can be used to keep people back to from the roof edge.
However when a roof slopes down toward an exterior wall and parapet with a slope greater than 2 12 further analysis is required to determine if a taller parapet is necessary.
Which would include abutments rooflights.
If you didn t get it right you concentrated the stresses at roof edges and you could suck in a parapet or tear or rip a membrane at the parapet photographs 3 and 4.
The minimum height of a parapet wall above the roof surface is 30 inches.
Roof membrane temperatures ottawa canada summer day.
The parapet height may have to have a minimum height if it is part of a fire rated assembly between units depending upon the use and classification of the structure.
2015 ibc code commentary.