MCRMA Member Profile: David Roy, Director of Roofconsult

As he approaches retirement, David Roy of MCRMA member company Roofconsult has more than 50 years’ experience to draw upon working in the building envelope sector and a unique perspective on how it has changed in that time. 

For the last six years he has worked as a consultant specialising in building physics, supporting contractors, manufacturers and architects to ensure the building envelope is fit for purpose and safe. There are, in fact, very few people in the industry whose role is almost exclusively dedicated to this area of building envelope design, and this means there is strong demand for David’s expertise.

In a typical week David is immersed in calculations. These are required to confirm that the proposed envelope design will accommodate the wind loadings it will be subjected to, given the building’s location, and that thermal performance and condensation risks are properly assessed.

David says: “The wind load calculation for the envelope of the building is very different from the wind load calculation for the structure, which is usually provided by the structural engineer. Many people do not recognise this fact and that can result in things going wrong further down the line. 

“It is crucial to think about the calculations for the building envelope at the design stage and not treat it as an afterthought. This is exactly what many of the clients I’ve worked with over the years do, and for them I have become a valuable part of the design process, interfacing with the design team, contractors and end client.”

David’s work involves receiving CAD files from clients which are then reviewed to extract the key information needed to provide a calculation. In the case of wind loadings, which account for much of David’s work, this includes factors such as the building’s height, width and depth, the location and pitch of the roof. He feeds this data into calculation software to provide his clients with the results, which are often then fed back to the architect, structural engineer or system manufacturer. 

The depth of David’s knowledge has enabled him to create one of the software tools required to provide wind load calculations in line with the published standards, and this is unique to him. No other commercially available software can calculate wind loadings on the building envelope for UK projects in the same way.

David continues: “My wind load calculations help to determine the number, position and layout of the fasteners, all of which are part of the requirements to ensure roofing and cladding panels are securely attached. And the thermal and condensation calculations are crucially important too as they are required for Building Control and to demonstrate compliance with the Building Regulations.”

Being desk-based in the latter stages of his career suits David after working largely out on site for the 20 years prior to focusing on calculations, mainly as an independent roofing inspector. 

David explains: “Up until 2018 I was mostly out on site, inspecting roofs and doing the calculations on a laptop in all sorts of conditions. It was a really varied and enjoyable part of my career. 

“Nowadays, I’m happier supporting clients from the comfort of my office with a service that I don’t believe is widely available and is certainly valued highly by the envelope designers and contractors I work with. They can come to me with their building envelope designs and have the assurance that someone independent of the system manufacturer and designer has reviewed this against the basic parameters.

“Often the designs are suitable and I am able to check and confirm this, but on occasions my calculations may suggest the need for slight modifications to the building envelope design. This could include increasing the number of fasteners used to attach the roofing or cladding sheets or increasing the thickness of the insulation to meet a specific U-value. And my work is extremely varied too, with my calculations supporting projects around the world in countries including Australia and Cyprus.”

David has certainly seen changes in standards and materials throughout his career, but he believes no significant change has occurred in respect of the building envelope design – other than the performance requirements set by the Building Regulations – since 2010. 

He continues: “Around 30 years ago, we saw major change in the materials used for roofing and facades with the emergence of new products for both flat roofing and metal envelopes that offered higher performance than we’d seen in the past. But the most noticeable change I think the industry has experienced – and for the better – is in respect of quality assurance and safety. 

“Today, quality assurance is far more thorough and this ensures products are more likely to deliver on their promise, and the increased focus on health and safety not only creates a safer working environment for us all, but it creates safer finished buildings.”

David is looking forward to devoting more time to his work in his local community when he retires later this year, including in his role as chair of the village hall committee. He will, however, remain an MCRMA member at least until 2025 which means he will still be active in the industry and able to assist fellow members, at least in the short term.

He concludes: “I’ve found membership of the MCRMA extremely valuable because of the excellent network it creates. This provides regular opportunities for members to meet and get to know fellow building professionals from all parts of the supply chain, and most importantly discuss the numerous issues affecting the industry.”

Find out more at www.mcrma.co.uk/roofconsult. 

Contact:

Metal Cladding and Roofing Manufacturers Association (MCRMA),
106 Ruskin Avenue,
Rogerstone,
Newport,
Gwent,
NP10 0BD.

Tel: 01633 895633

www.mcrma.co.uk

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