The roof-to-wall interface is subjected to some of the most extreme environmental loads in the building envelope. At this transition, air and water control layers rely on flashing and tie-ins to maintain continuity between roofing and façade systems. These tie-ins often have upper service temperature limits ranging from 180 °F to 300 °F. Accurately predicting rooftop surface temperature extremes is therefore critical for specifying appropriate membrane and flashing materials.
This session presents a validated simulation workflow developed to predict peak rooftop temperatures driven by direct and reflected solar radiation, including reflections from parapets, rooftop equipment, and nearby surfaces. The computational approach integrates solar radiation mapping with steady-state heat transfer modeling to estimate roof membrane and parapet surface temperatures. The workflow was initially validated using historical roof temperature data collected by Dupuis in 2014. Further validation was conducted through a summer 2025 field study at the Colorado School of Mines, measuring the impact of direct and reflected solar radiation on an existing roof assembly.
The session will detail the simulation methodology and results from a parametric study evaluating the influence of air temperature, wind speed, solar exposure, and surface color across major North American climate zones. The experimental setup, sensors, and measurement techniques used in the field study will also be discussed. Measured and simulated temperature data will be compared to assess accuracy and quantify the impact of reflected solar radiation on roof and parapet temperatures—informing more resilient detailing of air and water barrier tie-ins.