Revealed: A Better Way to Bridge and Insulate Roofs

Lysaght Supabridge is an integrated bridging and roof-insulation system for commercial and industrial buildings. 

Replacing traditional purlin bridging, Supabridge accommodates the safety wire and uncompressed insulation within the roof purlin space. By utilising the structural purlin depth to achieve this, internal roof height can be maximised while maintaining the full bracing capacity of the roof sheeting thanks to direct fixing to purlin members.

With the Supabridge roofing system, buildings can achieve R values of up to R6.2, ensuring they comfortably meet National Construction Code NCC thermal insulation requirements, while also delivering potential cost savings during installation.

Lysaght national specification manager Tony Jamieson said Supabridge had been trialled on a number of projects and had been extremely well received.

“Supabridge makes it easier and more cost effective to meet NCC thermal requirements without the need for roof raisers,” Mr Jamieson said.

“Along with the added expense of fitting raisers and the extra installation costs, raising the roof can also reduce sheet uplift capacities—because Supabridge allows the cladding to be fixed directly to the roof structure, this new system actually has the opposite effect.

Supabridge provides many tangible benefits across a range of operational parameters.

Improved insulation performance: Insulation blankets are installed to Supabridge buildings without being compressed, ensuring they continue to meet their specified performance levels, with the ability to deliver R values ranging from R3.7 to R6.2. 

Reduced cost: Supabridge eliminates the need for roof-raiser components and traditional purlin bridging components, leading to faster and more efficient installation.

Easy to install: Components are delivered preassembled and are readily adjustable on site. Easy on-site adjustment of brackets also accommodates variances if required. Additionally, Supabridge uses fewer components than traditional systems.

Improved installer safety: Supabridge integrates roof-safety mesh to provide a safer working platform, while placement of the insulation between purlins keeps them visible throughout the roof installation process. 

The system also eliminates the potential for roof spacer ‘roll-over’ during installation. A further benefit of Supabridge is that it allows Supathermic insulation options that are glass wool fibre-free, non-allergenic and formaldehyde free, meaning specialist PPE is not required. Additionally, these options provide easier onsite handling due to their compact dimensions and lightweight nature.   

Maintains engineering and design performance: Using Supabridge ensures the engineering integrity of the roofing is maintained. The system allows the roof cladding to be fixed directly to thicker purlin sections for added integrity rather than roof raisers. From a design and approvals perspective, Supabridge also helps keep roof heights in check, which is important for sites that are bound by height restrictions.

Assured compliance: The new Supabridge meets—and in many cases exceeds—a broad range of building governance and compliance requirements including NCC, Section J Insulation Performance, Fire Performance to AS1530.2:1993 (R2016), Roof Safety Mesh standards to AS/NZS 4389:2015 and the AS/NZS 4600 Cold-Formed Structures Code.

For additional information about Lysaght Supabridge, visit https://professionals.lysaght.com/products/supabridge or contact your local Lysaght representative.

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