Livestock barn with a pitched roof with fire-resistant panels
The livestock barn design with fire-resistant panels positioned under purlins and ventilation ducts above insulation addresses fire safety, ventilation, and hygiene issues, enhancing safety and hygiene while maintaining optimal moisture regulation.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SLAATS BV
- Filing Date
- 2025-11-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-20
AI Technical Summary
Existing livestock barns with fire-resistant panels face challenges in maintaining fire safety, ventilation, and hygiene while ensuring optimal moisture regulation, as they often compromise one or more of these factors.
A livestock barn design featuring fire-resistant panels positioned parallel to the roof covering under purlins, with a sloped ceiling and ventilation ducts above the insulation layer, eliminating obstructions and allowing for improved air circulation and reduced dirt accumulation, while using thin panels to dissipate heat and incorporating fire-resistant insulation between rafter legs.
Enhances fire safety, ventilation, and hygiene by preventing dirt accumulation, improving air quality, and reducing the risk of roof collapse during fires, thus increasing firefighter survival chances and animal rescue efficacy.
Smart Images
Figure IMGAF001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical field of the invention
[0001] The invention relates to a livestock barn with a pitched roof comprising: a roof covering located on the outside of the roof, fire-resistant panels of magnesium oxide or fiber concrete located beneath the roof covering, and beams with a T-shaped cross-section consisting of a center section and a cross-section extending on either side of the center section, which beams are connected to the roof by the center section, whereby the fire-resistant panels rest on the cross-sections with opposite side edges so that there are no gaps on these sides between adjacent fire-resistant panels. Background of the invention
[0002] A livestock barn according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from EP4049532A. In this well-known livestock barn, the fire-resistant panels are part of a horizontally extending ceiling suspended from rafters by cables, and the fire-resistant panels are perforated to ensure adequate ventilation in the barn.Summary of the invention
[0003] An object of the invention is to provide a livestock barn of the type described in the introduction that better meets fire safety requirements than known livestock barns without compromising ventilation options and while maintaining good moisture regulation and optimal hygiene in the barn. To this end, the livestock barn according to the invention is characterized in that the roof further comprises: rafters, each comprising two rafter legs attached to each other at the roof ridge and angled downwards, and purlins attached to the rafter legs, and spacers attached to the purlins and projecting downwards, whereby: the supports extend perpendicular to the purlins and are attached to the spacers at their center, and the fire-resistant panels with glass or rock wool are located under the purlins and parallel to the roof covering.
[0004] The fire-resistant panels need not be perforated, or the perforations can be smaller or fewer in number to increase fire resistance. Because the fire-resistant panels are positioned parallel to and at a distance from the roof covering under the purlins, there are no more obstacles. This creates a sloped, fire-resistant ceiling inside the barn, free from the obstructions of the purlins, and prevents dust and dirt from accumulating in the corners of the purlins. This makes the entire structure more hygienic and easier to clean. Ventilation ducts are now installed above the glass wool or rock wool layer and below the roof covering, ensuring sufficient ventilation in the barn even with fire-resistant panels that are less permeable or not at all breathable. This, combined with the sloped position of the fire-resistant panels, allows for improved air circulation inside the barn, free from the obstructions of the purlins. This improves the air quality in the barn and reduces the risk of dirt accumulating against the fire-resistant panels. Because the roof structure is protected from the inside by the fire-resistant panels, the risk of collapse is very low and will likely be delayed, or even eliminated altogether, significantly increasing the firefighters' chances of survival and rescue of animals in the event of a fire.
[0005] It should be noted that AU2013100047A discloses a building with a pitched roof, which also features fire-resistant panels of magnesium oxide or fiber concrete. However, in this known building, the fire-resistant panels are positioned on top of the rafters to protect the rafters from external fire in the event of forest fires.
[0006] An embodiment of the livestock barn according to the invention is characterized in that the roof further comprises connecting pieces with an H-shaped cross-section, with the fire-resistant panels extending into the connecting pieces with their ends. This roof construction eliminates gaps between the fire-resistant panels, preventing flames from penetrating between the panels in the event of a fire. Preferably, the fire-resistant panels have a thickness of less than 3 cm. By making the fire-resistant panels thin, they can dissipate heat across their entire thickness to the glass wool or rock wool and the air layer above this insulation, the roof covering.
[0007] Another embodiment of the livestock housing according to the invention is characterized by the presence of fire-resistant / fire-retardant insulation material between the rafter legs of adjacent rafters. This could include glass wool or rock wool, or other future materials that may be used for this purpose. This ensures that the rafters are separated from each other in a fire-resistant manner, and that this structure remains intact in the event of a fire.Brief description of the drawings
[0008] The invention will be explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment of the livestock barn according to the invention, shown in the drawings. These drawings show: Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the livestock barn according to the invention in cross-section; Figure 2 shows a detail of the cross-section of the ceiling of the livestock barn along line II-II in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section of the ceiling of the livestock barn; Figure 4 shows a section of the ceiling of the livestock barn in perspective, seen from below; and Figure 5 shows a section of the ceiling of the livestock barn in perspective, seen from above. Detailed description of the drawings
[0009] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of the livestock barn according to the invention in cross-section. The livestock barn 1 has a sloping roof 3 that rests on barn walls. The roof structure has a number of rafters 5 spaced apart. Each rafter 5 has two rafter legs 7 that are attached to each other at the roof ridge and are angled downwards. Attached to the rafter legs 7 are purlins 15, which extend perpendicularly to the rafter legs 7.
[0010] Roof 3 also has a ceiling with fire-resistant panels 11, which are primarily made of magnesium oxide or fiber concrete and are positioned at a distance from the purlins 15. A roof covering 9 is present on the rafters 5. This consists, for example, of corrugated sheeting. The fire-resistant panels 11 are positioned beneath the purlins 15 and are parallel to the roof covering 9. The interior of the livestock barn 1 thus has a sloped and smooth ceiling, preventing the accumulation of dirt. The fire-resistant panels 11 have a thickness that can vary between 1.5 and 12 mm, and preferably, a layer 18 of glass wool, rock wool, or another fire-resistant insulation material is placed on the fire-resistant panels 11; see Figure 2, which shows a detail of the cross-section of the ceiling of the livestock barn along line II-II in Figure 1. Fire-resistant panels 11 are supported by girders 13, which are attached to purlins 15 via spacers 17. These purlins 15 are attached to rafter legs 7 and extend perpendicular to the rafter legs 7. girders 13 extend perpendicular to purlins 15 and have a T-shaped cross-section consisting of a center section 13a and a cross section 13b extending on either side of center section 13a. The girders 13 are attached to spacers 17 by their center section 13a. Center section 13a is made of wood, for example, and cross section 13b is preferably made of fire-resistant magnesium oxide.
[0011] Fire-resistant panels 11 rest on cross sections 13b with their opposite side edges, so that there are no gaps on these sides between adjacent fire-resistant panels. The other sides of the fire-resistant panels 11 are connected via connectors 19; see Figure 3, which shows a detail of the ceiling in longitudinal section. Connectors 19 have an H-shaped cross-section, with the fire-resistant panels 11 projecting into connectors 19 with their ends.
[0012] Figures 4 and 5 show a perspective view of a section of the ceiling of the livestock barn, viewed from below and above respectively.
[0013] Although the invention has been explained above with reference to the drawings, it should be noted that the invention is by no means limited to the embodiment shown in the drawings. The invention also extends to all embodiments deviating from the embodiment shown in the drawings, within the scope defined by the claims.
Claims
1. Livestock barn (1) provided with a pitched roof (3) comprising: - a roof covering (9) located on the outside of the roof (3), - fire-resistant panels (11) of magnesium oxide or fiber concrete, located beneath the roof covering (9), and - supports (13) with a T-shaped cross-section consisting of a center section (13a) and a cross section (13b) extending on either side of the center section (13a), which supports (13) are connected to the roof (3) by the center section (13a), whereby the fire-resistant panels (11) rest on the cross sections (13b) with opposite side edges so that there are no gaps on these sides between adjacent fire-resistant panels, characterized in that the roof (3) further comprises: - rafters (5) each comprising two rafter legs (7) which are fitted in the ridge of the roof (3), are attached to each other and are angled downwards, as well as - purlins (15), which are attached to the rafter legs (7), and - spacers (17) which are attached to the purlins (15) and extend downwards, whereby: - the supports (13) extend perpendicular to the purlins (15) and are attached to the spacers (17) with their center section (13a), and - the fire-resistant panels (11) are present under the purlins (15) and are parallel to the roof covering (9).
2. Livestock barn according to claim 1, characterized in that the roof (3) further comprises connecting pieces (19) with an H-shaped cross-section, whereby the fire-resistant panels (11) insert into the connecting pieces (19) with their ends.
3. Livestock barn according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fire-resistant panels (11) have a thickness of less than 2 cm.
4. Livestock barn according to Claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that fire-resistant / fire-retardant insulation material (18) is present between the rafter legs (7) of adjacent rafters (5).