SpecTips: Code-Compliant Rooftop Securement with Anchor Products U-Anchors

The roofing and mechanical industries have long relied on the weight of rooftop equipment to hold itself in place. However, in the aftermath of the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, which saw a combined 13 major hurricanes and $284 billion in damage, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) deployed Mitigation Assessment Teams (MATs) to perform field observations of building performance and damage caused by the storms. One of the key modes of building failure identified by MATs was rooftop mechanical and electrical equipment. Rooftop equipment was the cause of millions of dollars’ worth of damage. Damage to and by rooftop equipment was deemed an impediment to recovery efforts because of its impact on critical and essential facilities. Additionally, the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) recognized that rooftop equipment detachment was a major contributor to windborne debris damage.

It is no surprise then that rooftop equipment securement requirements have become increasingly prevalent in modern building codes. For jurisdictions that have adopted the 2018 and later editions of the International Building Code (IBC), rooftop components must be designed to resist applicable wind and seismic forces. These requirements are largely based on ASCE 7, which establishes the minimum design criteria for wind, snow, seismic, and other loads that buildings and their components must withstand. Both ASCE 7-16 and ASCE 7-22 require that nonstructural components and their supports be positively attached to the structure. The standards specify that component attachments must be bolted, welded, or otherwise mechanically fastened, without relying on frictional resistance for securement. As a result, rooftop equipment and accessories must be anchored in a manner that provides a reliable load path capable of transferring design forces to the building structure.

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Anchor Products^® U-Anchors^® are a lightweight, high-strength rooftop attachment solution designed to simplify code-compliant rooftop securement. Installed on top of the roof system and fastened directly to the structural deck, U-Anchors provide a positive attachment point for rooftop equipment and accessories without complex detailing or compromising the roof system’s watertight integrity.

Through Carlisle SynTec Systems’ partnership with Anchor Products, U-Anchors are available with factory-integrated Carlisle membrane flashing, allowing them to be seamlessly incorporated into the roofing system and included within Carlisle’s industry-leading watertight warranty. When properly installed, U-Anchors are leak-proof by design and provide a versatile attachment solution for mechanical equipment, ductwork, piping, equipment screens, guardrails, ladders, solar arrays, weather stations, camera mounts, and other rooftop accessories.

For projects governed by the 2018 or newer editions of the International Building Code (IBC), U-Anchors offer a practical solution for meeting rooftop attachment requirements while maintaining roof warranty compliance.

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SPECTIP
When specifying rooftop anchors, a specifier can add them to the roofing membrane specification or the roofing accessories specification sections.

Division 7 Sections for the project’s roofing membrane and roofing accessories are:

• EPDM Membrane Roofing – Section 075323
• TPO Membrane Roofing – Section 075423
• PVC Membrane Roofing – Section 075419
• Roof Accessories – Section 077200

Specify by manufacturer and model number for your project’s specific needs OR create a performance specification to include engineering values for resistance of uplift for specific types of applications such as Mechanical units, pipe or vent restraints, safety arresting hooks, etc.

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Additional Resources:

Anchor Products web page
U-Anchors Product Data Sheet