Lightweight Equipment Using Multiple Torches for Fast Speed Asphalt Roofing

In this work, we describe the design and test of a new piece of equipment, developed in order to enhance speed, gas consumption and safety during the manual asphalt roofing process. The novelty of the equipment is based on the use of a set of five parallel gas burners located in front of the roll to maximize heat transfer. The equipment is light and can be used by any worker on any type of roof. It also includes a thermal insulation cover to significantly reduce gas consumption and, thus, to reduce CO 2 , SO 2 , and other non-eco-friendly emissions. In this paper, we present the mechanical and thermal design and analysis of the equipment, Computer Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations for heat transfer calculation, a description of the manufacturing and assembly, a preliminary thermal test, and an operational test. The results demonstrate an installation speed of 1.75 m 2 /min, for 3 kg/m 2 rolls, which translates to around 700–735 m 2 per person per day, more than twice the usual manual roofing rate. Nevertheless, some issues need to be resolved, such as the nonuniform heat distribution and the low heat transfer at the end of the roll installation.