Why do many factory’s have these special kind of roofes?

Question

Many old factory’s have these ‘wave-shaped’ roofs like [these](https://images.app.goo.gl/frvUChiF69q4fza87) . Do they have a special use to them?

In: Other

Answer 1

It’s for light, it’s a sawtooth roof. They came into use in the 1800’s before artificial lighting was prevalent. It is not for drainage. If anything, there are more seams/corners to waterproof than a flat roof. Imagine a northern factory with piles snow collecting and slowly melting in all of these grooves. Also, there is a lot more material involved than a flat roof, so it is more expensive to build. The benefit is with the vertical glass panels facing south, you get full daylight across the entire indoor area. More efficient work environment.