If there will be periodic traffic on a roof; for example, to maintain mechanical equipment, traffic walkway pads should be specified to protect the roof. Pads can also be beneficial around mechanical equipment, to protect against dropped tools.
For aggregate-ballasted systems, use of concrete pavers for walkways can be helpful in protecting the roof and providing a comfortable surface on which to walk.
For heavier rooftop loading, greater protective measures; for example, installation of heavy concrete pavers may be needed. In some cases, window-washing equipment causes damage to roof coverings, because they do not have sufficient resistance to the high impact loads that can result as the equipment is moved around
and dropped.
