I'm looking to detail the roof of my Taco Bell kit, and can't find any pics of the roof of a Taco Bell to know which parts to buy. And don't have any Taco Bells nearby that I can see the roof of...Can anyone point me to a link? Thanks!
Try Google Earth or MSN Live - pick a city with the SUPER detailed photos and just click away... You can probably google right to a taco bell with the search function!
Not a Taco Bell, but it is a restaurant roof, and no two Taco Bell roofs would likely be identical anyway:
Nelson - thanks, very helpful! Do you know what kind of restaurant that is -- fast food? And how big? Would a Taco Bell have that many HVAC units?
Give me a little time today and I can get a photo, at least from ground level. There is bound to be a Taco Bell in San Antonio.
When I was a commercial electrician years ago, I had seen many rooftops on resturaunts and fast food places. Pretty much, they are all the same. A small place like a fast food, would have one large HVAC unit like that on the roof, but there would be at least one, if not 2 or three of the large exahust fans. Typically one large one over the grease pits, and one over the grill area. As far as placement, The fans would be on the back half of the bulding, and the HVAC torwards the middle to front. Basically, because the exhaust fans would be over the kitchen area which is normally to the rear of the resturant. The HVAC would be in the best location to cover the whole building which would generally be in the middle of it's coverage area. That is not carved in stone, but just a general rule of thumb. There may also be a few small diameter pipes (2"-4") as plumbing vents, and also generally electrical EMT (metal, and flex) conduits that run along the ridges, and even anchored down on the roof top feeding the HVAC and fan units. Hope that helps some..
My experience has been pretty much the same as Tudor's with one exception, and that is probably due to location. The two locations that I have the most restaurant roof experience have been in Alaska and Florida so have had the climate extremes, and even the smallest places often will have 2 HVAC units, one over the kitchen and one over the dining area. In addition to the other items mentioned, there are often 1 or 2 roof drains. A newer, or purpose built building (like most Taco Bells) will be relatively clean looking like the photo, but an older, general restaurant building, that has been remodeled a bunch of times will often have a maze of conduit and ductwork laced across it.
Neslon is also correct, I forgot about roof drains. Most all flat (tar & agate) commercial buildings will have some sort of drainage like shown in his picture. Sometimes more than one. Older buildings will also show several patches, and areas of repair because when some places are sold to other resturants, they change kitchen configurations, so roof modifications to facilitate different fan units, or moved fan units will be there. More food for thought. All sorts of variables, and they all are different depending on locations, and use of the building, so, just about anything you do can be claimed as accurate.
Great info, thanks gents. Flash - The trouble w/ Taco Bells, is all of the hardware is hidden behind the roof (they are actually facades, with a flat roof recessed behind them). That's why you need to get above the roof to see the stuff.
One Taco Bell, with everything: http://local.live.com/default.aspx?...lt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=814227&encType=1
You got me curious so I looked at all of the Taco Bells in Fresno on Google Earth. No two are alike. Looks like you can do just about what you want. Some of the TB's have bee remodeled from older fast food places like old Long John Silvers so that may account for some of the variables. Steve E
Now if you really want some good, fast food, American-Mexican grub, with that famous South Of The Border taste. Visit a Del-Taco and order anything you want. Best ever! Unless you want something sit down and like being waited on. Do you know where the first Del-Taco was located? No hi-jacking intended...just I knows what I lkes. You ought to hear what our mexican brothers have to say about Taco Bell...maybe not!
I think everyone knows, especially our friends from south of the border know that Taco-Bell, AND Del-Taco is not "real" mexican cusine, lol.. (I also like Del Taco much better). Anyway, what you have found as far as no roof being the same is typical. They standardize on their "looks", menu, and all that, but as far as behind the scenes, equipment, all that is not. That roof top photo also reminded me, that you do also see alot of the ducting for the HVAC, and in some cases the vents running along the rooftops as well. In many cases, rooftops can look like small cities themselves. And yes, petty much anything you do can be considered correct in modeling for rooftops.
