Rubber Roofs
Traditional asphalt roofing materials are susceptible to failure because of the method of application and material quality issues. The roofing industry has known about this problem for many years. During the 1950's and 1960's, new membrane roofing materials started to appear that solved many of the asphalt roofing problems.
Traditional asphalt shingle systems do not work on flat or nearly flat roofs. Shingles work in conjunction with gravity to keep the inside of your house dry. Water runs down the roof and over the top of shingles. Strong wind and ice dams can defeat these gravity based systems. Flat roofs and extremely low slope roofs need a gravity-proof roofing solution. It appears that the new single ply membrane roofing materials may be just the thing. The commercial buildings you mention very likely are covered with one of the many different types of single ply membrane roofs.
The new single ply membranes are actually synthetic compounds that can be mechanically fastened or glued down to your roof deck. Some of the materials are synthetic rubbers while others are special PVC plastics. There are several other types as well. All seem to have very respectable life spans. Warranties of 20 or more years are not uncommon for these types of roofs.
