Intensive Roof Garden Structure

The structural engineer must factor in the weight of completely saturated soil since the plantings and the soil will hold a significant amount of water.

Intensive roof garden structure.

Planting media for intensive green roofs are a foot deep at minimum and have saturated weights ranging from 80 to 120 pounds per square foot depending on type and depth of planting medium and the type of plants. Unlike conventional earth covered structures garden roof assemblies are lightweight and can be installed on a wide variety of new and existing structures. 1 extensive vegetative roofs which are 6 inches or shallower and are frequently designed to satisfy specific engineering and performance goals and 2 intensive vegetative roofs which may become quite deep and merge into more familiar on structure plaza landscapes with promenades lawn large perennial plants and trees. In contrast with an extensive green roof there are almost unlimited possibilities with respect to the plants that can be used in an intensive system.

Utilizing the modern roof area by being a pleasant environment to regularly visit or live in an intensive green roof system assures a better quality of life. For this kind of rooftop gardens perennials or annuals shrubs especially native species are recommended. Another term for these green roofs is rooftop garden intensive green roofs require more maintenance because of the plant varieties they will support. This system requires some maintenance from time to time.

The basic anatomy of a green roof consists of vegetation growing medium filter membrane drainage layer waterproof root repellant layer roofing membrane support for plantings above thermal insulation vapor control layer and structural roof support. The intensive green roof uses planting mediums that have greater depth than the extensive green roof. These green roof systems lie between the extensive and the intensive and usually include a mix of plant types. As a roof type that requires frequent maintenance intensive systems can be thought of as gardens on a roof.

This is especially true of intensive green roofs which can have soil that is two feet deep or more. A new habitat intensive green roofs provide an opportunity for a new habitat of plants and animals to be incorporated into an urban structure. In case of garden or landscape type the substrate thickness used ensures optimal conditions for the vegetation used but of course the climate and microclimate are also very important. The intensive green roof s vegetation is similar to a garden at ground level because the structure allows this.

In these cases there is a difference in height with regard to the structure of the roof garden. Sedum matting only requires a few centimetres of substrate while you need at least 70 80 cm root space for trees. This deeper soil allows intensive roofs to accommodate large plants and dramatic plant groupings. Green roofs tend to improve the life of the membrane because it is completely covered by plantings and isn t exposed to the sun s harsh uv rays.

Intensive green roofs commonly thought of as garden roofs are the more complex of the two exhibiting much greater plant diversity and a greater need for design expertise says peck. Vegetative roofs are divided into two categories. Walter van de werken.