Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa – English 2012/2013

2012-12-03 English Presentation 1

GreenGreenGreenGreen

Roofs Roofs Roofs Roofs

Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa – English 2012/2013

2012-12-03 English Presentation 2

What is a green roof ?

A green roof or sometimes called living roof is a roof of a

building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation

and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane.

It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and

drainage and irrigation systems.

There are two types of green roofs:

Intensive roofs, which are thicker and can support a wider variety

of plants but are heavier and require more maintenance.

Extensive roofs, which are covered in a light layer of vegetation

Hotel �ew Providence Wharf, London

Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa – English 2012/2013

2012-12-03 English Presentation 3

Roof Gardens, Expo Zaragoza

Olive Tree Garden

(Jardim das Oliveiras),

CCB Lisbon

Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa – English 2012/2013

2012-12-03 English Presentation 4

Replicating Nature on roofs…

Wastewater treatment plant, Alcântara - Lisbon

Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa – English 2012/2013

2012-12-03 English Presentation 5

Why have a Green Roof ?

Beyond their attractive visual nature, Green Roofs offer many

undisputable benefits, both ecological and economical, provided

they are built in the right way.

Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa – English 2012/2013

2012-12-03 English Presentation 6

Some disadvantages…

The main disadvantage of green roofs is the higher initial cost of

the building structure, waterproofing systems and root barriers.

The additional mass of the soil substrate and retained water can

require additional structural support.

Some types of green roofs do have more demanding structural

standards especially in seismic regions of the world.

Some existing buildings cannot be retrofitted with certain kinds of

green roof because of the weight load of the substrate and

vegetation exceeds permitted static loading.

Depending on what kind of green roof it is, the maintenance costs

could be higher, but some types of green roof have little or no

ongoing cost.

Some kinds of green roofs also place higher demands on the

waterproofing system of the structure, both because water is

retained on the roof and due to the possibility of roots penetrating

the waterproof membrane.

California Academy of Science, USA

Instituto Superior de Engenharia de Lisboa – English 2012/2013

2012-12-03 English Presentation 7

For all kinds of roofs…