How Does A Vegetated Roof Work

Typical green roofs consist of multiple layers including a durable waterproof foundation a root management system drainage layers and some type of growing medium.

How does a vegetated roof work.

See the referenced ghent university study for more information. Green roofs are also known as vegetative or eco roofs. A traditional vegetated roof has the five layers of vegetation engineered growing retention drainage and root barrier. A green roof is a layer of vegetation planted over a waterproofing system that is installed on top of a flat or slightly sloped roof.

As the name suggests vegetative roofs are a design in which plants are used to create a green space on top of a building. The added weight of a vegetative roof results in an increased degree of sound insulation. Green roofs provide shade remove heat from the air and reduce temperatures of the roof surface and surrounding air. Vegetative roofs can absorb a portion of the sound that otherwise bounces off hard roofing surfaces.

Using green roofs in cities or other built environments with limited vegetation can moderate the heat island effect particularly during the day. They are known to extend the lifespan of the roof of a building by protecting it against uv radiation and other elements such as snow and ice. Modern vegetated roofs bring nature back to the cities for a plethora of benefits using available space on rooftops mostly for swm benefit. They fall into three main categories extensive intensive and semi intensive.