Green Roof Substrate Depth

The depth varies depending on the type of roof you are constructing.

Green roof substrate depth.

The green roof design needs to accommodate adequate water retention suitable drainage structural loading and the depth of green roof growing substrate. Extensive 25 100mm. Extensive green roof substrates are for use on shallow green roof systems 200mm depth and are often associated with sedum mat sedum plug plant or wildflower planting. This is referred to as the saturated bulk density.

Semi extensive 100 200 mm. We have investigated green roof meadows installed with 3 different substrate depths 50 75 100 125 mm and using two different substrates. Vegetables are the other main group of annual plants used on green roofs. Continued research the swedish green roof market is currently undergoing a change towards an increased.

Intensive roofs which are thicker with a minimum depth of 12 8 cm 5 1 16 in and can support a wider variety of plants but are heavier and require more maintenance and extensive roofs which are shallow ranging in depth from 2 cm 13 16 in to 12 7 cm 5 in lighter than intensive green roofs and require minimal maintenance. Crucial for the adoption and installation of the systems. These require irrigation and a substrate depth of at least 200 mm. Intensive green roof substrates are engineered to suit larger vegetation such as shrubs and trees.

Careful plant selection and maintenance is needed to ensure annuals do not become weeds on a green roof. The physical and chemical properties of the substrate mix together with its depth and total volume influences what vegetation can be supported on the green roof.