Intensive Roof Design

Intensive green roofs offer a great potential for design and biodiversity.

Intensive roof design. Intensive green roofs require the deepest soil and have the greatest impact on the structural design but they also accommodate all types of plantings including large shrubs and trees. A typical growing medium depth of an intensive green roof is 6 inches or more. The growing medium depth for an extensive green roof system is typically 6 inches or less. Vegetative roofs are divided into two categories.

The roof drain must allow for sub surface drainage while providing aesthetically pleasing grates and domes. Once the plants are installed and the soil is moist these rooftop green spaces can weigh as much as 150 pounds per square foot. With that in mind the real variable in the weight is the depth of planting material. Intensive roof design intensive roof construction requires roof drains that will allow sufficient drainage yet protect the integrity of the growth media and vegetation.

This style of green roof is capable of supporting 82 150 pounds of vegetation per square foot. Greengrid 6 inch or 8 inch option. Intensive designs usually consist of a mixture of hard and soft landscaping and incorporate plants that require regular maintenance such as watering fertilizing and mowing. An intensive green roof often contains more soil for the production of large roots a wider root barrier and more.

The planting medium in intensive green roofs starts at 6 inches although you will see some wiggle room in various definitions and really elaborate designs may exceed a couple feed. 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. An intensive green roof weight varies from 35 to beyond 100 pounds per square foot when dry. Intensive roofs are accessible and often include areas of hardscape structures and other features that create beautiful gardens on the roof.

Intensive style green roofs are the most detailed and strongest of them all. Plant selection and design greatly affects the maintenance required for the upkeep of these roofs. Rooftop garden or intensive vegetative green roofs are typically designed as usable spaces made up of lawn perennials bushes and trees. This system supports everything from small personal home gardens to full scale public parks.

Intensive systems allow the designer to create a park like setting so they are the best option for roof gardens that will be occupied.