| Eco design
Green Cover
A look at sustainable landscape solutions for Green roofs
With the proliferation of the sustainability movement in
the construction industry, green roofing is now being promoted
as an effective way to make buildings more environment-friendly.
A green roof does not point to its colour but refers to a
building that is partially or completely covered with soil,
or a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane.
Rooftop ponds are another form of green roofs used to treat
grey water.
The benefits
The benefits of incorporating green roof technology can be
measured on many levels. Essentially, there are five main
ecological advantages for adopting a green roof system compared
to using traditional tiled or mortar finish roofs. The most
obvious benefits are storm water management and reduced energy
costs. Green roofs also reduce the urban heat island effect
common to most large cities. Owing to the ability of plants
to transpire and also shade, significant use of green roofs
throughout large cities can cause a cooling effect, lowering
the temperature in a city environment.
In addition, as green roof buildings are cooler and require
less air-conditioning, the subsequent ventilation of hot air
from an air-conditioner to the atmosphere is reduced. In addition,
heat is not retained in green roofs the way it is in traditional
roofs, thus the city can cool faster. Finally, green roof
systems extend roof life and are effective for sound insulation
in the building, which is essential for buildings located
in noise-impacted areas, such as sites near airports, highways
or heavy industry.
Important requirements for green roofs
The roof slab should be strong enough to carry the weight
of the green roof
The roof slab should be sloppy with an effective drainage
system
There should not be any leakage of water through the roof
slab
You must choose the right plants. Fibre-rooted plants are
preferred to the tap root system. In case of tap-rooted plants,
you need to install the root barrier protection system to
protect it from growing through the building, causing harm
to it
DuPont landscape systems
DuPont offers the following innovative solutions for sustainable
green roof design:
Ground Grid is an innovative, three-dimensional honeycomb
structure made from Xavan®. This flexible geotextile is
used in ground stabilisation. When filled with gravel, soil,
sand or other mineral infill, the honeycomb structure provides
an ideal surface for a green roof. The high-tensile strength
provides an ideal structure that prevents infill from spreading,
thus preventing subsidence and rutting. The loose infill material
and the porosity value of the geotextile’s walls allow
water penetration, both vertically and horizontally, making
it the ideal choice for sustainable drainage systems (SUDS)
applications. SUDS offer an alternative
and long-term way to manage surface water runoff.
RootBarrier Pro is a coated non-woven structure based on
Xavan®, ideal to prevent invasive growth and damage by
aggressive plant roots. This is a chemically inert, strong,
spun material that will contain rampant root growth without
damaging plants and harming surrounding materials. Easy to
use, it requires little preparation and once installed can
be left maintenance-free for many years.
Plantex® Plant Bag is made of the DuPont™ Plantex®
non-woven structure and hence benefits from its properties.
The porous structure lets water and liquid fertilisers go
through to the soil and allow it to breathe. It provides optimal
protec-tion for container and window box plants.
Waterproofing of flat
concrete roofs
The right liner for the green roof application
Is easy to install—not too heavy
Is available in large formats
Has high weatherability
Has high puncture resistance
Can be bonded to form fail-proof joints
DuPont Xavan® Flat Roof Liner is a unique composite material
that combines Xavan® technology with DuPont’s know-how
in polymers. The meticulous layering of DuPont thermoplastic
olefin with precise properties on the Xavan® spun-bonded
structure creates a liner which, in terms of performance,
goes beyond the requirements and is also exceptionally strong,
yet exceptionally light. The product is now available in sizes
large enough to cover the entire floor plate. Xavan liner
is loosely draped over the mother slab. Watertight joints
are efficiently created around gutters, pipes and columns.
The sheet is taken up the parapet wall and tucked into a chase
in the wall. The membrane can be plastered upon and then tiled
or paved. The waterproofing is so robust that a green roof
can be comfortably created upon it. Indeed, the advantages
of adopting DuPont landscape solutions are significant. The
main advantages are simplicity of design and flexibility of
installation and maintenance.
Quick Bytes
Green roofs make buildings more environment-friendly.
They reduce the effect of urban heat island, which is common
to large cities.
The roof slab should be sloppy with an effective drainage
system.
RootBarrier Pro from Dupont contains the growth of roots without
damaging the plants.
| 
