C o n s t r u c t i o n Te c h n o l o g y U p d a t e N o .

6 5

Using Garden Roof Systems

to Achieve Sustainable
Building Envelopes
By K.Y. Liu and A. Baskaran
There is increasing interest in the garden roof system as a sustainable building
design option in North America today. This Update reports the results of a
field study to evaluate the thermal performance of this technology, as well as
its potential to retain storm water runoff.
Garden roofs, sometimes known as green now be successfully installed in most
roofs or rooftop gardens, are specialized roof climates, providing an attractive design
systems that support vegetation growth. option, especially in urban areas where land
With technical advances in roofing materials available for parks and green space is limited.
and components, garden roof systems can As well, concern about sustainability and
climate change have led to
Vegetation increased interest in garden roofs
as a possible means of helping
address these issues. However,
Growing medium
while garden roofs are increasing
Filter layer
in popularity, there is little infor-
Drainage layer mation on their performance in
Waterproof membrane
Root-resistant layer
Cover board
cold climates.
Waterproof membrane
Cover board
Thermal insulation Thermal insulation
What Constitutes
Vapour barrier Vapour barrier a Garden Roof?
Deck Deck
Garden roofs, which can be
Figure 1. Conventional roofing system (a) with and (b) without a garden roof system. installed on both conventional
and protected-membrane roofing
systems (see Figures 1 and 2),
Vegetation
require additional components,
such as a root-resistant layer, a
drainage layer, a filter membrane
Growing medium
and a growing medium, to
Filter layer
support the growth of vegetation.
Drainage layer Ballast / Paver Typical components and their
Filter layer Filter layer
functions are summarized in
Thermal insulation Thermal insulation
Table 1. Garden roofs are gener-
Root-resistant layer Separation layer
Waterproof membrane Waterproof membrane ally considered to be intensive
Deck Deck
or extensive, based on the
Figure 2. Protected membrane roofing system (a) with and (b) without a garden weight of the system (Table 2).
roof system.
Table 1. Typical additional components and their functions in a garden roof system.
Component Function
Root-resistant To minimize root damage to the membrane. This could be a chemical agent
layer incorporated into the membrane or a physical root barrier, which can be a layer
of PVC, polyester or polyethylene.
Drainage layer To remove excess water from the growing medium. This can be a layer of
gravel, specialized polymer foam panels or a highly porous polymeric mat.
Filter layer To prevent fine particles in the growing medium from clogging the drainage
layer. It is a geotextile material.
Growing To support plant growth. The composition and depth depend on the vegetation
medium selected. Artificial lightweight growing media are typically used to replace reg-
ular soil in order to reduce structural loading.
Vegetation Plants should be selected for their adaptability to local climate conditions. An
irrigation system might be needed, depending on the specific plants and climate.

Table 2. Classification of garden roof systems by loading requirements.

Loading
Typical
Typical depth of
weight of growing Features and Level of
Classification system medium functions maintenance Accessibility
Extensive <300 kg/m2 <200 mm Provides Low maintenance Limited
ecologically little or no irrigation seldom
beneficial setting; needed when entered
can be viewed plants have been except for
from above or established. maintenance
from surrounding purposes.
buildings.
Intensive >300 kg/m2 >200 mm Provides complete High maintenance Accessible
garden or park- irrigation and provides
like features regular garden green spaces
maintenance for occupants
required

Intensive garden roof systems are relatively Experimental Study

heavy, with deep soil to support a wide In order to learn more about the performance
variety of small trees and shrubs. They of garden roofs, NRC-IRC constructed a field
require a high level of maintenance. Because roofing facility at its Ottawa campus. This
of the high structural loading involved, facility is a low-slope industrial roof of
intensive garden roofs are normally incor- about 72 m2. The roof is divided into two
porated into the original building design. equal sections with an extensive garden roof
Extensive garden roof systems have a with grass growing in 150 mm of light-
shallow, lightweight growing medium, which weight growing medium on one half and a
can support only small plants such as herbs, modified bituminous roofing assembly on
grasses and wild flowers. They are intended the other (the reference roof). The two
to be low maintenance, and therefore require sections have the same basic components
plants that are hardy, draught tolerant and up to the membrane level, representing a
preferably self-generating. Because the conventional roofing system commonly
structural loading demands are low, many used in Canada; however, the garden roof
existing buildings can be retrofitted to incorporates additional elements to support
accommodate extensive systems. plant growth (Figure 1).

2
Figure 3. Temperature measurements at the NRC-IRC roofing facility showed that the garden roof
significantly reduced the daily temperature fluctuations experienced by the roofing membrane.

Both the garden roof and the reference violet radiation can alter their chemical
roof are instrumented to measure the composition and degrade their mechanical
following: properties.
storm water runoff The membrane of the reference roof
temperature (measured at different layers experienced significantly higher tempera-
within the roof system and growing tures than the one on the garden roof, espe-
medium) cially in the warmer months. On a typical
heat flow across the roof system summer day, the exposed membrane on the
solar reflectance of the roof surface conventional roof reached 70C in the after-
soil moisture content noon while the membrane of the garden
rooftop microclimate roof remained at around 25C. In the win-
Local meteorological conditions such as ter, the temperature profiles for the two
temperature, relative humidity, rainfall and roofs were similar because of the insulating
solar radiation are also monitored continu- effects of the snow coverage.
ously by one weather station located on the The membrane of the garden roof experi-
median divider on the rooftop and another enced significantly smaller daily tempera-
situated approximately 50 m from the site. ture fluctuations in the warmer months
All sensors and instrumentation are than the conventional roof. During spring
connected to a data-acquisition system. and summer, the median daily temperature
fluctuation of this membrane was 6C com-
Results, Findings and Implications pared to 45C for the conventional roof
The data collected at the research facility membrane and was consistently lower than
during the first 22 months (November 2000 the median daily temperature fluctuation
September 2002) of operation have been of the ambient air (Figure 3).
analyzed and are summarized below. Clearly, garden roofs can lower the
Temperature Profiles and Fluctuations temperature and modify the temperature
Roofing membranes can be negatively fluctuations experienced by the roofing
affected by heat exposure, which can membrane. The reduction in temperature
accelerate aging in the roofing materials, can decrease the effects of heat on the roof-
reducing their durability. Temperature ing materials (premature deterioration), and
fluctuations can induce thermal stresses in the moderation in temperature fluctuations
these materials, thus affecting the integrity can decrease the thermal stress on the mem-
of the roofing system. In addition, ultra brane. This slower rate of deterioration can

Construction Technology Update No. 65 3

Figure 4. Energy measurements at the NRC-IRC roofing facility showed that the garden roof significantly
reduced the average daily heat flow through the roof in the spring and summer.

mean greater durability and an extended Because Ottawa is in a region where the
service life for the roof membrane. In addi- need for heating rather than cooling pre-
tion, garden roofs can protect the roofing dominates, the energy savings derived from
membrane from exposure to ultra violet the use of garden roofs are likely to be rela-
radiation and hail. tively small. However, in warmer regions
Heat Flow and Energy Efficiency where cooling rather than heating is the
During the spring and summer, heat enters main concern, they could be significant.
a building through the roof in the afternoon In general, the energy savings realized
as a result of solar radiation and doesnt with garden roof technology would depend
leave the building until the evening or on the climate, the type of heating/cooling
early morning. This creates a demand for mechanisms used in the building, and their
cooling in the building. particular efficiencies, and the energy
In the summer, the heat flow through the sources, which are site specific. However,
reference roof created an average daily any reduction in energy demand means a
energy demand for space conditioning of reduction in the green house gas emissions
6.57.0 kWh/day (Figure 4). However, this associated with the production of that
energy demand was reduced to less than energy, resulting in positive effects on cli-
1.0 kWh/day in the garden roofa reduc- mate change and the environment.
tion of over 75%, which can be attributed Retention of Storm Water Runoff
to the presence of the growing medium and During a rain storm, water rushes off
the plants.1-3 These heat-flow values are for impermeable surfaces such as rooftops and
the roof only and not for other building pavements into the storm sewers, causing
envelope components. a sudden surge in the storm water infra-
The garden roof was more effective in structure. When the amount of runoff
controlling heat gain in the spring and sum- exceeds the capacity of the storm sewers,
mer than in reducing heat loss in the fall flash floods, and sometimes combined
and winter because of the various thermal sewage overflows (where water from the
mechanisms involvedshading, insulation, storm sewers overflows into the sanitary
evapotranspiration and thermal mass. During sewers), can occur, causing environmental
the observation period, the garden roof and health problems.4
reduced heat gain by 95% and heat loss by
26%, with an overall reduction in heat flow
of 47% compared to the conventional roof.

4 Construction Technology Update No. 65

 Cumulative rain/runoff during a (typical) rain event

Figure 5. Runoff recorded at the NRC-IRC roofing facility during a rain event showed that the garden
roof delayed the runoff, and reduced the flow rate and total discharge volume.

The garden roof delayed storm water many factors such as the intensity of the
runoff, and reduced the peak runoff rate and rain and its duration, and the moisture
volume. Figure 5 shows the runoff from content of the growing medium before the
both roof areas during a rainfall of 19 mm rain started.
over 6.5 hours. On the garden roof, the
delay in runoff was 95 minutes and the Summary of Potential Benefits
runoff volume was 2.9 mm, a reduction in Analysis of the data collected from the roof-
volume of 85%. Over the course of a year ing facility demonstrated that garden roofs:
(2002), the garden roof retained (and diverted can lower the temperature and modify
through evaporation and evapotranspiration) the temperature fluctuations experienced
245 mm of the 450 mm of rain that fell by the roofing membrane, thereby pro-
from April through September, an overall longing its service life.
reduction in runoff of 54%. It is likely that can modify heat flow, thereby reducing
garden roof systems designed with deeper energy demands for space conditioning,
and more absorbent soil, as well as more through direct shading of the roof, evap-
vegetation, would retain even more storm otranspiration and the improved insula-
water than the system tested by the tion values provided by the growing
NRC-IRC researchers. medium and vegetation.1-3
If the impermeable rooftop of a conven- are more effective in reducing heat gain
tional roof were covered with a permeable in the summer than heat loss in the win-
layer, this would delay runoff, and reduce ter because of the thermal mechanisms
the peak flow and total volume going into involved (shading and evapotranspira-
the sewage system. Thus the rush hour tion), thereby offering the potential of
in the storm sewer at the beginning of the energy savings in climates where cooling
storm would be avoided, while the reduc- is required.
tion in total volume would lessen the load can delay storm water runoff, thereby
on the sewage infrastructure. The extent of reducing peak flow and total volume
the reduction of storm water runoff when going into the storm sewers.
garden roof systems are used depends on

5
 Garden roof systems are specialized
systems that must be carefully designed. Rooftop Garden Consortium
During their construction it is important to at NRC
coordinate among the various trades. As The members of the Rooftop Garden
well, it is recommended that a leak detec- Consortium, who have provided
tion test be performed on the membrane financial support and technical expertise
both before and after the installation of the in this study, are: Bakor, Canadian
overburden (the growing medium and vege- Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA),
tation). Building owners also need to be EMCO, Environment Canada, Garland,
aware of and committed to the work and Hydrotech, IKO Industries, Public Works
costs required to maintain such a system. and Government Services Canada
(PWGSC), Roof Consultants Institute
References (RCI), Soprema Inc., Tremco; Oak Ridge
1. Christian, J.E. and Petrie, T.W. Sustainable
National Laboratory (ORNL) and the
Roofs with Real Energy Savings,
Climate Change Action Fund (CCAF).
Proceedings of the Sustainable Low-Slope
Roofing Workshop, ed. Desjarlais, A.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
Oak Ridge, TN, 1996, p. 99.
2. Eumorfopoulou, E. and Aravantinos, D.
The Contribution of a Planted Roof to
the Thermal Protection of Buildings in
Greece, Energy and Buildings, 27:29-36,
1998.
3. Palomo Del Barrio, E. Analysis of the
Green Roofs Cooling Potential in Buildings,
Energy and Buildings, 27:179-193, 1998.
4. Environmental Building News,
November 2001, p. 11.

Dr. Karen Liu is a researcher in the Building

Envelope program at the National Research
Councils Institute for Research in Construction.
Dr. A. Baskaran is a senior researcher in the
same program.

2005
National Research Council of Canada
September 2005
ISSN 1206-1220

Construction Technology Updates is a series of technical articles containing

practical information distilled from recent construction research.

For more information, contact Institute for Research in Construction,

National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa K1A 0R6
Telephone: (613) 993-2607; Facsimile: (613) 952-7673; Internet: http://irc.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca