Durable green roofing

Green roofing in cities
© Shutterstock/swissdrone
Green roofs not only improve the visual appearance of cities and buildings but also possess a number of properties that have an overall positive impact on the environment, on the quality of the air and on the quality of life in densely populated areas.

Green roofs help cities adapt to the consequences of climate change

Green roofs not only improve the visual appearance of cities and buildings but also possess a number of properties that have an overall positive impact on the environment, on the quality of the air and on the quality of life in densely populated areas. For instance, the planted areas lead to a reduction in urban heat islands, retain rainwater and delay its runoff thanks to their good water storage properties. At the same time, green roofs have a thermal and energy-saving effect on buildings which, among other things, noticeably improves thermal insulation. This wide range of benefits has also been recognized by districts and local councils. They promote and call for greened roofs in equal measure. 

We assist green roofing companies, local councils, planners and contractors in constructing and maintaining durable green roofs with a positive effect on the climate.

We offer a wide range of services:

  • Evaluation of green roofing solutions in terms of
    • Moisture control and durability of the roof structure
    • Water retention capacity of the green roof structure 
    • Impact of green roofs on the indoor climate and energy consumption
  • Product optimization / joint development of new constructions
  • Urban physics studies to assess the impact of green roofs on the urban climate
  • Tests on roof waterproofing membranes to determine the presence of certain chemical ingredients such as heavy metals and root penetration inhibitors. 
  • Studies on the release of substances, for example root penetration inhibitors such as Mecoprop (MCPP) and heavy metals from roofing membranes to assess their environmental compatibility
  • Finding the causes of damage, e.g. by checking roofing membranes for the presence of chemical root penetration inhibitors

Take advantage of our experienced expert team to safely plan environmentally-friendly and durable green roofs for all constructions and climatic zones!

Our methods and testing facilities

  • Hygrothermal lab: tests on systems under defined boundary conditions. Climatic conditions can be varied in order to assess aspects such as durability in different climatic zones or capacity of a green roof structure to retain water.
  • Chemistry lab: depending on the task at hand, a wide variety of material and cumulative parameters can be determined.    

On our outdoor testing site, systems or individual products are exposed to realistic weather conditions. Tests focus on the release of substances, water retention capacity, sensory measurements, and other aspects. Test set-ups and parameters can be adapted to suit the case in question. The acquired data can also be used to model system structures in simulation programs and to validate the resulting digital twin. A weather station located on the test site is used to record all relevant weather data during the test period.

Hygrothermal simulation allows the effects of greening systems to be calculated quickly and easily with a wide range of general constraints. Depending on the objective and chosen software, the durability of the roof structure as well as the impact of the green roof on the indoor climate, on energy consumption and also on the urban climate can be evaluated.