Blue Green Roof

Blue Green Roof

The green roof is becoming a more common occurrence in Australian development. But is there a better option?

In simple terms, a green roof is partially or fully covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproof membrane. They provide a number of benefits, including thermal and sound insulation, amenity space, biodiversity, reduced water runoff and improved water runoff quality.


There are four key types of green roofs, depending on soil depth and maintenance options. The Extensive green roof is usually used for inaccessible roofs and requires minimal maintenance; the Biodiverse green roof, which utilises industrial brownfield sites designed to

replace lost habitats due to development, is self-sustaining and requires little to no maintenance; the Semi-intensive green roof is often used for accessible and highly visible roofs with amenity space and requires regular maintenance; the Intensive green roof is a high maintenance option requiring a deep substrate and presents a challenge for structural engineers as they require a weight consideration.

Could the Blue Roof, a new breed of green roof gaining popularity in the US, provide a better alternative for circumventing the current green roof restrictions?

The blue roof is a fairly new source of alternative energy and conservation. It is explicitly designed to capture and slowly release rainwater in order to slow the rate of runoff and reduce the potential for related flooding. The stored rainfall can be reused for irrigation purposes, as makeup water for cooling, or in recreational contexts.

Blue roofs are often incorporated with any type of green roof to provide hydration to vegetation, although they can also be provided under paving. They can be combined with light-colored roofing materials to further mitigate urban heat island effects, and can reduce or eliminate the need for underground storage, which in turn reduces excavated material and underground construction cost and time.

Blue roofs are a viable retrofit option for existing buildings, although structural capacity needs to be carefully considered and the maintenance required is equal to that of a conventional roof.

The ratio of captured runoff is typically designed to closely mimic the pre-construction hydrology of the site. A blue roof acts as a temporary sponge, replacing the prior capacity of undeveloped, pervious ground to absorb rainwater.

Blue roofs are gaining particular popularity in New York, where rooftops have increasingly been repurposed from a utilitarian function into places that can be used by the public and for the benefit of the environment. They complement long and flat roofing styles, and have wide gutters with a sturdy watertight liner. This design works especially well in highly urbanised areas where less space is available for onsite stormwater detention.

As cities around Australia and the globe become increasingly dense, blue roofs are certain to be become more and more common.

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*SAFETY* Support Panel For Landscape Finishes

VersiScape– Safety Support Panel

VersiScape™ constructs a leveled surface that accommodates any landscape finish, from pavers to porcelain tiles of varying size, and minimum thickness of 20 mm. VersiScape™  allows for the assembly of conventional pavers/tiles, variable pavers/tiles, and artificial landscapes. (more…)

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*SAFETY* Concealed Paver Wind Uplift Protection

Wind Uplift of Paver Pedestal Systems on Roof Terraces of High Rise Buildings is a common problem especially in countries like Australia (one of the sunniest and windiest nations in the world). Elmich consulted a global wind engineering consulting firm in Australia and after numerous product tests and prototypes, we finally developed a proprietary safety system to mitigate wind uplifts to paver pedestal systems. (more…)

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Pool to Putting Green!!!

Brett at Stonehedge did a fantastic job converting this unused pool into a putting green The VersiTank 550 modules were assembled onsite to infill the pool. The Geotextile fabric covered the modules so no debris enters, Modules are lightweight and easy to install. Congrats again !!!

 

 

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Tiles on Balconies

NSW building certification bill still lets developers off the hook

 

The National Construction Code is not good at requiring buildings to be waterproof, but, again, some simple changes could be made to the Home Building Act. These should include beefed-up requirements for waterproofing any balcony or planter box larger in area than about six square metres.

We know for sure any tiles directly stuck to a membrane over a large area will fail, either immediately or relatively soon. Making it compulsory to use a system that allows tiles to be removed to access the membrane is simple and will eliminate years of misery. Read Full Article

By GEOFF HANMER

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Elmich VersiDrain 8 Mesh

VersiDrain® 8 Mesh is a translucent dimpled plastic drainage sheet with an integrated plastic mesh. It is used as a base for plastering or shotcreting on walled underground structures, excavated rock surfaces and tunnels. The dimpled sheet also acts as a seepage layer to control dampness on basement walls.The dimples provide an air gap for reliable ventilation between the outer and inner walls. (more…)

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Elmich VGM Survives Typhoon

Elmich VGM GreenWall survives the strongest Typhoon to hit China in nearly 70 Years. The System is equipped with Anti-Lift arms and proprietory anchoring system.
The system can withstand winds from various directions upto 110km/h.

Iconic Building Featuring Decked Roof and Winter Garden

A collaboration between Architectus (Sydney) and Ingenhoven Architects (Germany), 1 Bligh Street combines leading edge design, technology and sustainablilty in one of the worlds most enviable locations. Since the initial proposal in 2006, Architectus has continued the development of these ideas guided by four critical considerations: the view, the public space, the work environment and the green building… (Specifier Magazine Issue 103) Read more

Largest Modular Greenroof in Sydney

Recently completed, the largest Modular Greenroof in Sydney
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Elmich Launch Fire Rated Greenwall System

We are proud to launch the first Greenwall system specifically designed to meet fire safety requirements.
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