Green Roof Fire Risk

If the testing material is a green roof that consists largely of tall gras it is easy for it to fail to meet the criteria for broof t2 fire classification as stated in the en 13501 5 standard.

Green roof fire risk.

It has been suggested that green roofs and walls may constitute a fire hazard. Swiss insurer zurich the third largest insurer of commercial property in the uk said the roofs could dry out and become flammable. This milestone in the north american green roof movement facilitates future growth by securing a place in mainstream construction under the international building code. Fire breaks are kept clean and clear of vegetation.

This document illustrates the results of testing carried out on green roofs and green wall systems and provides guidance on the fire performance aspects of green roof and wall construction and. Provided by the green roof lowers the energy consumption and hence the energy costs for the building. This raises the question of whether the testing method is unsuitable or if the result simply indicates a real risk of fire for this type of product. Developers putting green roofs on their buildings may have to think again after one of the world s largest insurers declared they were a fire risk.

The vf 1 fire design guide establishes clear criteria for minimizing the risk of fire on green roofs through prudent design and mandatory maintenance regiment. On a sunny day the solar panels on the roof may generate thousands of watts of power. But wait are solar panels are actually the culprit for fire. Dry vegetation on green roofs has the potential to catch fire.

Maintenance for fire safety on extensive and biodiverse roofs should be carried out twice yearly to ensure. A building with a green roof is in the german experience safer than a building without green roof further to this in germany there is typically a 10 to 20 per cent discount on fire insurance when a properly designed extensive green roof is installed. In relation to fire performance the general consensus is that as long as the green roof. Consider a variety of factors when selecting your system.

By itself this is not a risk at all because already a fat cable coming from a utility pole carries up to thousands of watts of electricity.