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FIRE SAFETY >>> Continued from page 14 insulation or any other thickness. The same is true for any change to an AVCL, adhesive or waterproofing membrane change. What happens when a Green, Blue or BioSolar roof is included? Demonstrating compliance with the Building Regulations requirements for the fire performance of a roof becomes even more challenging when you have a Green, Blue or BioSolar roof, because the approved fire test facilities can only test a maximum roof build-up thickness of 250mm or 265mm depending on test provider. Both warm and inverted roof constructions including Green, Blue or BioSolar roofs can easily exceed this thickness. Fortunately, Approved Document B references a Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) document published in August 2013. This document, ‘Fire Performance of Green Roofs and Walls’, provides best practice guidance for demonstrating compliance with the requirements of the Building Regulations without the need for test by setting ‘Deemed to Satisfy’ rules. Section 4.5.2 of DCLG ‘Fire Performance of Green Roofs and Walls’ states that ‘In order for green roofs to comply with requirement B4 it is recommended that for all types of green roof the depth of the growing layer should be a minimum of 80mm and the organic content should not exceed 50%.’ Fire breaks “Demonstrating Inset Mark compliance Harris, Head with of Technical the and Operations Building at Regulations Radmat Building requirements Products. Main image: BioSolar for the fire performance installation of a roof by Radmat in London. becomes even more challenging when you have a Green, Blue or BioSolar roof, because the approved fire tests can only test a maximum roof build-up thickness of 250mm or 265mm depending on the test provider.” breaks should be installed around all openings (rooflights, pipes or vents), and vertical elements on all types of Green roofs ‘consist of paving slabs or non-vegetated strips of pebbles with a depth of 75mm and diameter between 20 and 50mm for a width of 500mm’. It goes on to state that ‘It may be possible to reduce the dimension of 500mm depending on the type of vegetation used and the climatic conditions, however further investigation and evidence would be required to support any reduction from the recommended 500mm fire break.’ There is also a statement that ‘Larger pebble sizes are preferred as this leads to less vegetative growth.’ And a recommendation that ‘fire breaks are provided in 1m strips every 40m across extensive green roofs.’ 4mm, maximum 32mm), with the UK accepting that an aggregate size 20mm - 40mm of loose laid gravel falls within this CWFT rule due to our wind scour requirements. This means that any use of a larger diameter gravel as proposed in DCLG ‘Fire Performance of Green Roofs and Walls’ will require wind uplift testing to demonstrate the achievement of fire performance requirements. When it comes to the size of the gravel fire break, the Green Roof Organisation provides some guidance that suggests the margin width could be reduced to 300mm on small green roofs at external perimeter walls that do not abutt an adjacent building or vertical elevation, but that this would need to be discussed and agreed with local building control officers. DCLG ‘Fire Performance of Green Roofs and Walls’ also provides guidance on the use of fire breaks to support the achievement of compliance with the Building Regulations, recommending the installation of fire breaks to prevent the spread of fire into, or from, a building on to the Green roof. The document recommends that fire Parts of this guidance conflicts with other guidance, such as Commission Decision 2000/553/EC which provides Classification Without Further Testing (CWFT) rules for surface finishes to roofs that include the application of loose laid gravel with a thickness of at least 50mm or a mass of ≥ 80 kg/m 2 (minimum aggregate size Contact Radmat Building Products www.radmat.com Tweet: @RadmatOfficial 16 GREENSCAPE SUMMER 2022 • www.greenscapemag.co.uk
NEW VIDEO FROM RAVAGO! Ravago Building Solutions has launched a new video to mark World Green Roof Day 2022, which provides a compelling behind-thescenes glimpse at how Ravatherm XPS X insulation is helping the construction industry build a greener urban skyline. Showcasing the green and blue roofs at two newly occupied London residential developments – The Forge in Upton Park, and Unity Place, part of the South Kilburn Regeneration Programme – the video captures the process and art behind the green roof solution through interviews with project contributors, while striking visuals cement the approach ‘in reality’. Narrators include key figures from Ravago’s UK team – Joan Ferrer, Commercial Director, UK & Ireland; Richard Powell, Roofing Sales Manager; Natalie Sutton, Account Manager (South of England); and James Curson, Reliability & Productivity Specialist – as well as collaborators at longstanding partner Radmat Building Products: Area Technical Manager, Michael Fadian, and Head of Technical and Operations, Mark Harris, in his capacity as Chair of the Green Roof Organisation (GRO). Aerial footage of both projects is interspersed with a high-speed drone tour of the King’s Lynn plant that produced the Ravatherm XPS X extruded polystyrene insulation boards used to construct both roofs, and where Ravago began making the UK’s first-ever range of XPS insulation products over 60 years ago. Joan Ferrer said: “Our rapidly changing world requires that we adapt how we live, work, and build. With a proud legacy in the UK construction market, but a mentality of looking ahead to the future, Ravago has been able to adapt to these many Above: Unity Place, part of the South Kilburn Regeneration Programme features in the video. new demands throughout its history and delights in helping customers meet challenging specifications with innovative solutions. Green and blue roofs, such as at The Forge and Unity Place, are an important tool in creating more resilient and people-centred cities, creating visually attractive and usable space that contributes to biodiversity and mitigates flood risk. By launching this new video on World Green Roof Day 2022, we hope to offer a fresh perspective of the possibilities in urban construction, and ultimately contribute greater momentum to the green roof movement.” View the video here: https://youtu.be/RQEHnR_TftU We’ll bring your roof to life! GREENING ROOFTOPS ANY SIZE ANY SYSTEM ANYWHERE! www.gardensinthesky.co.uk
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