Effects of Green Roofs on Fire Safety

摘要

Green roof systems are being included in buildings to help make the buildings more sustainable. These can range from extensive green roof systems added to existing roofs with relatively small plants to intensive green roof systems that include larger plants and a significant amount of soil. Little consideration has been given to the effects that these roof systems will have on the fire safety of the building, especially when retrofitted to an existing building. This paper examines the effects of the green roof systems during fire. Considered are the increased loads and a modeled fire in a classroom of a school. The results show that failure to increase the load carrying capacity to accommodate heavier loads would lead to conditions of structural collapse without an increase in the structural design. Also, the green roof systems will limit the ability of firefighters to ventilate the fire from the roof, which is demonstrated to be beneficial in decreasing the temperature in the fire room.