First Ever Blue Green Roof in Dublin Constructed with ACO’s RoofBloxx System
Raising The Roof: First Ever Blue Green Roof in Dublin Constructed with ACO’s RoofBloxx System
With new planning rules to abide by in Dublin, the developers of a commercial three-story residential apartment building had to demonstrate that its scheme would have a blue green roof to obtain planning permission. ACO worked together with Beton Construction Services to design and specify an innovative blue green system that would manage stormwater runoff, improve resilience, and be the first of its kind in the city.
Creating a waterproof roof
A key part of the consultation was ACO’s assessment of the hydraulic requirements, which was based on 1 in 100-year time series rainfall, as well as accounting for a 40% uplift in climate change. Following the assessment, ACO specified its RoofBloxx attenuation system to cover a catchment area of 131.8m2, installed on an inverted blue roof.
Introducing the ACO solution to an inverted roof separated the competing drainage requirements. By engineering an elevated shallow structural attenuation system that operates independently of the flat roof drainage system, it allowed the roof to be engineered to known standards and best practice, without compromising the ability of the roof to drain quickly in extreme circumstances.
Dan O’Connor, Business Development Manager at Beton, led the project and said: “When we were approached about this job, we knew we’d need guidance from blue roof specialists. We turned to ACO because we know they not only have innovative products like the RoofBloxx system, but they have the knowledge, experience and assisting tools to make sure that the job runs smoothly. With ACO’s support, the project was swiftly granted planning approval, and we and the developers have peace of mind that the roof is protected for years to come.”
Sean Drudy from SCD Consulting commented: “When we were appointed for this project on Chelmsford Road, we did some quite extensive technical and research appraisals of blue roof systems available on the market. We specified the ACO RoofBloxx system for the project in conjunction with Beton Construction Services Limited as the installation company, as both companies and their systems came with excellent reputations. “We were very happy with the end result and found the technical design and documentation offered along with the installation and performance on site to be to a first-class standard.”
Going green
Besides storing and slowing the water down to prevent flooding, the blue roof helps with other functions – cooling for the building in summer, providing amenity and biodiversity, as well as reducing the urban heat island effect.
Meanwhile, the water held in the attenuation tank helps irrigate a green roof made from a layer of sedum carpet. This roof provides greenery on top of the building, attracting wildlife and promoting biodiversity in the inner-city area. Additionally, the plants contribute to reducing CO2 and enabling the roof and building to be better for the planet.
Neill Robinson-Welsh, Consultant for ACO, said: “We are proud to have partnered with Beton on the first ever blue roof in Dublin. Managing and caring for water will only become more important as the issue of water resilience grows. It’s fantastic to see that Dublin City Council has put planning controls in place, and thanks to our collaboration with Dan and the team at Beton, we have constructed a roof that performs multiple functions, ensuring sure that rainwater is not only slowed down but also put to good use.”
For more about ACO Building Drainage and the RoofBloxx attenuation system, visit www.aco.co.uk/products/roofbloxx