If you live in a house, having a green roof system can be a great way to incorporate greenery and vegetation into your roof structure. Green roofs promote environmental sustainability and can also help to improve the energy efficiency in your home. However, proper structural support is necessary when designing and building a green roof as it can help ensure that your roof structure is able to support the additional weight. In this post, we take a closer look at how you can integrate steel posts into your green roof system for added structural support.
The Role of Steel Posts in a Green Roof System
Incorporating steel posts into your green roof system can have various different benefits, including:
Structural Support
Compared to normal roofing systems, green roofs tend to be heavier due to the additional weight from the soil, vegetation, and other materials used in their construction. Steel posts can help distribute the weight of the roof system more evenly, providing structural support and ensuring that the roof system does not collapse.
Support for Vegetation
Steel posts on a green roof can also provide support for certain types of vegetation to grow. For instance, creepers and vines require trellises or wire mesh structures to help them grow, and these can be held up in place with steel posts.
Drainage System Integration
Proper drainage systems are essential in green roof systems as they can help to ensure that the roof structure does not become waterlogged and prone to failure or collapse. Steel posts can often be seamlessly integrated with the pipes and channels of a proper drainage system.
Considerations for Steel Posts in Green Roof Systems
When choosing the steel posts for your green roof system, there are some important considerations that you should bear in mind:
- Load-Bearing Capacity: It is important to ensure that your steel posts are of sufficient strength to bear the weight of the roof system. This means ensuring that the steel is not only of adequate strength but also of adequate thickness and length.
- Weatherproofing: As the steel posts in a green roof system will also be exposed to the elements, it is important to opt for a type of steel that is able to withstand such environments, such as Corten steel.
- Compatibility with Roof Structure: Ensure also that the steel posts you end up going with are compatible with the rest of your home’s roof structure, including the roof pitch, attachment methods and more.
Get Your Steel from RW Steel
If you’re looking to design and build your very own green roof system, we can help. RW Steel is the number one steel supplier in Melbourne. We have 100uc15, 200ub18, 250ub25 and much more available for you to choose from. We’ll also cut the steel you need to your exact specifications, so you won’t have to worry about it not meeting your requirements. For more information about how we can help with your steel needs, contact us today!
Image Source: Vivid Green