Extreme weather events and an ever-increasing amount of hard surfaces mean flooding is becoming more frequent. Blue roof solutions can control rainwater where it lands to prevent localised flooding.
The development and expansion of towns and cities have reduced the amount of green space that naturally soaks up rainfall and increased the number of hard surfaces that quickly discard water. To prevent this, the principles of sustainable urban drainage solutions (SuDS) require rainwater to be dealt with as near as possible to where it falls. BauderBLUE roofs form some of the options available for SuDS, as blue roofs control where rainwater lands, aligning it with one of the core pillars of SuDS design.
BauderBLUE roof solutions
BauderBLUE roof systems feature outlets that restrict stormwater discharge to a calculated and defined flow rate, significantly slowing down the volume of water leaving the site. As a storm passes, the water will continue to discharge slowly from the roof. When considering this rooftop SuDS design, the early involvement of a structural engineer is vital to ensure that the roof can take the additional load and is as flat as possible.
Bauder offers three blue roof solutions, the suitability of which depends on the volume of water to be attenuated and the finish desired. The local planning authority will dictate the maximum discharge rate for any site (for England this is for up to a 1:100 year event + 40% for climate change). Bauder’s technical team can provide a bespoke design for all flow restrictors across the roof areas to meet the necessary runoff rate.
Bauder’s complimentary specification service will confirm the suitability of the waterproofing system and the appropriate type of blue roof for each situation. Bauder provides a single-point solution for waterproofing, blue roof and green roof layers, and a full system guarantee.
Product in practice
Cadworks is a 94,000 sq. ft office located in Glasgow city centre. A BauderBLUE roof was designed to meet the sustainability criteria to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’. To meet planning requirements to attenuate the flow rate of high volumes of rainwater, BauderBLUE STORMvoid System was specified. Cadworks aims to be one of the most sustainable buildings in Scotland, having been completed to coincide with COP26.
For more information, or to discuss your flat roof project, please call 01473 257671 or visit bauder.co.uk.
