Green Roof Organisation (GRO) Best Practice Guidance
For green roof applications, the Green Roof Organisation (GRO) publishes the Code of Best Practice for green roofs incorporating blue roofs and biosolar applications, and a Best Practice Design Guidance for biosolar roofs.
The GRO Green Roof Code
The Green Roof Code of Best Practice (The Code) aims to guide behaviour on all aspects of green roof design, specification, installation and maintenance. The latest guidance was updated in June 2023.
The Code has been developed in partnership with experts including Livingroofs.org, the Environment Agency, Bauder, other suppliers and horticultural consultants.
Overview
The GRO Code is a concise document that details the benefits of green roofs, explains different types of roofs and the various build-ups, and makes clear recommendations on the performance of each.
There are comments on the underlying roof structure and waterproofing, and it gives helpful guidance on the long-term maintenance of green roofs, including establishment, watering, and irrigation.
The Code also details safety issues regarding wind uplift and fire, flagging the need for testing ‘all materials used within a green roof system or build-up’ which, ‘where applicable, have been tested following the appropriate testing protocols (e.g. British Standards) and deemed fit for purpose by meeting the relevant performance criteria’.
Chris Roddick, Bauder Green Roof Product Manager, comments “this document has now become the reference point for the construction industry for green roofs. The Code is referenced in the government guidance (the DCLG’s ‘Fire performance in green roofs and walls’) and is an essential tool for both the specifier and contractor”.
Bauder specifications follow British Standards and best practice which includes GRO guidance. With Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) passed into law, the requirements for green infrastructure will increase. It is important that best practice is adopted so that green roofs can play their part in achieving BNG goals.
GRO Biosolar Best Practice Design Guide
In parallel with The Code, GRO have also produced a best practice design guide for the installation of biosolar roofs. The guide provides a useful overview of the key design principals specifiers and installers should be aware of when designing a biosolar roof. Find all of the guides available below.