Florida lagging on development of green roofs

Green roofs are becoming more popular in many parts in the world, but not in Florida.

Vegetative roofs are stunted in the Sunshine State because its building commission does not recognize them as a best management practice (BMP). The commission has concerns over how green roofs would perform in hurricanes or in other natural disasters.

Florida-based researchers have tested green roofs in a wind simulator and found that the plants and their roots mostly held up in hurricane-force winds of up to 120 mph. They also found that built-in-place green roofs performed better than modular tray green roofs in wind uplift trials.

The building commission reportedly didn’t accept the research as sufficient because it wanted to ensure stability for speeds up to 160 mph. The commission also had other concerns including fire safety and weight loads on roofs.