Integrating stormwater performance and architectural design - Living Roofs in Integrated Urban Water Systems - page 130

Figure 4.14
Maintenance access

Pervious edge

Hardier plants with no
extra maintenance path

Planting concept accessibility
required for frequent maintenance

3 The roof's drainage features and any other perforations (for example, vents)
need to be accessible for inspection and cleaning purposes and should all be
inside the parapet perimeter. Maintenance budgets will suffer if activities
require specialist equipment or training to access drainage features outside of
parapets.
4 Plan wherever possible that the roof is visible without having to go outside
onto the roof for routine checks, especially if safety gear is needed due to a
low parapet or the absence of one.
5 Safety anchors for maintenance crews need to be designed in concert with
other design elements (e.g., access for window washers). Each country and
region has their safety building codes for roof maintenance.
6 Appropriate materials should be chosen for the pathways running around the
roof perimeter. In Europe and North America, local building/ire codes dictate
the surface material, its depth and width for walkability and ire prevention,
and pathway spacing. For example, the FLL (2008) requires gravel or concrete
ire barriers of 1 m width for every 40 m of vegetation, and at least 500 mm
width vegetation barrier (pebbles, slabs or other hard stand) around upstands,
parapets and walls.

Additional resources for designing safe access are found in Behm (2012),
Cameron et al. (2007), Ellis (2001) and Health and Safety Executive (2008).

4.9.3 Accessibility for maintenance of plants and drainage features
If the roof is visible and the planting design requested, i.e., by the client, and/or
the surrounding architecture has mainly a static geometric concept, with deined
vegetation forms on the roof, the plants will need to be frequently accessed for
maintenance, e.g., pruning, among other forms. If the planting is successional,
the horticulturalist's role in the planning process could include proposing speciic
plant communities. Accessibility to monitor the growing process is required. The
landscape architect plans the number and extent of visible access paths to the
planting in consultation with the horticulturalist. Hardier plants do not need extra
maintenance paths through the planting area if not frequently accessed. The