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July 14, 2008
Poços de Caldas is first Alcoa Unit to install ecoroof
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The Refinery of Poços de Caldas is the first Alcoa Unit to have a Green Roof – an ecological roof that provides thermal and acoustic comfort with much lower energy costs.
Inaugurated on July 14, the roof, which covers the Refinery’s Management building, is composed of vegetated modules installed side by side over a root-proof membrane and another membrane for nutrient retention. The natural fabric provides great thermal insulation capability during winter and cooling by plant evapotranspiration during summer, significantly reducing heating and cooling energy costs.
Besides saving energy, the ecological roof cover brings green back to industrial areas, providing continuity to the ecosystem. The ecoroof retains rainwater in its substrate and absorbs pollutants through the plants’ roots, acting as a filter that retains urban air impurities. The Green Roof also reduces urban heat generated by the reflection of infrared rays, common in paved areas with great concentration of concrete. From an aesthetic point of view, it is a new design option for industries due to the variety of possible plants and foliage, which create a landscaped look in a previously unusable space.
“The idea came up after we saw how easy and beneficial the installation of an ecoroof was in an ad in an architectural magazine,” remarks Luiz Carlos Lenati, manager of the Poços de Caldas Refinery at the time. The team responsible for the installation was formed by Carlos H. Marlieri, Engineering and Maintenance superintendent; Cláudia Brandt, senior civil engineer; Nicodemus Rossi, Contracts supervisor; and Alexsander Aguiar, Civil Contracts coordinator. “The installation comprised waterproofing the slab with a rootproof mat first, which took about 20 days, and then applying a drainage mat, followed by the application of the ecoroof, which took about five days,” explains Cláudia.
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