Research

The project aims to systematically investigate the static load on facades caused by climbing plants under wind loads and tensile forces. In this one-year explorative project phase, the scientific, technical, and organisational foundations for the development of a standardised procedure for the static evaluation of facade greening will be laid. The focus is on systematically reviewing the state of research on wind loads, tensile forces, and dead weights on green facades with climbing plants. International studies, applicable standards, and existing methodological approaches will be analysed and examined for their relevance and applicability. Based on this, a measurement and simulation concept will be developed that takes into account both wind tunnel tests and open-air measurements. At the same time, a preliminary technical and methodological examination of parametric model approaches and AI-supported data processing for simulating static loads and recording grown real structures will be carried out. Another focus is on defining suitable, representative test setups and selecting relevant plant species, climbing support systems, and measurement locations for the follow-up project.

Green roofs are one of the most promising measures for counteracting climate change in an urban context using nature-based solutions. Shading, evaporative cooling, rainwater retention, reduction of summer heat buildup, and mitigation of the heat island effect are just some of the positive properties attributed to them. In contrast to static, inorganic building components, however, quantifying and standardizing dynamic, organic plant components is much more difficult. In particular, the slow increase in functionality during the first years of growth poses major challenges for time-limited research projects. As part of the MARGRET R&D service (2023-2025), the project consortium constructed and planted five different facade greening systems and a roof greening test stand, which were measured in detail using a facade test box equipped with comprehensive sensor technology. The innovations in this follow-up project lie in the presence of almost fully grown, large facade greening elements and a roof greening system in excellent condition, the comprehensive measurement equipment, and the consortium's concentrated expertise and focus on innovative questions in three areas: • To what extent does vertical greening act as natural window shading? • Which functions of roof greening and to what extent can these be measured as climate resilience measures? • Which microclimatic effects of vertical greening on outdoor spaces can be measured? The project aims to provide reliable, quantitative data so that in the future, building greening can be better used as a CO2-neutral, recyclable structural solution against urban overheating and its effects can be better understood. This will enable targeted planning of its use and make cost-benefit analyses comprehensible and feasible.

In September 2024, heavy rainfall caused regional flooding in Lower Austria. These heavy rains caused considerable damage to infrastructure, residential areas and agricultural land. In addition to the directly related flooding of small and medium-sized water bodies, landslides were primarily responsible for the damage. The resulting landslide areas must be sustainably remediated and recultivated immediately afterwards. Recultivation is a challenge due to local site and climatic conditions. Sustainable recultivation through greening is not only of particular interest for erosion control, but also in terms of the landscape, agriculture and recreational value. In recent years, ecologically accompanied greening measures have been carried out with varying degrees of success. The aim of this research project is to develop guidelines for greening measures based on selected greening areas.