Lecture 8 GREENHOUSES

INTRODUCTION
A greenhouse is a structure, primarly of glass, in
which temperature and humidity can be
controlled for the cultivation or preparation of
plants.
Greenhouses provide an ideal environment for
propagation and growing horticultural crops
(trad.-semntur).

Type of Greenhouses

Commercial greenhouses may be classified in

several different ways. One division is into freestanding and gutter (trad. jgheab) connected
houses (n prelungirea la jgheabul casei).

Quonset

Rigid Wall

Gothic

Collar beam

Gable Frames

Rigid frame

Truss

Slant leg(trad. Picior inclinat) rigid frame

Gutter-connected houses

Gable (trad. fronton& acoperis)

Low arch

Design of Greenhouses
INPUT DATA (Date de intrare):
Grid Area (Trama) LxT (span x bay)
1.

Transversal section
Longitudinal section {
{

(Heaves) (nlime dolie)

(Hridge ) (nlime coam)

Slope

LOADS:
2.

Permanent or Dead loads (infrastructure, roof,

claddings, building service)

Cvasipermanent loads
Temporary loads

(Cont.)
LOAD COMBINATION:
3.

Fundamental group
Other combination

Strength design:
4.

Sectional efforts (eforturi secionale):rafters, purlin,

posts, beams, shear walls, etc
Section strength
Dimensioning of claddings and roof panels (elemente
de nchidere i vitraj)

Checkings:
5.

Strength

Deflection (rigidity)

The greenhouse business

Fresh flowers
Flowering potted ( trad. pastrate in ghiveci,
conservate) plants
Green (foliage) plants
Bedding plants (trad. Culturi de plante pe
mese sau patule)
Vegetable (food)

Greenhouse Design and Construction

Laying the Foundation:

Structural Parts of a Greenhouse
Sidewall: supports the entire weight of the greenhouse.
Consists of the following parts side ventilators
side posts
curtain wall

Concrete footer: foundation for the side posts

Eave: area where the sidewall joints connect
Sash bar: bar made of metal or wood that runs from eave
to the ridge, holding glass in place

Laying the Foundation: cont..

Roof: provides cover. Consists of:

Sash (trad. Cadru mobil sau cercevea) bars

purlins
roof ventilators
ridge

Purlin: bar running length of roof that supports the sash bars,
holds bows and trusses upright
roof and side ventilators: allow ventilation during light rain
ridge: peak of greenhouse
shutters: operate like windows to allow air flow

Greenhouse Shapes

Even-span greenhouse: self supporting with distance from ridge

to eave equal in distance
Ridge & Furrow (trad. taietura): two or more even-span
greenhouses connected at the eaves.
Quonset: arch-shaped bows placed in a row. Appears tube
shaped - most common shape
Sawtooth: greenhouse with a vent near the eave of the lowest
side wall that allows for natural ventilation.

Greenhouse Shapes cont.

Lean-to: a greenhouse already attached to a existing
structure.
Gothic: Slightly pointed greenhouse covered with corrugated
fiberglass

What if we put the door here and the window

here.
There are many factors to consider
before you build a permanent
structure. It is a lot of money and
time to throw away if you dont
obtain as many facts as possible
before you build.
Factor 1: Accessibility
Factor 2: Expandability
Factor 3: Markets
Factor 4: Orientation

Factors to consider: cont.

Factor 5: Personnel
Factor 6: Topography
Factor 7: Utilities/water

What does this mean for

greenhouse management?
It is not as easy as just going outside and building a
greenhouse. There are things to considered just as in any
situation. So remember, depending on your location and
climate, you will have to consider the
shape of design
location
utilities
market
personnel

Transversal sections solution

for greenhouses

Functional plan
for bedding plants

Adpost simplu tip tunel.

1 pmnt pentru fixarea peliculei; 2 arcade din oelbeton, 6 mm; 3 folie din mase plastice de 0,88 mm;
4 rui pentru ancorare; 5 srm pentru fixarea
arcadelor; 6 arcade montate pe folia de material plastic.

Adpost tip tunel din poliesteri.

1 ram de lucru; 2 arcade din fier-beton, 14 mm; 3 rui din eav metalic, oli; 4
plci din poliesteri de 0,82,2 m;
5 plcue i crlige pentru fixarea plcilor; 6 conducte pentru nclzirea solului; 7 conducte
pentru nclzirea aerului.

Adposturi n dou pante vitrajul din poliesteri

1 cprior din eav de oli; 2 stlpi de susinere din eav de 1 ol; 3 dolii-streain din
eav de de oli; 4 lonjeroane din eav de de oli; 5 plci din poliester de 0,81,7 m; 6
plcue i crlige pentru fixarea plcilor din poliesteri; 7 conducte de nclzit aer i sol;

Schema unui solar-bloc acoperi cu

poliesteri sau policarbonat

Solar-bloc (cu acoperi retractabil)

Greenhouses-Case studies

Glass greenhouses
By optimising the use of steel, glass and aluminium, the range of glass
greenhouses offers maximum luminosity

Plastic Greenhousestunnels and bitunnels system

Multispan Greenhouses

Multispan Greenhouses

Multispan Greenhouses

Equipment

Heating; cooling; thermal, shading or black-out screens; lighting; irrigation and

ferti-irrigation; fast handling; benches; etc.
Such equipment is carefully chosen according to the type of crop.

Equipment

Transportor

Instalaie ceaa

Equipment

Equipment

Equipment

http://www.richel.fr

http://www.richel.fr

BOTANICAL GARDEN GREENHOUSES IN RUSSIA

http://www.richel.fr

GARDEN CENTER IN FRANCE

http://www.richel.fr

GARDEN CENTER IN
FRANCE

http://www.richel.fr

Arch Series Greenhouse

Greenhouse Construction

Site preparation included leveling and landscaping of the building site.

In addition, drainage ditches and a catch basis were installed to make
sure rain water collection and runoff were handled properly.

Greenhouse Construction

A truck-mounted auger is used to drill

holes for the greenhouse anchor
posts.

Greenhouse Construction

The auger holes are filled with

concrete before the anchor posts are
inserted in the wet concrete.

Greenhouse Construction

An anchor post is inserted in wet

concrete. Yellow strings are used to
carefully mark the exact location of
the center of each post.

Greenhouse Construction

The anchor posts are being inserted in holes filled with wet
concrete. Once all the anchor posts are installed and the
concrete dried, the site is leveled again and layer of gravel is
applied on top.

Greenhouse Construction

The greenhouse construction company shipped the many

construction components to the building site. A forklift is used to
unload the bigger pieces.

Greenhouse Construction

Close-up of the connection between a greenhouse post and its

trusses. Note the gutter support on top of the post and the top
of an anchor post just sticking out of the gravel.

Greenhouse Construction

The greenhouse posts and connecting trusses are positioned on

the ground. Several people are needed to lift a row of posts and
trusses and secure the greenhouse posts to the anchor posts.

Greenhouse Construction

A movable and adjustable work platform comes in very handy

when installing gutter segments between the posts.

Greenhouse Construction

The roof arches are installed. Each row of arches constitutes a

greenhouse bay. Four bays (measuring 21 feet wide by 96 feet
long) are needed to cover the entire greenhouse. The ridge of
each greenhouse bay is oriented in the East-West direction.

Greenhouse Construction

In order to secure the glass panels to the roof arches, special

aluminum profiles are attached the top of the roof arches.

Greenhouse Construction

Each greenhouse bay will be equipped with a four feet diameter

ventilation fan.

Greenhouse Construction

A four feet diameter ventilation fan is installed in the East wall of

each greenhouse bay.

Greenhouse Construction

So-called curtain walls (four feet high) are installed around the outside
perimeter wall of the greenhouse. The bottom foot of the walls is dug
into the ground to make for an effective heat-loss barrier.

Greenhouse Construction

Drain lines are installed inside the greenhouse to allow for the collection
of wastewater.

Greenhouse Construction

Once the greenhouse framing structure was completed, crates with

tempered safety glass (0.17 inch thick) were delivered to the
construction site. Each pane of roof glass measured 6 by 12 feet.

Greenhouse Construction

The crates with glass are opened and unloaded onto a lifting frame.

Greenhouse Construction

The frame with several panes of glass is lifted and placed on a rolling
structure, which rolls along the greenhouse gutters.

Greenhouse Construction

One by one, the panes of glass are secured to the roof of the greenhouse.
Each pane is secured at the ridge first, and at the gutter last. Rubber strips
are inserted between the glass and the greenhouse frame.

Greenhouse Construction

The curvature of the glass is possible due to the fact that the glass is
tempered. This curvature adds additional strength to the roof construction.

Greenhouse Construction

The ventilation inlet window is located along the entire West wall of the
greenhouse. The external frame is needed to support the opening and
closing mechanism of the window.

Greenhouse Construction

Shade curtains are installed to be able to reduce the amount of solar

radiation reaching the plants during the brighter summer months. The
curtain also acts as an energy shield when it is closed during the night in
order to prevent warm air from rising and cooling against the cold glass roof.

Greenhouse Construction

High-pressure sodium luminaires (with 600-watt lamp bulbs) are

installed in the greenhouse. A total of 144 luminaires is installed over
the total growing area of 6640 square feet (one lamp for every 46
square feet). The distance between the top of the plant canopy and
the bottom of the luminaires is 10.5 feet.

Greenhouse Construction

Vertical airflow fans are installed to blow greenhouse air directly onto the
lettuce crop. This air movement is needed to help prevent tipburn (a
physiological disorder in lettuce plants, comparable to blossom end rot
affecting tomato). The extra air movement increases plant transpiration,
resulting in increased uptake of water and nutrients (including Calcium,
which plays a major role in the occurrence of tipburn).

Greenhouse Construction

An evaporative cooling pad was installed along the entire ventilation inlet
opening in the West wall of the greenhouse. On warm days, the pad is
wetted and the incoming air is cooled as it passes through the pad and
water evaporates into the incoming air.

Greenhouse Construction

A pump and plumbing system is installed to pump water from and

(outside) storage tank onto the evaporative cooling pad. The excess
water is drained and returned to the storage tank.

Greenhouse Construction

A storage tank for the evaporative cooling water is installed just outside
the greenhouse. This tank will only be used during the warmer summer
months and is drained and cleaned before the winter season.

Greenhouse Construction

A reinforcing wire mesh is installed on the greenhouse gravel floor

just before the concrete is poured.

Greenhouse Construction

Motorized wheelbarrows are use to transport concrete from the

concrete truck to the appropriate destination inside the
greenhouse.

Greenhouse Construction

A crew of workers is spreading and leveling the fresh concrete inside

the greenhouse. The reinforcing wire mesh is carefully lifted into the
bottom half of the concrete floor for maximum effectiveness.

Greenhouse Construction

The concrete greenhouse floor is

hardening off.

Greenhouse Construction

Small, reinforced retaining walls (8 inches wide by 13 inches high)

are build out of concrete. These walls are used to contain the nutrient
solution in each of the four ponds.

Greenhouse Construction

A PVC liner (30 mils) is installed in each pond to prevent the nutrient
solution from leaking away. Note the walkway along the entire South
wall of the greenhouse.

Greenhouse Construction

Each pond is equipped with a nutrient solution recirculation system

(larger white PVC pipes) and heating system (smaller black plastic
pipes looped on the bottom of the pond).

Greenhouse Construction

The local electric utility company is working on the

installation of a new (800 amp) service for the
greenhouse operation.

Greenhouse Construction

The local utility company is installing

a gas line to the greenhouse site.