ABE 52A – Agricultural and Biosystems Structures Engineering, Lab LX3

Name: Christine Agnes Morales Date Given: September 23, 2022

Section/Schedule: BSABE 3Bx (Fri. 7am-10am) Date Due: September 30, 2022

Design of Greenhouse

I. Introduction

About 92% of plants, raised by man, are grown in the open field. Since the beginning of
agriculture, farmers have had to cope with the growing conditions given to them by nature. In
some of the temperate regions where the climatic conditions are extremely adverse and no
crops can be grown, man has developed technological methods of growing some high value
crops by providing protection from the excessive cold and excessive heat. This is called
Greenhouse Technology, which is the science of providing favorable environment conditions to
plants. It also protects the plants from the adverse climatic conditions such as wind, cold,
precipitation, excessive radiation, extreme temperature, insects, and diseases. In other words,
a greenhouse provides an ideal micro-climate around the plants.

Generally, greenhouses are framed or inflated structures covered with transparent or

translucent material large enough to grow crops under partial or full controlled environmental
conditions to get optimum growth and productivity. Recent greenhouse designs consist of
closed construction and ventilation provided by only mechanical systems, full air control, heat
pumps and heat storage, temperature and humidity control, tight control of CO2, nutrient
solution irrigation, and use of artificial lighting. Such interrelated systems are very efficient in
terms of energy use and CO2 consumption while providing optimum growing conditions for the
highest crop yields.

When planning to build a greenhouse for your farm or garden, you should consider the
size of the greenhouse that you want to have. The size of greenhouse that you require will
depend on a number of environmental factors, such as terrain profile, climate and other
environmental variables, but the most important factor to take into account is the type of plants
that you plan to grow in your greenhouse. Greenhouses allow growers to maximize potential
yield while lowering production costs. With the expansion of production profit margin, this could
give room to lowering consumer prices of vegetables while maintaining a healthy profit margin
for the grower. With the right construction plan and crop selection, you can grow all year long
and secure a stable income.

II. Objectives

1. To familiarize important terminologies in greenhouse design

2. To design a greenhouse given a particular crop production plan, by
a. Identifying the factors to consider in greenhouse design
b. Specifying the structural and functional requirements of a greenhouse
c. Providing a draft drawing of a greenhouse
3. To discuss the importance of a good greenhouse design

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III. Methodology

1. List down and define important terminologies in greenhouse design.

TERMS DEFINITIONS

Greenhouse Structure that provide a reliable enclosure within which an environment

favorable to plant growth can be attained.
Ridge and furrow Gutter connected method of greenhouse construction where modular roof units
greenhouse are connected at the eave by a common gutter.
Cooling Removal of heat from the interior of the greenhouse.
Addition of heat to the interior of the greenhouse from any energy source
Heating
including the sun.
Shading Prevents excess solar radiation in the greenhouse.
Process of exchanging air inside the greenhouse with outside air to control
Ventilation
temperature, humidity, oxygen or carbon dioxide levels.
Mechanical
Ventilation of greenhouse using fans.
ventilation
Natural Ventilation of greenhouse which occurs through controlled openings due to
ventilation natural pressure variations inside and outside the greenhouse.
Commonly used but shall be painted or galvanized to resist high moisture
Steel condition, needs more maintenance than aluminum and is heavier, requiring
additional support.
Common framing material but it deteriorates over time. Pressure treated
Wood lumber should be purchased and then treated with commercially available
coatings.

Most economical material for constructing the greenhouse frames, it can be

Aluminum
shaped to form various structural components and needs no maintenance after
installation. Aluminum has the longest life span and allows for light reflectance.
Polyethylene sheet roofing provides good protection from rain and has low
Polyethylene
investment and need less structural components.
Fiberglass It is very durable, rigid and available in various light transmission levels.
Corrugated Provide good protection from rain and provide better light transmission. They
plastic sheets have high material, installation labor and maintenance costs

Usually used for shading purposes and protection from falling branches and
Screen
the like but they do not provide protection from the rain. Low material,
installation labor and maintenance costs. This includes fishnets and mesh wire.
Drip or tickle Are the most efficient and provide greater control over the amount of water
systems applied.

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2. Identify the factors you will consider in designing a greenhouse. Be specific. Provide
details.

Gardening is becoming increasingly popular as a hobby because it is both

economical and relaxing. Care must be taken while planning a greenhouse facility,
including the site and its orientation. The type of structural design, and the choice
of covering material, are important factors to consider.
1. Site selection and Orientation –
Before designing a greenhouse it`s important to understand the local climate.
To make the right decisions in the design stage, it`s best to fully understand local
weather patterns, including temperature, humidity, and wind and day length. The
building site should be as level as possible to save the cost of grading. It is also
preferable to select a site with the ridge aligned north to south to reduce interior
shadows from the structure itself on the plants. It should also be well-aerated and
get plenty of sun. A greenhouse should be built from north to south to provide
consistent lighting throughout the day. Given how much water is consumed in
greenhouse activities, a drainage system is always recommended. When drainage
is an issue, it is best to put tile drainage below the surface before constructing the
greenhouse.
2. Size of the Greenhouse –
The build, cover, materials and type of greenhouse also have an effect on
the conditions inside. When determining whether to purchase or construct a
greenhouse for your greenhouse garden, consider the size. The space for
plants, extra storage for gardening tools and supplies, and the sort of plants
you wish to grow in your greenhouse garden will all influence the size of the
greenhouse that you require, and this is the most crucial factor to consider.
3. Crop type and density
First, the plants dictate the conditions you`ll need in your greenhouse.
Understanding the plants` needs is at the heart of greenhouse growing.
Second, the plants themselves affect the conditions in the greenhouse.

4. Desired greenhouse climate

Before you start adjusting your greenhouse climate, and in order to make
sure you do so efficiently, it`s important to know what your set points are.
Growers must consider their current environment – location, climate,
greenhouse size and cover, and understand what climate control equipment is
needed to adjust their greenhouse environment accordingly. Thermal screens,
shading and blackout screens using a combination of thermal, shading or
blackout screens drastically increases growers` control over the environment.
Using thermal screens lets growers trap the warm air inside when necessary,
reducing the need for heating. Blackout and shading screens give growers
greater control over lighting.

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5. Heating and Cooling

Heating and cooling are some of the biggest sources of energy
consumption in greenhouse cultivation. Tailoring their performance to your
greenhouse is critical for effectiveness and for efficiency. There are many
methods to heat or cool a greenhouse, from intricate piping systems to HVACs.

6. Humidity Control
Humidity is a major issue in greenhouses. To deal with high humidity,
growers turn to one, or a combination of several methods. A much more
efficient option is using a greenhouse dehumidifier. Using the correct
equipment for your greenhouse provides the best conditions

7. Legal Considerations –
Permits, licenses, and zoning restrictions govern where a greenhouse can
be built, and they typically limit what kind of building materials can be used.
Another factor to consider while selecting a good location is the impact of the
greenhouse operation on the community. If the greenhouse is near a school,
hospital, or residential area, it must adhere to the zoning laws of these
organizations. If runoff from the property enters parks, farms, or ecological
zones, state regulations may apply to the area. Some places require that the
owner obtain certification before purchasing restricted-use pesticides. The
greenhouse owner must also be conversant with relevant Occupational Safety
and Health Administration standards that ensure worker safety.

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3. Specify the structural and functional requirements of your greenhouse design. Provide
details. Include computation (if any).

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4. Provide a draft drawing of your greenhouse design.

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IV. Discussion

1. Do you think it is important to be familiar with the terminologies relating to greenhouse?

Why or why not?
• For me, it is very important to be familiar with the terminologies that are related
to greenhouse. It is because, it helps us to widen our vocabulary with the
terminologies that we have learned and as well it helps to gain our knowledge
about greenhouse. Being familiar with those terms helps us to easily determine
that those terminologies are related to greenhouse. Undoubtedly, terminology
helps us to fully understand specific topics. Well-defined terminology can help
people across various industries communicate more efficiently.

2. Discuss the reasons why you considered the factors you identified in your greenhouse
design.
• Several reasons why we consider these factors for our greenhouse design is that.
First, we wanted to make sure that the design of our greenhouse is efficient and a
good standard structure. Second, we wanted to make sure that the environment
as well as the specific location, it is because, we need a proper sunlight and water
supply for our greenhouse so that it will be efficient , where our plants can grow
very healthy. Third we consider the size, so that we will be able to properly
estimate how big or small our greenhouse is. And lastly, the frames for our
greenhouse, we really have to consider this factor so that our structure for the
greenhouse is in good quality in order to produce good quality harvests.

3. What are the challenges encountered in the specification of the structural and functional
requirements of your greenhouse design? How are you able to cope?
• One of the challenges that we have encountered in the specification of the
structural and functional requirements of our greenhouse design are as follows:
the exact measurement for out greenhouse, as well as the calculation of the
benches and beds because there are standards that we have to follow in PAES.
Next, is the computation for the wind load, dead load, and live loads, because we
have to carefully analyze each equation and follow such formula’s in order to get
the proper measurements. And also, the designing in Autocad because we are
very much confused on how much thickness that we need to follow because we
cannot find any standards in PAES. However, despite of those challenges we were
still able to cope up by carefully planning, brainstorming, and analyzing each
problem. And looking for different references in order to come up with a good
answer.

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4. What are the challenges encountered in drafting your greenhouse design? How are you
able to cope?

• One of the challenges that we have encountered in drafting our greenhouse

design is that we were having a hard time to think about our ventilation for the
greenhouse design because we know that we cannot directly input it because we
need to consider again for the wind loads in which we have to start over again for
our computation. Despite that difficulty we were still able to cope up by carefully
analyzing and planing each draft design.

5. Discuss the importance of a good greenhouse design.

• The importance of a good greenhouse design is that, we really have to consider
and follow the standards of PAES because, it helps to boost our yield in the
upcoming harvesting time. One of the most productive methods for optimizing
the efficiency of a greenhouse is to increase the amount of space utilized in the
unit. If we are to observe a good design for greenhouse we will be the one who will
get the benefit.

V. Conclusion

In this activity, as an Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering student I have learned a

lot of things especially in proper designing of the greenhouse. It is really important that we need
to consider the proper standards in PAES so that we will be able to get the proper design for our
greenhouse.

VI. References

Cachon, R., P. Girardon, A. Voilley. 2019. Chapter 6.2 - Vegetal Production. Gases in Agro-Food
Processes, Academic Press, Pages 153-219, ISBN 9780128124659, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978
-0-12-812465-9.00013-X.

Design and Maintenance of Greenhouse. Retrieved from http://ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in/

mod/page/view.php?id=124111

Designing and Building a Greenhouse. Retrieved from https://www.greengoldfarms.net/

greenhouse/greenhouse-design-build/

PAES 415:2001. Agricultural Structures – Greenhouses

Rajan, S.D. 2001. Introduction to Structural Analysis and Design. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New
York, USA

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