Can green roof act as a sink for contaminants? A methodological study to evaluate runoff quality from green roofs

2014 ◽  
Vol 194 ◽  
pp. 121-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Vijayaraghavan ◽  
Umid Man Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Methodological Study ◽  
Runoff Quality

scholarly journals Phosphorus and Metals Leaching from Green Roof Substrates and Aggregates Used in Their Composition

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Karczmarczyk ◽  
Anna Baryła ◽  
Joanna Fronczyk ◽  
Agnieszka Bus ◽  
Józef Mosiej
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Water Retention Capacity ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Batch Tests ◽  
Quality Literature ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
Runoff Quality

Green roofs are constructions made of different layers, each serving a dedicated function. Substrates and materials used in their composition are essential from the point of view of rainwater retention and plant development, but they may have an adverse effect on runoff quality. Literature studies show that phosphorus and heavy metals are of main importance. The total roofs area covered with green increased in the last years in cities as they are efficient in retention of rainwater and delaying of the runoff, therefore, protecting the cities against floods. As green roofs filtrate a significant amount of rainwater, materials used in substrates composition should be carefully selected to protect urban receivers against pollution. The aim of this study was to assess phosphorus and heavy metals leaching from different green roof substrates and their components with the focus on green roof runoff quality. Both commercially made green roof substrates and often used compounds (construction aggregates) were tested in laboratory batch tests for P, Cu, Ni, Cd, and Zn content in extracts. Based on the results of this study, it could be emphasized that a large part of commonly used construction aggregates can be a source of phosphorus, some also can release elevated values of nickel. Therefore, the materials should be carefully tested before use in the green roof substrate composition, not only for their physical properties reflecting water retention capacity, but also for chemical composition.

scholarly journals Growing substrates for aromatic plant species in green roofs and water runoff quality: pilot experiments in a Mediterranean climate

2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. 1081-1089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina M. Monteiro ◽  
Cristina S. C. Calheiros ◽  
Paulo Palha ◽  
Paula M. L. Castro
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Water Runoff ◽  
Aromatic Plant ◽  
Runoff Quality

Green roof technology has evolved in recent years as a potential solution to promote vegetation in urban areas. Green roof studies for Mediterranean climates, where extended drought periods in summer contrast with cold and rainy periods in winter, are still scarce. The present research study assesses the use of substrates with different compositions for the growth of six aromatic plant species – Lavandula dentata, Pelargonium odoratissimum, Helichrysum italicum, Satureja montana, Thymus caespititius and T. pseudolanuginosus, during a 2-year period, and the monitoring of water runoff quality. Growing substrates encompassed expanded clay and granulated cork, in combination with organic matter and crushed eggshell. These combinations were adequate for the establishment of all aromatic plants, allowing their propagation in the extensive system located on the 5th storey. The substrate composed of 70% expanded clay and 30% organic matter was the most suitable, and crushed eggshell incorporation improved the initial plant establishment. Water runoff quality parameters – turbidity, pH, conductivity, NH4+, NO3−, PO43- and chemical oxygen demand – showed that it could be reused for non-potable uses in buildings. The present study shows that selected aromatic plant species could be successfully used in green roofs in a Mediterranean climate.

scholarly journals Developing an evaluation tool for green roof typologies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cameron Laidlaw
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Water Runoff ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Quality Maintenance ◽  
The Future ◽  
Criteria For Evaluation ◽  
Specific Project ◽  
Runoff Quality

Green roofs possess the potential to provide a plethora of benefits in the urban environment. The variability among the green roof typologies (intensive, extensive, and agriculture) leads to different benefits when one system is selected over another. By the collection and analyzing of metadata, an evaluation tool is developed to assist green roof designers to meet the goals of their specific project. Included criteria for evaluation are: water runoff quantity, water runoff quality, maintenance, amenity, and irrigation. The evaluation tool is designed to be compartmentalized, with each criteria treated independently, allowing further expansion, alteration, or refinement of the tool in the future.

scholarly journals Developing an evaluation tool for green roof typologies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cameron Laidlaw
Keyword(s):  
Urban Environment ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Water Runoff ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Quality Maintenance ◽  
The Future ◽  
Criteria For Evaluation ◽  
Specific Project ◽  
Runoff Quality

Green roofs possess the potential to provide a plethora of benefits in the urban environment. The variability among the green roof typologies (intensive, extensive, and agriculture) leads to different benefits when one system is selected over another. By the collection and analyzing of metadata, an evaluation tool is developed to assist green roof designers to meet the goals of their specific project. Included criteria for evaluation are: water runoff quantity, water runoff quality, maintenance, amenity, and irrigation. The evaluation tool is designed to be compartmentalized, with each criteria treated independently, allowing further expansion, alteration, or refinement of the tool in the future.

A green roof experimental site in the Mediterranean climate: the storm water quality issue

2013 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 1419-1424 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Gnecco ◽  
Anna Palla ◽  
Luca G. Lanza ◽  
Paolo La Barbera
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Deposition ◽  
Water Chemistry ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Storm Water ◽  
Water Runoff ◽  
Experimental Site ◽  
Storm Water Runoff ◽  
Runoff Quality

Since 2007, the University of Genoa has been carrying out a monitoring programme to investigate the hydrologic response of green roofs in the Mediterranean climate by installing a green roof experimental site. In order to assess the influence of green roofs on the storm water runoff quality, water chemistry data have been included in the monitoring programme since 2010, providing rainfall and outflow data. For atmospheric source, the bulk deposition is collected to evaluate the role of the overall atmospheric deposition in storm water runoff quality. For subsurface outflow, a maximum of 24 composite samples are taken on an event basis, thus aiming at a full characterization of the outflow hydrograph. Water chemistry data reveal that the pollutant loads associated with green roof outflow is low; in particular, solids and metal concentrations are lower than values generally observed in storm water runoff from traditional rooftops. The concentration values of chemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, Fe, Ca and K measured in the subsurface outflow are significantly higher than those observed in the bulk deposition (p < 0.05). With respect to the atmospheric deposition, the green roof behaviour as a sink/source of pollutants is investigated based on both concentration and mass.

scholarly journals Seismic Performance of a Green Roof Structure

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4278
Author(s):  
Svetlana Tam ◽  
Jenna Wong
Keyword(s):  
Green Roof ◽  
Time History ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Moment Frame ◽  
Steel Moment Frame ◽  
Roof Structure ◽  
Nonlinear Time History Analyses ◽  
Vegetated Roofs ◽  
Nonlinear Time History ◽  
The Impact

Sustainability addresses the need to reduce the structure’s impact on the environment but does not reduce the environment’s impact on the structure. To explore this relationship, this study focuses on quantifying the impact of green roofs or vegetated roofs on seismic responses such as story displacements, interstory drifts, and floor level accelerations. Using an archetype three-story steel moment frame, nonlinear time history analyses are conducted in OpenSees for a shallow and deep green roof using a suite of ground motions from various distances from the fault to identify key trends and sensitivities in response.

scholarly journals Addressing the Water–Energy–Food Nexus through Enhanced Green Roof Performance

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1972
Author(s):  
Jeremy Wright ◽  
Jeremy Lytle ◽  
Devon Santillo ◽  
Luzalen Marcos ◽  
Kristiina Valter Mai
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Performance Optimization ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Stormwater Management ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Rainwater Runoff ◽  
Rain Events

Urban densification and climate change are creating a multitude of issues for cities around the globe. Contributing factors include increased impervious surfaces that result in poor stormwater management, rising urban temperatures, poor air quality, and a lack of available green space. In the context of volatile weather, there are growing concerns regarding the effects of increased intense rainfalls and how they affect highly populated areas. Green roofs are becoming a stormwater management tool, occupying a growing area of urban roof space in many developed cities. In addition to the water-centric approach to the implementation of green roofs, these systems offer a multitude of benefits across the urban water–energy–food nexus. This paper provides insight to green roof systems available that can be utilized as tools to mitigate the effects of climate change in urbanized areas. A new array of green roof testing modules is presented along with research methods employed to address current issues related to food, energy and water performance optimization. Rainwater runoff after three rain events was observed to be reduced commensurate with the presence of a blue roof retention membrane in the testbed, the growing media depth and type, as well as the productive nature of the plants in the testbed. Preliminary observations indicate that more productive green roof systems may have increasingly positive benefits across the water–energy–food nexus in dense urban areas that are vulnerable to climate disruption.

scholarly journals Hydrologic Performance of an Extensive Green Roof under Intensive Rain Events: Results from a Rain-Chamber Simulation

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3078
Author(s):  
Elena Giacomello ◽  
Jacopo Gaspari
Keyword(s):  
Water Retention ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Dimensionless Number ◽  
Runoff Coefficient ◽  
Retention Performance ◽  
Extensive Green Roof ◽  
Rain Events ◽  
Hydrologic Performance

The water storage capacity of a green roof generates several benefits for the building conterminous environment. The hydrologic performance is conventionally expressed by the runoff coefficient, according to international standards and guidelines. The runoff coefficient is a dimensionless number and defines the water retention performance over a long period. At the scale of single rain events, characterized by varying intensity and duration, the reaction of the green roof is scarcely investigated. The purpose of this study is to highlight how an extensive green roof—having a supposed minimum water performance, compared to an intensive one—responds to real and repetitive rain events, simulated in a rain chamber with controlled rain and runoff data. The experiment provides, through cumulative curve graphs, the behavior of the green roof sample during four rainy days. The simulated rain events are based on a statistical study (summarized in the paper) of 25 years of rain data for a specific location in North Italy characterized by an average rain/year of 1100 mm. The results prove the active response of the substrate, although thin and mineral, and quick draining, in terms of water retention and detention during intense rain events. The study raises questions about how to better express the water performance of green roofs.

scholarly journals Influence of Temperature and Moisture Content on Thermal Performance of Green Roof Media

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 2421
Author(s):  
Bohan Shao ◽  
Caterina Valeo ◽  
Phalguni Mukhopadhyaya ◽  
Jianxun He
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Conductivity ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Power Functions ◽  
Thick Substrate ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Test Cells ◽  
Substrate Moisture ◽  
Phase Transition Zone

The influence of moisture content on substrate thermal conductivity at different temperatures was investigated for four different commercially available substrates for green roofs. In the unfrozen state, as moisture content increased, thermal conductivity increased linearly. In the phase transition zone between +5 and −10 °C, as temperature decreased, thermal conductivity increased sharply during the transition from water to ice. When the substrate was frozen, thermal conductivity varied exponentially with substrate moisture content prior to freezing. Power functions were found between thermal conductivity and temperature. Two equally sized, green roof test cells were constructed and tested to compare various roof configurations including a bare roof, varying media thickness for a green roof, and vegetation. The results show that compared with the bare roof, there is a 75% reduction in the interior temperature’s amplitude for the green roof with 150 mm thick substrate. When a sedum mat was added, there was a 20% reduction in the amplitude of the inner temperature as compared with the cell without a sedum mat.

Green roof hydrologic performance and modeling: a review

2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 727-738 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanling Li ◽  
Roger W. Babcock
Keyword(s):  
Peak Flow ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Technical Literature ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Model Soil ◽  
Runoff Volume

Green roofs reduce runoff from impervious surfaces in urban development. This paper reviews the technical literature on green roof hydrology. Laboratory experiments and field measurements have shown that green roofs can reduce stormwater runoff volume by 30 to 86%, reduce peak flow rate by 22 to 93% and delay the peak flow by 0 to 30 min and thereby decrease pollution, flooding and erosion during precipitation events. However, the effectiveness can vary substantially due to design characteristics making performance predictions difficult. Evaluation of the most recently published study findings indicates that the major factors affecting green roof hydrology are precipitation volume, precipitation dynamics, antecedent conditions, growth medium, plant species, and roof slope. This paper also evaluates the computer models commonly used to simulate hydrologic processes for green roofs, including stormwater management model, soil water atmosphere and plant, SWMS-2D, HYDRUS, and other models that are shown to be effective for predicting precipitation response and economic benefits. The review findings indicate that green roofs are effective for reduction of runoff volume and peak flow, and delay of peak flow, however, no tool or model is available to predict expected performance for any given anticipated system based on design parameters that directly affect green roof hydrology.

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