scholarly journals Socio-Ecological Dimensions of Spontaneous Plants on Green Roofs

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean Schrieke ◽  
Joel Lönnqvist ◽  
Godecke-Tobias Blecken ◽  
Nicholas S. G. Williams ◽  
Claire Farrell
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Open Space ◽  
Property Values ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Vegetation Coverage ◽  
Ecological Services ◽  
Housing Costs ◽  
Spontaneous Vegetation ◽  
Dry Climates

Green roofs have the potential to provide socio-ecological services in urban settings that lack vegetation and open space. However, implementation of green roofs is limited by high construction and maintenance costs. Consequently, green roof projects often disproportionately benefit wealthy communities and can further marginalise disadvantaged communities by increasing property values and housing costs. Vegetation cover on green roofs is crucial to their provisioning of socio-ecological services. Evidence suggests that green roof plantings change over time, especially with limited maintenance, and are replaced with spontaneous “weedy” species. This is often perceived as a failure of the original green roof design intent and spontaneous species are usually removed. However, where good coverage is achieved, spontaneous vegetation could provide beneficial services such as stormwater mitigation, habitat provision, and climate regulation. While social norms about “weediness” may limit the desirability of some spontaneous species, research suggests that their acceptability on green roofs increases with coverage. As spontaneous species can establish on green roofs without irrigation and fertiliser, reduced input costs could help facilitate adoption particularly in markets without an established green roof industry. Construction costs may also be reduced in hot and dry climates where deeper substrates are necessary to ensure plant survival, as many spontaneous species are able to colonise shallow substrates and can regenerate from seed. If implemented based on socio-ecological need, green roofs with spontaneous vegetation coverage may apply less pressure to property values and housing costs than conventionally planted green roofs, increasing the resilience of urban communities while limiting gentrification.

Analyses of the Insulating Capacity of Green Roofs Made of Phenolic Resin Board with Vegetation Coverage

2011 ◽  
Vol 71-78 ◽  
pp. 4491-4495
Author(s):  
Yu Kuang Zhao ◽  
Lei Wei ◽  
Chi Chau Lien ◽  
Wen Pei Sung
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Phenolic Resin ◽  
Construction Material ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Vegetation Coverage ◽  
Insulation Material ◽  
Green Vegetation ◽  
The Difference

The global warming effect causes climate change. Especially, it directly affects the weather pattern of Taiwan. The temperature continually rising leads to higher energy consumption for building air-conditioning. The phenolic resin board is a very good heat insulation and eco-friendly construction material. Otherwise, a green roof covered with living plants for the purpose to reduce heat effect in building are widely used in the world. Therefore, in this research, the phenolic resin board is used as an experimental roof insulation material in a green roof that is covered with living plants for the objective of reducing summer building air conditioning energy consumption and cost. During summer, the difference between inside and outside temperatures across the phenolic resin board exposed to direct sun shine is as high as 8°C±2°C. The combined insulation technology using phenolic resin board and planted green vegetation coverage on the roof will also contribute to a green and aesthetic environment.

scholarly journals Thermal Behavior of Green Roofs Applied to Tropical Climate

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Tibério Cardoso ◽  
Francisco Vecchia
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Behavior ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Water Reuse ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Time Lag ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Run Off ◽  
Cover Systems ◽  
Dry Climates

The main goal of this paper is to present results on an experimental field about the green roofs thermal behavior, compared to other traditional roof covering systems. On the one hand, it intends to describe shortly the constructive system of a green roof with a lightweight building system, which has a sustainable building materials character and, on the other, it worries with the water reuse and with the run-off delay. The main methodological procedure adopted to study the thermal behavior of green roof was installing thermocouples to collect surface temperatures and indoor air, later comparing them with existing prototypes in an experimental plot. The thermal behavior analysis of cover systems was assessed by a representative episode of the climate fact, based on the dynamic climate approach. The experimental results from internal air temperature measurements show that the green roofs applied to warm and dry climates also provide an interesting time lag with surface and internal air temperature reduction.

The role of green roof technology in urban agriculture

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh J. Whittinghill ◽  
D. Bradley Rowe
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Food Contamination ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Land Use Rights

AbstractUrban agriculture is a global and growing pursuit that can contribute to economic development, job creation, food security and community building. It can, however, be limited by competition for space with other forms of urban development, a lack of formalized land use rights and health hazards related to food contamination. The use of green roof technology in urban agriculture has the potential to alleviate some of these problems, without adversely affecting the benefits provided by urban agriculture. It would not only enable the use of land for development and agriculture, but may also facilitate the formation of formal space and water use agreements, and enable redistribution of ground-level resources among urban farmers. This could decrease the use of contaminated land and water at ground level and alleviate health concerns. Before green roof technology can be incorporated into urban agriculture on a larger scale, installation costs must be reduced, roof weight limitations should be assessed, and appropriate management practices should be developed which will ensure that the benefits of green roofs, such as energy savings and storm water management, are still provided to urban communities.

scholarly journals Hydrological Performance of Green Roofs at Building and City Scales under Mediterranean Conditions

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio Andrés-Doménech ◽  
Sara Perales-Momparler ◽  
Adrián Morales-Torres ◽  
Ignacio Escuder-Bueno
Keyword(s):  
Green Roof ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Hydrological Models ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
Dry Climates ◽  
One Year ◽  
The City ◽  
Mediterranean Conditions

Green roofs are one specific type of sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS); they aim to manage runoff at the source by storing water in its different layers, delaying the hydrological response, and restoring evapotranspiration. Evidence of their performance in the Mediterranean is still scarce. The main objective of this paper is to analyse the hydrological performance of green roofs at building and city scales under Mediterranean conditions. A green roof and a conventional roof were monitored over one year in Benaguasil (Valencia, Spain). Rainfall and flow data were recorded and analysed. Hydrological models were calibrated and validated at the building scale to analyse the hydrological long-term efficiency of the green roof and compare it against that obtained for the conventional roof. Results show that green roofs can provide good hydrological performances, even in dry climates such as the Mediterranean. In addition, their influence at the city scale is also significant, given the average runoff coefficient reduction obtained.

scholarly journals Sustainability of Urban Agriculture: Vegetable Production on Green Roofs

Agriculture ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart Walters ◽  
Karen Stoelzle Midden
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Urban Agriculture ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Food Production ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Vegetable Crops

The practice of producing vegetables on green roofs has been gaining momentum in recent years as a method to facilitate agricultural sustainability in urban areas. Rooftop gardens are becoming an important part of the recent rejuvenation of urban agriculture, and offers alternative spaces to grow vegetable products for urban markets. Green roofs create spaces for the production of vegetable crops, which then generate opportunities for integrating agriculture into urban communities. However, vegetable production activities on rooftops are currently minimal due to multiple challenges that must be overcome before widespread implementation will occur, and these are presented and discussed herein in great detail. Although intensive green roof systems (>15 cm medium depths) are thought to be most suited for vegetable production, the greatest potential for sustained productivity is probably through extensive systems (<15 cm depths) due to weight load restrictions for most buildings. Thus, shallow-rooted vegetables that include important salad greens crops are thought to be the most suited for extensive systems as they can have high productivity with minimal inputs. Research presented herein agree that crops such as lettuce, kale and radish can be produced effectively in an extensive green roof medium with sufficient nutrient and moisture inputs. Other research has indicated that deeper-root crops like tomato can be produced but they will require constant monitoring of fertility and moisture levels. Vegetable production is a definite possibility in urban areas on retrofitted green roofs using minimal growing substrate depths with intensive seasonal maintenance. Rooftop agriculture can improve various ecosystem services, enrich urban biodiversity and reduce food insecurity. Food production provided by green roofs can help support and sustain food for urban communities, as well as provide a unique opportunity to effectively grow food in spaces that are typically unused. The utilization of alternative agricultural production systems, such as green roof technologies, will increase in importance as human populations become more urbanized and urban consumers become more interested in local foods for their families. Although cultivation of food on buildings is a key component to making cities more sustainable and habitable, green roofs are not the total solution to provide food security to cities. They should be viewed more as a supplement to other sources of food production in urban areas.

Experimental and Simulating Analyses of the Insulating Efficiency of Green Roofs

2011 ◽  
Vol 121-126 ◽  
pp. 2453-2458
Author(s):  
Yu Kuang Zhao ◽  
Chi Chau Lien ◽  
Lei Wei ◽  
Wen Pei Sung
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Phenolic Resin ◽  
Cfd Simulation ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Vegetation Coverage ◽  
Insulation Material ◽  
Data Simulation ◽  
The Difference

The global climate change directly affects the weather pattern of Taiwan. Some research achievements show that buildings will decrease the indoor room temperatures by 1oC during summer and increase the indoor room temperature by 1oC during winter with 6%~10% savings of energy consumption. In this research, the phenolic resin board is used as an experimental roof insulation material in a green roof that is covered with living plants for the objective of reducing summer building air conditioning energy consumption and cost. The influence of roofing materials with various insulation capacities on the building interior temperature is simulated in this study using the basic thermal data measured in the laboratory. Analysis results of computational fluid dynamics, CFD simulation of the temperatures are close to the measured data. Simulation of the insulation capacity of the green roof indicates that the difference between outside and inside temperature is as high as 29°C that demonstrates the insulation capacity of the phenolic resin board. In addition to save energy, the combined insulation technology using phenolic resin board and planted green vegetation coverage on the roof will also contribute to a green and aesthetic environment.

scholarly journals PRIORITISING CRITERIA OF MAINTENANCE FOR GREEN ROOF IN HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIALS

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-39
Author(s):  
Shafikah Saharuddin ◽  
Natasha Khalil ◽  
Alia Abdullah Saleh
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Maintenance Practice

Numerous problems arise due to the development growth of a country such as the destruction of natural environments and the deficit in green spaces. Thus, in order to overcome these issues, an alternative by implementing green building has been introduced. One of the sustainable approaches in a green building that can be implemented is the green roof. The utilization of a green rooftop over structures has gradually turned into a pattern in urban communities as it gives various advantages to the nation. The objective of the study is to analyse the criteria of maintenance and the rank of each criterion in approaching towards the establishment of best practice of the maintenance for the green roof, by concentrating on high-rise buildings for residential. The data were collected from respondents using the distributed questionnaires through email and via online survey. A total of 30 maintenance managers were drawn as the sample for the study by using purposive sampling technique, where 20 were returned and valid for analysis. Descriptive statistic of mean ranks and standard deviations was adopted for analysis. The most significant criteria in green roof maintenance are drainage, followed by waterproofing, irrigation, water retention and roof slab, based on the result obtained. The result of the study provides a significant improvement to the existing practice in the maintenance practice of the green roof by highlighting its maintenance criteria and key address, as it may assist to standardize the maintenance practice of green roofs in the Malaysian tropical climate.

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.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document