Green Roofs

[Advantageous Enviornmental Management Mechanisms]

SAMUEL KIM

Figure 1.1: Swirling green roof at Nanyang Technical University in Singapore

Table of Contents
Nature & Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Green Roof Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4 Types of Green Roofs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Green Roof Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5 Why Invest in Green Roofs?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Works Cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9

Nature & Scope

With the large emphasis on going green, many cities strive to reduce their citys ecological footprint. City planning commissions would benefit most from this technical document, as green roofs are the future for sustainable cities. With the assistance of this document, cityplanning commissions can educate themselves on how they function and all the ecological benefits green roofs provide. A list of terms is provided at the end of this document to clarify technical terms. These technical terms can be identified by their bold text.

Introduction
Within our urban cities, heat radiates off dark roof tops, and storm water rushes over the impervious surfaces. There is a trend growing in popularity here in the U.S. that offers an attractive way to break up the monotony of conventional roofs and promote environmentalism: green roofs. A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane (Dowdey).

Green Roof Components

A green roof has six distinct layers that collaborate together to make a green roof function properly. Those six layers include: a root barrier, a protection layer, a drainage layer, a filter layer, a growing medium and the plant level (International Green Roof Association). 1. Root Barrier: The root barrier Figure 2.1: Green roof layers protects the roof from damage caused by roots. The thick inorganic layer prevents the roots from penetrating or decomposing this layer and exposing the existing roofing membrane. 2. Protection Layer: A specially designed puncture resistant protection mat made from light weight concrete, plastic, copper foil or insulation sheets prevents mechanical damage of the root barrier and roof construction during the installation phase. 3. Drainage Layer: The drainage layer allows for excess water to run-off into the water outlets. Depending on the design and the material, the drainage layer has additional functions such as water storage, enlargement of the root zone, space for aeration of the system and protection for the build-up below it. 4. Filter Layer: The filter layer separates the plant and substrate layers from the drainage layer below. Particularly, small particles and humic and organic materials are retained by the filter sheet and available for the plants. Additionally, the filter sheet ensures that the drainage layer and the water outlet are not clogged with silt. Filter layers are preferably made of geo-textiles such as fleece or other woven materials.

5. Growing Medium: The growing medium is the basis of the green roof. A sufficient depth of the root zone has to be ensured as well as an adequate nutrient supply and a wellbalanced water-air relation. Together with the drainage layer, the growing medium facilitates satisfactory drainage of excess water. 6. Plant Level: The plant level is where the vegetation is located. There are four different ways of planting: seed sowing, cutting, root ball plants and pre-cultivated vegetation mats. The recommended planting period is in early spring (April-June) and late summer (September).

Types of Green Roofs

Green roofs can be considered either intensive or extensive: Intensive Green Roofs are essentially elevated parks. They can sustain shrubs, trees, walkways, and benches with their complex structural support, irrigation, drainage and root protection layers. The foot or more of growing medium needed for an intensive green roof creates a load of 80-150 pounds per square foot (Dowdey). Extensive Green Roofs support hearty native ground cover that requires little maintenance. They usually exist solely for their environmental benefits and dont function as an accessible rooftop garden. Extensive green roofs are relatively light at 15-50 pounds per square foot (Dowdey).

Figure 3.1: Intensive Green Roof at Yale University

Figure 3.2: Extensive Green Roof example

Green Roof Maintenance

The maintenance of green roofs is perceived to be one of the greatest barriers to their design. There is no such thing as a no maintenance roof. The maintenance required will depend on the outcome desired by the client; this can range from weekly checks during the summer to quarterly or even twice yearly checks. Maintenance usually occurs in late winter or early spring, but for roofs located next to deciduous trees also need maintenance during the fall to remove leaves (Curtland). The four main strategies to successfully maintain a green roof entail: develop a plan of attack, implement irrigation, weed out invasive species and document your actions.

1. Develop a plan of attack: This first phase entails complying with building codes, insurance requirements, city standards and manufacturer warranties. Many green roof system manufacturers will not supply a system without a maintenance plan already in place from the onset. The plan should include a site map, green roof type, planting schedule and irrigation controls. After the green roof is first installed, the plantings need to be checked every week or two. The first year will require 10-12 visits, but after the establishment phase, only 4-5 visits a year will be necessary. 2. Implement Irrigation: Although green roofs can typically absorb the first inch of storm water, they still need a near constant source of irrigation. The three main types include hand watering, overhead spray and drip irrigation. Drip irrigation is most effective because the wind does not disperse the water and prevent it from ever reaching the plants. 3. Weed out invasive species: Weeds not only look horrible, but can also pose a serious threat to the overall green roof system. Invasive roots can rapidly grow and penetrate the waterproof membrane below. The depth of the green roof also impacts the presence of weeds. More soil means more room for plants to grow. Very few plants thrive in a shallow roof; therefore you are less likely to have a weed problem there. After weeding, be sure to remove the dead plant material from the roof so new weed seeds do not manifest themselves. 4. Document your actions: After each roof visit, everything should be recorded. Whether soil tests were performed or any products were applied, documentation will provide as a valuable reference. This is simply another way of protecting your investment and ensuring the green roof will thrive in the future.

Why invest in Green Roofs?

Green roofs benefit the environment and local communities in many ways: They filter the air and water They produce oxygen, absorb heat (during evapotranspiration), and absorb carbon dioxide They provide shade, which helps to minimize the impact of the urban heat island effect They insulate the building, which reduces the buildings heating and air conditioning requirements They absorb storm water They provide leisure and recreational space They protect the existing roofing

Figure 4.1: Green roof insulating a building and filtering storm water

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Figure 4.2: Green roof benefits

They create natural habitats

Green roofs contribute to the reduction of a number of polluting air particles and compounds not only through the plants themselves, but also by deposition in the growing medium itself. Plants reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and produce oxygen. Allowing the plants to remove heavy metals, airborne particles and volatile organic compounds from the air greatly reduces the heat island effect. The particles are absorbed into the green roof system and do not enter the water system through surface runoff, leading to improvement of water quality (EFB).

Conclusion
While the physical components of a green roof are not complex, the functions they perform are intricate and invaluable to our everyday life. Green roofs benefit the building it sits on by reducing energy costs, the environment by filtering our storm water and cleansing the air we breathe, and most importantly, us. Green roofs assist in providing additional green spaces for people to interact with and spend extra time to relax. With urban sprawl becoming a more pressing issue and less land being available for development, city planners are beginning to design cities vertically rather than horizontally. Green roofs are at the forefront of the mission to maximize building use and increase biodiversity to revitalize all aspects of life.

Terms
Ecological Footprint- The impact of human activities measured in terms of the area of
biologically productive land and water required to produce the goods consumed and the assimilate the wastes generated. (WWF Global)

Humic and Organic Material- The brown or black organic substance consisting of partially
or wholly decayed vegetable or animal matter that provides the nutrients for plants and increases the ability of soil to retain water. (The Free Dictionary)

Planting Schedule- A comprehensive list of all vegetation used in design, that includes
common and scientific plant names, size, spacing, color etc.

Drip Irrigation- A system of crop irrigation involving the controlled delivery of water directly
to individual plants through a network of tubes or pipes. (Dictionary.com)

Urban Sprawl- The uncontrolled spread of urban development into neighboring regions.

Works Cited
Textual
Curtland, Christopher. "Buildings." 4 Strategies for Green Roof Maintenance. N.p., 28 Dec 2008. Web. 3 Mar 2014. <http://www.buildings.com/article-details/articleid/15082/title/4strategies-for-green-roof-maintenance.asp&xgt;.
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"Dictionary.com." Drip Irrigation. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar 2014. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/drip irrigation>. Dowdey, Sarah. "How Stuff Works." What is a Green Roof?. N.p.. Web. 3 Mar 2014. <http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/greenrooftop2.htm>. "EFB." Environmental Advantages. N.p.. Web. 6 Mar 2014. <http://www.efbgreenroof.eu/verband/fachbei/fa01_englisch.html>. "General Info About Green Roofs." Vegetal I.D.. N.p.. Web. 3 Mar 2014. <http://www.vegetalid.us/faq>. "International Green Roof Association." Vegetation Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar 2014. <http://www.igra-world.com/engineering/vegetation_technology.php>. Klinkenborg, Verlyn. "Up On The Roof." National Geographic. National Geographic Magazine, n.d. Web. 3 Mar 2014. <http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/05/greenroofs/klinkenborg-text>. "The Free Dictionary." Humic Matter. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar 2014. <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Humic matter>. "WWF Global." Ecological Footprint. WWF. Web. 3 Mar 2014. <http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/teacher_resources/webfieldtrips/ecological_b alance/eco_footprint/>.

Images
Figure 1.1- http://inhabitat.com/amazing-green-roof-art-school-in-singapore/wpcontent/blogs.dir/1/files/nanyang1.jpg Figure 2.1- http://godfreyroofing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/green-roofing-layers.png Figure 3.1- http://www.greenroofs.com/images/AlbertLeavittDSC01629.JPG

Figure 3.2- http://www.igra-world.com/images/Extensive-Green-Roof-2.jpg Figure 4.1- http://commons.bcit.ca/greenroof/files/2012/01/roof_types.jpg Figure 4.2- http://www.backgroundstories.com/wpcontent/uploads/2010/04/GrnRoofGraphic_full1.jpg