Green Roof Construction Research Articles

Review of the Benefits of Green Roofs

Green roofs installed on rooftop of buildings in urban communities have multiple environmental, economic, energy and social benefits. They promote the urban sustainability and the well-being of the local residents. The impact of green roofs in buildings, in the environment and in local communities have been studied. Green roofs remove atmospheric pollutants including carbon dioxide, release oxygen, mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce the energy consumption in buildings, improve the rainwater management, promote urban agriculture, enhance urban green spaces and bring nature closer to local residents. The development of green roofs results in many benefits in the buildings that have been constructed as well as in the broader community. Their construction is financially subsidized in several countries due to their multiple external benefits. In the era of climate change and of sustainable development construction of green roofs in urban environments has multiple positive impacts. Therefore, local and municipal authorities should promote their construction in public and private buildings. The current work emphasizes the benefits of green roofs and it could be useful to policy makers, to public and municipal authorities as well as to architects, construction companies and buildings’ owners who should promote their development in urban communities.

Multi-Scenario analysis of rooftop greening regulation on runoff effects based on adaptive Evaluation: A case study of Macau, China

The reduction in internal ecological spaces within urban environments and the expansion of impervious surfaces have been identified as factors significantly increasing the susceptibility of cities to flood disasters. Rooftop greening, an essential component of urban stormwater management strategies, offers a versatile solution for augmenting permeable surfaces and delivering ecological services while seamlessly integrating with existing urban infrastructure. This approach has been proven effective in enhancing urban resilience against rainfall-induced flooding events. Hence, the precise identification of suitable building rooftops for green infrastructure within urbanized regions, combined with the simulation of runoff regulation effects brought about by these rooftop greening interventions, holds substantial practical significance. This study innovatively constructs a technical method for measuring the runoff control performance of urban-scale green roofs from identification, evaluation to simulation. Taking the Macao Special Administrative Region as an example, a green roof suitability evaluation index system that is consistent with urban characteristics has been constructed, integrating machine learning, comprehensive evaluation, SWMM simulation methods to evaluate the suitability of roof greening in urban areas and simulate the impact of multi-senarios green roof construction types on runoff regulation. Finally, a comprehensive strategy for rooftop greening construction in Macau is proposed, with the aim of amplifying the runoff regulation capabilities of such initiatives. The main findings of the research include the following: (1) The research area exhibits a notably high aggregate potential for rooftop greening, with suitable rooftop areas comprising approximately 34% of the total rooftop expanse. Notably, construction vintage and roof elevation are identified as the most substantive constraints on rooftop greening. (2) Discernible differences in rooftop greening construction scale exert a significant influence on runoff regulation capacity, with the magnitude of greening positively correlated with its runoff regulation efficacy. Distinct greening typologies elicit varying impacts on runoff regulation, with semi-intensive rooftop greening surpassing extensive approaches in runoff regulation performance. Disparate distribution patterns of rooftop greening engender dissimilar runoff regulation effects, with rooftop greening layouts situated distant from drainage outlets facilitating runoff mitigation, while those in close proximity to drainage outlets enhance peak flow reduction effects.

«Green» structures in the urbanized environment: studying the impact of «green» roofs on environmental parameters and rainwater quality. Bibliographic review

A quantitative analysis of the most cited articles published in the Scopus scientometric database by 2023 is carried out. It is shown that most of the publications, the object of study of which are "green" structures, focus on the study of "green" roofs. It is shown that since 1981, the number of studies on green roofs has been steadily increasing: approximately 45% of articles focus on the benefits in terms of thermal impact and thermal insulation, 18% on rainwater drainage, 15% on air quality, 5% on the noise-absorbing properties of green roofs, and 17% on the costs of building and operating green roofs, recreational facilities, fire protection, and other related issues. The requirements and commonly used materials for a standard green roof are described, as well as the percentage of scientific publications, depending on the functions and layers of green roof construction involved. An analysis of the most cited scientific studies on the impact of green roof systems on wastewater quality was conducted. It is shown that the results of the studies presented in these publications indicate the need for further study of the impact of a "green" roof on the amount of pollution in the water flowing from its surface. It is emphasized that further research should focus on the structural layers of the roof (thickness and materials used), namely the thickness and types of substrate layers, as well as on the conditions of plant care (e.g., fertilization), especially on intensive green roofs. In addition, it should be studied and analyzed how the retention of rainwater by plants and the soil layer of a green roof affects the relative humidity of the air near the building during periods without rain. The most cited scientific studies on the reduction of air pollutants by means of green roofs are analyzed. It is concluded that future research should focus on the study of plant species that are well adapted to growing on roofs (in temperate climates) and most effectively carry out the process of photosynthesis, absorbing CO2 and releasing O2 into the atmosphere around the building. The article analyzes the most cited scientific publications on the noise-absorbing properties of green roofs. It is substantiated that it is necessary to maximize the percentage of green roofs implementation on all buildings and structures in the city so that green roofs can significantly affect the quality of the environment in urbanized areas.

Estimation of possible locations for green roofs and bioswales and analysis of the effect of their implementation on stormwater runoff control

IntroductionThe objectives of this study are twofold. The first is to identify potential green infrastructure construction sites by building rooftops and sidewalks. The second is to analyze internal flooding for a wide range of drainage areas and to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of stormwater runoff control.MethodsThe target area has approximately 600 ha with a runoff coefficient of 0.71. Using Arc GIS Desktop 10.8.1, this study has identified green roofs and bioswales that would be highly beneficial in capturing large amounts of rainfall. In addition, Info Works ICM was used for the inundation analysis, which can simultaneously calculate the flow in sewer pipelines and above-ground inundation flow. Runoff coefficients were calculated for each land use using the urban land use subdivision mesh data with 100 m unit. This study targeted a 10-year probability rainfall (total rainfall: 86.3 mm, maximum hourly rainfall: 52.3 mm/h, duration: 3 h) with a middle concentrated rainfall waveform obtained from past experiments in the d4PDF database of ensemble climate prediction contributing to global warming.ResultsThe amount of land availability for green roofs and bioswales was about 1 and 0.1% of the drainage area, respectively. The runoff coefficients for green roofs only, bioswales only, with and without introduction of both green roofs and bioswales were 70.34, 70.87, 70.28, and 70.93%, respectively. The difference in runoff coefficients was about 0.65 percentage points even when both were constructed. As a result of inundation analysis, the reduction was 2.5% for the maximum waterlogged area, 1.5% for the flooded area, and 0.7% for the average depth of waterlogging divided by the maximum waterlogged area. The construction of green roofs and bioswales in the same area or downstream of the area shows little mitigation effect when flooding occurs in an area near the downstream end of the sewer network.DiscussionAlthough this study has mainly discussed the stormwater runoff control aspect, the most important feature of green infrastructure is its multifunctionality. In terms of utilizing and promoting green infrastructure, it is important to visualize its multifaceted effects and share them with many stakeholders.

Native Forbs Grown Under Green Roof Conditions Have Altered Biomass Allocation Strategies and Can be Supported by Commercially-Available Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

Nature-based solutions like green roofs can help sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thereby alleviating some of the negative consequences of global warming. Because plants on extensive green roofs typically have short stature and lower biomass than individuals growing on the ground, they are often overlooked in calculations of urban carbon sequestration. However, plants grown on environmentally stressful green roofs may be using alternative physiological strategies, allocating more resources like carbon to below-ground structures than they would be if grown in similar ground-level conditions. Furthermore, overall forb growth and biomass accumulation could be enhanced if plants are grown in the presence of symbiotic fungi that helps obtain water and nutrients. In this experiment, we grew ten native prairie forbs in simulated green roof and ground-level environments to test the hypotheses that plants on green roofs allocate more biomass to below-ground structures in order to overcome stressful environmental conditions and are aided by symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). We found that commercially available AMF provided significant benefits to some plant species and that plants grown in green roof conditions did in fact allocate more resources below ground compared to their ground-level counterparts. Our results suggest that the ability of green roofs to play a part in sequestering atmospheric carbon via biomass allocation is being largely overlooked and that this contribution to an important ecosystem service should be considered when advocating for increased green roof construction globally.

The Feasibility of Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Buildings with Green Roofs: A Case Study Based on the Köppen Climate Classification

The construction of green roofs (GR) combined with rainwater harvesting systems (RWHSs) in buildings can increase the advantages of each of these technologies, being a very promising solution to combat climate change and increase the sustainability of cities. However, the viability of this joint solution significantly depends on local climatic conditions. The planet’s climate classification, known as the Köppen climate classification, is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. The Köppen climate classification divides climates into five main climate groups, with each group being referenced based on seasonal precipitation and temperature patterns. In the specific case of mainland Portugal, according to the Köppen classification, the climate is divided into two regions. In this article, case studies are developed for two Portuguese climatic regions, seeking to demonstrate the possibility of using the Köppen classification as a decision criterion for the eventual inclusion of rainwater harvesting systems in buildings with green roofs. For this study, the results of a previous study were applied, through which we obtained an expression to determine the runoff coefficients of green roofs common in Portugal, concluding that the Köppen climate classification can be used as a prior decision criterion regarding its incorporation or exclusion in rainwater harvesting system buildings combined with green roofs, depending on the location.

GREEN ROOFS AS AN ESSENTIAL ELEMENT OF MODERN URBAN ENVIRONMENT

The need for the realization of green roof spaces has grown significantly in the last few decades, due to increasingly compacted urban spaces, which deprives urbanized territories of green areas. The positive sanitary and hygienic effect, the retention of dust particles and the improvement of the microclimate of roof gardens is a fact. This report presents comparative analyzes with selected european examples in the construction of green roofs. Suitable plant species and their requirements for this type of environment are described. Possibilities for a more tendentious integration of this type of landscaping in Bulgaria are presented.

Assessment of green roofs' potential to improve the urban thermal environment: The case of Beijing

Against the backdrop of global warming, rapid urbanization has caused the aggregation of urban building spaces and the heat island effect is becoming increasingly serious, hindering sustainable urban development. In order to investigate the potential and methods of green roofs in different types of neighborhoods to mitigate the urban heat island effect, this study used multivariate data for surface temperature inversion and local climate zone (LCZ), and the potential of green roofs to reduce the heat island effect was evaluated by combining LCZ zoning and ENVI-met prediction model. Finally, a multi-scenario analysis with economic factors was conducted to derive the optimal implementation path for green roofs.The results show that in LCZs 1–9, the green roof can reduce the daytime average air temperature by a maximum of 0.41 °C for 0.5 m of the LCZ8 roof and 0.37 °C for 1.2 m of the LCZ6 pedestrian. Based on the surface cooling efficiency of LCZ green roofs get the best green roof construction order: LCZ3, LCZ6, LCZ8 > LCZ2, LCZ5, LCZ7 > LCZ1, LCZ4, LCZ9. The construction of green roofs for the heat island areas within the fifth ring road of Beijing can reduce the area of high-temperature and sub-high-temperature zones by 52.55% and 29.17%, respectively, compared with the area without green roof construction. The study clarifies the technical methodology system of cooling efficiency of green roofs in different types of neighborhoods and the reduction of the urban-scale heat island effect, which provides a reference for the planning of green roofs for urban buildings.

Green roof cooling and carbon mitigation benefits in a subtropical city

Green roofs are promoted as an effective nature-based urban heat island mitigation strategy. Green roof cooling and energy-saving benefits have been simulated for various climatic zones, but mainly at the building scale. Due to a lack of fact-based information on neighborhood cooling benefits, green roof construction lags and has rarely been incorporated into urban planning actions. This study investigated the thermal benefits and energy savings of green roofs for the central area of the Xianlin Campus of Nanjing University at the neighborhood scale. Three scenarios were simulated for a hot summer day using a validated ENVI-met model: a base case (S0), extensive green roofs (EGRs) (S1), and intensive green roofs (IGRs) (S2). The air temperature cooling benefit from green roofs extended downwards to the pedestrian level. The EGR scenario achieved a maximum 0.29 °C air temperature reduction at the pedestrian level and 0.37 °C at the rooftop level. The IGR scenario achieved a maximum 0.35 °C air temperature reduction at the pedestrian level and 0.45 °C at the rooftop level. EGRs and IGRs reduced energy demands for air-conditioning by 0.39 kWh·m−2·d−1 and 0.56 kWh·m−2·d−1 and CO2 emissions by 31,997 kg·d−1 and 45,967 kg·d−1, respectively. These results confirm that green roofs yield substantial cooling and carbon mitigation benefits. Our study provides essential data to establish green roofs as mainstream cooling technology in subtropical cities. The results also imply that urban planners and policymakers may need to embrace the implementation of green roofs in long-term planning and building design practices to improve urban thermal environments, reduce building energy demand, and curb carbon emissions.

THE LIMITS OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA: THE CASE OF GREEN ROOFS

With the advance of urbanisation many cities are confronted with environmental problems including air pollution, the absence of green spaces and urban heat island effects. The expansion of green infrastructure is viewed as an important aspect of urban sustainability agendas. One dimension of green infrastructure is green roofs. The objective in this article is to examine the development and challenges of green roofs in South Africa, presenting the results of a survey of the suppliers of green roofs. The findings show for South Africa the relative underdevelopment of green roof systems, the geographical unevenness of such developments and the challenges that confront the emergence of green roof systems in the South African context. Key issues relate to current high costs associated with green roof construction, absence of government support in the form of financial incentives, and lack of awareness of the sustainability benefits of green roof systems.

Evaluating the Sustainability Impacts of Green Roofs on Buildings

Widespread vegetated roofs, called green roofs, are becoming a popular option for sustainable design. Green roofs are capable of improving a variety of environmental parameters in urban areas. The construction of green roofs requires the consideration of many factors and parameters. For example, the structure of the building should be capable of carrying the extra weight of soil, water, and vegetation on the roof. The main objective of this paper is to study the impact of green roofs on buildings and to identify existing trends, technologies, and techniques. This paper investigates the implication of existing green roof technologies on structural design, energy demand, and life cycle cost. Using WUFI®, energy simulations were performed for the case study and the developed model was validated through cost analysis. Results showed that regional variations were sufficiently addressed through multi-level weight consideration in the proposed model. Findings from this study will be beneficial to urban planners and architects for the design and construction of more sustainable buildings.

CO2 flux dynamics of exotic and native species in an extensive green roof simulator with hydric deficit

The rise of urban greenhouse gas emissions creates the need to improve available mitigation strategies. The effectiveness of green roofs depends on their correct design, including vegetation choice. To this aim, we studied the performance of native and exotic plants in hydric deficit conditions of a semi-arid urban area, Bahía Blanca, Argentina, and their ability to sequester CO2. Three native (Poa lanuginosa, Sphaeralcea australis, and Phyla nodiflora) and three exotic (Oscularia deltoides, Sedum ´tokyo sun´, and Sedum nussbaunerianum) species were tested in an extensive green roof simulator with no irrigation. Exotics Oscularia deltoides and Sedum nussbaunerianum did not survive the fall, while Sedum ´tokyo sun´ survived until late spring. All native plants survived, but their growth was affected by the hydric deficit of the warmer months. Seasonal CO2 fluxes were detected, with the most C sequestration in the colder months. Warmer months had the highest CO2 release. Native Poa lanuginosa sequestered 2.2 times more CO2 than exotic Sedum ´tokyo sun´ and native Phyla nodiflora, showing that C sequestration depends on plant type and not hydric-deficit adaptation. Construction of extensive green roofs in semi-arid cities requires the use of native plants that can withstand large hydric deficits.

Multi-objective evaluation of different retrofitting scenarios for a typical Greek building

In this study, multiple retrofitting scenarios of a typical Greek house were investigated. These scenarios encompass the addition of insulation to the building’s external walls and roof, a green roof construction, the use of high-quality windows and the installation of an efficient heat pump. The aforementioned techniques were simulated separately and in combination with the use of the DesignBuilder software, on an annual basis, for the city of Athens, Greece. The pivotal innovation of this work lays in the energy simulation and the comprehensive comparison of the 34 retrofitting scenarios according to a multi-objective evaluation procedure. An additional novelty was the investigation of the energy impact of each renovation action when applied separately. The goal of the multi-objective evaluation procedure was to determine the optimum renovation case, for maximizing the energy savings and minimizing the life cycle cost. According to the results, the optimum retrofitting case included the installation of insulation to the building’s external surface and the heat pump retrofitting. The optimum scenario resulted in a 41.7% reduction in the building’s heating loads and a 14.9% reduction in its cooling loads. Finally, the primary energy savings were 66.1% and the life cycle cost analysis showed 6,645 € lifespan savings.

Redefining green roof systems with climbers: simulation of a conceptual model for thermal-radiative performance and plant vitality

PurposeGreen roofs are strategies for the ecological intensification of cities and a measure of meeting some of the sustainable development goals (SDGs). They have widely been adopted as an adaptation strategy against an urban heat island (UHI). However, they are conventionally soil-based making it difficult and expensive to adopt as a strategy for greening existing buildings (GEB). This paper, therefore, develops a novel green roof system using climbers for thermal-radiative performance. The paper explores the vitality of climbing species as a nature-based strategy for GEB, and for the ecological improvement of the predominantly used cool roofs in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).Design/methodology/approachSimulation for the same building Kejetia Central Market (KCM) Redevelopment; the existing aluminium roof (AL), soil-based extensive green roof (GR1) and the proposed green roof using climbing plants (GR2) were performed using ENVI-met. The AL and GR1 were developed as reference models to evaluate and compare thermal-radiative performance of the conceptual model (GR2). The long wave radiation emission (Qlw), mean radiant temperature (MRT) and outdoor air temperature (Ta) of all three roofing systems were simulated under clear sky conditions to assess the performance and plant vitality considering water access, leaf temperature (Tf) and latent heat flux (LE0) of GR1 and GR2.FindingsThere was no short wave radiation (Qsw) absorption at the GR2 substrate since the climbers have no underlying soil mass, recording daily mean average Qlw emission of 435.17 Wm−2. The soil of GR1, however, absorbed Qsw of 390.11 Wm−2 and a Qlw emission of 16.20 wm−2 higher than the GR2. The AL recorded the lowest Qlw value of 75.43 Wm−2. Also, the stomatal resistance (rs) was higher in GR1 while GR2 recorded a higher average mean transpiration flux of 0.03 g/sm3. This indicates a higher chance of survival of the climbers. The Ta of GR2 recording 0.45°C lower than the GR1 could be a good UHI adaptation strategy.Research limitations/implicationsNo previous research on climbers for green roof systems was found for comparison, so the KCM project provided a unique confluence of dynamic events including the opportunity for block-scale impact assessment of the proposed GEB strategy. Notwithstanding, the single case study allowed a focussed exploration of the novel theory of redefining green roof systems with climbers. Moreover, the simulation was computationally expensive, and engaging multiple case studies were found to be overly exhaustive to arrive at the same meaningful conclusion. As a novelty, therefore, this research provides an alternative theory to the soil-based green roof phenomenon.Practical implicationsThe thermal-radiative performance of green roofs could be improved with the use of climbers. The reduction of the intensity of UHI would lead to improved thermal comfort and building energy savings. Also, very little dependence on the volume of soil would require little structural load consideration thereby leading not only to cheaper green roof construction but their higher demand, adoption and implementation in SSA and other low-income economies of the global south.Social implicationsThe reduction of the consumption of topsoil and water for irrigation could avoid the negative environmental impacts of land degradation and pollution which have a deleterious impact on human health. This fulfils SDG 12 which seeks to ensure responsible consumption of products. This requires the need to advance the research for improvement and training of local built environment practitioners with new skills for installation to ensure social inclusiveness in the combat against the intractable forces of negative climate impacts.Originality/valueClimbers are mostly known for green walls, but their innovative use for green roof systems has not been attempted and adopted; it could present a cost-effective strategy for the GEB. The proposed green roof system with climbers apart from becoming a successful strategy for UHI adaptation was also able to record an estimated 568% savings on topsoil consumption with an impact on the reduction of pollution from excavation. The research provides an initial insight into design options, potentials and limitations on the use of climbers for green roofs to guide future research and experimental verification.

Research Question - How can the Design and Construction of Green Roofs be Optimized for Sustainability and How These Can Be Incorporated into the Structural and Architectural Aspect of the Building Design

Research Question - How can the Design and Construction of Green Roofs be Optimized for Sustainability and How These Can Be Incorporated into the Structural and Architectural Aspect of the Building Design

Quantitative valuation of green roofs’ cooling effects under different urban spatial forms in high-density urban areas

In the context of global climate change, the increasing urban heat island (UHI) effect is a serious challenge to sustainable urban development. The construction of green roofs is an important means to optimize the urban thermal environment, especially in high-density urban areas. However, the cooling effect of green roofs in different urban spatial forms varies. Thus, the quantitative evaluation of the cooling effect of green roofs is significant for the scientific and effective mitigation of the UHI effect. This study took the central district of Chengdu City as a typical area, clearly classified urban spatial form types based on the LCZ theory, and quantified the relative land surface temperature (RLST) difference between before (2014) and after (2018) the implementation of green roofs based on Landsat 8 remote sensing image retrieval. Numerical analysis methods were used to statistically evaluate the cooling effect of green roofs under different urban spatial form types by GIS. The results showed that (1) the cooling effect of green roofs varied significantly among different urban spatial form types; (2) the best performance of the cooling effect of green roofs was in Compact Highrise (LCZ1), which could reduce RLST by 0.94 °C, while the worst was in Lightweight Lowrise (LCZ7). Based on the above performance of the cooling effect of green roofs, the construction of green roofs can be prioritized and zoned, and the design strategies of green roofs under different urban spatial form types can be proposed. Our study will provide a basis for developing design guidance for green roofs and scientific support for mitigating the urban thermal environment.

Measuring the economic value of green roofing in South Korea: A contingent valuation approach

Green roofs mitigate the adverse effects of urbanization, and provide multiple social, economic and environmental benefits. Many countries are taking bold initiatives to install green roofs to achieve these benefits. Considering the high construction and maintenance cost of green roofs, it is necessary to analyse the economic value of green roof projects and to assess their economic feasibility. This study analyses the public’s willingness to pay for the building of green roofs in South Korea, using the contingent valuation method. The results show that the public are willing to pay KRW 4,445 (USD 3.77) per household per year, and the total annual economic value of South Korea’s green roof projects is estimated to be KRW 90.5 billion (USD 76.7 million). The results of a cost–benefit analysis show that, in the three cities for which the empirical analysis was carried out, the green roof project was only economically feasible for Seoul, which implies that the economic feasibility of green roof projects strongly depends on the size and population of the city. Therefore, in terms of economic efficiency, it is desirable to implement such projects mainly in densely populated areas.

Green roofs – good regulatory practices with potential to be applied in Bulgaria and North Macedonia

Green roofs are used worldwide to mitigate the impacts of extensive urbanization, bringing benefits on social, economic, and environmental levels. In order to promote and facilitate the construction of green roofs by private investors, many countries have developed specific legislative requirements and incentives. However, there still are countries where the construction of green roofs is not properly addressed in the legislation, and where no incentive mechanisms are developed.  The good practices in three European countries, leaders in regards to the implementation of green roofs – the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, are analyzed in this article. A variety of incentives is introduced to accelerate the construction of green roofs. Different requirements are also set to ensure that the roofs will be designed and maintained to provide the desired benefits. The existing local regulations in Bulgaria and North Macedonia were analyzed as well. The only incentive in Bulgaria is the possibility of reducing the legally required green area by compensating it with a green roof. In North Macedonia, no legislative documents or incentives related to green roofs were found. The regulations, applied in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and other countries can be used as good practice examples, modified, and applied from the authorities of countries that still have not developed their own, in order to motivate the investors and facilitate the construction of green roofs.

The Determination of Priority Areas for the Construction of Green Roofs with Use of the Urban Area Valorisation Method

The aim of the research was to valorise the analysed urbanized area in the direction of determining the hierarchy in the order of interventions aimed at increasing the share of biologically active area and natural field retention, the potential impact of green roofs on the valorisation of the studied urbanized areas. The research covered the Gajowice estate in Wrocław. The scope of the research included the division of the area into working cells, for which valorisation was carried out using the point method based on the criterion of the degree of covering the land with vegetation and the degree of covering the area with various types of buildings. The valorisation result was determined on the basis of a comparative matrix taking into account the results of the partial assessment of vegetation and building cover. The impact of green infrastructure (green roofs) on valorisation was simulated by proposing their location on buildings with the so-called big plate. The introduction of green roofs on selected buildings improved the valorisation result in some research cells, reducing the number of cells requiring intervention. This raised the valorisation assessment by even two classes, which resulted in a significant reduction in the number of critical areas, with too much hardened surface, and increased the number of areas with a satisfactory level of biologically active surfaces.

Comparison of the New Type Modular Panel for Green Roofs and Classical Construction of Green Roofs by Stormwater Management

Proper stormwater management is one of the main problems cities today face. In order to understand how to properly manage urban stormwater it is first necessary to construct roofs with new construction methods. The first step for controlling urban stormwater is the construction of green roofs. We already know that the construction of green roofs improves water management in cities. But can we make it better? What will happen if we use the same layers for the green roofs but with a different construction method? This article wants to answer these questions. In this article the two green roofs, differing in the construction method, are compared and contrasted in terms of stormwater management. One of the green roofs was built traditionally, while the other has been built using a new type of modular panel. The article then compares their results during laboratory tests. In the conclusion you can read about measured data from tests and possible solutions and development of solutions to improve green roofs in the future.