Greens Roofs do not need to go to great depths to work - June 2014
Posted on Jul 30, 2017 | Elizabeth Grant, Associate Professor Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design | June 2014
Elizabeth Grant, Associate Architect at Virginia Tech's School of Architecture + Design tested different depths of green roofs from 2.5" to 6" and their ability to control stormwater runoff. Results demonstrated that the deeper the depth the more stormwater the green roof was able to hold. However the testing platform with growing medium and no planting material held significantly more water than the control platform, a white reflective roof membrane with no plants. Elizabeth and 2 of her colleagues then generated equations that can predict the effectiveness of vegetated roof installations to control stormwater runoff relative to temperature, humidity, and frequency of sunlight and rainfall.