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Line 1: − ===Overview===+ − Green roofs were traditionally employed for insulation and increased resiliency in cold climate regions of Europe. Modern green roofs are a rapidly developing commercial market in Ontario. Their primary benefit is in maximizing evapotranspiration for water balance targets. + + + − Green roofs are ideal for: − Sites without significant space at ground level for infiltration, − Zero-lot line projects with outdoor amenity requirements, − Projects looking for accreditation with LEED v.4 − ---- − + − <p>Green roofs offer a variety of co-benefits beyond stormwater management. In urban centres they are often constructed to accommodate a roof terrace or amenity space. In this scenario the stormwater capture benefit is restricted to the areas with vegetation planted. Another increasingly popular use for rooftop space is in urban farming. Again the stormwater capture benefit is restricted to the areas with planters.</p>+ − <p> To maximize the utility of a green roof as a low impact development tool, coverage with planting should be maximized. In many cases this means only inaccessible spaces are used. </p> + − + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − <h4>Loading</h4>+ + + + + − <h4>Amenity</h4>+ − <h4>Biodiversity</h4>+ − ---- − + − + − <p>In many proprietary systems the default option for planting medium will be a granular material with very low organic matter content. However, many companies can arrange for a high organic content alternative to be substituted if requested. </p> + − The benefits of 'high organic' media are:+ − <ol> − <li>Increased water holding capacity, which benefits both vegetation health and stormwater retention, </li> − <li>Often lighter weight, even when saturated, </li> − </ol> − The disadvantages of a 'high organic' planting medium are: − <ol> − <li> Increased phosphorous concentration in runoff water, however this may be mitigated by the reduced runoff volume resulting in a lower loading overall,</li> − <li>The lightweight material is more prone to wind erosion, and this should be accounted for in the initial design, alternatives include erosion control blankets, soil tackifiers, or Sedum mats. </li> − </ol> − + − <p>The choice of vegetation on an extensive green roof is insigificant in stormwater management compared to the choice of planting medium or the provision of irrigation. The vegetation should be selected to be resilient to both very wet and very dry periods. <em>Sedum</em> species are the most common choice, demonstrating excellent longevity in systems without irrigation. </p>+ − <p> However, some projects expect the low growing <em>Sedum</em> to remain in graphic designs according to species and flower color. This is not a realistic expectation without huge maintenance costs. Instead project stakeholders should be prepared early in the design process to embrace the green roof as a living and evolving ecosystem. </p> + + + + + + + + + + − ----+ − + + + − + + + + + + + + + + − <h4>Water Quality</h4>+ − <p>Many green roofs receive only rainwater, which is relatively clean when it lands. As such green roofs can contribute contamination, most notably in nutrient leaching during early establishment. But, in dense urban centres, green roofs are increasingly being used to receive irrigation from harvested rainwater. Current Ontario Building Code permits the use of rooftop runoff to be reused in this manner, so long as it is 'free of solids'.</p>+ − <p> Where rainwater is harvested and reused to irrigate a green roof, there is no significant discharge of stormwater from the system, and no loading of contaminants downstream.</p> + + + − + + + + + + + + + + + − + − <h4>In Ontario</h4>+ − <strong>City of Toronto</strong> updated their 'Eco roof' incentive program in 2017 . It now includes grants for structural assessment and is available to non-profit organisations [http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=e08354ae91cda510VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD]. − <h4>LEED BD + C v.4</h4> − <h4>SITES v.2</h4>+ − ----+ + + + + + − ===See Also=== − <ul> − <li>[[Rainwater Harvesting]]</li> − </ul> − ===External Links===+
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[[File:GRmodules.png|thumb|Example schematics of extensive green roofs. On the left, a 'built up' system comprising layers: roofing membrane, drainage board, geotextile, planting medium and sedum mat; and on the right a pre-planted plastic module or tray.]]
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==Overview==
Modern green roofs are a rapidly developing commercial market in Ontario. Their primary benefit as a LID technology is in maximizing [[evapotranspiration]] for water balance targets.
===Planning Considerations===
Take a look at the downloadable Green Roofs Factsheet below for a .pdf overview of this LID Best Management Practice:
{{Clickable button|[[File:G.R.png|125 px|link=https://wiki.sustainabletechnologies.ca/images/b/be/LID_poster_-_Green_Roof_final.pdf]]}}
<p> Within the scope of green roof coverage, there is a further distinction made between 'intensive' systems over 15 cm deep, and the more commonly employed 'extensive' systems, which are 10-15 cm deep. Specialized, shallow systems exist but their application is limited. </p>
Green roofs are sometimes referred to as 'ecoroofs', 'vegetated roofs', or 'living roofs'.
{{textbox|Green roofs are ideal for:
*Sites without significant space at ground level for infiltration,
*Zero-lot line projects with outdoor amenity requirements,
*Projects looking for accreditation with LEED v.4}}
Extensive green roofs are the most commonly used type of green roof used for stormwater management in our region.
{|class="wikitable"
|+ Types of green roofs: defined by construction depth
|-
!Property
!Extensive
!Intensive
|-
!Planting medium depth
|10 - 15 cm||> 15 cm
|-
!Loading
|up to ~250 kg/m<sup>2</sup>||Limitless where 'roof' is at ground level
|-
!Cost
|Typically lower||Higher, including structural accommodations and plant selection
|-
!Maintenance
|Depends highly on the aesthetic expectations of stakeholders||Will be comparable to other landscapes, depending on access requirements.
|-
!Stormwater benefit
|Provides best cost-benefit balance||Varies highly
|-
!Biodiversity benefit
|Lower, depends on planting||Greater potential, depends on planting
|-
!Amenity benefit
|Usually visual only<br>i.e. inaccessible||Often accessible
|}
Intensive green roofs are commonly used for amenity space on medium- and high-rise residential developments or sometimes as urban farms. They are sometimes referred to as roof gardens and encompass diverse uses, design priorities and technical specifications. In the most extreme examples, many urban parkettes including large shade trees may be included in this class, if they have parking garages beneath. As such the discussion on this page is limited to extensive green roofs.
'''The fundamental components of an extensive green roof are:'''
*a roof structure able to support the design load
*a waterproof membrane resistant to root penetration
*a drainage layer
*a filter layer
*a layer of planting medium
*plants
'''Additional components may include:'''
*an irrigation system
*pre-formed tray modules
==Planning Considerations==
[[File:TBG2005.jpg|thumb|Sloped extensive green roof at Toronto Botanical Gardens, designed with four species of Sedum (Image: Terry McGlade)]]
[[File:TBG2014.jpg|thumb|Same extensive green roof illustrating the increased biodiversity resulting from very light maintenance over 10 years]]
Green roofs offer a variety of co-benefits beyond stormwater management. In urban centers they are often constructed to accommodate a roof terrace or amenity space. In this scenario, the direct stormwater capture benefit is restricted to the areas with vegetation planted. Another increasingly popular use for rooftop space is for urban farming. Again, the direct stormwater capture benefit is restricted to the areas with planters.
To maximize the utility of a green roof as a low impact development tool, coverage with planting should be maximized. In many cases this means only inaccessible spaces are used.
===Amenity===
Roof gardens with a high proportion of impermeable surface are popular in high rise developments. These amenity terraces are often described as green roofs, but the LID benefit applies only to the vegetated areas. The stormwater benefit of all kinds of green roofs is maximized by combined with [[rainwater harvesting]] for subsequent irrigation. Sedum and native species have all been shown to thrive with daily irrigation to saturation<ref>http://grit.daniels.utoronto.ca/green_roof_image_index/#</ref>.
Rooftop farming is also becoming common in some Ontario cities. Again consideration should be given to the proportion of the roof actually planted. Where large open expanses of roof are being cropped, measures may be required to reduce erosion of exposed planting medium. Any digging or furrows will reduce the stormwater benefit.
===Biodiversity===
Biodiversity opportunities are optimized by planting a variety of species. General advice on this has been prepared by the City of Toronto<ref>https://www1.toronto.ca/City%20Of%20Toronto/City%20Planning/Zoning%20&%20Environment/Files/pdf/B/biodiversegreenroofs_2013.pdf</ref>. In the long term, the richness of species increases owing to 'volunteer species'. The desirability of this diversity varies with the aesthetic concerns of the green roof owner.
===Design for Maintenance===
Detailed inspection and maintenance advice can be found in Sustainable Technologies' LID I&M guide <ref>http://www.sustainabletechnologies.ca/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/LID-IM-Guide-7.6-Green-Roofs.pdf</ref>.
The primary operational concern for operating a green roof is the development of a leak. Green roofs protect the roof membrane from UV damage and should increase the lifespan of the roof. However, in the event that a leak is discovered a section of green roof would have to be removed for access. Some proprietary systems appear to be easier to remove and replace. This may come at a cost, as the rainwater retention of the system is somewhat reliant on continuous coverage of the green roof surface.
Green roofs should receive as little maintenance as possible. Regular inspection is only required to see that the drains are free from obstruction and that the vegetation coverage is adequate to prevent wind erosion. During detailed design, all areas adjacent to the green roof itself should be kept free from granular material. Sediment accumulates in gravel edging, which then permits the vegetation to take root and spread.
<gallery mode="packed">
Roof Drain.jpg | Example of gravel edging around a roof, which needs weeding.
Red Drain.jpg| Example of gravel edging around a roof drain, which needs weeding.
Native Child.jpg| The amenity value of this roof is enhanced by the tall and climbing plants screening the high safety fences.
PondRd2.jpg| Very light maintenance has permitted a stand of Mullein to develop on this prairie style green roof, increasing the biodiversity value.
</gallery>
==Design==
[[File:TD Bank.jpg|thumb|The vegetation on this extensive green roof is designed to withstand the deep shade of being in downtown Toronto.]]
===Roof===
Flat roofs should be graded without depressions, with positive drainage ≥ 2% (1:50) towards roof drains. For roofs with pitch greater than 10 % (1:10) additional geo grid or cellular components should be included in the design. These structures reduce the flow rate of the draining water, and help to stabilize green roof components. Green roofs can be installed on slopes greater than 20 % (1:5), but specialized design advice should be sought for the addition of components required to secure the green roof in place.
Extensive green roofs do not require additional insulation layers. The underlying roof may be of warm, cold or inverted design.
Extensive green roofs add load of around 70 - 300 kg/m<sup>2</sup>. A structural engineer should be consulted during design to account for the distributed loads including [[Winter|snow]] accumulation and live loads including maintenance staff.
Roof membranes should be waterproof, root resistant, resilient to temperature change, and comply with appropriate CGSB standards as specified in the Ontario Building Code. In most cases a new roof with a modern membrane will not require a separate root penetration barrier. In retrofit scenarios an additional root barrier may be recommended to protect an older roof membrane.
===Drainage Layer===
The underlying drainage layer is most often a preformed plastic sheet, formed to include depressions for water storage and perforations to drain excess water. This design has the advantage of being most lightweight, but has minimal impact on flow rates once the water has percolated onto the roof membrane below.
An alternative drainage layer solution is to use a granular medium to increase the tortuosity of the flow path and slow peak flow rates.
===Filter Layer===
The [[Geotextiles| geotextile]] layer is included to prevent migration of the planting medium into the drainage layer. Current advice is to specify a free draining textile to prevent potential water-logging of the planting medium. Observations green roof assemblies have shown a reduction of flow from specifications owing to interactions of medium particles with the textile.
===Planting Medium===
{{:Green_roof_media}}
===Design===
===Irrigation===
<h4>Planting Medium</h4>
Regular irrigation has been shown to substantially reduce the stormwater capture benefit of an extensive green roof<ref name=Hill/>.
One way to reduce the irrigation used on green roofs is through the use of smart technologies. Responsive sensors that suppress irrigation after a rainstorm are routinely attached to green roofs to conserve water. Improvements can be made by instead using a 'soil' moisture sensor to trigger irrigation. State-of-the-art management systems now use predicted weather data to suppress irrigation ahead of storm events, see [[digital technologies]].
Due to their limited water retention capacity, many green roofs are coupled with a rainwater harvesting cistern, to capture the excess water. It then becomes desirable to use as much harvested water to regain the cistern capacity, Green roofs can be irrigated to saturation daily throughout the growing season without damaging the vegetation.
<h4>Planting</h4>
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!Irrigation technology
!Benefits
!Disadvantages
|-
!Spray
|Maximizes evaporation||Requires higher water quality
|-
!Drip or capillary
|Harvested rainwater is readily used without further treatment<br>Uses less water||Planting medium does not 'wick' water sideways readily, so can lead to localized dry areas
|}
Maximizing evaporation with spray irrigation is the faster way to empty a stormwater cistern, and provides some cooling benefit for the building and it's surroundings.
===Performance===
===Planting===
The choice of vegetation on an extensive green roof is insignificant in stormwater management compared to the choice of planting medium or the provision of irrigation. The vegetation should be selected to be resilient to both very wet and very dry periods.''Sedum'' species are the most common choice, demonstrating excellent longevity in systems with or without irrigation.
Some projects expect the low growing ''Sedum'' to remain in graphic designs according to species and flower color. This is not a realistic expectation without significant maintenance costs. Instead project stakeholders should be prepared early in the design process to embrace the green roof as a living and evolving ecosystem. Designs which incorporate both ''Sedum'' and native species can help with this.
<h4>Water Quantity</h4>
Aesthetics of the planting must consider that the practice may be viewed from above.
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
==Green roof plants==
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
{{:Green roofs: Planting}}
</div></div>
===Drains and vegetation free zones===
Vegetation free areas are often required around the perimeter of the roof to reduce wind uplift, on larger areas requiring firebreaks, for access paths and around drains. To prevent accumulation of sediment and migration of the vegetation, the vegetation free areas should not be filled with decorative aggregate or river rock. Instead concrete pavers or other surfaces that do not actively trap particles will reduce weeding maintenance.
==Green roofs Gallery==
{{:Green roofs: Gallery}}
==Performance==
{{:Green roofs: Performance}}
==Incentives and credits==
===In Ontario===
City of Toronto updated their 'Eco roof' incentive program in 2017 . It now includes grants for structural assessment and is available to non-profit organisations [http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=e08354ae91cda510VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD].
----
===LEED BD + C v.4===
<poem>
LEED offer a relatively large number of points for green roofs compared to other LID technologies.
[http://www.usgbc.org/node/2613129?return=/credits '''Sustainable Sites: Open space (1 point)''']
This credit applies to accessible green roofs on tall buildings with little other outdoor space.
[http://www.usgbc.org/node/2758192?return=/credits '''Sustainable Sites: site development - protect or restore habitat (up to 2 points)''']
This credit applies to green roofs planted with 'native and adapted vegetation' on tall buildings with little other outdoor space
[http://www.usgbc.org/node/2613950?return=/credits '''Sustainable Sites: Heat island reduction (up to 2 points)''']
Green roofs are weighted as effectively as 'High-Reflectance' roofs in a simple calculation to determine the credit.
</poem>
{{:LEED: Rainwater management}}
===Incentives and Credits===
==External links==
*[https://www.greenroofs.org/ Green Roofs for Healthy Cities]
===Proprietary systems===
{{:disclaimer}}
*[http://www.ginkgosustainability.com/ Ginkgo Sustainability]
*[http://www.liveroof.com/ LiveRoof]
*[http://www.nlsm.ca/ Next Level Stormwater Management]
*[http://www.vitaroofs.com/ VitaRoofs]
*[https://www.zinco.ca/ Zinco]
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[[Category:Green infrastructure]]