WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development
Print ISSN: 1790-5079, E-ISSN: 2224-3496
Volume 11, 2015
Green Roofs Hydrological Performance under Different Climate Conditions
Authors: , ,
Abstract: Green roof can provide a significant reduction of stormwater runoff in urban areas where stormwater management is increasing because urbanized areas are quickly replacing natural places with a consequent huge increase in impervious surfaces. In this study, runoff reduction assessment for a virtual green roof is provided under different weather conditions, with special reference to the characteristics of precipitation and evaporating power of the atmosphere. In particular, the Mediterranean and Oceanic climate settings have been considered, with the use of local weather data to run long term, seasonal and single events simulations. On short time scales simulations, the virtual green roof performs similarly as the runoff reduction approaches a total mitigation. On the long term time scales, the green roof provides good performances in both climatic conditions, even though it seems to outperform in northern latitude climates, as in some seasons there can be a total mitigation of runoff. To improve the performances, in terms of runoff reduction, of Mediterranean areas, which amount to 60%, the depth of the greening rooftops and therefore its weight has to considerably increase, entailing an increase green infrastructure and underlying traditional concrete roof costs.
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Pages: 264-271
WSEAS Transactions on Environment and Development, ISSN / E-ISSN: 1790-5079 / 2224-3496, Volume 11, 2015, Art. #29