depletion of resources so that future generations can meet their own needs.

Sustainability at Penn State: Satisfying societys current needs with minimal environmental damage or

the problem:
impermeable surfaces in highly developed areas results in excess storm water runoff: Parking lots and decks comprise over 200,000 square feet of Penn States central campus. State College receives about 40 inches of rain a year, impermeable parking results in approximately 5 million gallons of runoff annually. This unabsorbed storm water causes erosion, flooding, and pollution, all of which reduce Penn States sustainability.

the plan:
replace traditional parking at Penn State with permeable, reinforced grassy surface Osmond parking lot and the HUB deck are in the most developed part of campus where the storm water system experiences overload during heavy rainfall. One option is to install a green roof on the HUB parking deck, which would capture 80% of rainwater. The saturated weight of the garden could be an issue since a typical parking deck is built to carry only around forty pounds per square foot. Using only the HUBs parking spaces instead of the entire surface would reduce weight, but also reduce storm water absorbency. Another option is to replace the Osmond lot with grass. A grassy parking lot would capture 100% of rainwater and has no weight limit. In both cases, durable Kentucky fescue grass would be used and reinforced with plastic pavers. CU stability soil would also be used. Snow would be removed using a snow blower to prevent damage to the grass.

grass paver 6 soil drainage layer waterproof membrane green roof parking lot composition water absorption per 1" rain (gal) 14624 8127 28351

lot HUB garage (full) HUB garage (half) Osmond lot

cost $87,000 $44,000 $100,000

saturated weight 668 tons 371 tons N/A

the benefits:
thousands of gallons of storm water absorbed = a more sustainable campus