Green Roofs Tutorial

Introduction
As our cities become more like ‘concrete jungles’ there is a developing
interest in reversing the trend towards ever increasing hard infrastructure with
encouragement of ‘green infrastructure’. Green roofs are one way of
achieving such sustainable urban development. This tutorial is designed to
help you identify the key features of green roofs and so enable you to
evaluate their potential development in Hong Kong.

Task 1. Identify the cross-section profile of a typical green

roof.

http://blog.2030palette.org/swatch-profile-green-roof/
Task 2. Identify the different types of green roofs and their
characteristics
The International Green Roof Association (IGRA) considers three types of
green roofs:

1. The first is called an Extensive Green Roof and is the most basic type.
This uses a shallow layer of inexpensive ordinary soil and supports drought
resistant and low growth plants like herbs, mosses grass, and simple foliage.

Extensive Green Roofs are well suited to roofs with little load bearing capacity
and sites which are not meant to be used as roof gardens. The costs are
relatively low. The mineral substrate layer, containing little nutrients, is not
very deep but suitable for less demanding and low growing plant communities.

2. Semi-intensive Green Roofs are the second category and these will
typically have a deeper layer of nutrient rich soil and contain shrubs,
herbaceous plants and bushes and a thicker layer of grass.

3. The third category of roof gardens is Intensive Green Roofs which will
have a very deep soil layer and support a wide variety of plants, bushes, and
possibly even small trees.
https://www.redbeacon.com/hg/ins-and-outs-roof-garden/

In addition, some commentators distinguish a further type - modular-tray

green roofs - which are installed on flat and low-slope roofs, but instead of soil
and vegetation layers they use pre-vegetated trays, forming a grid (see
images). Modular-tray green roofs are simpler to install and cheaper and have
the advantage that possible water leaks are easy to find and fix.
The following criteria can be used to characterize and distinguish the three main
types of Green Roofs:
Extensive Green Semi-Intensive Green Intensive Green
Roof Roof Roof
Maintenance Low Periodically High
Irrigation No Periodically Regularly
Plant Moss-Sedum- Grass-Herbs and Shrubs Lawn or Perennials,
communitie Herbs and Grasses Shrubs and Trees
s
System 60 - 200 mm 120 - 250 mm 150 - 400 mm on
build-up underground garages
height > 1000 mm
Weight 60 - 150 kg/m2 120 - 200 kg/m2 180 - 500 kg/m2
13 -30 lb/sqft 25 - 40 lb/sqft 35 - 100 lb/sqft
Costs Low Middle High
Use Ecological Designed Green Roof Park like garden
protection layer
http://www.igra-world.com/types_of_green_roofs/index.php

Task 3. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of green

roofs.
Advantages
• Thermal effects/insulation
- diminished surface temperature in hot climates
- reduced heat loss in colder climates

• Improved energy performance leads to a reduction in energy

demand, which contributes to lower carbon dioxide emissions

• Moderates rainwater run-off and reduces the risk of flooding

- prevents run-off
- increases water retention

• Habitat/Biodiversity provision – provides much needed ‘green spots’

in an otherwise often sterile environment.

• Green Roofs, if adopted in sufficient numbers could help alleviate the

impact of the urban heat island effect (UHI).

• Mitigates urban pollution

- collects air pollution
- reduces pollution run-off
- alleviates respiratory infection

• Long lasting - increased life expectancy of the original "naked" flat

roof
• Contributes to reduced noise pollution within the building.

• Reduces risk of fire spread between buildings.

• Recreation & increased use of Space - Due to the utilization of the

roof property, the building owner can save costs from purchasing
additional land at ground level as well as increased value of the
property.

• Aesthetic & health benefits - both mental (such as reduction of stress)

and physical benefits (including the provision of cleaner air). Access to
green space can bring about direct reductions in a person's heart rate
and blood-pressure, and can promote relaxation.

• Recycled Materials - a number of materials used in green roofs are

from recycled sources, such as the membranes and growing mediums,
such as crushed porous brick, which is used by some suppliers. This
reduces the need for waste disposal to landfill and reduces the
transport miles/distances for used for disposal of waste.

• Carbon sequestration – during the process of respiration plants will

absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.

Negatives
• Need to assess the maximum load bearing capacity & ensure the
building can safely support the increased weight of a roof garden.

• Expense of additional installation during construction and increased

structural support.

• Build up of water - the main function of the roof is to keep rain from
entering the building. Sloping roofs offer the best protection and
drainage. A roof garden requires a flat roof, which restricts the
drainage.

• A green roof will require special water proofing to ensure that the
moisture that accumulates in the soil does not seep into the building
below.

• A roof garden can be expensive to install. Costs associated with soil,

the plants, the fabrics, the filters, the drainage system or the possible
reinforcement of the roof (to support the weight of green roof) have a
significant cost.

• Green roofs require maintenance (the exact degree will depend upon
the type of green roof). If you are not interested in gardening or do not
have the time, a gardener will have to be employed to care for the
garden which is a significant expense. Ongoing irrigation and
 fertilization will have to be ensured.

• Inconvenience associated with having to move or work around the

current service infrastructure (i.e. air conditioning, water tanks etc.).

• Often planning permission is required.

• Roof gardens can be subject to strong winds, with turbulence on the

leeward side of solid walls and fences. Use slatted or mesh screens
where possible, as they filter the wind before it hits the garden.

• Green roofs require the use of polymer substrate layers, which have
environmental impacts.

Task 4. Assess the evidence you have collected and decide if

the associated advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
On balance the body of research suggests that green roofs involve high
performance passive technology with minimal maintenance. They increase
the lifespan of roof membranes and save the cost of changing the roof. In
addition, they can reduce pollutants and mitigate storm water runoff by
delaying the peak runoff times (thereby preventing the need to construct
expensive new channel systems) which can be used for non-potable
purposes like flushing toilets and irrigation of the urban landscape as well as
reducing the risk of flooding. In the vast majority of cases (i.e. where
significant relocation or removal of current building service infrastructure is not
required) the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Task 5. Using the information that you have collected evaluate

the potential applicability of green roofs to HK. You may find
the following articles useful:
Wong J and Lau L, 2013, From the ‘urban heat island’ to the ‘green island’?
A preliminary investigation into the potential of retrofitting green roofs in
Mongkok district of Hong Kong, Habitat International, 39, 25-35

Zhang X, Shen L, Tam V and Lee W, 2012, Barriers to implement extensive

green roof systems: A Hong Kong study, Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews, 16, 314–319

In addition the following articles provide a general (i.e. not specific to Hong
Kong) consideration of green roofs which will be useful:
Berardi U, GhaffarianHoseini A and GhaffarianHoseini A, 2014, State-of-the-
art analysis of the environmental benefits of green roofs, Applied Energy, 115,
411-428.

Vijayaraghavan K, 2016, Green roofs: A critical review on the role of

components, benefits, limitations and trends, Renewable and Sustainable
Energy Reviews, 57, 740-752.