How Green Roofs Can Help To Combat The Dangers of Flooding

Spring and summer have been among the wettest on record in eastern North America. And the world is watching Houston this week, where the remains of Hurricane Harvey have caused devastating flooding.

Rainfall amounts in the spring broke records in places like Toronto, where 44.6 millimetres of rain fell in 24 hours. The downpours earlier this spring caused the stormwater infrastructure in Canada’s biggest city to overflow, leading to flooding of busy downtown streets.

Rapid Loss of Permeable Surfaces

Urbanisation in many North American cities has led to a rapid loss of permeable surfaces where water can freely drain. Coupled with the growing downtown core population in cities Toronto, this means that the stormwater and sewer systems in place must manage more water than in previous decades.

Furthermore, global temperature increases have been linked to the rise in extreme weather events worldwide, a trend that could worsen if global warming is not brought under control.

Many cities are ill-equipped to deal with these unprecedented amounts of precipitation due to their insufficient and outdated stormwater infrastructure.

Using Green Roofs To Help Manage Storm Water

Green roofs are a green infrastructure (GI) option that can be applied to virtually any rooftop given weight load capacity. The benefits of green roofs extend far beyond their obvious aesthetic appeal.*

The benefits of constructing a green roof include:

• Improving the local environment by providing wildlife habitats
• Absorbing CO2, pollution and particulates from the atmosphere
• Improving sound and vibration insulation
• Improving thermal insulation
• Reducing the amount and speed of rainwater run-off by around 50% and forming part of a SUDS design
• Reducing the “heat island” effect in built-up areas and helping to improve air quality and environment
• Protecting the structure and waterproofing membrane from:
  • UV light and heat from the sun
  • impact and abrasion
  • environmental elements including extremes of temperature
  • plant and bird infestation
• Ballasting inverted waterproofing systems
• Optimising the structural footprint by:
  • Increasing space – providing new and attractive natural amenity areas
  • Adding floor space in often high-density developments
  • Adding focal points
  • Decreasing energy costs
  • Increasing the value of the development
  • Properties with green roofs sell / rent faster rate than naked buildings
• Making the planning process easier
• Money-saving

To help with this, Wallbarn presents the new M-Tray® for 2019 which has been further improved to make sedum roofs easier to install with less disruption to both the plants and the structure.

Our bespoke design allows us to supply the best quality vegetation to site. The fully established, mature sedum or wildflower plants, are contained within easy-to-carry trays which click together to form an almost invisible join.

For more on the new M-Tray®, please visit the dedicated area of the site by clicking here or contact us directly on Tel. No. 0208 916 2222.

*For more on this story, please click here.

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