The potential of green roofs to manage Urban Stormwater

Green roofs have considerable potential for stormwater source control, both for new developments and as a retrofit option. In the United Kingdom the lack of local quantitative performance data and modelling tools, together with more general barriers to sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) implementation, may explain their limited uptake to date.

This paper presents preliminary findings from a small-scale instrumented green roof test plot located in Sheffield, UK. During spring 2006 the average volume retention was 34% and the average peak reduction was 57%.

The key hydrological determinants were the antecedent dry weather period (ADWP), mean rainfall intensity and rainfall depth. Detailed examination of rainfall–runoff relationships in summer 2007 demonstrates the dependency of performance on antecedent moisture conditions. Structural appraisal of a range of flat roof types suggests that retrofitting a green roof will be a feasible option in many cases, particularly for concrete slab roofs.