wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - basics

24
1 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765 E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics and perspectives from engineering practice Long Version of a presentation by Mr. Blumberg at the Closed Cycles and the Circular Society Symposium, Wädenswil, Switzerland, September 2 – 4 2020 organized by the International Ecological Engineering Society Abstract Wetland roofs are irrigated green roofs for stormwater retention and for climatization of the floor below the roof. They can also be used for domestic greywater treatment. Stormwater or greywater is stored in a cistern and pumped in several intervals per day on top of the roof via an automatic irrigation controller. The water then supplements evapotranspiration losses in a water storage and plant carrier mat. Evapotranspiration by marsh plants and shadowing of the roof is providing the cooling effects both for the rooms under the roof and for the outside environment. Wetland roofs can be constructed either on tilted or flat roofs and do not have any mineral layers, thus consisting only of the planted textile mat.

Upload: others

Post on 06-Jan-2022

7 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

1 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Wetland roofs – a multifunctional green roof type -

Basics and perspectives from engineering practice

Long Version of a presentation by Mr. Blumberg at the Closed Cycles and the Circular

Society Symposium, Wädenswil, Switzerland, September 2 – 4 2020 organized by the

International Ecological Engineering Society

Abstract

Wetland roofs are irrigated green roofs for stormwater retention and for climatization of the floor below the roof. They can also be used for domestic greywater treatment. Stormwater or greywater is stored in a cistern and pumped in several intervals per day on top of the roof via an automatic irrigation controller. The water then supplements evapotranspiration losses in a water storage and plant carrier mat. Evapotranspiration by marsh plants and shadowing of the roof is providing the cooling effects both for the rooms under the roof and for the outside environment. Wetland roofs can be constructed either on tilted or flat roofs and do not have any mineral layers, thus consisting only of the planted textile mat.

Page 2: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

2 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

About the author

Michael Blumberg is the owner and managing director of the Blumberg engineering

office based in Lower Saxony, Germany. For over 30 years, the engineering

consultants have been working on tasks in the environmental sector, particularly in the

field of urban water management, both in Germany and in numerous international

projects in Asia, Africa as well as Central and South America. Blumberg-Engineers are

specialised in eco-technological processes such as constructed wetlands, reed bed

sewage sludge treatment and retention soil filters and have also planned, tendered

and supervised the construction of numerous wetland roofs since 2006.

Differences between a conventional green roof and a wetland roof

The fundamental difference to the variety of other extensive and intensive green roof

variants is that a wetland roof is artificially irrigated daily. As a rule, this is done by

collecting rainwater from roof areas or other sealed surfaces, such as streets or

parking lots. The rainwater is stored in cisterns and then pumped onto the wetland roof

in adjustable partial quantities, controlled by an irrigation computer (see Fig. 1 and 2).

Most of the water is evapotranspirated via the marsh plants, and if there is excess

rainwater, it flows back into the cistern via raingutters.

Page 3: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

3 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Figure 1: Building with a wetland roof, a vertical facade greening and the water cycle (M. Blumberg).

Page 4: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

4 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Figure 2: Structure of a wetland roof (M. Blumberg).

General advantages of green roofs are of course also valid for wetland roofs, mostly

even for these to a greater extent. Examples of this are the cooling effect, a higher

reduction of the rainwater runoff as well as the increased life span of the roof by

damping the temperature and avoiding direct UV-radiation on the roof skin. However,

there are some peculiarities, where the wetland roof is clearly superior to most other

green roofs (Blumberg, 2010):

The cooling effect

The evapotranspiration values of marsh plants are significantly higher than those of

terrestrial plants and here especially of succulents which are typically used on

extensive green roofs. The evapotranspiration rate of water of these swamp plants is

on average about 5 to 9 litres per square metre per day (Franck, 2016). That is two to

three times more than for free water surfaces. However, on hot summer days with high

water vapour saturation deficit of the air, the rate can exceed up to 10 liters per square

meter per day in Germany (Herbst and Kappen, 1999) and is much higher under

warmer conditions. It has been even measured remarkable values around 50 litres per

day on hot summer days using common reed (Phragmites australis) and common club-

rush (Schoenoplectus lacustris) (Kraft, 1984). In numerous studies of green roofs in

urban areas a positive effect with regard to the reduction of the surface temperature

as well as on the microclimate of the site were found. In general, the local cooling effect

is greater for intensive than for extensive green roofs due to the higher water storage

capacity of the soil layer for the intensive variants (Pfoser et al., 2013). Green roofs

Page 5: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

5 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

can reduce the surface temperature of the roof very strongly in comparison to non-

vegetated roofs, whereby studies with extensive green roofs show an average

temperature reduction of around 19 degrees Celsius for the summer season in mid-

latitudes (DeNardo et al., 2005; Heusinger, 2013) and wetland roofs even of about 40

degrees Celsius on single days (Dietz, 2003). Considering the heat island effect of

urban areas, the temperature reduction in higher atmospheric layers ranges from 0.2

to 0.9 degrees Celsius (Ng et al., 2012; Peng and Jim, 2013; Rosenzweig et al., 2006;

Solecki et al., 2006).

The cooling effect of a wetland roof is interesting for the underlying storey in the

building (Fig. 3). This saves a lot of energy that would otherwise be needed for air

conditioning, especially in warmer countries or in more southern latitudes. The

reduction of the temperature in the rooms below are at least five degrees Celsius

(Georg, 2007). Further studies on thermal effects with measurements on the building

envelope show for buildings with green roofs that temperature extremes are

significantly reduced, so that the building is less cold in winter and less warm in

summer (Scharf et al., 2012).

Figure 3: Effect of a wetland roof on the underlying floor (M. Blumberg).

Page 6: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

6 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Reduction of rainwater runoff

The rainwater retention, which is already considerable with a normal green roof,

reaches values of over 90 % with a marsh plant roof, so that surface water only needs

to be discharged into the sewage or rainwater pipe system during heavy rainfall. The

saving of rainwater discharge fees is thus one of the main economic advantages (in

Europe).

Protection of the roof cladding

The roof cladding will probably last twice as long when planted with marsh plants as it

does with an unprotected bitumen roof. Because the UV-radiation of the sun does not

hit directly on the roof skin but is held back by the luxuriant vegetation cover. In addition

to cooling, this is another advantage of shading with plant biomass, which is largely

absent from standard green roofs planted with succulents under summer conditions.

Aspects of roof statics – a suitable option for existing buildings

A further advantage results from the low loads of wetland roofs for the roof static,

because they grow without substrate only with a textile or organic water storage and

plant carrier mat (Fig. 4). No sand, gravel or other plant substrate is used (Zehnsdorf

et al., 2016). This offers a great opportunity for the subsequent greening of existing

buildings where the roof statics may be critical for conventional green roofs.

Figure 4: A wetland roof in Switzerland shortly after the installation and first planting by the company Rhizotech (M. Blumberg).

Wetland roofs can be installed both on flat roofs or on pitched roofs (see Fig. 5 and 6).

Page 7: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

7 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Figure 5: Rainwater management by a flat artificially irrigated wetland roof.

The advantage of a flat roof over a pitched roof is that parts of the rainwater can be

stored directly on the roof, for example by holding 10 to 30 cm of water with floating

plant mats. The water level can be adjusted in height by means of a special regulating

device or an outlet throttle so that the respective statics of the roof is not overstrained.

If parts of the rainwater storage capacity are provided on the roof, the required cistern

volume can be reduced accordingly, which saves construction costs.

Page 8: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

8 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Figure 6: Rainwater management by a pitched artificially irrigated wetland roof.

Increase of biodiversity

The marsh plants on the roof form a more than one metre high meadow of sour grass

(Cyperaceae, Iridaceae, Poaceae, Sparganiaceae, Juncaceae, Polygonaceae,

Ranunculaceae, Lythraceae, Primulaceae, Labiatae, Boraginaceae, Valerianaceae)

with a high biodiversity, for example with dominant species from the rush and sedge

families, as well as various blooming shore plants such as purple loosestrife (Lythrum

salicaria), Iris ssp. (most prominent: Iris pseudacorus) and water mint (Mentha

aquatica), to name just a few examples (Fig. 7). But the important point in this context

is that wetland roofs are highly physiologically active, whereas extensive green roofs

with semi-desert plants on the one hand survive the summer heat periods without

irrigation, but on the other hand are only hardly physiologically active, in a dormant

mode in a manner of speaking. So, the wetland roof vegetation produces much more

oxygen through photosynthesis and can filter dust emissions to a far greater extent

than standard green roofs with their drought-resistant vegetation. This sounds

paradoxical: extensive standard green roofs use vegetation forms that have special

physiological adaptations in order to survive summer weather phases with little or

nearly no precipitation. With the wetland roofs we use the other extreme: a flora which

are spread along the banks of rivers and lakes and therefore have water available all

Page 9: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

9 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

year round. Of course, this is only possible through artificial irrigation of these

amphibian marsh plants (helophytes).

Figure 7: Physiologically active wetland roof with high species diversity in Germany (M. Blumberg).

Grey water recycling

A further advantageous option is to use the root zone of these planted mats (see

pictures below) as a "roof treatment plant" (a special type of constructed wetland), for

example as part of grey water recycling. The treated grey water could then be used for

flushing toilets or irrigating the garden. We have published results of pilot trials for grey

water treatment and reuse in Zehnsdorf et al. (2019a, 2016).

Page 10: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

10 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Figure 8: Close-up of a root mat filter.

Figure 9: Close-up of a root mat filter.

Page 11: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

11 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Potential limitations

A disadvantage of the wetland roof system is the necessity for irrigation and thus the

sensitivity to disturbances due to energy supply. Here in Europe, it can be kept very

well under technical control. The situation is different in developing countries, for

example, with their frequent power outages.

Another point is that the roof mats, equipped with marsh plants in mixed species

populations, should be pre-cultivated in a plant nursery for about one vegetation period

in order to achieve a maximum degree of coverage during installation (Fig. 8). This

time delay between application and execution due to pre-cultivation is also to some

extent a drawback.

Figure 10: Pre-cultivation of wetland roof plants on water storage and plant carrier mats in the Rhizotech-nursery in Germany (M. Blumberg).

Appropriate plants for a wetland roof

Most people have an aesthetic requirement for a green roof. There is a variety of

flowering marsh plants, which can be used. The first flowering plant in spring is the

marsh marigold (Caltha palustris). The purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) (Fig. 12)

should be present, because it is not only a beautiful flower, which is heavily frequented

by insects like butterflies, but also spreads well by seed distribution. The juggler's

flower (Mimulus ssp.) has proven to develop very successful in this respect, even

Page 12: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

12 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

though it is not a native species to Europe. It belongs to the marsh plants that perfectly

fit the semi-humid environment of the not-flooded vegetation mats and has a high

lateral spreading tendency. There should be a rapid effect on the area-wide

colonisation of pre-cultivated plants, so that unwanted herbs and grasses are not sown

by flying seeds and establish with time.

Figure 11: Purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) on a wetland roof (M. Blumberg).

The experience shows that certain sedge and rush species are indispensable as main

constituents because they form an extremely intricate root network of rhizomes, fine

and coarse roots, which is particularly effective in water purification due to the presence

of microorganisms as covering biofilms. A further aspect in the plant selection process

is the competition with spontaneously emerging, competing plants. Sedges quickly

form daughter plants, spread laterally and, once established, can no longer be

displaced by other plants inserted by seed attack. In this context, our favourite is the

swamp harrow (Carex acutiformis). But other sedge species have also proven their

competitiveness. Rushes grow much more clump-like and thus offer much greater

opportunities for establishment to competing plants. In addition, there are again

aesthetic aspects: Some rushes, such as the flutter rush (Juncus effusus) are pure

green, others, such as the blue-green rush (Juncus inflexus), look, as their name

suggests, rather bluish. So, in the end only 10 to 15 species remain from a total of 20

to 30 plants tested at the Rhizotech nursery, which are permanently stable and are

preferably used for wetland roofs. Typical wetland roof plant species for a pitched roof

(Fig. 10) and a flat roof are shown as examples (Fig. 11).

Page 13: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

13 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Figure 12: Wetland roof with a slope of 15°.

Figure 13: Wetland roof with a slope of 0°.

Page 14: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

14 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Requirements for vegetation mats

A mat is needed that acts as a plant carrier and stores water (Fig. 14a). The ambition

is to work without substrate and thus saving weight and costs. The mat is extremely

intensively rooted (Fig. 14b) and has a high cleaning effect as a carrier of the

biocenosis of microorganisms (Zehnsdorf et al., 2019a). However, the most important

point - for example in developing countries, but of course also in southern Europe - is

that there are occasional power failures. Then we do not have any irrigation for the

time being. The requirement is therefore a water storage capacity of the mat of at least

ten litres per square metre in order to ensure that the wetland plants will survive such

technically induced droughts.

a) b)

Figure 14: Plant carrier mat (a) and rooted plant mat after precultivation (b) (M. Blumberg).

Maintenance requirements of a wetland roof

The required work effort is very low, but an occasional look at the irrigation computer

should be taken. Usually the monitoring is done by an error message, either as SMS

to a mobile phone or by a red lamp that lights up when the irrigation pump breaks

down.

It is not recommended to mow the plants. In winter they lie on the roof as straw. The

wind gradually crumbles the dry organic material until the New Year's Eve comes. A

problem that may occur depends on the environment. If certain water-loving trees grow

there, for example willows or alders, tree shoots might get on the roof by flying seeds.

They get higher and higher and eventually the wind blows them over naturally. Then

the small tree lies there and lifts the vegetation mat. It is not possible to tear out the

trees from a certain size without destroying the mat. Consequently, tree seedlings must

be removed from the mat as early as possible. Waiting too long increases the

difficulties of getting rid of the young trees.

Page 15: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

15 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

With regard to the nutrition of the plants, it is usually sufficient if the marsh plants are

supplied with the nutrients from the dry deposition from the air, for example through

dust emissions or precipitation. It is amazing that plants can cope with this poor diet.

However, it may be useful or necessary to occasionally add fertiliser to the irrigation

water in the cistern to strengthen the plant growth.

In the winters of the temperate zone, it is recommended to stop irrigation so that the

water pipes run empty and do not freeze. In warmer climates, irrigation should take

place all year round. No damage to the vegetation could be detected under winter

conditions so far. The winter humidity by rain, fog, snow and water vapour is completely

sufficient for the marsh plants. However, frost dryness is an issue here, where the

water in the ground freezes to crystals, so the plant has no possibility to absorb more

water. As a result the plant dries up. In the future, winters are predicted to be milder,

so that the probability of frost dryness is decreasing. An ice sheet on the roof in sub-

zero temperatures can be prevented by turning off the irrigation computer at 3 degrees

Celsius when temperatures drop.

Resistance of wetland roofs to drought periods

Most marsh plants can survive a dry phase, i.e. fall completely dry for several days.

These helophytes have to endure a lot in their natural habitat, for example the decline

of the water level in summer at lake or river banks and thus a partial drying out or the

opposite, for example a spring flood, where they are completely inundated over weeks.

But of course, that has a limit on the roof. With maximum solar radiation in summer,

the mat is already half dry after one day of non-irrigation. Nevertheless, initial research

shows that marsh plants can survive without any permanent damage during a few days

without irrigation, even in strong sunlight and high ambient temperatures (Willebrand

et al., 2019). However, when the radiation is very strong, especially on the roof, the

plants will die after a relatively short time. A little residual moisture should always be

secured for these water stress days.

On wetland roofs an emergency supply from the drinking water system is installed to

cope with longer dry periods. A pressure probe measures the water level in the cistern.

As soon as this falls below a critical value, irrigation from the drinking water pipe is

automatically switched on. A float valve switches the water supply off again when the

desired level is reached.

Physical processes behind the cooling effect

The advantage of wetland roofs as an innovative form of roof greening lies especially

in cooling the buildings and their surroundings. The cooling processes to be optimized

in an urban area are radiation, convection and evaporation.

Basically, all bodies receive and emit solar radiation. Some of the radiation is reflected

from the surfaces of the bodies, the non-reflected part is absorbed and converted into

Page 16: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

16 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

sensitive heat. Depending on the material composition of the body, the heat is stored

as internal energy or emitted again. This emitted sensible heat can thus return to the

atmosphere by radiation again and is transported further by convection. Convection is

the flow of heat due to differences in density. When air is heated above hot surfaces,

its density decreases and the air rises. During convection thermal energy is also

transported away, according from a place of high temperature to a place of lower

temperature. In the atmosphere, sensible heat can be converted into latent heat by

evaporation. This process consumes energy, so that here the air temperature

decreases.

So, if there were an increasing proportion of wetland roofs in cities, the proportion of

evapotranspiration would increase, which includes both evaporation und transpiration.

Evaporation is the partial or complete conversion of a fluid from the liquid to the

gaseous phase while transpiration is the evaporation of water through the leaves of

the plants, especially through their adjustable stomata, but also through their outer skin

(cuticle). Evaporation requires energy which is extracted from the local air mass by

the evaporation process and is subsequently not available for further heating of the air.

The result is a cooling of the environment. In order to evaporate ten litres of water,

2450 kJ are required. This corresponds to the amount of heat extracted from 190 m³

of air in order to cool it down by 10° C. Consequently, the greening or even more the

type of greening in cities plays a very important role.

In order to increase the cooling function, all physical and biological conditions for heat

dissipation should therefore be optimised as far as possible. In particular, the focus is

on the selection of plants as well as the timing and intervals of watering. Cooling the

roof during the day can primarily be achieved by charging it with cool water and

evaporating this. Experiments have shown that a wetland roof surface causes an

additional temperature reduction (in comparison to free water surfaces) of 3 to 5 ° C

(Huang et al., 2016). Evaporation and transpiration add up here and increase the

cooling capacity. Maximum cooling performance can be achieved through the constant

provision of a sufficient quantity of water, an optimum plant nutrition, the use of plants

with a particularly large leaf area index and a high evapotranspiration capacity.

Furthermore, the shading of the roof by a dense vegetation prevents further direct

heating of the air (sensitive heat flow). Helophytes are suitable plants, as they maintain

a high evapotranspiration rate even at high summer temperatures with constant water

availability, unlike terrestrial plants, which reduce their transpiration through stomata

regulation (regulation of leaf openings).

Heat radiation and cooling by convection takes place especially at night. The aim is

therefore to cool the heated-up water during the day at night. Optimisation of the

cooling capacity is achieved by keeping the water on the roof for a particularly long

time during the night or, in this case, by passing it over the roof particularly often. This

is therefore ultimately a task for planners to program the irrigation computer

accordingly.

Page 17: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

17 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Perspectives of green roofs

This is a continuously and even exponentially growing market. Germany is currently

the country greening the most roofs worldwide but there is still enormous potential. In

2018, new green roofs were added to around 15 percent of the newly created flat roofs

in Germany, making seven million square meters of new green roof area (DHZ, 2019).

The BuGG (German Association of Building Greening) recommends that, in future,

building owners and planners should naturally integrate green roofs into building

projects.

Abroad, there are now numerous famous cities with signal effect, such as Singapore,

Shanghai, Toronto, Denver and many others that make green roofs mandatory. The

city council of New York (on 22.04.2019) has just passed a bill (Climate Mobilization

Act) according to which all new residential or office buildings in the city must be

equipped either with solar panels, small wind turbines or green roofs or a combination

of these elements. The aim is to drastically reduce energy consumption (e.g. for air

conditioning) and thus CO2-emissions.

On the market the criteria play a role why people want to buy a green roof, whether

conventional or a special one, like a marsh plant roof. From an entrepreneurial

perspective the focus is at the moment on rainwater retention, which plays a major role

in the current debate in the green roof industry - in terms of climate change, heavy

rainfall and urban sewerage. The cooling of buildings and the reduction of heat islands

are currently still of secondary importance. Only in individual cases would the

purification of grey water be a sales argument.

Positive effects of a widespread use of wetland roofs

Through cooling, wetland roofs can reduce health risks due to heat, especially in cities.

The link between heat waves and deaths or diseases has been proven (Kjellstrom et

al., 2009; Kovats and Kristie, 2006; Umweltbundesamt, 2019). In cities, this

phenomenon occurs more frequently due to the heat island effect. The wetland roof

cools especially the rooms under the roof, i.e. the upper floor, which is a risk area for

heat diseases. Greening with high biomass and thus cooling the roof can greatly

reduce these burdens and, save lives or even alleviate urban poverty and promote

healthy communities (Dunn, 2010).

Savings through reduced electricity costs for air-conditioning are often rightly used as

an argument for green roofs. In addition, companies also save through reduced heat

stress at the workplace. Rising temperatures not only increase work absenteeism due

to heat-related illnesses and accidents, but also lead to a higher frequency of breaks

and loss of productivity in physical and mental work. According to a study by a

Japanese research team (Takakura et al., 2017), global losses due to work breaks for

heat stress prevention amount to 0.5 - 2.8 % of the world gross domestic product,

depending on the scenario. With a world GDP of 90,000 billion US dollars, this results

Page 18: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

18 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

in a loss of 450 - 2,520 billion US dollars. Takakura's work contains a detailed list of

GDP losses by country.

In many parts of the world, temperatures are constantly high. Here, through the mass

use of wetland roofs, working conditions could be improved, resulting in improved

performance and health of the workforce.

As the heat has a particular impact on the performance of physically demanding

outdoor work, it would be desirable to plant green roofs or wetland roofs across cities.

According to research studies of green roofs in the New York Metropolitan Area, a

green roof infrastructure could reduce average surface temperatures by as much as

0.8 °C if 50 % of the city´s roof areas are greened (Solecki et al., 2006). These values

refer to substrate-loaded roofs with moss, grass, bush or tree planting. By comparing

the evapotranspiration performance of different vegetation forms, it can be seen that a

significantly higher cooling can be expected from the greening with marsh plants, since

the 2-3 times higher evapotranspiration performance of these hydrophilic plant species

compared to terrestrial plants also deprives the environment of a correspondingly

greater amount of energy.

The probability of whole cities with green roofs

There are numerous examples which show that investing in green roofs is also an

economically sustainable strategy for cities. For example, the city of Philadelphia in the

US-state Pennsylvania saved 170 million US dollars in the period 2006 - 2010 alone

through green infrastructure measures, including the promotion of green roofs, by

relieving the sewerage system (Foster et al., 2011).

According to an analysis in North-America, planting 1% of the large roof areas of all

medium-sized and large US-cities would create over 190,000 jobs (Hewes et al., 2008).

Many German cities, such as Bremen, are already promoting the greening of roofs

(Brem.ABl., 2019); up to 30%, but no more than 6000 Euro, of the eligible costs are

subsidized. So, the maximum funding amount per square metre of green area is 30

euros. In addition, a new greening site law has become into force in Bremen in

December 2019 which, among other things, stipulates that certain roof areas from a

size of 100 m² must be greened using a minimum substrate layer of 10 cm (Brem.GBl.,

2019).

Cost savings through implementing green roofs

First and foremost, the annual rainwater fees should be mentioned here, which amount

0.68 Euro in lower Saxony, 1.30 Euro in Munich and the most expensive in Berlin with

1.90 Euro per square metre (status May, 2020). These fees should provide incentives

for new building projects to prevent sealing or to reverse the sealing of surfaces.

Page 19: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

19 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

The improved insulation also results in lower heating and cooling costs and the longer

durability of the roof leads to cost reductions. According to the predictions of scientific

models, an area-wide cover of green roofs in cities would lead to a higher gross

domestic product, since the positive effects on people and the climate lead to a lower

number of working absences due to illness.

Steps to forward the idea of a wetland roof

In the past, Blumberg-Engineers had cooperated intensively with Prof. Zehnsdorf of

the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany and

published jointly new scientific findings (Zehnsdorf et al., 2019a, 2019b, 2016).

Last year, a research roof has been built on an institute building of the UFZ (Fig. 13).

In the next years, four types of green roofs are there intensively investigated and

compared over a longer period. One test site is planted in the innovative wetland roof

variant. We were involved in the planning and implementation and are now in contact

with the current research team.

Figure 15: Research roof at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Katy Bernhard, UFZ).

Next year we will also build a wetland roof (320 m²) for a new institute building of the

Charles Darwin Foundation on the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador, which we planned

last year. There we want to build a decentralized constructed wetland of the type "two-

stage raw wastewater treatment", where we will pump the cleaned wastewater to a

Page 20: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

20 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

wetland roof for cooling the building. It is predominantly very hot and dry on the equator

and irrigation via a rainwater cistern would certainly not be sufficient.

Regarding the further development of the wetland roof method, we have developed a

new carrier mat for the plants and for water storage. This mat consists entirely of virgin

wool and is thus entirely of natural material. We are currently working on an

economically beneficial production technology.

Figure 16: Water storage and plant carrier mat from organic material (Sheep's wool) .

Page 21: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

21 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

In the near future, we would like to design a roof garden in the form of a wetland roof.

For more Information visit: https://blumberg-engineers.com

Author: Dipl.-Ing. Agr. Michael Blumberg, Ingenieurbüro Blumberg, Gänsemarkt 10,

37120 Bovenden, Germany

Mail: [email protected]

Page 22: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

22 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Further Reading on our extensive website (www.blumberg-engineers.com):

Ecotechnologies: Wetland Roofs

Our realized wetland roofs

Data sheet about our wetland roof in Zofingen, Switzerland

Data sheet about our wetland roof in Jena, Germany

Publication list

Frequently asked questions about wetland roofs

References:

Blumberg, M., 2010. Sumpfpflanzendächer, eine besonders vielseitige innovative Variante der Dachbegrünung. GWF Wasser Abwasser 151, 568–571.

Brem.ABl., 2019. Förderrichtlinie für die Gewährung von Zuschüssen bei der Begrünung von Dächern im Land Bremen.

Brem.GBl., 2019. Ortsgesetz über die Begrünung von Freiflächen und Flachdachflächen in der Stadtgemeinde Bremen (Begrünungsortsgesetz Bremen) vom 14. Mai 2019.

DeNardo, J.C., Jarrett, A.R., Manbeck, H.B., Beattie, D.J., Berghage, R.D., 2005. Stormwater Mitigation and Surface Temperature Reduction by Green Roofs. Transactions of the ASAE 48, 1491–1496.

DHZ, 2019. Klimaschutz: Reichlich Potenzial für grüne Dächer [WWW Document]. Deutsche Handwerks Zeitung. URL https://www.deutsche-handwerks-zeitung.de/klimaschutz-reichlich-potenzial-fuer-gruene-daecher/150/32542/236247 (accessed 6.3.20).

Dietz, A., 2003. Possmann Gründach - Erfahrungen und Ergebnisse. Kelterei Possmann KG, Frankfurt.

Dunn, A.D., 2010. Siting Green Infrastructure: Legal and Policy Solutions to Alleviate Urban Poverty and Promote Healthy Communities. B.C. Envtl. Aff. L. Rev. 37.

Foster, J., Lowe, A., Winkelmann, S., 2011. The Value of Green Infrastructure for Urban Climate Adaptation. The Center of Clean Air Policy, Washington.

Franck, V.M., 2016. The Roof Water-Farm Stormwater Management Concept. Retention via Evaporation (Master`s Thesis). Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin.

Georg, H., 2007. Verminderung der Hitzebelastung in einem Milchviehstall durch ein Sumpfpflanzendach, in: 8. Tagung Bau, Technik Und Umwelt in Der Landwirtschaftlichen Nutztierhaltung, 8.-10. Oktober 2007 in Bonn. Darmstadt, pp. 423–427.

Herbst, M., Kappen, L., 1999. The ratio of transpiration versus evaporation in a reed belt as influenced by weather conditions. Aquatic Botany 63, 113–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3770(98)00112-0

Heusinger, J., 2013. Untersuchung mikroklimatischer Aspekte von Dachbegrünungen mittels Messung und Modellierung (Master`s Thesis). TU Braunschweig.

Hewes, W., Mitchell, D., Chesnutt, T., Beecher, J., Pekelney, D., Kimball, R., Pitts, K., Aresta-Dasilva, J., Hamilton, H., 2008. Creating Jobs and Stimulating the

Page 23: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

23 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Economy through Investment in Green Water Infrastructure (Research Report). American Rivers and Alliance for Water Efficiency.

Huang, Y.-Y., Chen, C.-T., Tsai, Y.-C., 2016. Reduction of temperatures and temperature fluctuations by hydroponic green roofs in a subtropical urban climate. Energy and Buildings 129, 174–185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2016.07.023

Kjellstrom, T., Holmer, I., Lemke, B., 2009. Workplace heat stress, health and productivity – an increasing challenge for low and middle-income countries during climate change. Global Health Action 2, 2047. https://doi.org/10.3402/gha.v2i0.2047

Kovats, R.S., Kristie, L.E., 2006. Heatwaves and public health in Europe. European Journal of Public Health 16, 592–599. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckl049

Kraft, H., 1984. Verdunstungsleistung von Limnophyten bei der Abwasserreinigung in hydrobotanischen Kläranlagen. Wasser-Abwasser-Forschung 17, 12–15.

Ng, E., Chen, L., Wang, Y., Yuan, C., 2012. A study on the cooling effects of greening in a high-density city: An experience from Hong Kong. Building and Environment 47, 256–271.

Peng, L., Jim, C., 2013. Green-Roof Effects on Neighborhood Microclimate and Human Thermal Sensation. Energies 6, 598–618.

Pfoser, N., Jenner, N., Henrich, J., Heusinger, J., Weber, S., 2013. Gebäude Begrünung Energie: Potenziale und Wechselwirkungen (Abschlussbericht). Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt.

Rosenzweig, C., Solecki, W.D., Parshall, L., Gaffin, S., Lynn, B., Goldberg, R., Cox, J., Hodges, S., 2006. Mitigating New York City´s heat island with urban forestry, living roofs, and light surfaces (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/242139673_Mitigating_New_York_City%27s_heat_island_with_urban_forestry_living_roofs_and_light_surfaces).

Scharf, B., Pitha, U., Trimmel, H., 2012. Thermal performance of green roofs. Presented at the World Green Roof Congress, Kopenhagen, p. 16.

Solecki, W.D., Rosenzweig, C., Cox, J., Parshall, L., Rosenthal, J., Hodges, S., 2006. Potential Impact of Green Roofs on the Urban Heat Island Effect, in: Green Roofs in the New York Metropolitan Region: Research Report. Columbia University Center for Climate Systems Research and NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies., New York, pp. 15–26.

Takakura, J., Fujimori, S., Takahashi, K., Hijioka, Y., Hasegawa, T., Honda, Y., Masui, T., 2017. Cost of preventing workplace heat-related illness through worker breaks and the benefit of climate-change mitigation. Environ. Res. Lett. 12, 064010. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa72cc

Umweltbundesamt, 2019. Monitoringbericht 2019 zur Deutschen Anpassungsstrategie an den Klimawandel (Brochüre). Dessau-Roßlau.

Van, P.T.H., Tin, N.T., Hien, V.T.D., Quan, T.M., Thanh, B.X., Hang, V.T., Tuc, D.Q., Dan, N.P., Khoa, L.V., Phu, V.L., Son, N.T., Luong, N.D., Kwon, E., Park, C., Jung, J., Yoon, I., Lee, S., 2015. Nutrient removal by different plants in wetland roof systems treating domestic wastewater. Desalination and Water Treatment 54, 1344–1352. https://doi.org/10.1080/19443994.2014.915767

Willebrand, K.C.U., Friesen, J., Zehnsdorf, A., 2019. Trockenstress bei Sumpfpflanzendächern - Überleben ohne Bewässerung, in: Sumpfpflanzendächer - Themenheft Zum Projekt Forschungsgründach. Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung - UFZ, Leipzig, pp. 100–105.

Page 24: Wetland roofs a multifunctional green roof type - Basics

24 Ingenieurbüro Blumberg Gänsemarkt 10 D-37120 Bovenden Telefon: 05593-937750 Telefax: 05593-937765

E-Mail: [email protected] Internet: www.blumberg-engineers.com

Zapater-Pereyra, M., Lavrnić, S., van Dien, F., van Bruggen, J.J.A., Lens, P.N.L., 2016. Constructed wetroofs: A novel approach for the treatment and reuse of domestic wastewater. Ecological Engineering 94, 545–554. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2016.05.052

Zehnsdorf, A., Blumberg, M., Müller, R.A., 2019a. Helophyte mats (wetland roofs) with high evapotranspiration rates as a tool for decentralised rainwater management – process stability improved by simultaneous greywater treatment. Water Supply 19, 808–814. https://doi.org/10.2166/ws.2018.126

Zehnsdorf, A., Willebrand, K.C.U., Trabitzsch, R., Knechtel, S., Blumberg, M., Müller, R.A., 2019b. Wetland Roofs as an Attractive Option for Decentralized Water Management and Air Conditioning Enhancement in Growing Cities—A Review. Water 11, 1845. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11091845

Zehnsdorf, A., Stock, N., Richter, J., Blumberg, M., Müller, R.A., 2016. Grauwasserreinigung mit einer Sumpfpflanzenmatte unter Praxisbedingungen. Chemie Ingenieur Technik 88, 1138–1144. https://doi.org/10.1002/cite.201500185