Appropriate Design Elements

And Soil Selection for GreenRoofs

in Texas
 INTRODUCTION
Population growth
• Greatly impact the trend of urbanisation
Effect
• Logistical and environmental pressure on urban centres
Solution
• Maximise the quality of urban life and explore new
efficiencies
Green roofs benefits
• Shifting urban environment ranging from improving air
quality to reducing electrical bills
 AIM AND OBJECTIVE
Aim
The aim of this study is to determine the characteristics and
possibility of native barren soil as a green roof media in
green roof design.

Objectives
This study has two primary goals:

– Inform the bio mimicry design process by describing the soils

of the Walnut Barrens and Goodland Barrens ecosystems

– Monitor barrens and commercial soils’ hydrologic

performance as green roof media
 METHODOLOGY
SOIL SAMPLING
– Soil from Walnut barren and Goodland barren ecosystem will be sampled from
variety of field sites for laboratory analysis

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN
– Several test modules will be built to standard the native soil against the commercial
media, and to test the methods of increasing infiltration rates
– Three test modules will be built for each treatment to provide redundancy and
increase study area

TREATMENT
– Bare Native soil
– Commercial Green Roof
– Barren Soil with Gravel Mulch
– Barren Soil with Artificial Rock Mulch
 EXPECTED RESULTS

• Barrens soils is most likely expected to be a possible media for green

or living roofs

• Predicted to retain more rainwater than the commercial medium

• Lightweight aggregates could lighten the native soil but must be in

the correct ratio of aggregate to soil for weight reduction
WORK SCHEDULE