The installers of a "green roof" planned for City Hall on 11th Street touted the benefits of the green roof.
The City Council recently voted to authorize a $314,000 green roof for the City Council Building. The green roof is part of a re-roof project for the building.
The LiveRoof Hybrid Green Roof System from LiveRoof, LLC (Spring Lake, Mich.) will be installed. Southeast Green Roofs, LLC (Fairview, Tn.), a licensed regional grower and distributor for LiveRoof, has begun growing the plants in the LiveRoof modules.
“When we deliver the LiveRoof system for installation, the modules will be full of regionally adapted, locally grown plants that are lush and flourishing,” said Andy Sudbrock, plant ecologist, Southeast Green Roofs, LLC. “The plants, developed for their beauty and ability to thrive on the roof for decades with little maintenance, will be fully-grown and ready for the tough environment up on the rooftop. It will be a complete green roof on day one.”
He said the green roof will provide substantial benefits, including improved stormwater management and extending the service life of the City Council Building’s new roof. “A green roof acts like a natural sponge and reduces the volume and velocity of stormwater runoff,” he said. “Green roof plants and soil also provide a protective shield for the roof itself. The new roof will last much longer.”
He said reducing stormwater runoff "is a priority for the city of Chattanooga. The tunnels of the City’s combined sanitary sewer and stormwater system lead into below ground caverns that in turn direct the flow to the Moccasin Bend Sewage Treatment Plant. During severe storms, excess runoff overflows and pollutes local creeks and the Tennessee River."
“Green infrastructure has more promise for revitalization of our impaired streams and waters while revitalizing our city than any prior approach,” said David Crockett, director, Office of Sustainability, city of Chattanooga. “Green roofs are one of the best examples with multiple positive outcomes.”
He said the LiveRoof system has been proven successful in the Chattanooga area. The Chattanooga Housing Authority installed LiveRoof in June 2011 for the 2,200-square-foot green roof at the Mary Walker Towers.
The Hamilton County Health Department used LiveRoof for its 1,500-square-foot green roof, completed in December 2011. The Creative Discovery Museum has a 3,800-square-foot LiveRoof green roof, installed in March 2010.
LiveRoof modules feature the Soil Elevator and Moisture Portal, patent-pending innovations which establish a LiveRoof green roof as a unified, naturally functioning ecosystem, it was stated. The Soil Elevator, a removable insert, lines the inside of modules so soil can be filled above the top. When the modules are installed side-by-side, and the Soil Elevators are removed, an uninterrupted layer of soil and vegetative surface then extends across the entire rooftop, officials said.
The Moisture Portal is an opening on the sides of the modules and establishes soil-to-soil contact between them. Plant roots are free to grow in a natural way from one module to the next. This ecological integration between and above LiveRoof modules maximizes the cohesiveness of the soil and plant roots to optimize plant health, long-term green roof sustainability, and green roof benefits, it was stated.
Southeast Green Roofs (SEGR) is the Licensed Regional Grower for the LiveRoof Hybrid Green Roof System in Tennessee, Kentucky and southern Indiana. Specializing in drought tolerant native and adapted plants for green roof applications, SEGR provides successful and sustainable green roofs to clients throughout the region. A locally owned small business in Fairview, Tn., Southeast Green Roofs prides itself on customer care and local horticultural expertise, officials said.
Green Roof benefits listed by the installers include:
Effective Stormwater Management: Immediate stormwater runoff reduced by 50-90 percent. Green roofs also filter pollutants out of rainwater water and act as a buffer against acid rain. Longer Roof Life: Plants and soil serve as a protective shield and prevent UV radiation from degrading roof components. Fewer cracks and leaks. Waterproof roof membranes can last 200-300 percent longer. That maximizes ROI in new roofs.
Energy Conservation: On a sunny 95°F day, conventional rooftop surfaces can hit 175°F. By shading and insulating the rooftop, green roofs bring these temperatures in line with the ambient air temperature. They thereby reduce indoor temperatures and energy consumption, especially for air conditioning in summer. That decreases facility costs for building owners.Interior Noise Reduction: Lower indoor sound levels, as much as 40 decibels.
Urban Heat Island Effect Mitigation: Plants release oxygen and evaporate water. Green roof soil also evaporates water. That makes a green roof function like a natural evaporative cooling system. The combination of the umbrella effect (shading and insulating) and evaporative cooling moderates temperatures at street level.Improved Air Quality: Every one square foot of green roof can filter about seven ounces of dust and smog particles per year. In addition, through the process of photosynthesis, plants covert carbon dioxide, water and sunlight/energy into oxygen and glucose. That reduces the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Enhanced Aesthetics: Green space is visually appealing and inviting. People feel better and are more productive when they have a natural view. Barren rooftops can even become habitable spaces with walkways, patios and seating and thereby add useable space to buildings.