Gianni Vesuviano - Research Student

Telephone: +49 7022 6003 392
Room: ICOSS 2nd floor

Research Group

Research Project

The hydrological performance of green roof drainage layers

Green roofs, consisting of a layer of plants over a growing medium, drainage layer, protection and waterproofing, have been shown to retain around 50-80% of the annual rainfall that lands on them, significantly reducing the quantity of runoff that must be transported by drainage systems. In addition, they provide temporary water storage during storms, reducing the peak runoff from a building at the times when drainage structures are at their most strained.

A drainage layer is included in most green roofs, and various claims have been made relating to the functions it performs. However, no research has been published that specifically studies the hydrological behaviour of the drainage layer during or between storms. Increased knowledge in this area would allow for improvements in the design of green roofs as a SUDS component.

Through my research, I will be investigating the performance of the drainage layer. I aim to create a model that can predict the time-series response of a drainage layer to any time –series input. A 5 × 1 metre rainfall simulator will be used to generate controlled storms, for the purposes of collecting data for and later verifying the model. I will also be studying the regeneration of the drainage layer´s storage capacity, by the inter-storm evaporative process, using small-scale experimental models of green roof systems.