An Overview of Greenroofs at Airports: Greening Rooftops as Sustainable Design Presented to the Atlanta Aero Club February 16, 2011 By Linda S. Velazquez, ASLA Associate, LEED AP, GRP Greenroofs.com Publisher & Editor
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Airport Development Problems Destruction of Ecosystems Air Pollution Stormwater Management Water Pollution Noise Pollution Urban Heat Islands Greenroofs are one of NASA s choices for heat island mitigation!
Environmental Issues Temperatures are 10 F warmer than surrounding areas!
Downtown Atlanta Thermal Map 10 rise doubles the amount of ozone.
NASA Science Bare roofs can exceed 175 F!
NASA Infrared Imagery May 1997 Atlanta Airport
NASA Infrared Imagery May 1997 I-85 Asphalt Parking Lots Concrete Parking Deck Terminal Concrete Parking Deck Concourses Atlanta Airport Asphalt Parking Lots Concrete Runways
Greenroofs Mitigate the Negative Effects of a Building s Footprint Lower the urban heat island effect & improve air quality Reduce ambient air temperatures; filter air; bind dust particles & reduce glare Alleviate stormwater systems & reduce combined sewer overflows Cool down & reduce runoff flow rates; retain 50-95% of rainwater on site; absorb and filter heavy metals & pollutants Extend the life of the roof double, triple, or more Buried layers protect structure: UV rays, wind & temperature extremes Reduce energy consumption Cut cooling & heating costs
Aviation Greenroof Projects: Europe & North America
FRA Frankfurt International 170,000 sf at Terminal 1. Frankfurt, Germany
FRA Frankfurt International Frankfurt, Germany
FRA Frankfurt International Frankfurt, Germany
FRA Frankfurt International Since 1990, at least 20 greenroofs with 500,000 sf at FRA. Photo Diane Cook & Len Jenshel
ZRH - Zürich-Kloten Zurich, Switzerland, 2002: 130,000 sf total
ZRH - Zürich-Kloten Multi-story Car Park B (Parkhaus B) 86,000 sf Greenroof Sound Abatement: A simple 3 deep vegetative cover can reduce sound transmission by a min of 5 decibels with abatement of up to 46 decibels on thicker roofs.
ZRH - Zürich-Kloten 43,000 sf at Dock E (Dock Midfield)
Fire Brigade at STR Stuttgart International Airport, Germany.
Control Tower at STR Stuttgart International Airport, Germany: In total. Over 3 million sf!
AMS Schiphol International Airport Amsterdam, The Netherlands: 1994+, about 200,000 sf total
AMS Schiphol 91,493 sf at Schiphol Plaza.
AMS Schiphol
Bremen Airport Terminal Bremen, Germany, 1998.
GVA - The Cointrin Hall de fret The Freight Handling & Administration Building, Geneva, Switzerland. Close-up of one of the atriums.
Hannover Airport Hotel Hannover, Germany.
Hannover Airport Hotel Hannover, Germany.
Chicago O Hare 607 New South Vault & New Duct Bank: 2008. 17,800 sf. Sustainability key element for O Hare Modernization Program.
Chicago O Hare The first greenroof on an FAA Tower in the U.S. ORD North Air Traffic Control Base Building, 2008: 10,000 sf.
Chicago O Hare FedEx Cargo Facility, 2010: 170,000 sf. Now 230,000+ sf @ ORD with 11 greenroofs.
Chicago Midway Chicago Midway Airport Parking Garage, 2008: 3,000 sf.
Port of Portland HQ at PDX A - 9th floor intensive greenroof B - Low-flow fixtures C - 8th floor extensive greenroof D - Living Machine LEED Gold designed E - 9 th floor extensive greenroof F - Reflective membrane roof G - Radiant heating and cooling ceiling H - 200 wells provide ground source heating & cooling
Port of Portland HQ at PDX 2009: 9,822 sf extensive greenroof on 8 th floor, smaller intensive on 9 th
Peterson Air Force Base 21st Space Wing Headquarters Building, CO: 2007. 19,000 sf roof about 67 cooler than nearby 21st Mission Support Group building.
Tobyhanna Army Depot Tobyhanna, PA, 2006: 14,000 sf. Initially expected to reduce energy costs by 30%.
YVR Vancouver International Airport One extensive & one intensive greenroof, 2009: 2,000 sf. Opportunities with local artists here, First Nation.
YVR Canada Line Station 4 Living Wall SkyTrain station, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. 2,123 sf; 56 x 38 high.
Design Strategy Against Wildlife Hazards Identify those responsible for implementing the plan; Identify and provide information on hazardous wildlife attractants on or near the airport; Create Airport Landscape Management Plan; Greenroof Consultant collaborates to select appropriate system type, growing media, and plants for site. Gravel roofs seem to be more of an attractant to birds, particularly larger species, such as gulls, than greenroofs with low to medium vegetation.
Barren Rooftop or Greenroof? The choice is ours.
Atlanta City Hall Atlanta, GA: 2003, 3,100 sf.
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