LIVING ROOF PROJECT ENGINEERING CLUB

A living roof or green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems. What is a living roof?

Living roof structure: 1.Vegetation: Plants (flowers, grass, vegetables or crops). 2.Growing medium: Soil. 3.Drainage/aeration layer: One of the most important layers, helps to regulate the amount of water staying in the living roof system and draining access water off the roof. 4.Insulation/geo foam: Optional layer, prevents stored water from cooling the roof surface in winter and heating the roof surface in the summer. 5.Waterproof layer: Prevents water from leaking through the roof. surface 6.Roof structure: The existing rooftop.

Alternative Energy Sources Our ultimate goal is to create a living roof system that is 100% self sufficient. Therefore, we will need alternative energy sources such as: Solar panels Energy producing tiles Wind turbines

Vertical axis Wind Turbines Vertical wind turbines offer a wide variety of Advantages. Less danger to wildlife Smaller design for more residential use Less expensive than standard wind turbines Visually appealing Can harvest wing coming from any direction Low maintenance costs

Rainwater collection bins and irrigation systems 1 inch or rainfall yields more than half a gallon of water per square foot. *If you collect rainwater over a surface of 2000 square feet, you can collect over 1,250 gallons of water with just 1 inch of rain. Filtering system Pump system Irrigation system

Permeable flooring More and better drainage Less visible components (e.g. piping and pump systems) Permeable flooring allows accumulated water on the ground travel below the flooring tiles and be re-directed into a rainwater collection bin.

Plant life Various types of flowers Crape myrtles Drought resistant plants Grass

Fly Ash Adds strength to concrete Reduces cost Adds more water, heat and chemical resistance. Can be used in bricks Reduces weight Fly ash (also called flue ash) is the by-product of coal burning power plants.

Glass railings Glass on glass railings must be at a minimum of 1/4 inch thick Railing must be at a minimum of 48 inches tall Glass must be either single fully tempered glass, laminated fully tempered glass or heat strengthened glass

Safety Safety is our top priority. We will hire many different types of engineers and other professionals to ensure our preferred location or other suitable locations are, and will remain a safe place to build. Once we are able to start building, we will only allow professionals in, and around the work site. we will also block off potentially dangerous areas for the rest of the students in the school. When we have a foundation set, have a railing that meets all codes and regulations, and means of egress it will be safe for students to take part in the next step of the building process. We will make sure students have proper supervision at all times when working in the building site.

Building codes and regulations Handicap accessibility (elevators and ramps) Emergency evacuation routes (2 or more) Safe/accessible means of egress added structural support and weight limit Electrical installations Fire protection and support Protective signaling alarms Because we are building on the roof, we will need to follow specific guidelines and codes in order safely make the area accessible and useable. Wall height Minimum size for classroom setting Build-able distance from gas lines and AC units Occupant load Living and dead loads Railing and wall heights Elevator access

Visual and tactile directive signs Benches Glass in handrails Occupant load Hazard detection devices Emergency alarm systems Emergency control station Manual fire alarm box Power sources Emergency and standby power systems (this will not be necessary with alternative power sources)

Classroom usage We plan to make the space useable for up to 50 students at a time. Section 1004 of the building code states that, for educational purposes an area of at minimum 20 net feet. This would require at least 1000 net feet of surface area to build on. By allowing 50 students at at time, any teacher, class or club can use the space without having to improvise in any way. We also plan to add benches and other open seating to create a better and more comfortable learning environment. One more plan, is to create MacBook charging stations for future classes. Having an outdoor, open classroom setting is also a great opportunity for hands on learners to learn many new skill sets useful in their lives. This will also give art students an opertunity to use tools and techniques they would otherwise be unable to use inside

What will this project teach us, and possibly others? The knowledge that we as both individuals, and as a group, will gain, will be applicable far beyond the classroom setting. We will learn problem solving skills, like how to overcome the numerous obstacles standing in our pathway to success. We will learn to work with each other, finding solutions to conflicting ideas and combining similar ones. And most Importantly, we will learn to communicate with professionals, to get our ideas out into the world, and to make a difference. Additionally, others can see our process and final product and be inspired to do their own project like ours. A living roof will contribute to numerous classes, make students eager to learn, and substantially boost average grades throughout the whole school.

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