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Factors Controlling the Hydraulic Efficiency of Green Roofs in the Metropolitan Area of Milan (Italy)

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  • Franco Salerno

    (Water Research Institute, National Research Council, IRSA-CNR, 20861 Brugherio, Italy
    Institute of Polar Sciences, National Research Council, ISP-CNR, 30172 Venezia, Italy
    Franco Salerno and Laura Marziali equally contributed to this paper.)

  • Lucia Valsecchi

    (Water Research Institute, National Research Council, IRSA-CNR, 20861 Brugherio, Italy)

  • Riccardo Minoia

    (Water Research Institute, National Research Council, IRSA-CNR, 20861 Brugherio, Italy)

  • Diego Copetti

    (Water Research Institute, National Research Council, IRSA-CNR, 20861 Brugherio, Italy)

  • Gianni Tartari

    (Water Research Institute, National Research Council, IRSA-CNR, 20861 Brugherio, Italy)

  • Nicolas Guyennon

    (Water Research Institute, National Research Council, IRSA-CNR, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy)

  • Nicola Colombo

    (Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy)

  • Niccolò Pirola

    (Water Research Institute, National Research Council, IRSA-CNR, 20861 Brugherio, Italy)

  • Benedetta Barozzi

    (Construction Technologies Institute, National Research Council, ITC-CNR, 20098 Milan, Italy)

  • Alice Bellazzi

    (Construction Technologies Institute, National Research Council, ITC-CNR, 20098 Milan, Italy)

  • Laura Marziali

    (Water Research Institute, National Research Council, IRSA-CNR, 20861 Brugherio, Italy
    Franco Salerno and Laura Marziali equally contributed to this paper.)

Abstract

Green roofs (GRs) are considered sustainable solutions for the adaptation of urban water management to climate change. The use of GRs is particularly promising in urban environments like the Metropolitan Area of Milan, the most urbanized area in Italy. In this work, we evaluated the subsurface runoff coefficient at the event-time scale, for more than one year of observations, of 68 small-scale test beds comprising different configurations of green roofs (e.g., different vegetations, types and depths of growing media, and different slopes) installed in the Metropolitan Area of Milan. The objectives of this study are three-fold. Firstly, the controlling factors of the hydraulic have been assessed for efficiency. We calculated a mean drainage flow rate of 51%, finding that growing media play a significant role in determining the drainage flow during the spring, at the beginning of the vegetative period. During this season, water retention in fertilized beds increases significantly. At the beginning of the summer, the vegetation cover is able to significantly reduce the drainage flow, playing an even more crucial role with respect to the growing medium material. However, we found that the vegetation type (grass field and Sedum ) does not play a significant role in the retention processes. Secondly, the delay of the peak flow rate was determined. We found a precipitation peak delay from 1 to 2 h, which would be sufficient to guarantee environmental benefits for urban drainage. Finally, the factors controlling the hydraulic efficiency of GRs for individual precipitation events were assessed. We found that soil moisture and cumulated precipitation are both significant factors determining the drainage flow rate. In conclusion, we point out that soil moisture is one of the main parameters characterizing GR drainage and should be further considered in future research efforts devoted to the analysis of GR performance.

Suggested Citation

  • Franco Salerno & Lucia Valsecchi & Riccardo Minoia & Diego Copetti & Gianni Tartari & Nicolas Guyennon & Nicola Colombo & Niccolò Pirola & Benedetta Barozzi & Alice Bellazzi & Laura Marziali, 2021. "Factors Controlling the Hydraulic Efficiency of Green Roofs in the Metropolitan Area of Milan (Italy)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-13, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:24:p:13638-:d:699040
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Antonia Longobardi & Roberta D’Ambrosio & Mirka Mobilia, 2019. "Predicting Stormwater Retention Capacity of Green Roofs: An Experimental Study of the Roles of Climate, Substrate Soil Moisture, and Drainage Layer Properties," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-14, December.
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