Recent studies have highlighted the ecological, economic and social benefits assured by green roof technology to urban areas. However, green roofs are very hostile environments for plant growth because of shallow substrate depths, high temperatures and irradiance and wind exposure. This study provides experimental evidence for the importance of accurate selection of plant species and substrates...

Performance of vegetated roofs are investigated in terms of their expected benefits for the building and the urban environment, due to their recognised energy and water management potential scores. A review of related worldwide experiences is reported for comparison purposes. The investigation is here performed within the specific climatic context of the Mediterranean region. Full-scale experim...

Green roofs have multiple environmental benefits, such as saving energy, improving air quality, mitigating noise, providing habitat, beautifying the landscape, and improving urban hydrology. Among the environmental benefits of green roofs, improving runoff quality is a controversial issue. Substrate and plant litter may be transported with green roof runoff, which would increase the risk of urb...

Green roofs are becoming an increasingly popular way to improve the environmental, economic, and aesthetic performance of both new and existing buildings. Along with the green roofs themselves, it is also common to install sensors to measure various environmental parameters that are affected by or important to the operation of the roof such as precipitation, temperature, and runoff. However, fo...

The aim of this study is to explore large (60 m/pixel) and small scale (individual building level) temperature distribution patterns from thermal remote sensing data and to conclude what kind of information could be extracted from thermal remote sensing on regular basis. Landsat program provides frequent large scale thermal images useful for analysis of city temperature patterns. During the stu...

Green roofs are gaining momentum in the arid and semi-arid regions due to their multiple benefits as compared with conventional roofs. One of the most critical steps in green roof installation is the selection of drought and heat tolerant species that can thrive under extreme microclimate conditions. We monitored the water status, growth and survival of 11 drought-adapted shrub species grown on...

A roof provides protection to be safe from direct sunlight. From the shelter, shadow alone is not expected. Durability, sustainability, less life cycle cost, and low maintenance cost are expected from a selected roof. The world has a thirst to have a best roof. No roof will fulfil the requirement of humanity since the climatic conditions are different. Hence the roof should be selected accordin...

The aims of this study were: (i) the mapping of asbestos cement roofs in an urban area; and (ii) the development of a spectral index related to the roof weathering status. Aerial images were collected through the Multispectral Infrared and Visible Imaging Spectrometer (MIVIS) sensor, which acquires data in 102 channels from the visible to the thermal infrared spectral range. An image based supe...

Urban green roofs are discussed as a local climate adaptation measure to limit surface warming and increase evaporative cooling by vegetation in urban environments. A five month measurement campaign was conducted to observe surface and air temperatures as well as dewfall dynamics and amounts on an urban green and co-located bitumen roof. Measurements were performed in the period from August to ...

The Triassic was a time of turmoil, as life recovered from near-annihilation. Archosauromorph reptiles flourished and diversified as they filled empty ecological niches, and some of them presaged later dinosaurian inventions, such as thickened skull roofs.