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Title: CLIMATE-RESILIENT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT: A PILOT STUDY ON THE RUNOFF MITIGATION EFFECTS OF AN EXTENSIVE GREEN ROOF

Year

2025

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Title

CLIMATE-RESILIENT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT: A PILOT STUDY ON THE RUNOFF MITIGATION EFFECTS OF AN EXTENSIVE GREEN ROOF

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Authors

Emil Tsanov; Dobril Valchev; Irina Ribarova; Valentina Dimova

DOI

10.5593/sgem2025/6.1/s26.46

DOI Issue

10.5593/sgem2025/6.1

ISSN

1314-2704

ISBN

978-619-7603-87-3

Language

English

Volume

Issue

6.1

Editor

• Prof. Dr. hab. oec. Baiba Rivza, LATVIA• Prof. DSc. Ildiko Tulbure, GERMANY• Prof. DSc. Oleksandr Trofymchuk, UKRAINE

Scientific Area

Green Design, Sustainable Cities and Architecture

Abstract/ Foreword

The retention of rainwater runoff through green roofs provides a number of positive effects in achieving resilient urban infrastructure. The most significant benefits include adaptation to climate changes, such as alternating between intense rainfall and droughts, as well as reduced capital and operational expenditures for sewer systems. The primary objective of this research is to analyze the mitigation effect on the run-off from an extensive green roof in the Sofia (Bulgaria) area for the first time. To accomplish this, half of an existing bitumen roof (400 m2) was upgraded to a green roof. The runoff from both sections was then subjected to comparative analysis. The selection of the green roof was made with the objective of being as light as possible in order to be applicable to existing buildings. The obtained results demonstrate a substantial reduction in the discharged runoff volume to the sewer, reducing the overall stress to the water collection system - a widespread finding in other regions. However, the findings of this study demonstrate that the effect is not uniform, as the green roof possesses a capacity to accumulate water. Once this capacity is exhausted, and the green roof is ponded, the run-off exhibits a behavior that is analogous to that of the bitumen roof. Consequently, the mitigation effect during severe storms should be carefully considered in sewer modelling. The findings will facilitate the engineering design of modern resilient urban water management infrastructure.

References (click to open)

[1] Silva, F., Calheiros, C. S. C., Valle, G., Pinto, P., Albuquerque, A., & Antão-Geraldes, A. M., Influence of Green Roofs on the Design of a Public Stormwater Drainage System: A Case Study. Sustainability (Switzerland), vol. 15/issue 7, pp 1-13, 2023.
[2] Pirouz, B., Palermo, S. A., Becciu, G., Sanfilippo, U., Nejad, H. J., Piro, P., & Turco, M., A Novel Multipurpose Self-Irrigated Green Roof with Innovative Drainage Layer. Hydrology, vol. 10/issue 3, pp 1-18, 2023.
[3] Soulis, K. X., Ntoulas, N., Nektarios, P. A., & Kargas, G., Runoff reduction from extensive green roofs having different substrate depth and plant cover. Ecological Engineering, vol. 102, pp 80–89, 2017.
[4] Shetty, N. H., Elliott, R. M., Wang, M., Palmer, M. I., & Culligan, P. J., Comparing the hydrological performance of an irrigated native vegetation green roof with a conventional Sedum spp. green roof in New York City. PLoS ONE, vol. 17, 2022.
[5] Santos, M. L., Silva, C. M., Ferreira, F., & Matos, J. S., Hydrological Analysis of Green Roofs Performance under a Mediterranean Climate: A Case Study in Lisbon, Portugal. Sustainability, vol. 15/issue 2, pp 1-18, 2023.
[6] Shafique, M., Kim, R., & Kyung-Ho, K., Green roof for stormwater management in a highly urbanized area: The case of Seoul, Korea. Sustainability, vol. 10/issue 3, 2018.
[7] Sakson, G., Green roof impact on the quantity and quality of stormwater discharged from urban areas. Journal of Water and Land Development, vol. 57, pp 91–97, 2023.
[8] Tsanov, E., Valchev, D., Ribarova, I., & Dimova, G. Quality of Harvested Rainwater from a Green and a Bitumen Roof in an Air Polluted Region. Civil Engineering Journal (Iran), vol. 10/issue 5, pp 1589-1605, 2024.
[9] Palermo, S. A., Turco, M., Principato, F., & Piro, P., Hydrological effectiveness of an extensive green roof in Mediterranean climate. Water, vol. 11/issue 7, 2019.
[10] Farreny, R., Morales-Pinzón, T., Guisasola, A., Tayà, C., Rieradevall, J., & Gabarrell, X., Roof selection for rainwater harvesting: Quantity and quality assessments in Spain. Water Research, vol. 45/issue 10, pp 3245–3254, 2011.
[11] Kumar, M. D., Roof Water Harvesting for Domestic Water Security: Who Gains and Who Loses? Water International, vol. 29/issue 1, pp 43–53, 2004.

Acknowledgements (click to open)

This research was funded by the Grant Project ?BG16RFPR002-1.014-0015: “Clean Technologies for Sustainable Environment – Water, Waste, Energy for a Circular Economy”, financed by the Bulgarian Programme “Research, Innovation and Digitalisation for Smart Transformation”, co-financed by the European Union. We would also like to express our gratitude to the Center for Research and Design at the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia, Bulgaria for covering the taxes for paper publishing and installation of the green roof. The authors are also thankful to Sofiyska Voda, AD for its support for installing the equipment in the campus of WWTP Kubratovo.

Type

conference

Url

https://doi.org/10.5593/sgem2025/6.1/s26.46

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CLIMATE-RESILIENT STORMWATER MANAGEMENT: A PILOT STUDY ON THE RUNOFF MITIGATION EFFECTS OF AN EXTENSIVE GREEN ROOF

Proceedings Тitle

Proceedings of 25th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2025, Volume 25, Issue 6.1

Note

25th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2025, Volume 25, Issue 6.1, 29 June - 6 July, 2025

Type

Proceedings Paper

Publisher

STEF92 Technology

Series

International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference Surveying Geology and Mining Ecology Management, SGEM

Organization

SWS Scholarly Society; Acad Sci Czech Republ; Latvian Acad Sci; Polish Acad Sci; Russian Acad Sci; Serbian Acad Sci and Arts; Natl Acad Sci Ukraine; Natl Acad Sci Armenia; Sci Council Japan; European Acad Sci, Arts and Letters; Acad Fine Arts Zagreb Croatia; Croatian Acad Sci and Arts; Acad Sci Moldova; Montenegrin Acad Sci and Arts; Georgian Acad Sci; Acad Fine Arts and Design Bratislava; Russian Acad Arts; Turkish Acad Sci.

Pages

325-332

Date

29 June - 6 July, 2025

Online Source Type

website

Digital Source Type

10240

Keywords

hydrologic performance, green roof, stormwater management, runoff management, sustainable sewerage systems