Green Roof Systems’ efficiency in Reducing Surface Runoff in Urban Basins

Flash floods in urban areas caused by overload of drainage networks are a recurrent problem in Buenos Aires city, with negative impacts of raising importance. Greenroofs retain part of the stormwater, reducing surface runoff and generating runoff hydrographs with lower and delayed peak flows. Therefore, this technology can contribute to mitigate the overload of drainage networks.
During the first and second year of the project, the reduction of runoff will be evaluated by means of measuring of percolating water in parcels simulating greenroofs with two different combination of materials and depths of substrate, with vegetation cover and without it. Soil moisture reduction by transpiration will also be evaluated. 

During the third year, the fraction of precipitation which is retained by the most efficient greenroofs will be determined for specific rainstorms: the most intensive ones in the last twenty years, as well as for a typical storm with low return period normally used for the design of a drainage network in a big city.
  • Title Original : Eficiencia de los sistemas de techos verdes en la reducción de la escorrentía superficial en cuencas urbanas
  • Website : http://
  • Project start : 2011
  • Project end : 2014
  • Contact Person : Daniel F. Barrera | Hector G. Rosatto
  • Funding Agency : Universidad de Buenos Aires (UbaCyT)
  • Location : Argentina, Buenos Aires, lat : -34.591442086868600000 - lng : -58.487112522125244000 address : Av Francisco Beiro 2302-2400, Buenos Aires, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina