Skip to main content
Log in

The green roof effect on the seismic response of RC frame structures

  • Practice-oriented paper
  • Published:
Innovative Infrastructure Solutions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

    We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.

    Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.

Abstract

Sustainability addresses the need to reduce the impact of the structure on the environment, but does not reduce the impact of the environment on the structure. Considering this disconnect, this study brings together a discussion of sustainable advantage, green roofs, and structural resilience to better understand and quantify their relationship. Various design requirements that relate to the transfer of green building design will be investigated in this study. In this study, the effect of green roof type on the seismic performance of three, six, and twelve-story moment-resisting RC frames (MRFs) is investigated. These frames are designed according to the Egyptian codes without considering green roofs on the top. The frame that does not have a green roof (OG) and the frames with an extensive green roof (EG) and with an intensive green roof (IG) were applied in each frame design. Drain-2dx program is used in the static pushover and nonlinear time history analysis using ten earthquake records. These frames are evaluated through the roof drift ratio (RDR), the maximum story drift ratios (SDR), the maximum column axial compression forces (MACF), and the fundamental period. The results indicated that the effect of green roofs on the roof drift ratio and the maximum story drift ratio is mainly decreased by increasing the number of the story. The performance of the two types of green roof frames in RDR and SDR are similar. Also, the column MACFs and the fundamental periods of green roof frames are higher than those in the frame without the green roof.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17
Fig. 18
Fig. 19
Fig. 20
Fig. 21

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Vijayaraghavan K (2016) Green roofs: a critical review on the role of components, benefits, limitations and trends. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 57:740–752. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.12.119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bianchini F, Hewage K (2012) how “green” are the green roofs? Lifecycle analysis of green roof materials. Build Environ 48:57–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Nelms CE, Russell A, Lence B (2007) Assessing the performance of sustainable technologies: a framework and its application. Build Res Inf 35:237–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/09613210601058139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Clark C, Adriaens P, Talbot FB (2008) Green roof valuation: A probabilistic economic analysis of environmental benefits. Environ Sci Technol 42:2155–2161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bianchinia F, Haqueb R, Hewagec K, Alam MS (2016) Influence of green roofs on the seismic response of frame structures. Earthq Struct 11:265–280. https://doi.org/10.12989/eas.2016.11.2.265265

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Welsh-Huggins S, Liel A (2017) A life cycle framework for integrating green building and hazard resistant design examining the seismic impacts of buildings with green roofs. Struct Infrast Eng 13:19–33. https://doi.org/10.1080/15732479.2016.1198396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Contreras O, Nunez F (2020) Analysis of the state of the structure of a bus stop subjected to loads exerted by a green roof, case study: Bogotá, Colombia, Revista Ingeniería de Construcción 35

  8. Tam S, Wong J (2021) Seismic performance of a green roof structure. Sustainability 13:4278. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Pursuitist. Com (2015) Chicago City Hall Rooftop Garden, Time of India Travel, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/chicago-city-hall-rooftop-garden/as38083466.cms

  10. ECP-201 (2012) Egyptian code for calculating loads and forces in structural work and masonry, housing and building national research center, ministry of housing, utilities and urban planning, Cairo

  11. ECP-203 (2007) Egyptian code of practice for design and construction of concrete structures, research center for housing and construction, ministry of housing, utilities and urban planning, Cairo.

  12. Prakash V, Powell GH (1993) DRAIN-2DX user guide, Department of Civil Engineering, University of California, and Berkeley, California

  13. Eksi M, Rowe B, Wichman IS, Andresen JA (2017) Effect of substrate depth, vegetation type, and season on green roof thermal properties”. Energy Build 145:174–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Cascone S et al (2018) A comprehensive study on green roof performance for retrofitting existing buildings. Build Environ 136:227–239

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Xue M, Farrell C (2020) Use of organic wastes to create lightweight green roof substrates with increased plant-available water. Urban For Urban Green 48:126569

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. ASTM E2397–11 (2005) Standard practice for determination of dead loads and live loads associated with vegetative (green) roof systems

  17. Oberndorfer E, Lundholm J, Bass B, Coffman RR, Doshi H, Dunnett N, Gaffin S, K€ohler M, Liu KKY, Rowe B (2007) Green roofs as urban ecosystems: ecological structures, functions, and services. BioScience 57(10):823–833

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Cascone S (2019) Green roof design: state of the art on technology and materials. Sustainability 11:3020. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11113020

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER 2007), Available from: http://peer.berkeley.edu.

  20. Hart G, Vasudevan R (1975) Earthquake design of buildings: damping. J Struct Div 101:11–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Chopra AK (2001) Dynamics of structures (2nd edn). Prentice-Hall

    Google Scholar 

  22. FEMA 273 (1997) NEHRP guidelines for the seismic rehabilitation of buildings. Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington DC

  23. Chopra AK, Goel R.K (2003) A modal pushover analysis procedure for estimating seismic demands for buildings: summery and evaluation, Fifth national conference on earthquake, Istanbul, Turkey, Keynote Lecture

Download references

Acknowledgements

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emad A. Elhout.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author declares that they have no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Elhout, E.A. The green roof effect on the seismic response of RC frame structures. Innov. Infrastruct. Solut. 7, 111 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-021-00708-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-021-00708-5

Keywords

Navigation