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smsmkiwi t1_iu0fjm6 wrote

The insulative proerties of soil is pretty good but I suspect there may be issues with the extra weight of damp soil and possible water seepage. Building maintenance in US cities is not a big priority.

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scootynyoom t1_iu0gxow wrote

It's not too complex, it just looks nicer

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Peeeculiar t1_iu0iybl wrote

Solar panels. It makes for a good ESG story for them.

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riski_click t1_iu0j20x wrote

>Building maintenance in US cities is not a big priority.

As someone who has been employed full time in a US city as a building maintenance person, I disagree.

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itsonlyastrongbuzz t1_iu0jng1 wrote

Newer types of artificial turf can provide great insulation qualities, support high traffic, and allow easier drainage.

There’s a lot of “energy” (maintenance & water) spent on maintaining grass on the roof of a building, and it’s difficult to ensure sufficient drainage, or trace leaks / water intrusion.

The ideal “green” roof is a recycled plastic roof that can support outdoor gatherings (allowing for building occupants to get fresh air and sunlight) ,while providing enhanced building efficiency while also drawing less water and energy, all paired with real potted plants that support birds and pollinators.

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EPICANDY0131 t1_iu26m1v wrote

green roofs were greenwashing to begin with... anything else is better

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what_do_you_meme69 t1_iu2clmp wrote

As an employee in 75 state the existing roof area was starting to get a little run down and the space didn’t work great. The turf is only part of it, they’ll be putting a bar area out there along with more seating. They want to turn it into an area that tenants can have functions rather than an outdoor space that fills up so quickly most people cannot use a table. Another fun fact they are making an event hall inside too!

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DIDO2SPAC t1_iu3tyus wrote

Geofoam and insulation are 100 times lighter and maintenance free than soil. We use it a lot in projects.

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jasongetsdown t1_iu4e6he wrote

Care to expand on that? Green roofs have a lot of benefits when properly planted. Insulation, reduction of the heat island effect, absorption of rain water to slow runoff into public sewers, and just sheer beauty.

The key is “properly planted”. It looks like they wanted turf grass to support foot traffic so they could use it as habitable space. Turf grass needs a ton of water and maintenance to support that kind of use so it isn’t really an ideal choice for a green roof. Drought tolerant prairie plants and plants adapted to thin, lean soils are what you want. It’s been a while since I read up on this so I can’t speak the details, but turf grass ain’t the thing.

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