Landscaped Rooftops Save on Energy Bills

Landscaped Rooftops Save on Energy Bills

Alexandria, VA - Roofs are now going green and taking our nation by storm.  Many building owners and homeowners are replacing standard roof shingles with vegetation in order to reduce their carbon footprint and enjoy significant savings in their heating and cooling bills.  Vegetated green roofs offer many earth conscious advantages. 

A roof is considered “green” when covered with soil and vegetation.  Although the concept of green roofs has been around for centuries, they’re growing in their popularity in our green world.  Consider its advantages – energy reduction, reduced storm water runoff, reduced heat island effect, increased habitat area, extended roof life and let’s not forget its sheer beauty.   A standard dark colored roof’s temperature is about 175°F compared to a living roof where the temperature reduces to a mere 95°F.  This drastic reduction in the roof temperature can ultimately reduce heating costs up to 25% and cooling costs up to 50%.

In the past, green roofs have been primarily constructed on flat rooftops often in urban environments.  Gravity, vertical wind uplift and erosion problems prevented building owners with sloped or pitched roofs from installing a green roof.  Recently, a resident in Alexandria, VA approached Capitol Green Roofs for a living roof on their recent addition.  The challenge presented to Greg from Capitol Green Roofs was their uniquely designed arched roof.  Greg teamed up with Cell-Tek Geosynthetics from Crofton, MD, who manufactures a recycled stabilizer grid system designed specifically for this application.  “There are various challenges when dealing with a sloped or pitched roof.” says Gregory Long, Design Director at Capitol Green Roofs.  “Cell-Tek’s System solved my concerns with soil migration and wind erosion.  It even allowed me to ensure an even coverage of soil throughout the roof,” says Long.

The contractor who installed the green roof removed the existing shingles on the addition and laid down a rubber waterproofing membrane to protect the roof and prevent any water leakage into the house.  The next layer was a geo-textile drainage mat followed by the Cell-Tek 3” depth cellular confinement system.  The system is then secured to the roof by tendons to prevent any slippage.  Afterwards, the cells were filled with topsoil.  The finishing touch was a pre-vegetated sedum mat and the end result was a beautiful living roof for this homeowner.

Cellular Confinement Technology A Proven Winner

Cellular Confinement Technology A Proven Winner

    

    A homeowner in Maryland becomes a believer in the benefits of cellular confinement technology.  When faced with the challenge of creating a parking area to support customized truck and trailer designed for hauling championship racing drift cars, the options were limited to a porous aggregate paving system.  The total parking area was a 300 ft long by 13 ft. area which the local government prohibited the use of asphalt and other non permeable pavement systems.  Located at the low end of a three acre lot which is fed by stormwater runoff from the surrounding area, soft soil conditions and a high water table were the major considerations when determining which system would provide the support needed.

    The contractor for the job recommended the use of a cellular confinement system made of 100% recycled high density polyethylene.  The property owner unfamiliar with the technology agreed to 50% of the project to be installed using CCS Technology and the other half with traditional paving methods.  The traditional method was chosen for the first 150 ft span with more ideal soil conditions.  The area was excavated to a depth of 15" and consisted of a 12" base course of #2 stone with a three inch wearing surface of #57 washed aggregate.  The total cost for this portion of the project came in at $5500.

    The second half of the project using Cellular Confinement Technology required a modest excavation depth of only four inches reducing the site disturbance tremendously.  A nonwoven geotextile fabric was placed on the subgrade to prevent create a draining barrier between the aggregate and subgrade soils.  The next step required the expansion and placement of the SG300 (3 inch) cellular confinement system supplied by Cell-Tek Geosynthetics.  The honeycomb like cells were filled with #57 washed aggregate to a depth of four inches creating a surface layer of one inch over top to the cell.  The system allowed for a major reduction in excavation, aggregate material cost as well as labor cost and time.  The total cost for this section came in at $2700 creating a cost savings of $2800.

    After two months of consistent use and an unusually wet spring the unconfined traditional area is showing signs of movement and rutting.  The section where cellular confinement was utilized remains stable with no visible signs of deflection or movement.  The property owner was astonished by the results considering the confined section occupied the space with the least favorable soil conditions.  Plans have already been made to install cellular confinement to help stabilize the unconfined section.

    This side by side comparison study demonstrated the many benefits of the cellular confinement system versus unconfined traditional methods.  The confined section outperformed, reduced labor, material, and hauling cost with minimal site disturbance.  In a short time it can be determined that long term maintenance cost would be reduced as well. The cellular confinement system has demonstrated itself as the superior solution when utilized as a porous aggregate load bearing situation when confronted with the challenges of dealing with soft soil wet conditions.

Press Release

Revolutionary Natural Stone Porous Paving  

Baltimore, MD - Cell-Tek Geosynthetics, LLC. will be presenting products at the 2010 Mants Show in Baltimore, Maryland.

Anyone in the landscaping business is aware of the biggest event of the year which is the Mid Atlantic Nursery Trade Show known as MANTS, occurring on January 6th through the 8th.  The three day event features over a thousand businesses in the landscape industry who exhibit innovative products and provide expert knowledge on landscaping and design.  

Cell-Tek Geosynthetics, a manufacturer of geocellular confinement systems used to control erosion, will also have on display its newest product Gravel-Lok.

Gravel-Lok is a single component, moisture curing liquid scientifically designed to bond together a wide variety of aggregates. When combined with Cell-Tek's Stabilizer Grid base support system, the result is a permeable and durable natural stone pavement system which can be utilized in a wide variety of civil, residential and industrial applications. The system is also an ideal solution for municipalities, parks and other government porous paving projects. The system is easy to install and has greater permeability than any other permeable products on the market.  

The polymer bonding agent will adhere stones ranging in size from 1/4 to 3 inch including pea gravel, river gravel, granite, marble, recycled glass and much more.  Stone colors and styles can be mixed to create a variety of visual designs while creating a pavement system to help fight the harmful damage caused by stormwater runoff.

Gravel-Lok is easier to install than most pavement surfaces and no special tools are required for installation.  The liquid is poured on with a standard gardening pail and cures within a 24 hour period.

 About Cell-Tek Geosynthetics

Cell-Tek Geosynthetics is an exclusive manufacturer of geosynthetic products used in a multitude of Green Building Applications.  Their systems are the ideal choice when dealing with load support, earth retention or slope protection.  Additionally, Gravel-Lok offers an affordable, eco-friendly product to help keep untidy gravel in place.