Soil-roots Strength Performance of Extensive Green Roof by Using Axonopus Compressus

Abstract

Abstract. Green roof technology has been proven to provide potential environmental benefits including improved building thermal performance, removal of air pollution and reduced storm water runoff. Installation of green roof also involved soil element usage as a plant growth medium which creates several interactions between both strands. This study was carried out to investigate the soil-roots strength performance of green roof at different construction period up to 4 months. Axonopus compressus (pearl grass) was planted in a 1'x1' test plot with a designated suitable soil medium. Direct shear test was conducted for each plot to determine the soil shear strength according to different construction period. In addition, some basic geotechnical testing also been carried out. The results showed that the shear strength of soil sample increased over different construction period of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th month with average result 3.81 kPa, 5.55 kPa, 6.05 kPa and 6.48 kPa respectively. Shear strength of rooted soil samples was higher than the soil samples without roots (control sample). In conclusion, increment of soil-roots shear strength was due to root growth over the time. The soil-roots shear strength development of Axonopus compressus can be expressed in a linear equation as: y = 0.851x + 3.345, where y = shear stress and x = time.

The Soil-Root Strength Performance ofAlternanthera FicoideaandZoysia Japonicaas Green Roof Vegetation

“…Sambac and I. pes-caprae for thermal studies. Furthermore, Yusoff [8] used Axonopus Compressus and evaluated its soil-root strength performance. Therefore, these studies suggested that more species can be tested for their suitability as green roof vegetation.…”