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New Hill University Center Green Roof

Following the success of UAB’s first green vegetative roof is a new vegetative roof project to be built on the lower roof of UAB’s Hill University Center.  This ambitious undertaking is an interdepartmental collaborative effort between UAB Facilities Management, Campus Services and Grounds, UAB School of Engineering, and UAB Biology Department, as well as several UAB student organizations and groups.

     According to Julie Price, Graduate Assistant and fourth year Ph.D. student, UAB Department of Biology, the HUC vegetative green roof project presents the perfect blend of research opportunity and real-life practicality. “Anything we are going to do, we are going to learn from it and use it as a teaching tool”, says Price.

     A variety of evergreens, plants and flowers native to the state of Alabama are being utilized in the project with native shade plants in the back and native full light plants in the front. Flowers such as black-eyed susan, phlox, lavender, and purple cone flowers will bring a variety of color to the roof, and the interspersed use of annuals, perennials, and evergreens will ensure a lush growth, regardless of the season.

     The use of plants and foliage native to the state of Alabama will attract native birds, insects, and butterflies, providing a balanced ecosystem for the roof and a beautiful view for students and others to enjoy. In addition to plants and flowers, the roof will have a variety of herbs such as basil, rosemary, sage, oregano, chives, and parsley.  Sodexho will harvest these fragrant, organically grown herbs and use them in conjunction with food preparation at the Blazar Café Food Court.

     A lightweight, custom blended soil manufactured exclusively for use with vegetative roofs allows plant roots to mature and thrive without the potentially damaging weight of traditional top soils. The soil depth is typically four-to-five inches. Soil requirements were taken into consideration when selecting the plants to be utilized resulting in a wide variety of plants with similar soil nutrient requirements.

     An innovative capillary sub-irrigation system was installed and inspected by UAB Roofing Specialist Roger Brown. This economical alternative to traditional irrigation systems harvests rainwater collected from the upper roof and utilizes a low output method to deliver water directly to the plant roots.

     The utilization of the capillary sub-irrigation system will result in a reduction of water waste associated with water condensation of typical irrigation systems while offering efficient root hydration. The system will also contribute to the quality of the water in local creeks and rivers by reducing the amount of storm drain water runoff , thus keeping polluted water from running into area creeks.

     The Hill University Center will also feature several “green walls” along one side of the structure that will utilize a variety of climbing vine plants. In addition to the aesthetic value of a “living wall” structure, the green walls will create a reduction in energy costs by contributing to the overall cooling of the building by reducing heat flow with evapotranspiration (the combination of evaporation and plant transpiration from the Earth's land surface to atmosphere)

     Studies have shown that vegetative green roofs are effective in combating increased temperatures due to the “Urban Heat Island Effect”, a term given to the occurrence of increased temperatures in urban areas due to asphalt or concrete surfaces and lack of vegetation. “Every square foot of vegetation combats temperature increases due to the Urban Heat Island effect”, says Olen Pruitt, Assistant Vice President, UAB Facilities Management.

     The knowledge gained from the research and maintenance of the Hill University Center vegetative roof will be an invaluable and vital tool to be applied to future sustainability projects as UAB continues its tradition of being a state leader in the areas of research, education and sustainability.

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Facilities Earth Day Celebration

he UAB Facilities Department celebrated Earth Day on Thursday, April 19^th 2012 with an Expo on the mini-green to showcase and promote the wide variety of sustainability projects at UAB.  Presenters from the UAB Energy Management Department, UAB Recycling, and the UAB Student Green Initiative partnered to educate and enlighten the expo participants.  Expo participants were presented with some of the many successful projects set forth by the UAB Department of Energy Management in the quest for efficient sustainability methods. 

                “UAB is a state leader in the area of Sustainability,” said Scott Moran, Facilities Program Director. “We wanted to take the opportunity to show people some of our sustainability efforts.”

Expo participants were treated to a demonstration of energy harvested through solar panels similar to the ones used to charge the UAB electric cars at the FAB building. Despite the day’s partially cloudy weather, one small panel harvested over 300 watts of energy – enough to simultaneously power a 40 watt radio and a demonstration motor.  

     An informative display about the various UAB Green Roof projects provided participants with facts and statistics about this innovative program. Only two years old, the UAB Vegetative Roof program has proven to be highly successful at the Hulsey, BEC, Campbell Hall, and Chemistry Buildings.  The latest vegetative roof project at the Hill University Center will prove to be the most ambitious and interactive to date, providing simultaneous opportunities for research, harvesting, and campus beautification.

     Also showcased at the 2012 Earth Day Expo were LED lights that last longer than standard light bulbs while expending less energy and motion sensor switches that save energy by automatically turning off the lights in an unoccupied room.  Building Temperature Setbacks and Utility Software Monitoring use behind-the-scenes technology to adjust room and building settings at optimal times.  The benefits of these, and other projects, are economically effective as well as ecologically sound.

     “The UAB energy conservation and management efforts in the past two years have resulted in a $7.3 Million savings for the university”, said, Kelly, Engineer, UAB Department of Energy Management.

     Jon Paolone, Coordinator for UAB Recycling, was there to answer questions about the recycling program at UAB and to introduce the latest addition to the program: Grease Recycling.  Introduced in 2010, the Grease Recycling Program has become a successful component to the overall recycling efforts at UAB. Participants were treated to a giveaway of items such as tote bags, mouse pads, and filtered water bottles that were manufactured from recycled materials and customized with the new UAB Recycle logo featuring “Blaze”. 

     Dexter Forrest, UAB undergraduate student and Coordinator of the UAB Student Green provided a display highlighting the physical, financial, and environmental benefits of cycling as a transportation option.  Expo participants were provided with a brochure containing the Alabama State Code bicycle laws and hand-woven green earth day bracelets. 

     When asked about the ecological benefits of cycling, Forrest said, “(Cycling) is carbon neutral and requires no fossil fuels. Even the bikes themselves can be sustainable when manufactured from recycled materials.”

     The UAB Sustainability committee is committed to taking greater strides in the quest to reduce waste and conserve natural resources. These efforts are resulting in a better environment for both the campus and the city.