Assessment of a green roof practice using the coupled SWMM and HYDRUS models

J Environ Manage. 2020 May 1:261:109920. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109920. Epub 2020 Jan 27.

Abstract

Green roof can mitigate urban stormwater and improve environmental, economic, and social conditions. Various modeling approaches have been effectively employed to implement a green roof, but previous models employed simplifications to simulate water movement in green roof systems. To address this issue, we developed a new modeling tool (SWMM-H) by coupling the stormwater management and HYDRUS-1D models to improve simulations of hydrological processes. We selected green roof systems to evaluate the coupled model. Rainfall-runoff experiments were conducted for a pilot-scale green roof and urban subbasin. Soil moisture in the green roof and runoff volume in the subbasin were simulated more accurately by using SWMM-H instead of SWMM. The scenario analysis showed that SWMM-H selected sandy loam for controlling runoff whereas SWMM recommended sand. In conclusion, SWMM-H could be a useful tool for accurately understanding hydrological processes in green roofs.

Keywords: HYDRUS; Low impact development; Soil water movement; Storm water management model.

MeSH terms

  • Color
  • Hydrology
  • Rain*
  • Soil
  • Water Movements*

Substances

  • Soil