Influence of green roofs on the seismic response of frame structures

Environmental and operational benefits of green roofs are manifolds; however, their main disadvantages are cost and weight. New technology enabled the use of plastics to reduce the weight of green roof systems to promote their installation. To maximize their potential benefits, green roofs can be installed on existing structures. This study evaluates the influence of green roofs on the seismic response of 3, 6, and 8 storey reinforced concrete ductile moment resisting frames, which were designed according to current seismic standards, however, not designed for green roofs. For each frame, three different types of roofs are considered: gravel flat roof, extensive green roof, and intensive green roof. Nonlinear dynamic time history analysis using an ensemble of twenty real earthquake records was performed to determine the inter-storey drift demand and roof drift demand for each frame. Eigenvalue analysis was also performed to determine the impact of green roofs weight on the elastic and cracked periods of the structure. Results from the analysis demonstrated that intensive and extensive green roofs do not affect the seismic performance of reinforced concrete frame structures.