Changes

Conventional flat roofs on industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings are designed to quickly remove rainwater from their surfaces. The passive control strategy of these conventional roof assemblies provides no opportunity for rainwater reuse and contributes to downstream erosion and the potential for flooding. Credit Valley Conservation’s Smart Blue Roof (SBR) flips this idea on its head and uses an active control strategy to capture rainwater for reuse. This emerging technology has the capacity to effectively manage runoff, capture rainwater for non-potable reuse, and conserve energy through evaporative cooling. What makes the SBR cutting edge is that it is the first blue roof system to be compliant with the Canadian Standards Association’s new Rainwater Harvesting Standard (CSA B805-18). Compliance with this standard is essential, because it is anticipated to be incorporated into the Ontario Building Code (OBC) in the near future. The key objective of this pilot project is to explore the potential of this new technology and pave the way for others to adopt active stormwater controls.

Conventional flat roofs on industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings are designed to quickly remove rainwater from their surfaces. The passive control strategy of these conventional roof assemblies provides no opportunity for rainwater reuse and contributes to downstream erosion and the potential for flooding. Credit Valley Conservation’s Smart Blue Roof (SBR) flips this idea on its head and uses an active control strategy to capture rainwater for reuse. This emerging technology has the capacity to effectively manage runoff, capture rainwater for non-potable reuse, and conserve energy through evaporative cooling. What makes the SBR cutting edge is that it is the first blue roof system to be compliant with the Canadian Standards Association’s new Rainwater Harvesting Standard (CSA B805-18). Compliance with this standard is essential, because it is anticipated to be incorporated into the Ontario Building Code (OBC) in the near future. The key objective of this pilot project is to explore the potential of this new technology and pave the way for others to adopt active stormwater controls.

==Station 1 – Roof Surface==

=='''Station 1 – Roof Surface'''==

By utilizing the roof of Building A for storage, CVC’s head office gains the ability to capture an additional 40,000 L of rainwater. A structural load assessment conducted by WSP Canada concluded that an average depth of 130 mm of rainwater could safely be supported by Building A’s roof assembly. Since Building A’s roof is gently sloping, this corresponds to a depth of 75 mm at the parapet (roof edge) and 250 mm at the roof drains (lowest point). Rainwater can be held on the roof for up to six (6) days. Whether rainwater is retained on the building’s roof or drained into the basement for treatment is determined by the modulating control valves on the building’s third floor.

By utilizing the roof of Building A for storage, CVC’s head office gains the ability to capture an additional 40,000 L of rainwater. A structural load assessment conducted by WSP Canada concluded that an average depth of 130 mm of rainwater could safely be supported by Building A’s roof assembly. Since Building A’s roof is gently sloping, this corresponds to a depth of 75 mm at the parapet (roof edge) and 250 mm at the roof drains (lowest point). Rainwater can be held on the roof for up to six (6) days. Whether rainwater is retained on the building’s roof or drained into the basement for treatment is determined by the modulating control valves on the building’s third floor.