Original Research Paper
Evaluating Plant Coverage and Thermal Benefits of Green Walls for Sustainable Design
by Mark Ostendorf, Susan Morgan, William Retzlaff, and Serdar Celik
SIUE Living Architecture Regional Center of Excellence
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, Illinois, USA
Abstract
The goal of this study was to evaluate the environmental benefits of green retaining walls at a higher education institution campus in a replicated experiment by quantifying the surface temperature of the green retaining wall block faces for one unplanted and 5 planted treatments. In addition, the study involves the comparison of green retaining wall systems planted on 4 different wall aspects (N, S, E, and W) with different species of Sedum. The study contributes data on plant selection for green wall and green roof design in the Midwest. According to this study, it was observed that planted green retaining walls may offer remarkable thermal benefits compared to retaining walls left unplanted. Significant differences in block surface temperatures among different treatments were observed. The study also found notable differences in percent plant coverage of planted treatments during an 11-month period. Further study could refine green retaining wall design by determining the thermal performance of green retaining walls over a longer time period, walls planted with other vegetated treatments, and walls filled with different fill materials.
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