TEXTILES.ORG
Installations of sub-surface geotextile irrigation are on the rise for green roof projects in 2011, keeping pace with the overall growth of the green roof industry in the U.S.
According to Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, green roof installations grew by more than 28% in 2010, up from 16% in 2009, and that growth is expected to continue. KISSS—“Kapillary (sic) Irrigation Sub-Surface System”—products, manufactured and distributed in the U.S. by KISSS America, have been installed on seven green roof projects so far this year and are specified in an additional 13 projects for the second half of 2011, according to a KISSS press release.
KISSS president and CEO, Dave Hunter, said: “Our 11 miles of irrigation lines used for the Target Center [in Minneapolis] has been credited with the successful growth of the plants especially considering the shallow depth that required the native plant roots to adapt with horizontal growth vs. vertical.”
In 2011, KISSS has been installed on green roofs across the country including: Indianapolis Department of Public Works, Milstein Hall at Cornell University, Burbank Water and Power, Clark Montessori School in Cincinnati; Ontario (Calif.) City Hall, and the William J. Clinton Library and Museum green roof in Little Rock, Ark.
KISSS works by pulsing water through sub-surface lateral irrigation lines to a geotextile that disperses water into the soil directly to the root zone. The geotextile maintains moisture uniformity along its length and allows soil to absorb water as needed at a slower and more effective rate, while also reducing drainage losses below the system, according to the press release.