Modular green roof system, apparatus and methods, including pre-seeded modular panels

Abstract

A modular green roof system includes modular panels ( 10 ) providing a surrounded space suitable for supporting live plant growth and adapted for installing onto a roof deck in side-by-side positioning while allowing water flow on the roof thereunder. The panels are filled with growing medium and pre-seeded prior to delivery to the roof site, and delivered in either a preserved condition or a germinated condition. The panels are adapted for interconnecting to adjacent panels, and for connection to an edge finishing/edge termination system ( 46 ) and support structure to enable provision of non-panel areas of the green roof, and above-panel structures.

1 . A method of constructing a modular green roof system comprising the steps of: 
 (A) providing (i) a plurality of panels each having a bottom and sides extending upwardly therefrom to define a surrounded space for receiving green roof materials, the bottom of the panels being formed with drain holes and being shaped to permit water to flow thereunder, and (ii) a plurality of covers each having a top and sides extending downwardly therefrom,    (B) planting growable green roof materials in the panels;    (C) germinating the green roof materials in the panels;    (D) positioning said covers onto said panels over the germinated green roof materials;    (E) stacking and connecting first ones of said panels onto the covers positioned on second ones of said panels in a manner to prevent sliding therebetween;    (F) delivering the planted, stacked, panels to a roof site; and    (G) positioning the panels onto the roof;    (H) preserving the planted, germinated panels in a non-growing condition prior to said delivering step.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of preserving the planted, germinated panels in one of a dried condition and a frozen condition prior to said delivering step.  
     
     
         3 . A method of constructing a modular green roof system comprising the steps of: 
 (A) providing a plurality of panels each having a bottom and sides extending upwardly therefrom to define a surrounded space for receiving green roof materials, the bottom of the panels being formed with drain holes and being shaped to permit water to flow thereunder,    (B) planting growable green roof materials in the panels,    (C) preserving the green roof materials in the panels in a non-growing condition in one of a dehydrated state and a frozen state,    (D) delivering the filled panels to a roof site, and    (E) positioning the panels onto the roof.    
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  in which said preserving step includes sealing the green roof materials in the panels.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising the step of germinating the growable green roof materials in the panels prior to said preserving step.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising the step of connecting the panels on the roof to one of (i) adjacent panels, (ii) intermediate members, and (iii) edge termination members.  
     
     
         7 . The method as defined in  claim 3  further comprises the steps of (F) providing a plurality of connectors, (G) positioning the connectors to the tops of said panels in a manner to prevent sliding therebetween, and (H) stacking first ones of said panels onto the connectors positioned on second ones of said panels in a manner to prevent sliding therebetween.  
     
     
         8 . The method as defined in  claim 7  in which said connectors are provided with horizontal perimeter portions adapted to support the bottoms of said second ones of said panels.  
     
     
         9 . The method as defined in  claim 8  in which said horizontal perimeter portions are provided in a form including a generally planer horizontal plate adapted to support the bottoms of said second ones of said panels.  
     
     
         10 . A method of constructing a modular green roof system comprising the steps of: 
 (A) providing (i) a plurality of panels each having a bottom and sides extending upwardly therefrom to define a surrounded space for receiving green roof materials, the bottom of the panels being formed with drain holes and being shaped to permit water to flow thereunder, and (ii) a plurality of drip irrigation lines,    (B) filling the panels with growing medium suitable to support growable green roof materials in the panels,    (C) positioning the drip irrigation lines in the panels on the growing medium,    (D) delivering the filled panels with the drip irrigation lines to a roof site,    (E) positioning the panels onto the roof in side-by-side relation, and    (F) connecting the drip irrigation lines of proximate panels together.    
     
     
         11 . A method of constructing a modular green roof system comprising the steps of: 
 (A) providing a plurality of panels pre-planted with green roof materials,    (B) positioning said panels in side by side relation in a bounded area on the roof to establish a bounded modular green roof area on the roof, and    (C) establishing a bounded non-modular green roof area on the roof, the modular and non-modular green roof areas having at least one common boundary, and    
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of (D) providing an edge transition system at said common boundary between said modular and non-modular green roof areas.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  in which said edge transition system comprises elongated edge termination members (i) connected to the panels at said common boundary and extending therefrom to proximate the roof, and (ii) providing lateral support for said non-modular area along said common boundary.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of (D) interconnecting adjacent panels to one another after said positioning step.  
     
     
         15 . A method of constructing a modular multi-level green roof system comprising the steps of: 
 (A) providing first and second plurality of panels pre-planted with green roof materials,    (B) positioning said first plurality of pre-planted panels in side by side relation to establish a first modular green roof area at a first height,    (C) positioning said second plurality of pre-planted panels in side by side relation to establish a second modular green roof area at a second height.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  in which each of said first plurality of panels includes a bottom resting on the roof and sides extending upwardly therefrom to said first height, and each of said second plurality of panels includes a bottom resting on the roof and sides extending upwardly therefrom to said second height.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  in which said first and second modular green roof areas having at least one common boundary, said method further comprising the steps of (D) providing an edge transition system at said common boundary between said first and second modular green roof areas.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  in which said edge transition system comprises an elongated edge termination member extending between said first and second heights between the edges of adjacent panels at said common boundary.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  in which said edge transition system comprises an elongated edge termination member extending from the taller of said first and second heights to proximate the roof.