Green roofing apparatus, system and method

Abstract

The present invention teaches apparatus, systems and methods for green roofing comprising interlocking and nesting panels on which vegetation can be grown before the system is installed. Systems may be installed on flat or pitched surfaces. The present invention also teaches apparatus, systems and methods for affixing green roofs to a roofing surface and apparatus, systems and methods for the irrigation of green roofs.

1 . A roofing panel comprising: 
 a carrier having a web with a top portion;    an anchor layer positioned adjacent the top portion of the web; and    a plurality of water retention compartments formed in the web.    
   
   
       2 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein the anchor layer is affixed to the top portion of the web.  
   
   
       3 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the water retention compartments have a volume of at least about 5 ml.  
   
   
       4 . The roofing panel of  claim 3  wherein at least some of the water retention compartments have a volume of less than about 250 ml.  
   
   
       5 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein the water retention compartments have a volume of at least about 5 ml.  
   
   
       6 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein the water retention compartments have a volume of between about 5 ml and about 250 ml.  
   
   
       7 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein at least some of the water retention compartments have a substantially circular cross-section in a plane parallel to the top surface, and wherein at least some of the water retention compartments have a diameter greater than  1  cm measured at the top surface.  
   
   
       8 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein a first group of water retention compartments is formed adjacent a first edge of the carrier and a second group of water retention compartments is formed adjacent a second edge of the carrier, and wherein the first group of water retention compartments is configured to nest in the second group of water retention compartments of another such roofing panel.  
   
   
       9 . The roofing panel of  claim 8  wherein the anchor layer extends over the first group of water retention compartments but does not extend over the second group of water retention compartments.  
   
   
       10 . The roofing panel of  claim 8  wherein a third group of water retention compartments is formed adjacent a third edge of the carrier and a fourth group of water retention compartments is formed adjacent a fourth edge of the carrier, and wherein the third group of water retention compartments is configured to nest in the fourth group of water retention compartments of another such roofing panel.  
   
   
       11 . The roofing panel of  claim 10  wherein the anchor layer extends over the first group of water retention compartments but does not extend over the second group of water retention compartments.  
   
   
       12 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein a first group of water retention compartments is formed adjacent a first edge of the carrier and a second group of water retention compartments is formed adjacent a second edge of the carrier, and wherein the first group of water retention compartments comprise male interlocking means and the second group of water retention compartments comprise female interlocking means, and wherein the first group of water retention compartments is configured to interlock in the second group of water retention compartments of another such roofing panel.  
   
   
       13 . The roofing panel of  claim 12  wherein a third group of water retention compartments is formed adjacent a third edge of the carrier and a fourth group of water retention compartments is formed adjacent a fourth edge of the carrier, and wherein the third group of water retention compartments comprise male interlocking means and the fourth group of water retention compartments comprise female interlocking means, and wherein the third group of water retention compartments is configured to interlock in the fourth group of water retention compartments of another such roofing panel.  
   
   
       14 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein drainage means are formed in the carrier.  
   
   
       15 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein the anchor layer covers at least a portion of the top portion of the web.  
   
   
       16 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein the anchor layer is affixed directly to the carrier.  
   
   
       17 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein a porous filter is disposed intermediate the anchor layer and the carrier.  
   
   
       18 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein the anchor layer is affixed to the carrier by means selected from the group consisting of welds, mechanical fasteners, chemical bonds, and heat bonds.  
   
   
       19 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein the anchor layer comprises a plurality of fibers forming a porous three dimensional structure.  
   
   
       20 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  wherein the anchor layer comprises rock wool.  
   
   
       21 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  further comprising growth medium, wherein the growth medium is disposed in the anchor layer.  
   
   
       22 . The roofing panel of  claim 1  further comprising vegetation, wherein the vegetation comprises roots, and wherein the roots are disposed in the anchor layer.  
   
   
       23 . A roofing system comprising: 
 a plurality of roofing panels installed on an underlying surface,    wherein each of the roofing panels comprises a carrier having a web with a top portion, an anchor layer positioned adjacent the top portion of the web, and a plurality of water retention compartments formed in the web.    
   
   
       24 . The roofing system of  claim 23  wherein the anchor layer of each roofing panel is affixed to the to the top portion of the web of the roofing panel.  
   
   
       25 . The roofing system of  claim 23  wherein each a first roofing panel includes a first group of water retention compartments formed adjacent a first edge of the carrier of the first roofing panel and a second roofing panel includes a second group of water retention compartments formed adjacent a second edge of the carrier of the second roofing panel, and wherein the first group of water retention compartments is configured to nest in the second group of water retention compartments.  
   
   
       26 . The roofing system of  claim 23  wherein each of at least two of the roofing panels includes a first group of water retention compartments formed adjacent a first edge of the carrier and a second group of water retention compartments formed adjacent a second edge of the carrier, and wherein the first group of water retention compartments is configured to nest in the second group of water retention compartments of another such roofing panel.  
   
   
       27 . The roofing system of  claim 26  wherein each of the at least two of the roofing panels comprises a third group of water retention compartments formed adjacent a third edge of the carrier and a fourth group of water retention compartments formed adjacent a fourth edge of the carrier, and wherein the third group of water retention compartments is configured to nest in the fourth group of water retention compartments of another such roofing panel.  
   
   
       28 . The roofing system of  claim 23  wherein at least one roofing panel comprises a first group of water retention compartments formed adjacent a first edge of the carrier and a second group of water retention compartments formed adjacent a second edge of the carrier, and wherein the first group of water retention compartments comprise male interlocking means and the second group of water retention compartments comprise female interlocking means, and wherein the first group of water retention compartments is configured to interlock in the second group of water retention compartments of another such roofing panel.  
   
   
       29 . The roofing system of  claim 23  further comprising a connective carrier having a first group of water retention compartments and second group of water retention compartments wherein at least part of the carrier of a first roofing panel is nested in the first group of water retention compartments and at least part of the carrier of a second roofing panel is nested in the second group of water retention compartments.  
   
   
       30 . The roofing system of  claim 28  wherein the at least one roofing panel comprises a third group of water retention compartments formed adjacent a third edge of the carrier and a fourth group of water retention compartments formed adjacent a fourth edge of the carrier, and wherein the third group of water retention compartments comprise male interlocking means and the fourth group of water retention compartments comprise female interlocking means, and wherein the third group of water retention compartments is configured to interlock in the fourth group of water retention compartments of another such roofing panel.  
   
   
       31 . The roofing system of  claim 23  further comprising fasteners, wherein the fasteners couple at least a first roofing panel to a second roofing panel.  
   
   
       32 . The roofing system of  claim 23  further comprising an edge detail and fasteners, wherein the edge detail borders at least a portion of at least one roofing panel, and wherein a first set of fasteners couples the edge detail to the underlying surface.  
   
   
       33 . The roofing system of  claim 32  wherein a second set of fasteners couples at least one roofing panel to the edge detail.  
   
   
       34 . The roofing system of  claim 23  further comprising irrigation means for providing water to at least a portion of the roofing system.  
   
   
       35 . The roofing system of  claim 23  wherein drainage means are formed in the carrier of at least one roofing panel.  
   
   
       36 . The roofing system of  claim 23  wherein the anchor layer covers at least a portion of the top portion of the web of at least one roofing panel.  
   
   
       37 . The roofing system of  claim 23  wherein the anchor layer is affixed directly to the carrier of at least one roofing panel.  
   
   
       38 . The roofing system of  claim 23  wherein a porous filter is disposed intermediate the anchor layer and the carrier of at least one roofing panel.  
   
   
       39 . The roofing system of  claim 23  wherein the anchor layer is affixed to the carrier of at least one roofing panel by means selected from the group consisting of welds, mechanical fasteners, chemical bonds, and heat bonds.  
   
   
       40 . The roofing system of  claim 23  wherein the anchor layer of at least one roofing panel comprises a plurality of fibers forming a porous three dimensional structure.  
   
   
       41 . The roofing system of  claim 23  wherein the anchor layer of at least one roofing panel comprises rock wool.  
   
   
       42 . The roofing system of  claim 23  further comprising vegetation, wherein the vegetation comprises roots, and wherein the roots are at least partially disposed in the anchor layer of at least one roofing panel.  
   
   
       43 . The roofing system of  claim 42  further comprising an erosion control mesh covering position where an erosion control mesh covers at least one roofing panel.  
   
   
       44 . The roofing system of  claim 23  wherein at least some of the roofing panels comprise a growth medium disposed in the anchor layer of such roofing panels.  
   
   
       45 . The roofing system of  claim 44  further comprising vegetation, wherein the vegetation comprises roots, and wherein the roots are at least partially disposed in the growth medium of at least some of the roofing panels.  
   
   
       46 . The roofing system of  claim 42  further comprising an erosion control mesh covering position where an erosion control mesh covers at least one roofing panel.  
   
   
       47 . The roofing system of  claim 23  further comprising a substrate sock positioned on one or more roofing panels, wherein the substrate sock contains a growth medium.  
   
   
       48 . The roofing system of  claim 23  further comprising a peak attachment adapter for receiving the carrier of a roofing panel.  
   
   
       49 . The roofing system of  claim 48  wherein the peak attachment adapter has a top flap, a bottom flap and a centre portion that define a cavity for receiving the carrier of a roofing panel and wherein the bottom flap is capable of attachment to the underlying surface.  
   
   
       50 . The roofing system of  claim 48  wherein the peak attachment means has a first cavity for receiving the carrier of a first roofing panel and a second cavity for receiving the carrier of a second roofing panel, and wherein the peak attachment means is flexible to allow the first roofing panel to sit on a first underlying surface and to allow the second roofing panel to sit on a second underlying surface.  
   
   
       51 . The roofing system of  claim 50  wherein the first underlying surface is at an angle to the second underlying surface.  
   
   
       52 . The roofing system of  claim 51  wherein the first cavity is defined by a first top flap, a first bottom flap and a centre portion and the second cavity is defined by a second top flap, a second bottom flop and the centre portion and wherein the peak attachment means is flexible adjacent said centre portion.