Rain Bird announced that it has been selected by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) to provide a landscape drip irrigation system using its Xerigation products in the green roof recently constructed on top of ASLA’s headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C.
A consistent trend in European architecture since the 1950s, green roofs emerged in modern American architectural plans beginning in the late 1990s. A green roof, or “eco-roof,” is a vegetative system that can be placed over new or existing roof structures. It is a layered system generally consisting of a high-quality, waterproof membrane, a root repellant layer, drainage and filter appurtenances, a specialized soil mix and plantings. Benefits of green roofs include not only improved exterior air quality and temperature regulation, but also reduced building heating and cooling costs, sound insulation and storm water retention.
ASLA selected Rain Bird’s Xerigation system for its ability to efficiently deliver water directly to plant roots, as well as for its reliability and durability. This precise application method minimizes the amount of water carried away by wind and reduces evaporation – a concern given the roof’s exposure to sunlight, reflected heat and windy, urban conditions. Another benefit to using drip irrigation is that it can deliver the water at a slow rate to allow the green roof’s lightweight, porous soil to better retain the water.
Two drip control zones will be installed, each using a Xerigation Control Zone Kit and Landscape Dripline. A Dripline with 0.6 gallons-per-hour emitters spaced 12 inches apart was chosen to be placed in the deeper soils of the intensive portion of the ASLA’s green roof. Rain Bird will also use its ESP-LXi+ Controller and Rain Sensor to ensure that the irrigation system is efficiently controlled.
“Rain Bird is honored to be a part of this exciting project with the ASLA and looks forward to helping sustain this green roof with the use of our Xerigation products,” says Rick Wagner, Rain Bird’s xerigation development manager. “As green roofs become more prevalent for their environmental and economic benefits, the need for consistent, efficient irrigation will become increasingly important. We look forward to being a part of this ecologically valuable movement.”