Cable Suspended Sod Roof
Dotted around the valleys near Creede our eye was caught by traditional sod roofed potato cellars. Not only did they sit well in the landscape, but they used regional materials intelligently to create an authentic, inventive eco-architecture. Our green roofs are hung on cables traditionally used for mining activities, using a fraction of the material a beam would to support the considerable snow loads and additional load of by a green roof. By in addition earthlinking the buildings and using geo-thermal heat, we have brought this home-grown technology current.
Green roofs have significant benefits both for the public/community and for the individual building owner. Primary public benefits include controlling stormwater runoff, improving water quality and improving air quality. The most significant benefits of green roofs for building owners are reductions in building operating costs, significantly longer roof life and lower life-cycle costs for the roof, and increased property value.
The green roof serves as a filter to reduce pollutants in the water and also to lower the temperature of the water that is eventually returned to the watershed.
Although a green roof initially costs more than a conventional roof — $10 to $20 per square foot for a green roof versus $5 to $10 per square foot for a conventional roof — they more than make up for that difference over time. Green roofs extend the lifespan of the roof membrane significantly by protecting it from sunlight and temperature variations. As a result, green roofs can conservatively be expected to last two to three times longer than a conventional roof. Experience with green roofs in Germany shows that 40+ and 50+ life spans for green roofs should be expected.
Because of their insulating properties, green roofs reduce the heating and cooling costs for buildings by at least 10 to 15 percent. A Canadian study showed that a 6-inch extensive green roof can reduce heat gains by 95 percent.
On the banks of Willow Creek, green roofs will also improve the aesthetic quality of the buildings, to soften them and integrate with the native prairie landscape, using desert plants which need low or no maintenance.
The steel structure of the indoor arena however quickly becomes expensive if asked to take on a sod roof in addition to snowloading. Structures that carry load through pure tension (hanging) require a fraction of the material required by bending structures such as beams or trusses and provide an efficient way of carrying an extensive green roof in addition to non-uniform snow loads.
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