G A R D E N S I N M O V E M E N T

The importance of setting an exampleIn recent years, creating green roofs and vertical gardens has been encouraged in Barcelona, generally

with little success. There are, of course, structural difficulties associated with old buildings but, even for new constructions, making buildings green has not become standard practice. In this respect, we are falling behind other European countries. Going green has a lot of advantages, as vertical gardens help regulate the energy loss of buildings, thus reducing heating costs, while green spaces on terraces and pa-tios are a means of promoting leisure and enjoyment for citizens. In general, green spaces contribute to urban biodiversity and, from the standpoint of human biophilia, counterbalance and complete artificial concrete, asphalt and steel structures.

City buses have small surface areas and green roofs on buses are likely to have a smaller impact than that needed for the overall metabolism of an urban system, in terms of their ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the significant emissions produced by people and machinery. However, every additional green area goes towards compensating the overall balance and the idea is important for setting an exam-ple. In Spain, green roofs and vertical gardens are almost unheard of; a suitably adapted bus represents a living, moving advertisement for the possible uses of going greener. I believe this idea is interesting and worth considering: the techniques for creating green roofs and vertical gardens in cities exist. They must be publicised so that people are able to see that they are viable. If the project is successful, it will repre-sent a new economic activity within the framework of greater integration of urban and natural systems. When applied as standard practice, it can help contribute to improved sustainability in cities.

Jaume Terradas SerraProfessor Emeritus of Ecology

at the Autonomous University of Bellaterra

Detall de la coberta vegatl dún autobús urbà.

Urban green areas are crucial for photosynthesis, a process in which plants absorb CO2 and release O2 - vital for purifying the air we breathe. The lungs of a city must grow at the same rate as its population, but much-needed green areas are not always available.

phyto kinetic, has grown out of this supposition, with the goal of delivering a practical and tangible solution. If finding new urban spaces for gardens is problematic, we can use spaces that already exist, such as the roofs of city public transport.

PHYTO KINETIC IS A PIONEERING ROOF GARDEN SYSTEM THAT DELIVERS COUNTLESS BENEFITS:

Increases green areas in cities. On average, the useful roof space of a city bus measu-res around 20m2; this figure need only be multiplied by the number of green PHYTO KINETIC buses to know how much space has been gained.

Aids absorption of CO2 (generated in cities) through the PHYTO KINETIC green roofs of city public transport.

Functions even when the PHYTO KINE-TIC vehicle is not in circulation as the green rooftop ‘operates’ 365 days a year.

Contributes to the growth of the city’s ecological value.

Promotes teaching and educational values of sustainability.

Promotes environmental awareness

Provides the opportunity for partnerships and joint R&D studies with universities

Enables the creation of multiple plant com-binations in a range of displays.

Has undeniable visual appeal and represents a tourist attraction for the city and country.

How does it work?The application is straightforward.

It consists of a thin layer of AQUAPRO waterproof material on top of which a hy-droponic VYDRO growing foam is placed (both of which are considered to be the best products of their type), especially designed for roof gardens. The sedum mats and/or planting material for the plants are placed directly on top, without substrate, so that the entire roof becomes a visually appealing garden (in line with requirements or aesthe-tic/functional criteria).A discrete metal strip, with water draina-

ge holes, covers and protects the perimeter borders while also making the roof more aerodynamic. Lastly, a lightweight mesh prevents the wind, or instability caused by the vehicle breaking or crashing, from cau-sing the garden -or parts of the garden- to fall off the roof.

Does it weigh a lot?PHYTO KINETIC is designed and engi-

neered so that its total weight is no greater than 60 kg/m2 in the worst case scenario (for example, during a day of continued rainfall plus a 40 cm layer of snow). This figure meets weight guidelines approved by European safety laws for public transport vehicles.

How is it watered?PHYTO KINETIC is designed for and

uses plants that are best suited for surviving in extreme conditions – rain and humidity are the main concerns. When required by conditions, PHYTO KINETIC adapts the exterior air conditioning evacuation ducts to make use of excess water and use it for irrigation via buried capillary spikes. The hotter the outdoor temperature is, the more the roof gardens are watered, without the need for extra water or water loss through evaporation. Is it suitable for all climates? PHYTO KINETIC tria les plantes que millor s’adapten a viure en condicions extremes; la pluja i la humitat en són les encarregades.No obstant, actualment les cotxeres d’autobusos compten amb rentadors automàtics amb programes de rentat que permeten mullar les cobertes

Questions and answers

sense usar els raspalls ni el sabó. I ja estem treballant perquè es pugui aprofitar l’aigua sobrant dels aparells d’aire condicionat.

Do the gardens need upkeep and maintenance?Very little, almost none. Although all gar-

dens need some upkeep, some gardens can auto-regulate themselves, almost without additional care. The carefully-crafted

design of the PHYTO KINETIC roof gardens means that they are created to be a benefit, not a hindrance.

What type of vehicles can this be used with? PHYTO KINETIC is suitable for the

roof or any city transport, whether it be a bus, tram or road vehicle, including river transport.

PRELIMINARY REPORT FOR THE APPROVAL OF ROOF GARDENS ON BUSES AND COACHES Xavier Castellano Gifreu Mechanical Technical Engineer Creat: 01/03/2012 - 1 - Modificat: 06/03/2012

1. Background The Phyto Kinetic project consists of installing roof gardens on urban transport to increase CO2 absorption, providing public transport with ecological and tourist appeal.

The installation of a roof garden com-prises a series of modifications to the design and structure of the vehicle. These changes may affect the design values spe-cified by manufacturers, which have been authorised and approved. This fact neces-sitates the review of values that have been affected and subsequent approval by the authorised organisations.

This report addresses these issues and aims to include the most significant aspects that will be affected. In addition, it will make recommendations for the vehicle authorisation and approval process so that roof gardens can be incorporated to ve-hicles while meeting all current legal and safety regulations.

This report is a guideline only and is not legally binding. Any authorisation or ap-proval for a modified vehicle that has been installed with a roof garden must be made by organisations entitled by the authorities for that purpose.

2. Installing a roof garden. Impact on the vehicleIn addition to the change in appearance of the vehicle, the installation of a roof garden will have consequences on the general cha-racteristics of the vehicle and on the design parameters specified by the manufacturer.The most notable changes are listed below:• Increase in the vehicle mass. At maximum water uptake, an increase of 60kg/m2 is es-timated.

• As a result of the above, there is a reduc-tion in standing passenger capacity (1 pas-senger less per m2)

• Displacement (upwards) of the vehicle’s centre of gravity.

3. Applicable regulationsThe general regulations on the charac-teristics of passenger vehicles (buses and coaches) which affect the installation of roof gardens are listed below:

- Regulation No.66 (European Regula-tions E/ECE/324 i E/ECE/TRANS/505) (SCOPE: This Regulation applies to single-deck rigid or articulated vehicles designed and constructed for the carriage of more than 22 passengers, whether seated or stan-ding, in addition to the driver and crew).

- Directive 2001/85/ce of the European Parliament and Council (20 November 2001 relating to special provisions for vehi-cles used for passenger transportation com-prising more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat, and amending directives 70/156/CEE and 97/27/CE.

- Directive 97/27/ce of the European Parliament and Council (22 July 1997 concerning the masses and dimensions of certain categories of motor vehicles and

their trailers, and amending Directive 70/156/CEE).

4. Stability TestAlthough city buses have a low centre of gravity and high stability, the installation of a roof garden will make the centre of gravity higher, thus altering its stability. This modification cannot exceed the limit defined by point 7.4 of DIRECTIVE 2001/85/CE. (Stability test) of Appendix I, as follows:

7.4. Stability test

7.4.1. The stability of a vehicle shall be such that it will not overturn if the surface on which the vehicle stands is tilted to either side at a 28 degree angle from horizontal.

Model of calculation and stability test

As stipulated in the same directive, veri-fying that the stability test has been carried out correctly can be done using the fo-llowing procedures:

4.1. TesT on finished vehicle

The same article 7.4 lists in points 7.4.2 and 7.5.5 the conditions that the vehicle must be subjected to for carrying out this test.

4.2. verificaTion by calculaTion

As is stipulated in the afore-mentioned regulation in point 1 of Appendix “vve-rification of stationary tilting limit by calculation”, “It can be verified whether the vehicle in question meets the requirements outlined in point 7.4 of appendix I via a calculation method approved by the technical service authorised for carrying out the tests”

The preparation of calculations and other considerations are outlined in the same appendix (in the event that the service engineer considers it necessary, certain tests may be required for the vehicle to verify the theoretical assumptions of the calcula-tion method).

5. Consequences of the increa-sed mass of the vehicle.As defined in article 7.4 (Calculation of the mass distribution) of Directive 97/27/CE, for the approval of a vehicle, the servi-ce engineer must perform a calculation for the technically permissible mass (M).

For buses and coaches, this mass (M) com-prises the following weights:

• Q Mass, corresponding to the weight of seated passengers.

• SP Number, corresponding to the number of standing passengers (Q mass distributed evenly over the area available for passengers S1)

• B Mass, corresponding to baggage and distributed evenly throughout the lugga-ge compartment.

• BX Mass, corresponding to an evenly distributed weight on the roof equipped

for carrying luggage.

The sum of these weights must not exceed that permitted by the technical service according to the vehicle specifications provided by the manufacturer. For practi-cal purposes, the roof garden mass can be considered as an evenly distributed weight such as that represented by BX in vehicles that are adapted for carrying luggage on the roof.

As it is evenly distributed, it can be assu-med that the roof garden does not change the value of the technically permissible maximum mass of the vehicle. However, it does affect the SP values (number of standing passengers) or B values (luggage weight).

It is estimated that the weight of the roof garden at maximum water absorption shall not exceed 60 kg/m2. Considering that, as defined in section 7.4.3.3.1 of the Directi-ve 97/27/CE in the following table:

the average passenger weight is 68 kg for Classes I and A, and 71 kg for Classes II, II and B, it can be assumed that: This modi-fication must be taken into account by the approving organisation and duly reflected in the maximum number of passengers/ load capacity of the vehicle.

Taking into account that the weight of the roof garden shall not exceed 60 kg/m2 in the worst-case scenario (maximum water

absorption), the reduction in the capacity of standing passengers can be determined using the following equation:

Rpd = (Scv x 60) / 68

Where:

Rpd: Reduction in the number of stan-ding passengers.

Scv: Surface area of roof garden [m2].

6. Notification of modifications to vehicleAs stated in Point 6 of Regulation No. 66 (Modification and Extension of Approval of a Vehicle Type), all modifications to the approved vehicle must be notified to the administrative department that approved the vehicle. Thus this department shall have the power to decide whether:

• The modified vehicle still satisfies the requirements of this Regulation.

• An additional test must be requested from technical service to show that the vehicle still meets the requirements of this Regulation.

• The approval extension is rejected and request and the execution of a new ap-proval process is requested.

The decisions of the Administrative De-partment are based on the criteria of three worst-case scenarios:

• Structural criteria: if the superstructure of the vehicle has changed or not.

For the purposes of the maximum permis-sible mass of a vehicle (M), the installation of a roof garden will result in a REDUC-TION IN THE NUMBER OF STAN-DING PASSENGERS, or the equivalent weight in baggage

• Criteri energètic: si la modificació ha fet variar l’energia de referència* del tipus de vehicle.

*2.18. “Reference energy” (ER) means the potential energy of the vehicle type to be ap-proved, measured in relation to the horizontal lower level of the ditch, at the starting, unsta-ble position of the rollover process.

• Residual space criteria: whether the residual space of the new type of vehicle comes within the permitted residual space..

For the modification of a vehicle in order to have a roof garden installed, it is likely that the energy criteria will be modified, while the remaining two values will retain the same value they had prior to the modi-fication.

Finally, notification of the extension ap-proval being granted or not shall be carried out as indicated in point 6.4 of this Regu-lation in these terms:

“6.4. “Confirmation or refusal of approval, specifying the alterations, shall be notified by the procedure specified in paragraph 4.3.* above to the Parties to the Agreement which apply this Regulation.”

“*4.3. “Notice of approval or of refusal or ex-tension of approval of a vehicle type pursuant to this Regulation shall be communicated to the Parties to the Agreement which apply this Regulation, by means of a communication form (see Annex 1) and of drawings and dia-grams supplied by the applicant for approval, in a format agreed between the manufacturer and the technical service. Paper documenta-tion shall be foldable to A4 (210 mm x 297 mm) format.”

In the event that the extension is not gran-ted approval, approval of the modification must be sought through an authorised service engineer.

7. Approval procedureApproval of a vehicle model with a roof garden must be performed by a service engineer authorised by the competent authorities.

Ultimately, and regardless of the items listed in this preliminary report, the appro-val capacity and the tests/calculations to be performed for the approval of the vehicle with roof garden will belong to the autho-rised service engineer and, ultimately, to the competent authorities.

The Directive 2001/85/CE determines the administrative process to be followed for the approval of the vehicle.

This Directive is one of the specific directi-ves for the EC approval procedure establis-hed by the Directive 70/156/CEE.

For reference purposes, the points in which this process can be consulted are listed below:

appendix i Scope of application, definitions, appli-cation for ce approval for a vehicle, or as a separate technical unit, of a bodywork type, modification of a type of vehicle, bodywork, production conformity and requirements.

appendix ii Documentation for CE approval

appendix 1Document on characteristics

sub appendix 1Document on characteristics for a type of vehicle

sub appendix 2Document on characteristics for a type of bodywork

sub appendix 3FiDocument on characteristics for a type of vehicle equipped with bodywork

already approved as an independent technical unit

appendix 2Certificate of CE approval

sub appendix 1Certificate of CE approval for a type of vehicle

sub appendix 2Certificate of CE approval for a type of bodywork

sub appendix 3Certificate of CE approval for a type of vehicle equipped with bodywork already approved as an independent technical unit

appendix ix“CE Approval of an independent tech-nical unit and CE approval of a vehicle equipped with bodywork already appro-ved as an independent technical unit.”

8. General considerations

• Attachment of roof garden

In general, the installation of a roof garden must not put passengers, pedestrians or other moving vehicles at risk of danger. It must be ensured that no part of the roof garden (layers, soil, plants) or the structure containing it can come unattached, cause damage or disturb the driver while driving, in any weather condition or during any type of driving (sudden braking or acceleration).

• Strength of the vehicle superstructureIt is understood that the roof garden and its support structure do not modify the resistance behaviour of the vehicle supers-tructure, the residual space, the bodywork section or the total energy as defined in Appendix IV of Directive 2001/85/CE. In any case, it is the approval agency’s decision as to whether the resistance test should be repeated (in one of the ways provided in the afore-mentioned Appen-

dix) if it considers that the change in the morphology of the roof garden may have an impact on these parameters.

• Strength of the original roof

It must be verified that the original roof of the vehicle can support the weight of the roof garden without showing damages or deformations. If necessary, the structure can be reinforced with crosspieces going from one side to the other.

• Maintenance and services

A series of periodic checks and services must be performed to ensure that the sup-port structure is in good condition as well as checking that the plants are attached correctly to the roof.

These checks shall be carried out at inter-vals established by the authorised organisa-tion according to the protocol established by it.

Xavier Castellano GifreuMechanical Technical Engineer

Girona, 1 March del 2012

Colaborate

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