At its meeting yesterday, the Austin City Council approved $10,000 to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to study how much rainwater manufactured green roof products can capture.

Water handling abilities of green roofs are important in states such as Texas that experience flash flooding because storm water can easily overload existing storm water systems, particularly in urban areas. To study how well manufactured green roofs capture rainwater, Dr. Mark Simmons and colleagues at the center that is part of The University of Texas at Austin will use a rain simulator on experimental roof tops on the center grounds.

In previously published research that relied on natural rain, Simmons and collaborators found marked differences in the stormwater capture capabilities of the roof products and their ability to cool down the inside of the green roof boxes, which simulate a building’s interior.