In Urban areas, reinforced concrete roofs are often left arid, unutilized and often misused. In addition, these roofs are exposed to weathering and thereby contribute to extra consumption of heating and cooling. Recent attempts have been geared towards cultivating the roofs in order to make them greener and render better aesthetics to the structure.

This work aims at examining the green roof concept by designing concrete small units and attempting to cultivate them with small plants. The testing scheme was conducted with the aid of the German Guidelines for Green Roof Systems. Testing included materials testing, water retention and water runoff as well as thermal testing.  In addition, thermal pictures were taken to demonstrate the potential impact of green roof on the indoor temperature.

This work reveals that implementing green roof types in countries such as Egypt can be indeed feasible.  Together with its adequate structural performance, the green roofs aid help reducing internal heat and thus the consumption of energy. A simplified feasibility study was prepared that shows good merits of such roofs that can in turn contribute to provision of some simple food elements within urban areas.