Selection of surface materials for roofs and outer surfaces (ground) in sustainable cities

Abstract

A lack of shade, high urban density with accumulating materials and sealed surfaces lead to heat stress and reduced nocturnal cooling in summer. Suitable building materials can help mitigate these effects. To investigate this, a simulation study was conducted to test the influence of different roof coverings, materials for outer surfaces (ground) and green infrastructure (GI) on the microclimate. The analysis comprises the simulation of 38 data sets for roofs, ground materials and GI in dry and moist conditions in a microclimatic model using ENVI-met.