Your Roof Will Take Roots!

Gray dusty buildings dominate modern cities and pollution ruins what little life is left. To counteract these, offers aesthetic, functional, ecological solutions to make a better, cleaner world. Your roof will take roots! Knowledge, imagination and teamwork are the fundamental principles through which we design and build versatile, efficient and strong databases The future may be green - brilliantly green!

There are many construction companies around the world. With the advent of climate change and the countless problems associated with pollution, they are expanding their product line with more ecological offers. A recent development is roof greening. Partnering with over 100 companies in Europe, - International is one of the innovators in roof greening. Our company designs, installs and maintains roofs. We serve a forward looking clientele that is concerned with the environment and wants more eco-friendly buildings. Through our extensive network of partners, we acquire raw materials from many countries allowing us to build unique roofs which match our customers’ rigorous requirements. Our offer is all encompassing, including even plants specific to each climate. These suspended gardens have many advantageous effects, such as reducing energy consumption, cooling the building and extending the life of the roof. Most importantly, using green roofs is good for the environment: they negate the damage caused by the widespread use of concrete and they reprocess carbon dioxide. A database that centralizes all the information regarding our company’s transport system, building sites, client’s requirements and the current ecological status of their buildings is useful as it allows us to reduce our carbon footprint.

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Internet resources

Green Roofs: Green Roof Portal, Green Roofs in North America, US Green Building Council (LEED Standard) Renewable Energy Sources: US Dept. of Energy, Energy Information Administration Supply Chain Management: Master Thesis (“Supply Chain Management in a Packing Company” ), IBM Research Department Photos and Ideas: Hundertwasser's Waldspirale, Hundertwasser's Art

Interviews Octavian Popescu General Manager Ministry of Environment and Durable Development Phone: +40 727 471 381 Mr. Popescu explained the EU administration’s policy regarding the environment and how the member states trade or plan to trade their carbon credits. He seemed very enthusiastic about the idea of creating a conceptual model that will allow the company to minimize human’s negative environmental impact.

Brenna Tollin ERC, IBM IMBPD Delivery Centre Phone: +44 0870 542 6426 We exchanged emails and gathered research materials regarding the IBM Carbon Center of Excellence. The documents provided helped us understand the methods through which IT can influence the reduction of the carbon emissions from all the other industries. After combining all the information, we sketched the outline of our ERD.

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Company Structure Our multinational company has branches in many countries. In some cities, where our products are very popular, we have more than one branch, each located at a different address. Branches establish partnerships with other companies that supply materials and fulfil various needs. Branches can share partners. The rule of thumb for choosing partners is closest one first as this results in shorter distances travelled and less fuel used; also, less pollution.

Offer and Clients Green roofs are intensive or extensive. Intensive roofs resemble parks and require several feet of ground soil, while extensive ones are suitable for the average home. Because the roofs are composed from pre-planted modules made of recycled plastics, they are easy to assemble. For each roof requested, we need to know its parameters: soil depth, area, climate, etc. We also offer alternative energy sources such as photovoltaic panels. Clients are either individuals or legal entities. They acquire green points based on the ecofriendliness of the materials requested for their roofs (we know the individual characteristics of the materials used – a green status – and can calculate their cumulative effect). Our clients are rewarded with special discounts and offers depending on the number of green points accumulated. Projects consist of one or more roofs and, usually, we are required to design, install and maintain the roof. At the request of our client, we can also inspect the building (using the LEED Standard) in order to establish the net effect on the environment.

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Carbon Footprint We measure the impact individuals and organizations on the environment in terms of greenhouse gases produced. We track the relevant parameters both for our customers and for ourselves. This monitoring process helps us reduce pollution caused by the production and transportation of our products.

LEED Rating System has LEED Accredited Professional employees. Our company is specialized in the following rating categories: New Construction, Existing Building, Core & Shell, Commercial Interiors. Buildings are inspected and granted a number of points that determine its certification level. There are four possible certification levels: Certified 26-32 points Silver 33-38 points Gold 39-51 points Platinum 52-69 points The credit categories (total 69 points): Sustainable Sites 14 points Water Efficiency 5 points Energy & Atmosphere 17 points Materials & Resources 13 points Indoor Env. Quality 15 points Design Process 5 points

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Materials, originating in many countries and supplied by our partners, are transported to the building sites via trucks, planes, ships or rail cars. For each of these, we need to keep track of the way their use impacts the environment (fuel consumption, carbon emissions, etc.) Regardless of means of conveyance, the energy consumption depends on various factors, such as: vehicle size, weight (with and without load), configuration, motor power, engine, transmission., and the slope/gradient of the landscape (plane, hills, mountains), characteristic of each country. A transport is the shift of materials between two nodes that are defined by their latitude and longitude. Through integration with specialized mapping software, we can calculate the actual distances travelled. A node may be the roof building site, a supplier location, one of our warehouses, or a route node – a map location necessary to completely describe a route (e.g. maritime port, road stop, etc.) Route nodes can be used in conjunction with mathematical models (or algorithms) in order to obtain the most efficient route through a number of given nodes. We always need to know how much of each product is in a node and how much is in transit. Products are transported in special recyclable containers, tracked by GPS. We know the state of our products; the containers are capable of maintaining adequate ventilation and other parameters, such as temperature and humidity, within established optimal ranges. Each of our branches has several employees responsible with entering data pertaining to the supply chain. We need to know at all times that our products are in a good condition.

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This diagram shows the various phases materials go through: from our partners’ manufacturing plants to their integration in roofs.

We aim to create a comprehensive database for our green roof company because the need to catalog, present, and maintain projects and case studies in one central location offers many benefits not only for our business, but also to researchers, designers, architects, students, public policy people, governments, and the market. The items in need of resolution, as identified by our conceptual model, are: • improving our offer, by making a larger variety of plants and materials available; • identifying and reducing the main factors that have a negative impact on the environment (especially those resulting from transport process), by generating reports and statistics; • keeping track of our raw materials, while they are in transit, by generating periodical reports about their state and location.

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CONTAINER, SHIPMENT. Goods are transported via shipments, each of which contains one or more containers, which are frequently polled to ascertain their position and internal condition. The data gathered is recorded in CONDITION and GPS POSITION. A shipment is either incoming or outgoing (as recorded in its type attribute). Incoming shipments increase the amount of material in a node while outgoing shipments decrease the amount. Shipments may be delivered directly to a building site (a ROOF) or to a warehouse or supplier location (a NODE).

EMISSION FACTORS # name * carbon monoxide (CO) * nitrogen oxide (NOx) * hydrocarbon the parameters for linked to

TRANSPORT UNIT. Depending on the transport type (air, water, ground), we store the parameters relevant to the pollution caused. EC (energy consumption) is characteristic for each transport unit supplied by a partner. For ships, it also depends on whether it is going upstream or not. For trucks, it is calculated through a load factor, which varies when the lorry is empty or full.

TRANSPORT UNIT # id * description SHIP * load capacity * type * energy cons. (EC) * oil consumption o downstream EC AIRCRAFT o upstream EC * name

scheduled for made by

SHIPMENT # date # time * type made of

LORRY * weight * ECempty * ECfull

RAIL CAR * length * total weight * avg. energy cons.

We always have an up to date registry of the transports scheduled. If we need materials or plants from a specific certain node, we evaluate all the existing routes passing through it and we choose the most eco-friendly one.

part of CONTAINER # code * type * description * quantity * max weight

localized by the coordinates of described by

GPS COORD. # time * latitude * longitude

CONDITION # time * humidity the description of * temperature

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CITY # id be part of * name

the owner of

TRANSPORT UNIT # id * description SHIP * load capacity * type * energy cons. (EC) * oil consumption o downstream EC AIRCRAFT o upstream EC * name

de sc .

by

MATERIAL TYPE # name

the the producer classification for of

to ke d lin

made to scheduled for made by

MATERIAL PROPERTY VALUE * value

made to

SHIPMENT # date # time * type made of

assigned to described by

ZONE # id * name * altitude

composed of composed of part of

SITE # start date o end date

BUILDING # id * type * habitable surface * height

SEASON # name # start date * end date * rainfall * min temperature * max temperature * wind speed

linked to

carried on in

LEED CATEGORY # name

described by

INSPECTION # date

part of

produced classified by by contained in PROPERTY RAW MATERIAL related to # number # id * name * name associated with the holder of the value of held by the desc. of

INDIVIDUAL * ssn * title * first name * last name

assigned to

RAIL CAR * length * total weight * avg. energy cons. MANUFACTURER # id * name

linked to

an inspection site for

LEGAL ENTITY * fiscal code * company name * description * notes

CLIMATE # id * name * description carried on at

for

a building site for

ne ro f

LORRY * weight * ECempty * ECfull

the receiver of

co nt ai

owned by

owned by

th e

the owner of

EMISSION FACTORS # name * carbon monoxide (CO) * nitrogen oxide (NOx) * hydrocarbon the parameters for linked to

SUPPLIER LOCATION * timetable * phone number

LOCATION # address

to

located in PARTNER # id * company name * address

# id * type * angle * surface * soil depth * weight * water retention * cost factor

WAREHOUSE * address * phone number * total capacity

NODE LIST * name * specifications

the owner of

ROOF

MAP LOCATION * description

CLIENT * mail address * phone number

# id * address

in charge of

as sig ne d

on

composed by

ROUTE # number * max. speed * max. weight * max. height o specifications

NODE located in # latitude # longitude part of * name composed by

the location of

within

part of

the location for

BRANCH # id * address * email * phone no

composed of

owned by

made of

the rec eiv er of

COUNTRY # id * name * gradient

CONTAINER # code * type * description * quantity * max weight GREEN STATUS * green points * embodied energy * durability * recyclable * biodegradable o energy production

GPS COORD. # time the coordinates of * latitude * longitude

localized by

described by

CONDITION # time the description of * humidity * temperature

part of

SUSTAINABLE SITE * pollution prevention o brownfield redevelopment o alternative transportation o site development o stormwater design o heat island effect o light pollution reduction

RESOURCE * storage of recyclables o building reuse o waste management o materials reuse o recycled content o regional materials o renewable materials o certified wood DESIGN PROCESS o innovation in design o LEED accredited prof.

WATER EFFICIENCY o water efficiency landscaping o wastewater technologies o water use reduction ENERGY * commissioning energy system * min. energy performance * refrigerant management o optimize energy performance o on-site renewable energy o measurement and verification o green power

INDOOR * min IAQ performance * tobacco smoke control o outdoor air delivery monit. o IAQ management plan o low emitting materials o indoor pollutant source control o thermal and lighting comfort o daylight and views

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Generic modelling RAW MATERIAL allows various types of parameters to be stored for each material. This makes possible storing photovoltaic cell parameters, as well as plant or material characteristics. RAW MATERIAL is an entity which contains the formal description of a product. A container may hold a quantity of one type of goods, as indicated by its relation with RAW MATERIAL. RAW MATERIAL contains the physical parameters of a product, while GREEN STATUS holds the ones that bear on the environmental impact. MANUFACTURER # id * name

de sc .b y

MATERIAL TYPE # name

the the producer classification for of the desc. of

lin ke d

to

PROPERTY # number * name the value of

The tables below show the manner in which we structure the data about our materials – its manufacturer and its properties.

produced classified by by RAW MATERIAL # id * name the holder of

held by

MATERIAL PROPERTY VALUE * value

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the owner of

owned by

# id * type * habitable surface * height

# id * address

LOCATION # address

assigned to

for

a building site for an inspection site for

SITE # start date o end date

LEGAL ENTITY * fiscal code * company name * description * notes

INDIVIDUAL * ssn * title * first name * last name

assigned to

part of

BUILDING

assigned to

ROOF # id * type * angle * surface * soil depth * weight * water retention * cost factor

CLIENT * mail address * phone number

described by

ZONE # id * name * altitude

composed of

CLIMATE # id * name * description carried on at

composed of part of

SEASON # name # start date * end date * rainfall * min temperature * max temperature * wind speed

NODE LIST * name * specifications

composed by

on composed by

ROUTE, NODE. We consider transportation as being along ROUTEs composed of NODEs. The latter are origins or destinations for goods or important waypoints on the map. The NODE LIST is an intersection entity, in the case that a node is situated at the intersection of two or more routes.

ROUTE # number * max. speed * max. weight * max. height o specifications

NODE # latitude # longitude part of * name MAP LOCATION * description WAREHOUSE * address * phone number * total capacity SUPPLIER LOCATION * timetable * phone number

CLIENT, LOCATION, SITE, ROOF, BUILDING. Clients request the design, construction or maintenance of roofs, organized in locations, that are owned by the clients. Roofs are then grouped into building sites. We gather all the start dates when we reopen a site, be it for maintenance or inspection, in order to generate reports and statistics. Clients may also request only inspection of their buildings in order to receive LEED certification. An instance of the SITE entity is a building site for a roof, called ROOF or an inspection site for a building, called BUILDING.

CLIMATE, ZONE, SEASON. When designing a roof, we consider the location of the building site. Depending on the climatic conditions, we suggest an appropriate selection of plants to our clients. Combining information about the products used and the distances traveled, we calculate the ecofriendliness of roofs and projects and quantify it in green points. These measure only the eco-friendliness of the roof, while LEED Certification refers strictly to the whole building.

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Assumptions A transport is considered the shift between a minimum of two nodes. Should the transport use more than one type of vehicle, we split it into more transports. The database deals solely with the environmental aspect of the business. The financial and administrative sides are handled by other databases. A client is located in the same country as the branch in charge of his sites. Even though some partners have branches in many countries, we treat each of them separately. All temperatures are averages calculated over the relevant periods of the previous ten years.

Constraints All “start dates” must be before the “end dates”. Longitude and latitude have values between 180E and 180W, and respectively 90N to 90S. ROOF and BUILDING ids are disjoint sets. The same applies to ROOF and NODE. Gradients represent the slope of the terrain and are measured in degrees. We use the following measurement units: depth, altitude: metres rainfall: litres per square metre temperatures: degrees Celsius emission factors: g per kWh Statistics units are recorded thus: embodied energy: joules biodegradable, recyclable/ed: true/false

humidity: per cent speed: kilometres per hour wind speed: metres per second area: square metres energy consumption: kWh • durability: months • CO2 emissions: metric tonnes

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Statistics are easily generated through an intuitive web interface. Here, a chart with the Green Points plotted for a period of two years is requested.

And here, several offers are being compared in terms of their eco-friendliness. The graph generated is scaled, where 100% is the best offer available and 1% the worst.

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This is a sample report that shows the environmental impact the company has had in the past. It shows the number of green points for roofs accumulated through projects over a period of two years.

The chart on the left shows how a customer can visualize what his/her options are when choosing the roof design.

The LEED Standard places buildings in four categories. As the chart shows, the number of Gold and Platinum certifications has steadily increased over the years. By 2012, we intend to have certified the majority of Gold and Platinum buildings.

2005 2006 2007 2008

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 It has been a great experience to work in a team and have to analyze and choose possibilities, create and design conceptual models in order to build solutions. None of these could have been possible, had it not been for the competitive atmosphere of creativity encouraged by our principal Mrs. Silvia Moraru. We have successfully created a database that suits the needs of …...International. Using our database, we can obtain statistics regarding environment and the way our products affect it.

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 Designing the database was a challenge, as we had to integrate a large number of entities within the conceptual model.  By studying the problems of the environment, we realized the great importance of pollution and the difficulties people face when trying to solve them.

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