engineering

Everywhere
Don’t Runoff:
Engineering Urban Landscapes

Name:
Prep
1
Activity
Tower Plan

Draw your tower below. Star what worked well, and circle what needs improvement.

In another activity, you will be engineering another tower. What did you find that worked well
in this activity that you may want to incoporate into your next tower design?

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Activity
Categories

Prep
Fill in as many technologies as you can that were engineered to solve each problem.

Holds liquid Holds things together

Cools things down Helps write or communicate

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Prep
2
Activity
Improving a Technology

Pick a low-tech technology that you see in the room. This may be a pencil, chair, table, or
anything that does not plug into the wall or use batteries. Figure out a problem with the
technology. Then, think like an engineer to imagine how you would improve it.

• What is your technology?

• What is a problem of the technology?

• What can you do to Improve this technology? Draw your improvements below.

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Activity
Engineering Profile

Prep
Check off the skills YOU bring to the table.

Communication Persistence
• I give valuable feedback to others • I learn from failure
• I like giving presentations • I keep trying until I succeed

Creativity Teamwork
• I imagine lots of ideas • I work well in teams
• I come up with new ways of doing some- • I like giving and receiving feedback on my
thing work.

Critical Thinking Technical Skills

• I solve problems • I make things
• I make sense of complicated information • I like working with different materials

Leadership
• I lead teams well
• I make sure everyone has a voice

Which skills do you want to use? Which skills do you want to learn?

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Activity City Snapshots

Boston, MA

Los Angeles, CA

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Activity
City Snapshots

Chicago, IL

Atlanta, GA

Photos courtesy of Google Earth

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Activity Green Roofs Article

Green Roofs
Ingenuity sprouting from the rooftops

The rooftops of Manhattan are as varied as the city itself. A glance at the city skyline reveals a
myriad of shapes and colors. Look a little closer and the shapes reveal themselves to be the
things we often see rooted on Manhattan buildings, such as water towers, ventilation systems
and communications equipment. But, on a few rooftops, something else is taking root—
literally.

"It's a roof with a continuous layer of living plants, and it's a new form of urban vegetation,"
says Columbia University climate scientist Stuart Gaffin. He's talking about a green roof just
like the one he is standing on at the corner of Amsterdam and 118th street in Manhattan.

A green roof is not something you can just

have installed on top of your house. The
features are mainly for structures with flat
roofs, such as office or apartment buildings.
A green roof protects the building just like a
normal roof, except instead of tar or metal, it
is topped off with materials for drainage and
a mineral substrate that's lighter than soil and
supports plant growth. It is always bottomed
with a waterproof membrane to prevent
leaking. The cost can run from as little as $5 Photo courtesy of NSF
per square foot to more than $50, depending on the selection of materials and vegetation.

With help from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Gaffin and his two partners, Columbia
University civil engineer Patricia Culligan and Lamot-Doherty Earth Observatory geochemist
Wade McGillis, are researching what benefits green roofs might have on harsh urban
environments. Their initial data suggests the answer is—quite a bit.

Culligan, the project's leader, is working in the

lab to make green roofs even greener. She and
her students are experimenting with new growing
materials, which they test in a special terrarium that
emulates weather conditions, such as sunlight and
rainfall.

Besides the view, there are important advantages.

"You can start with temperature," Gaffin explains.

"Plants are geniuses at staying cool in strong
Photo courtesy of NSF
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Activity
Green Roofs Article

sunlight. The temperature differences on a black roof versus a green roof are astonishing."
Gaffin points out that he's recorded rooftop temperatures as high as 180 degrees on black top
roofs, "and that doesn't have to be during a heat wave," he adds. But on a green roof, "the
plants are about the same temperature as the air."

"Water is another very important issue," he continues. "We have acid rain and water quality
problems with our rain and rainwater." Work by the research team indicates that green roofs
act almost like filters. "We've seen acid rain reduction and we've seen pollutants removed," he
says.

Cities have also been struggling with the problem of water runoff from even the most minor of
rain storms. "When we get a typical rainfall, we get a wave of water from all these buildings,
sidewalks and streets hitting our municipal sewer system, which can't handle it, and so it
actually triggers pollution events in our rivers," explains Gaffin. But the research team's data
show that after some rainfall events, the green roofs under study were absorbing most, if not
all, of the water that fell on them. "Now that's an astonishing thing because the standard roof
has 100 percent runoff. Some green roofs, however, have no runoff. Imagine a zero runoff
roof," he says.

Water and temperature are just the first two items on the list. The green roofs in this research
have also shown that they can help reduce noise pollution and contribute to biodiversity.
"When I get on these roofs in the summertime, they become oases of biological activity,
including honey bees, butterflies and other things," Gaffin says. "We've restored endangered
grasslands that used to be common in the New York region that are all but gone…these
systems, as living systems do wonderful things," he adds.

While the initial data seems to

support green roofs as beneficial
to urban environments, both Gaffin
and Culligan point out that research
needs to continue so they can more
accurately quantify the benefits.
If green roofs are as beneficial to
urban areas as these scientists and
engineers hope, they may end up
literally "shouting from the rooftops!"
Photo courtesy of NSF
Miles O'Brien, Science Nation
Correspondent
Jon Baime, Science Nation Producer
Courtesy: National Science Foundation

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Activity Green Roof

Plan your green roof. What materials will you use? How will you use them?

Reflect: What worked well? Did certain materials absorb more water than others?

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Activity
Think About It

Think about a city you have been to before. Where did you notice natural materials be-
ing used?

Think back to the Special Report video, and the runoff reducing technologies you
have seen in your area. How can you use natural materials in the city model to reduce
runoff?

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Activity Investigate: Permeable Pavement

Materials Price List

Material Cost
Craft foam (1/2 sheet) $40.00
Felt (1/2 sheet) $40.00
Sponge $20.00
T E Cup, large $20.00
IGA Plastic discs (10) $20.00
S T Paperclips (10) $20.00
V E Coffee stirrers (10) $10.00
IN Cotton balls (5) $10.00
Paper clips (10) $10.00
Screen (per square inch) $10.00
Cheesecloth (per square inch) $5.00

Permeable Pavement Test Results

Water absorption Could the toy walk
Design # Design notes/Materials used
(a little, medium, a lot) in a straight line?

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Activity
Think About It

Think about the roads around where you live. How could you use permeable pavement
technology to reduce runoff locally?

As an environmental engineer, what advice would you give a city planner who is
developing new city roads?

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Activity How to Make the Model City

Step 1

• Cover one side of the cardboard with foil.

You will need about 12” of foil for this.
• Attach the foil on the back side of the
cardboard with duct tape.

Step 2

• Cover the boxes (buildings) with foil.

• Try to keep the top and sides smooth. It is
okay if the bottom is uneven.

Top Bottom
Step 3

• Attach the buildings onto the board with duct tape in the spots shown below.
• Use a permanent marker to draw in the road, parking lots, and sidewalk.

Paved Open Top of the Hill

Space

Building

Building

Road
Parking
Lot
Building

River

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Activity
How to Make the Foil Tray

If you would like to add green space, make a green roof, or add permeable pavement to your
city model, you can create a foil tray to hold in the materials. The natural materials should be
as tall as the sides of the foil tray.

Step 1

• Cut a piece of chipboard so that it is the

size tray you would like.

Step 2

• Cut a piece of foil that is a few inches

bigger than the chipboard.

Step 3

• Fold the foil in so that the EDGE of the foil

touches the EDGE of the chipboard.
• Tape the foil in place.

Step 4

• Turn the chipboard over.

• Fold up the foil to create a wall around the
square.

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Activity

Plan out your model city. Make sure to keep track of your budget if you add or remove
Plan

materials.
Paved Open Top of the Hill
Space

Building

Building

Road
Parking
Lot
Building

River

Materials List
Material Amount Used Cost Total for Material
Craft foam (1/2 sheet) $40.00
Felt (1/2 sheet) $40.00
Potting Soil (one cup) $40.00
Sphagnum moss (one cup) $40.00
Cup, large $20.00
Gravel (one cup) $20.00
Paperclips (10) $20.00
Plastic discs (10) $20.00
Sand (one cup) $20.00
Sponge $20.00
Coffee stirrers (10) $10.00
Cotton balls (5) $10.00
Paper clips (10) $10.00
Screen (per square inch) $10.00
Cheesecloth (per square inch) $5.00
Total Budget
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Activity
Create and Test

Pollution Meter
None (10 pts) A Little (5 pts) A Lot (0 pts)
Food Coloring
Sprinkles
Dish Soap
Sequins

Design Questions:

Did I spend more than my budget? (If yes, you need to redesign!)
Yes No

What is my pollution score?

How well can the wind-up toy walk across the paved areas?
Very Moderately Cannot
well (+5) well (+3) walk (+0)

Engineering Notes:
What is working well in my designs?

What can I improve?

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Activity Improve

Keep track of the Improvements to your model city. Make sure to update your budget if you
add or remove materials.
Materials List
Material Amount Used Cost Total for Material
Craft foam (1/2 sheet) $40.00
Felt (1/2 sheet) $40.00
Potting Soil (one cup) $40.00
Sphagnum moss (one cup) $40.00
Cup, large $20.00
Gravel (one cup) $20.00
Paperclips (10) $20.00
Plastic discs (10) $20.00
Sand (one cup) $20.00
Sponge $20.00
Coffee stirrers (10) $10.00
Cotton balls (5) $10.00
Paper clips (10) $10.00
Screen (per square inch) $10.00
Cheesecloth (per square inch) $5.00
Total Budget

Paved Open Top of the Hill

Space

Building

Building

Road
Parking
Lot
Building

River
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Activity
Improve Results

Pollution Meter
None (10 pts) A Little (5 pts) A Lot (0 pts)
Food Coloring
Sprinkles
Dish Soap
Sequins
Oil

Design Questions:

Did I spend more than my budget? (If yes, you need to redesign!)
Yes No

What is my pollution score?

How well can the wind-up toy walk across the paved areas?
Very Moderately Cannot
well (+5) well (+3) walk (+0)

Engineering Notes:
Which improvements worked well?

IM
Which improvements did not work so well? PR
OV
E

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Activity Engineering Profile

Think about how you have changed as an engineer, and update your engineering profile.

Communication Persistence
• I give valuable feedback to others • I learn from failure
• I like giving presentations • I keep trying until I succeed

Creativity Teamwork
• I imagine lots of ideas • I work well in teams
• I come up with new ways of doing some- • I like giving and receiving feedback on my
thing work.

Critical Thinking Technical Skills

• I solve problems • I make things
• I make sense of complicated information • I like working with different materials

Leadership
• I lead teams well
• I make sure everyone has a voice

Which skills have you used? Which skills have you learned?

Engineering Urban Landscapes 20 © Museum of Science

 Identify
Understand the engineering problem.
Define the problem in your own words.

Investigate
Gather details.
Learn about what others have done.
Explore possible materials or processes you could use for your design.
Conduct science experiments to gather data.

Imagine
Come up with different ways to solve the problem.
Use your creativity to think of lots of ideas that could work.
Evaluate the pros and cons of each idea.
Pick one idea that is a good starting point.

Plan
Figure out the details of your design.
Discuss how it will work.
Draw diagrams and list materials.
Decide how you will test and evaluate.

Create
Build your design.
Follow your plan.
Fix small problems.
Record any changes to your plan.

Test
Evaluate how well your design works.
Test multiple times.
Record your observations and findings.
Figure out which parts are working well and which parts are not.

Improve
Make changes to your design based on testing.
Decide what to change.
Put your changes into a new plan.
Build your improved design and test again.

Communicate
Share your solution with others.
Explain strengths and weaknesses of your solution.
Share how you used the Engineering Design Process.
Ask people for feedback.

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