GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT (NYC DEP)

The GI-RD project builds upon previous green infrastructure (GI) monitoring activities involving bioretention, porous pavement, wetlands, and blue/green roofs. The project includes desktop and field experiments to quantify system variability and to obtain a range of desired information for both stormwater performance and ecosystem services. One of EDD’s main responsibilities of this project is management and analysis of experiments involving the performance of right-of-way bioswales (ROWB), a form of GI used to manage stormwater from streets and sidewalks.

Led by EDD founder Dr. Franco Montalto, this experiment monitored ten ROWBs throughout New York City for three seasons to quantify how the facilities manage stormwater during and after rain events. The experimental setup included flumes, wells, and piezometers equipped with pressure transducers, soil moisture sensors, and rain gauges to quantify inflow and outflow volumes during rain events under a range of hydraulic conditions (e.g. free-flow and submerged) and to quantify the recovery of storage capacity between rain events. The findings of this experiment, in addition to other experiments that investigated inlet geometry and infiltration testing, informed design alterations and recommendations for current and future bioswale installations.

Other experiments of the GI-RD project involved assessment of street trees and tree canopy in managing stormwater, constructed wetlands, turf fields, ROWB microbiology, and a geotechnical investigation of GI practice feasibility. Additional efforts included design assistance with ROWB inlets, outlets, and grading schemes and monitoring procedures for constructed infiltration basins.