RMSC Green Infrastructure

The Rochester Museum and Science Center created this Green Infrastructure Showcase to help students of all ages learn about sustainability. This outdoor, permanent exhibit area includes a green roof, rain gardens and bioretention areas, and pervious concrete.

This green infrastructure provides a cost-effective, sustainable approach to reducing stormwater runoff pollution, and also provides environmental, social, and economic benefits.

The installation includes more than 25,000 square feet of porous concrete pavement, and more than 4,000 square feet of bioretention rain gardens. For every inch of rain, this returns almost 30,000 gallons of storm water to ground water.

Concrete is among the world’s most common materials. It’s durability, and low cost make it essential to countless construction projects, such as bridges, buildings, roads, and sidewalks.

Because concrete is used on such a large scale, produces large amounts of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, mostly from a manufacturing process that emits carbon dioxide, or CO2.

Manufacturers, engineers, and scientists are working to lower the CO2 emissions of cement production and change the ingredients used in concrete. To learn more, tap https://climate.mit.edu/explainers/concrete