Tram lines greened with sedum carpets

Arad is the first city in the country where a significant green space was created thanks to the greening of tram lines, the installation being carried out in the summer and autumn of 2023. The successful project is considered pioneering in Romania and it is expected that other cities will join the initiative soon. The landscaping was carried out without irrigation systems over a length of 5.5 km.. The greening of the tram lines was achieved by arranging Sedum rolls between the tram tracks and outside them, along the entire length of the site.

The first step was to clean the area to be treated. The displaced stones were repositioned and the entire surface was leveled. This was followed by the installation of a filtering geotextile that will not allow fine leachable particles from the special multi-component substrate mixture (ground volcanic slag, compost, other materials) to mix with the foundation stones of the runway, and a special drainage and water retention element was placed, which will be able to absorb an amount of over 20 l/m2. Before installing the Sedum rolls, a 3-10 cm layer of substrate and additives to increase the water retention capacity was installed.

This was followed by the installation of a filtering geotextile that will not allow fine leachable particles from the special multi-component substrate mixture (ground volcanic slag, compost, other materials) to mix with the foundation stones of the runway, and a special drainage and water retention element was placed, which will be able to absorb an amount of over 20 l/m2. Before installing the Sedum rolls, a 3-10 cm layer of substrate and additives to increase the water retention capacity was installed.

Not known.

Thermoscan measurements revealed temperature differences between the built and vegetated surfaces. The favorable effects became measurable immediately after installation, as thermoscan measurements show a significant temperature difference between the vegetated surface and the paved areas (with differences of up to 19 °C). Arad City Hall announces that it managed to save over 27 million liters of water in a year, after greening the tram lines with Sedum instead of lawn. The plants survived temperatures of over 40 degrees in the shade, only changing their color to shades of red

The trend of greening tram lines with sedum is a smart, sustainable and aesthetic solution that can bring significant benefits to the urban environment and the local community.

Such greening can now be seen in many cities. Perhaps getting the public involved might be a good idea, to make them feel the importance of the plants and their benefits..