My School Project: G-MAT (Green Mat)

    • admin@nie.com
    • Publish Date: May 28 2016 6:45PM
    • |
    • Updated Date: Jun 7 2016 4:26PM
My School Project: G-MAT (Green Mat)

Rashmi R and Tanvi S, class XII, AECS Magnolia Maaruti Public School, B’lore

What it is?

  • G -mat is the abbreviated form of green mat on which one can grow grass.
  • The G -mat is a mat of Lauren (a thick plastic sheet with holes) that can be used to effectively cover terraces of buildings.
  • This carpet of grass would help absorb heat.
  • Terraces, thus layered, would result in reduced temperatures in buildings, by up to 50C.


Salient features

  • The top floors of buildings get extremely heated up during the day. A G-mat would help absorb some of this heat.
  • After experiments over extended periods of time with various kinds of plants, Rashmi Ravishankar and Tanvi Shettigar, students of class XII, realised that simple “naati grass” created the most effective G-mat.
  • Each G-mat is about 3ft by 2 ft.
  • There are holes in the mat, about the size of a bottle cap, that are 3 inches deep.
  • This depth is enough for the roots of grass to grow sturdily.
  • The portable ‘G-MAT’ is an effective solution to combat hot summers and  the heat island effect on the top floors of buildings and high rises.


More facts

  • The G-mat project was presented at the CBSE science exhibition.
  • A major factor in the heating up of modern buildings is the desorption, whereby a substance is released from or through a surface.
  • Using a G-mat cools your terrace in two ways. Firstly, the water cools the terrace and secondly, the greenery on the roof absorbs heat.


How we went about it

  • We found out that the Institute of  Horticulture on Bannerghata Road sells a plastic mat that can be used to grow saplings.
  • We tried growing naati grass and a type of fern. In the end, we found out that naati grass worked the best.
  • We took a cue from the practice of  wetting coir mats and placing them on the terrace during the summer.


What we can learn...

  • Having a G-mat on your terrace is uncomplicated; its even easier than maintaining a garden.
  • There is a marked difference in the temperature of the rooms above which the G-mats are placed. As a result, less electricity is used as these rooms are cooler.
  • Plants do not need too much soil depth to grow. A couple of inches are enough for them to sprout.
    8.5/10

"It was fun to find a practical application of what we have been learning. The process of finding the best type of grass to grow on those mats was challenging"
Rashmi R, class XII


"Their project was to find ways to save energy. The students did a lot of research to find out the best base to grow these saplings as well the best kind of saplings" 
Neelam Ahlawat, teacher, AECS Magnolia Maaruti Public School, Bangalore


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