Performance improvement of asphalt concretes using fiber reinforcement.

This study reports on the laboratory performance, field performance and cost analysis of fiber-reinforced asphalt concrete (FR-AC) pavement using AC60/70 and polymer modified asphalt (PMA) as binders. The performance testing included indirect tensile resilient modulus, indirect tensile strength modulus, indirect tensile fatigue life, dynamic creep and wheel-tracker tests. Field trials of AC60/70 and PMA mixtures, were undertaken with and without fibers and the International Roughness Index, texture depth, and rutting of the mixtures were measured over time.

Permanent Deformation and Rutting Resistance of Demolition Waste Triple Blends in Unbound Pavement Applications.

Virgin quarried materials are becoming increasingly scarce in our environment, and these materials are no longer a viable or economical solution for the construction industry. The construction industry is constantly seeking new markets for recycled waste in civil engineering applications. This research's primary focus is the optimization of the usage of recycled materials such as recycled glass (RG), crushed brick (CB), and crushed concrete (CC), in pavement base/sub-base applications.

Environmental and geotechnical suitability of recycling waste materials from plasterboard manufacturing.

This paper presents the geotechnical and environmental suitability of recycling gypsum-based waste material produced from plasterboard manufacturing. Most of the current plasterboard manufacturing industries are dumping these wastes to landfills. Among the major impediments to recycling such waste are environmental concerns around using such recycled material, as well as proper and suitable places to use it.

Nanoparticles in Construction Materials and Other Applications, and Implications of Nanoparticle Use.

Nanoparticles are defined as ultrafine particles sized between 1 and 100 nanometres in diameter. In recent decades, there has been wide scientific research on the various uses of nanoparticles in construction, electronics, manufacturing, cosmetics, and medicine. The advantages of using nanoparticles in construction are immense, promising extraordinary physical and chemical properties for modified construction materials.

Amazing Types, Properties, and Applications of Fibres in Construction Materials.

Fibres have been used in construction materials for a very long time. Through previous research and investigations, the use of natural and synthetic fibres have shown promising results, as their presence has demonstrated significant benefits in terms of the overall physical and mechanical properties of the composite material. When comparing fibre reinforcement to traditional reinforcement, the ratio of fibre required is significantly less, making fibre reinforcement both energy and economically efficient.

Land Subsidence Control Zone and Policy for the Environmental Protection of Shanghai.

Land subsidence was once a major geo-hazard in the city of Shanghai, China. From 1921 to 1965, the maximum cumulative land subsidence in the urban areas of China reached 2.6 m.

In-situ solidification/stabilization of heavy metals contaminated site soil using a dry jet mixing method and new hydroxyapatite based binder.

In this study, in-situ treatment using dry jet mixing construction method and SPC (single superphosphate and calcium oxide) new binder are used to solidify/stabilize a heavy metal contaminated site soil with relatively high content of organic matters. Time-dependent field performance of the soils at 41 and 326 days after treatment is evaluated, which includes electrical conductivity (EC), leachability of heavy metals and chemical oxygen demand (COD), soil penetration resistance, acid neutralization capacity (ANC), and chemical speciation of heavy metals. The results indicate that the stabilized soils exhibit satisfactory performance which is comparable with the laboratory study.

Environmental changes in Ariake Sea of Japan and their relationships with Isahaya Bay reclamation.

This paper reviews the recent environmental deterioration in Ariake Sea, Japan, including an increased frequency of red tides and hypoxic waters and decreased fishery production. Analysis of the mechanisms of environmental deterioration suggests that it is possibly induced by the decrease in tidal flat area, decreases in the tide and tidal current and changes in the sediment environment. The Isahaya Bay reclamation project resulted in the loss of 1550 ha of tidal flats, and is one of the possible reasons for the decreases in the tide and tidal current.

Flood risk assessment in metro systems of mega-cities using a GIS-based modeling approach.

Metro system is a vital component of mass transportation infrastructure, providing crucial social and economic service in urban area. Flood events may cause functional disruptions to metro systems; therefore, a better understanding of their vulnerability would enhance their resilience. A comparative study of flood risk in metro systems is presented using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the interval AHP (I-AHP) methods.

Evaluation of Environmental Risk Due to Metro System Construction in Jinan, China.

Jinan is a famous spring city in China. Construction of underground metro system may block groundwater seepage, inducing the depletion risk of springs. This paper presents an assessment of the risk due to metro line construction to groundwater in Jinan City using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Geographic International System (GIS).

High calcium fly ash geopolymer stabilized lateritic soil and granulated blast furnace slag blends as a pavement base material.

Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GBFS) was used as a replacement material in marginal lateritic soil (LS) while class C Fly Ash (FA) was used as a precursor for the geopolymerization process to develop a low-carbon pavement base material at ambient temperature. Unconfined Compression Strength (UCS) tests were performed to investigate the strength development of geopolymer stabilized LS/GBFS blends. Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Diffraction analysis were undertaken to examine the role of the various influencing factors on UCS development.

Development of groundwater vulnerability zones in a data-scarce eogenetic karst area using Head-Guided Zonation and particle-tracking simulation methods.

Delineation of groundwater vulnerability zones based on a valid groundwater model is crucial towards an accurate design of management strategies. However, limited data often restrain the development of a robust groundwater model. This study presents a methodology to develop groundwater vulnerability zones in a data-scarce area.

Effect of fly ash on properties of crushed brick and reclaimed asphalt in pavement base/subbase applications.

Fly Ash (FA), an abundant by-product with no carbon footprint, is a potential stabilizer for enhancing the physical and geotechnical properties of pavement aggregates. In this research, FA was used in different ratios to stabilize crushed brick (CB) and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) for pavement base/subbase applications. The FA stabilization of CB and RAP was targeted to improve the strength and durability of these recycled materials for pavement base/subbase applications.

Recycled asphalt pavement - fly ash geopolymers as a sustainable pavement base material: Strength and toxic leaching investigations.

In this research, a low-carbon stabilization method was studied using Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and Fly Ash (FA) geopolymers as a sustainable pavement material. The liquid alkaline activator (L) is a mixture of sodium silicate (NaSiO) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and high calcium FA is used as a precursor to synthesize the FA-RAP geopolymers. Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) of RAP-FA blend and RAP-FA geopolymer are investigated and compared with the requirement of the national road authorities of Thailand.

Possible environmental impacts of recycled glass used as a pavement base material.

In theory, glass diverted or recovered from the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream can be used as feedstock (glass cullet) in the production of new glass containers. However, post-consumer glass typically contains a mixture of clear and coloured material and is often contaminated with other wastes; characteristics that are impediments to the production of new containers. Sorting and cleaning of glass diverted from MSW to make it feasible for use in bottle industries are also time consuming and costly tasks.