SARCI
Transportation Geotechnics:
Sustainability Principles, Case Studies
and Lessons Learned
Anand J. Puppala, Ph.D., PE
Associate Dean (Research) - College of Engineering
Director, Sustainable and Resilient Civil Infrastructure (SARCI) Center &
NSF IUCRC Site: CICI_UTA
Chair, TRB Soil Mechanics Section (AFS00)
The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) – [email protected]
www.uta.edu/sarci
International Symposium on Systematic Approaches to Environmental Sustainability in Transportation
Fairbanks, Alaska, Aug 4, 2015
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• Introductory Comments
• Sustainability in Geotechnical and Pavement
Engineering
• Innovations Toward Sustainability: Case Studies
& Lessons Learned
• Novel Material, Material Reuse, Geosynthetics
• Sustainability Assessments
• Concluding Remarks
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Social
Communication
Economic Life Cycle Cost Studies
Environment
Climate Friendly
Sustainability is defined as a requirement of our generation to manage
the resource base such that the average quality of life that we
ensure ourselves can potentially be shared by all
future generations. ...
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• To Understand Sustainability
• Engg background with focus on ‘environment’
• Science background
• Economics
• Social Skills - Communication
• Civil Engineer Training – Does it prepare?
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Conventional Design - little attention to energy, materials inputs, or waste
disposal
Basu, University of Waterloo
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Green Design - Design for the Environment (DFE)
Basu, University of Waterloo
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• Sustainability - “Global concept enacted locally”
• Meeting Today’s demands without compromising
Future needs
• Some fields in civil engineering – sustainability parts
easily distinguishable (e.g. Water Infrastructure)
• Other areas – Challenging
• Geotechnical and Pavement Engineering – Mixed bag!
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Sustainability in Geotechnical engineering Misra and Basu (2011)
Sustainability
Aspects for
subgrade
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• Most of the sustainable solutions
comes from material recycle &
reuse and material waste
reengineering
Source: Waste Management
“Green” – Recycle & Reuse
versus
“Traditional” Services (Landfilling
and others)
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• Waste Materials – Reuse/Recycle
• Coal Combustion Products
• Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and Recycled
Concrete Pavement Aggregates
• Glass, Fibers and Composts
• Construction Wastes
• Pavement/Foundation Alternatives
• Ground Improvement
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Coal Combustion: Products
By-products resulting from the combustion of pulverized coal
in thermal power plants – Fly Ash and Bottom Ash Materials
(Source: Nath et al. CSIR)
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Coal Combustion: Production & Issues
• In US - 131 Million Tons/annum
• In EU – Around 120+ Million Tons
• In India and China – More than 300
Million Tons
• Several Issues
• Landfilling
• Ground Water Contamination
• Bulk Storage Spills
• TVA Kingston Fossil Plant
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Coal Combustion Bi-Products: Applications
• Cement/Concrete – Mix Design
• Flowable Fills
• Fill Material in Embankments
• Soil Modification/Stabilization
• Pavement Layers
• Mineral Filler in Asphalt
• Geopolymers
• Others Ashes – Bottom Ash,
• LKD, CKD, Slags
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Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) and Recycled
Concrete Aggregates (RCP)
RAP Stock Pile RCP Aggregates
• Pavement rehabilitation
• Milling or crushing of existing pavement
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RAP and RCP: Production
RCP Aggregates
• 45 million tons of RAP produced every year in US
• 123 million tons of RCP waste per year (FHWA, 2004)
• Most demolished concrete comes from structures and
pavements
• Aging highways increasing demolition of concrete
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• Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA)
• Base and sub-base materials
• Retaining wall backfill
• Foundation Course
• Pipe Bedding
• Stabilization techniques
In-situ process (Full Depth Reclamation)
Off-site process
RAP and RCP: Applications
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Reuse of RAP in Infrastructure Projects: Puppala et al. (2011)
Grain size distributions of recycled materials Compressibility behavior of recycled materials
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Sectional view of north and southbound showing CQF and RAP as pavement bases (State
Highway 360, Arlington, Texas)
Construction and Instrumentation of Test Sections with RAP :
Puppala et al. (2011)
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Field Monitoring Studies with RAP: Puppala et al. (2011)
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Glass and Composts
• Fine Recycled Glass
• Medium Recycled Glass
• Coarse Recycled Glass
• Daily Manure Compost
• Bio-Solids Compost
Dairy Manure
Compost
Recycled Crushed Glass
Bio-Solids Compost
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Glass and Composts: Applications
Filterpave parking lot: Emersleben and Meyer (2012)
Sub-base with Recycled Glass
Waste: Arulrajah et al. (2013)
Compost Treatment of Pavement
Shoulders
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Application of Compost in Slope Stability
Grapevine Dam Joe Pool Lake Dam
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Application of Compost in Slope Stability
Total Station
Slope Indicator
Moisture sensor
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• Geotechnical and Pavement Projects can play
a major role in turning waste to Sustainable
solutions
• Case Studies – Novel Materials, Reuse,
Geosynthetics, and Others
• Lessons Learned – Help Future Sustainability
Issues in Future Similar Projects
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Study 1: Pilot Implementation using GeoFoam
Site Location: US 67 bridge over SH 174, Johnson
County, Cleburne, Texas
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Study 1: Pilot Implementation using GeoFoam
More than 16 in. of settlement
had been experienced on the
embankment since its construction
Several treatment methods were
attempted to be used but not
proven to be effective
US67 Bridge over SH174
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Study 1: Pilot Implementation using GeoFoam
Embankment Construction
with EPS Geofoam Instrumentation with Inclinometers
& Pressure Cells
PC #1 PC #2
PC #3 PC #4
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Study 1: Pilot Implementation using GeoFoam
Settlement observed
was less than 1.5
inches over 3 years
Geofoam provided a sustainable engineering solution to different
problems at US 67 bridge
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Study 2: Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL)
Cedar Creek
Richland
Chambers Lake Palestine
Aerial view of IPL Pipeline (source: TRWD)
Water Pipeline 2.74 m (9 ft) diameter, 150 mile length
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Study 2: Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL)
Geological Formations
• All the Formations (6) have high plasticity clayey soils extended to a
depth of 1.5 m (5 ft) to 6.1 m (20 ft)
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Study 2: Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL)
• Two scenarios were considered in the analyses
Excavated soil will be used as bedding material and haunch layers
Imported soil from nearby quarry will be used as bedding material
and haunch layers
• Section details assumed for analyses:
Length : 30.5 m (100 ft)
Diameter of Pipe: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Bedding thickness : 180 mm (7 in.)
Haunch thickness : 1070 mm (42 in.)
Backfill Layer
Pipeline
Bedding Layer
Haunch
Layer
3.7 m (12 ft)
4.6 m
(15 ft)
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Study 2: Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL)
• High plasticity clays to Controlled Low Strength Material (CLSM)
• CLSM is mostly known as flowable fill until American Concrete Institute
Committee 229 – documented its name as Controlled Low Strength Material,
2005
Controlled Low Strength Material (CLSM)
• CLSM Mix design – Cement, Water, Native soil
4% - Type I Portland Mansfield location, Texas
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Study 2: Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL)
Pouring of CLSM Completed Trench
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Study 2: Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL)
1. SASW Bar with geophones
2. Data Logger
3. Connecting Wires
4. Hammer
1
2
3
4
Stiffness Measurements
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Study 2: Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL)
Day 1
Day 3
Day 7
Day 14
Day 28
Kriging analysis Maps for stiffness values in MPa
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Study 2: Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL)
• Cost benefits and potential carbon footprint analyses were made in
this project for reusing the excavated clayey soils
Sustainability Impacts from Reuse of Excavated Soil (Chittoori et al. 2012)
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Study 2: Integrated Pipeline Project (IPL)
Analysis Results:
• First Scenario: the total cost of the excavated material being used as
pipeline zone material
Material cost -$12.6 per m; carbon foot print – 0.01 metric ton per m
• Second Scenario: the total cost of using material from quarries
Material cost -$81.7 per m; carbon foot print – 0.08 metric ton per m
Study 3. Reduction of Select Soil
Materials
Typically 30% to 40% < gravel
using geosynthetics EG : Based on design methods in FHWA
2008 Geosynthetics manual
Subgrade Strength < 30 kPa
Ref: Barry Christopher
and Dave Suits, LVR, 2015
Roadway
Reconstruction
Project in Oxford,
England
To remove 8000 t of waste would require
40 truck loads.
10 miles haul distance (site to disposal)
would produce > 1.2 t CO2.
The reduced volume of waste material
saved the import of 800 t of bituminous
fill material, saving ~ 4 t CO2
Total savings ≈ 5.2 t CO2
Ref: Barry Christopher
and Dave Suits, LVR, 2015
Summary of Swedish Study
reported by Wallbaum, Busser, Itten,
Frischknecht
Study completed for the European Association of Geosynthetics Manufacturers
– Applications studied • Geotextile filter layer
• Road foundation reinforcement
• Drainage
• Reinforced wall
– General Conclusions • Geosynthetics contribute to lower climate change
impacts
• Geosynthetics lead to lower environmental impacts
Ref: Barry Christopher
and Dave Suits, LVR, 2015
Improved Sustainability – With
Geosynthetics Cost & Carbon Footprint Case Studies of Geosynthetic Systems vs. Alternate Civil Engineering Systems (after Corney et al., 2009).
Project/
Description
Geosynthetic &
Alternate Approach
Cost2
$1000
CO2
Savings
(tonnes)
Environmental
Bund
GRS 25 19.2
Gabion Wall 629 143
Road
Embankment
Reinforced Embankment 633 314
Unreinforced Embankment 1410 454
Roadway
Widening
Geocomposite Drain 171 43.0
Hollow Concrete Block Drain 174 154
Paved Road
Reconstruction
Geocomposite Drain & Steel
Mesh Reinforcement
NA4 --
> Excavation & Thicker
Pavement
NA 5.2
Slope Failure
Repair
Reinforced Soil Block with
Counterfort Drainage
<Time
& cost
0.2
Contiguous Bored Pile Wall NA 8.9
(t)
Ref: Barry Christopher
and Dave Suits, LVR, 2015
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Newest Site
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CICI_UTA Site: Geocomposites
• NSF IUCRC Site – CICI_UTA Approved in April, 2015
• Only Geotech Oriented IUCRC Site in the USA
• CICI_UTA Center focuses on the “Use of composite products in pavement and geo-infrastructure” Geosynthetics, Biopolymers, Geopolymers
Brings out sustainable components in the research
Focuses on life cycle cost, energy savings and carbon calculations
Annual memberships and Partial NSF funds support Research Projects
Seven members
Note: IUCRC – Industry University Cooperative Research Center
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Sustainability Rating
Systems/Measurements
• Sustainability Rating Systems
Green Roads – Project Requirements
Ratings for Sustainability (Materials – 23 points)
• ASCE Envision & FHWA and Local Rating Systems
Materials Related Aspects - Low
• Sustainable Measurements
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Studies – Most Common
Approach
Carbon Calculators and Energy Costs
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Life Cycle Assessment
• Life cycle assessment or analysis (LCA) is a
tool to determine and evaluate the
environmental impacts of a product, process,
or a service including those effects associated
with processes upstream in the supply chain
• LCA includes an accounting of the raw material
production, manufacturing, distribution, use
and disposal including all the intervening
transportation steps involved
Basu, University of Waterloo
SARCI Wh
y a
ca
rbo
n c
alc
ula
tor?
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Ms. Marine Lesne (France)’s Presentation at Paris, 2013:
• Climate change is seen as a key issue by most of the local
authorities and also private companies
• Capability to evaluate with specific method is now mandatory and
will be potential differentiation in tenders
• No carbon calculator tool at European or International level for Deep
Foundation and Ground Improvement Works exists
need for a specific development
EFFC / DFI Objectives
• Provide all EFFC members with a Carbon calculator for Deep
Foundation and Ground Improvement Works, allowing for absolute
calculation and projects comparisons
• The tool should be simple, open, though comprehensive,
methodologically sound and usable by all
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EFFC-DFI Carbon Calculator
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EFFC-DFI Carbon Calculator
Wh
ich
meth
odo
logy?
The methodology is compatible with the following standards :
• GHG Protocol Product Life Cycle Accounting and Reporting
Standard
• Bilan Carbone
• PAS 2050
• ISO 14067
2. Carbon calculation
Standards / methods
1. Carbon calculation
methods / tools
Standardised EFFC-DFI
Carbon Calculator &
Methodology
3. Carbon Emission
Factors databases
Slide from Ms. Marine Lesne (France) Presentation:
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• Sustainability is no longer a buzz word!
• Infrastructure Projects and Rating Systems
• Transportation Geotechnics Field – Offers Many
Sustainability Opportunities
• Several Areas Identified
• Sustainability Assessment Tools
• Carbon Calculators
• Life Cycle Cost Analysis & Energy Savings
• Agencies/Owners/Contractors/Practitioners
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Field Monitoring can be scary…
• Unexpected Visitors….
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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Thank You Jenny Liu & ISSAEST,
Basu, Barry & Dave
NSF IUCRC – CICI_UTA