Xianming Shi
Stormwater control is a national priority since non-point sources continue to rank as leading causes of water pollution. Pervious concrete is considered a successful Low Impact Development (LID) technology and has been increasingly used as a stormwater best management practice (BMP) for parking lots, sidewalks, and other applications. It also has other environmental benefits such as traffic noise reduction, urban heat-island mitigation, and groundwater recharging. Replacing Portland cement binder with fly ash (a byproduct of coal combustion in the generation of electricity) and traditional aggregates with ground waste glass has the potential to reduce costs and emissions, save energy, and reduce landfill waste. The utilization of nanotechnology to enable expanded use of waste and recycled materials is an unexplored area with great potential. The objective of this project is to advance scientific knowledge in the utilization of nanotechnology to expand the use of industrial waste and recycled materials in pervious concrete and in the potential of such "greener" pervious concrete for the treatment of deicer-laden stormwater under a variety of contaminant loading scenarios. In other words, more environmentally friendly pervious concrete mixes will be evaluated as a reactive BMP for deicer stormwater management. The innovation is inherent in the use of multi-scale modified "green" cementitious binder and low-cost materials and waste materials in a synergistic manner.
For more information, please review the Project Information document.
