Environmental Impact of Construction and Repair Materials on Surface Water and Groundwater: Detailed Evaluation of Waste-Amended Highway Materials

Abstract

An evaluation methodology was developed to help transportation agencies make prudent decisions about the reuse of waste materials and by-products in highway construction. The primary objective of this evaluation process was to assess the potential impact on surface water and groundwater of constituents released from these materials. Test materials included coal fly ash, bottom ash, blast furnace slags, scrap tires, foundry sand, and recycled asphalt pavement. Test materials were screened for potential aquatic impact in their raw form. Then they were amended with either asphalt or aggregate for detailed assessment, including leaching (batch and flat plate or column tests) and environmental removal, reduction, and retardation (soil sorption, volatilization, photolysis, and biodegradation) tests. Short-term bioassays were used to measure directly the potential aquatic impact of derived leachates as a supplement to chemical analyses. For most materials, amendment with asphalt or aggregate largely reduced or eliminated any impact on the aquatic organisms. Among environmental factors, soil sorption appeared to be the most effective contaminant-removal mechanism. All waste-amended asphalts and aggregates exhibited no measurable impact on target organisms after soil sorption. However, for materials such as pressure-treated wood and deck sealer (used as is), environmental tests showed little or no effect in reducing their aquatic impact.

Utilization of sieved and ground coal bottom ash powders as a coarse binder in high-strength mortar to improve workability

“…Owing to physical and chemical encapsulation by the cement matrix, the toxic trace elements in bottom ash (including heavy metals and arsenic) can be bound in the composites [8,9,10]. Thus, compared with direct disposal of bottom ash and its geotechnical utilizations, the environmental impacts of bottom ash applied in cement-based composites is significantly lower [13,12]. Moreover, in some cases, bottom ash may even improve the performance of the composites.…”

Environmental Study of the Release of BTEX from Asphalt Modified with Used Motor Oil and Crumb Rubber Modifier

“…Both scrap tires and reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) were tested in this evaluation, and the primary objective was to assess the potential impact on surface water and groundwater of constituents released from these materials. Other materials that were tested include coal fly ash, bottom ash, blast furnace slags, and foundry sand [1].…”

“…Testing needs to be done on rejuvenated mixes that contain crumb rubber despite the likely occurrence of volatilization. These screening tests have shown the potential danger of crumb rubber, and therefore it needs to be evaluated in all potential uses for it [1].…”

Vliv výstavby jezu v lokalitě Abovce (Slovensko) na hladinu podzemních vod – případová studie z povodí Slané

“…Nachází se však v registru C, obsahujícím záznamy sanovaných a rekultivovaných lokalit, jež nepředstavují žádné nebezpečí. Dalším nebezpečím je zvýšená hladina podzemní vody sahající do hloubky cca 1 m pod povrchem (u obcí Chanava a Abovce), snadno dosažitelná během stavební činnosti, při níž se toxické látky mohou vyplavovat do podzemních vod [20]. Rovněž může nastat riziko kontaminace podzemních vod ropnými produkty při haváriích stavebních strojů a technologií [21].…”