Grantee Research Project Results
Cool and Sustainable Sidewalks
EPA Grant Number: SU839840Title: Cool and Sustainable Sidewalks
Investigators: Rowangould, Gregory , Antonczak, Brittany , Morelli, Claude , Taha, Mahmoud , Genedy, Moneeb , Raby, Patience , Montano, Stephen
Current Investigators: Rowangould, Gregory , Morelli, Claude , Taha, Mahmoud , Antonczak, Brittany , Genedy, Moneeb , Montano, Stephen , Raby, Patience
Institution: University of New Mexico
EPA Project Officer: Callan, Richard
Phase: I
Project Period: October 1, 2019 through September 30, 2020 (Extended to September 30, 2022)
Project Amount: $24,999
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2019) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Description:
Our technical challenge is to design a sidewalk that can be built using recycled and less energy- and carbon-intensive materials with the thinnest possible thickness, to reduce material use and limit heat storage capacity. By revisiting the materials and techniques that cities and towns use to build sidewalks, we believe it is possible to identify more durable, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective approaches than are commonly used today.
Approach:
We aim to identify a new construction material and fabrication method for sidewalks that incorporates one or more of the following innovations:
Use of recycled material such as fly ash, rubber tires, or carbon fibers. Using these materials could potentially bring multiple, mutually reinforcing benefits. Adding recycled materials to concrete in sidewalks could reduce non-renewable resource consumption, divert waste from landfills, and improve the structural properties of sidewalks. Substituting recycled materials for other, more energy- and carbon-intensive materials could also lessen air, water and climate impacts associated with energy production. Furthermore, because some recycled materials show promise for strengthening concrete, we may be able to design thinner sidewalks that use even less material. Thinner sidewalks could also reduce the heat capacity of sidewalks. Reducing heat capacity would help to address the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Reducing the UHI, in turn, would help to lower energy demand for cooling in cities and towns, which would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants associated with energy production.
Use of strengthening materials such as synthetic textiles. While we may use recycled carbon fiber to strengthen concrete mixes, we will also consider other fibers that may provide greater performance, allowing us to further reduce the thickness of sidewalk slabs and extend their service life. By further reducing thickness we would be using even less material and storing less heat, extending the benefits described previously.
Use of 3D concrete printing. We will use 3D concrete printing to create sidewalk slabs with voids that maintain structural requirements while using fewer materials and helping to insulate deep concrete layers from thermal conduction from the surface. By using less material and reducing the amount of heat stored in sidewalk slabs, this innovation could achieve many of the benefits mentioned for the first two innovations.
The student team will lead the necessary concrete laboratory experiments to evaluate the performance of the alternative concrete designs and evaluate the lifecycle environmental impacts and costs. Students will take a one-credit course where they will be introduced to project management and research methods necessary to successfully complete the project.
Expected Results:
In Phase I, we will evaluate the structural, environmental and economic performance of several alternatives to the materials and manufacturing techniques traditionally used in sidewalk construction. The final output will be the identification of a preferred design that maximizes environmental benefits, minimizes costs and meets structural requirements.
If our project receives Phase II funding, we plan to further evaluate, test and refine our highest-performing alternatives. The second phase would include constructing sidewalk segments instrumented with sensors to monitor heat conductivity, heat flux, and structural parameters over time in low-income communities that would most benefit from higher-performing and lower cost sidewalks. The field measurements will supplement our laboratory experiments and provide information needed to potentially allow for one of our alternatives to be more widely implemented or further refined.
If successful, our project will reduce pollution associated with sidewalk construction by reducing energy- and carbon-intensive material use, increase the use of recycled materials and lower urban heat. Less urban heat would decrease energy use for cooling, further reducing pollution from energy production.
Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 1 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Pedestrians, High-Performance ConcreteProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.