Grantee Research Project Results
Sustainable Erosion Control in Developing Countries Using Industrial By-Products
EPA Grant Number: SU835079Title: Sustainable Erosion Control in Developing Countries Using Industrial By-Products
Investigators: Chrysochoou, Maria
Current Investigators: Chrysochoou, Maria , Boyer, Dana , Cipoletti, Scott
Institution: University of Connecticut
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2011 through August 14, 2012
Project Amount: $15,000
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2011) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Sustainable and Healthy Communities , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
The objective of this proposal is to investigate the application of industrial by-products such as steel slag and cement kiln dust for erosion control in developing countries and to design and an apply a stabilization method for a road with severe erosion problems in La Prusia, Nicaragua.
Approach:
Soil samples will be obtained from the road that connects La Prusia, a community with Nicaragua, with the city of Grenada and which becomes unusable every year to severe flooding and erosion. Waste samples from local cement and steel plants will also be acquired. The changes in mechanical properties (strength, erodiblity, hydraulic conductivity) in the soil-waste mixtures will be tested as a function of water content and mixing ratio, along with the environmental properties (contaminant concentration and leaching). The optimal mixes will then be applied in a test section of the road using local resources and erosion and leaching will be monitored in situ. The project will rely on the involvement of the local community with a design that can be implemented by them at very low cost compared to traditional erosion control practices. The construction of the road will significantly impact the local people, who rely on it for access to education, jobs and other infrastructure, but cannot afford to pave it. The project will also create a paradigm for sustainable construction in developing countries.
Expected Results:
This project will develop a design for sustainable erosion control in developing countries that can be applied to any area with similar problems and characteristics. The success of the design will be measured by lab and field measurements of soil properties and by the overall success of the implementation of the field demonstration.
Supplemental Keywords:
soil, watersheds, waste reduction, sustainable development, engineering, Central America, community-basedProgress 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.