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Collaboration – The Key to Making Research Transformative

Collaboration – The Key to Making Research Transformative. Craig H. Benson Wisconsin Distinguished Professor Director, Recycled Materials Resource Center www.recycledmaterials.org. chbenson@wisc.edu. RMRC Leadership. Craig H. Benson Co-Director Univ. of Wisconsin chbenson@wisc.edu.

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Collaboration – The Key to Making Research Transformative

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  1. Collaboration – The Key to Making Research Transformative Craig H. Benson Wisconsin Distinguished Professor Director, Recycled Materials Resource Center www.recycledmaterials.org chbenson@wisc.edu

  2. RMRC Leadership Craig H. Benson Co-Director Univ. of Wisconsin chbenson@wisc.edu Kevin H. Gardner Co-Director Univ. of New Hampshire kevin.gardner@unh.edu Tuncer B. Edil Research Director Univ. of Wisconsin tbedil@wisc.edu Jeffrey S. Melton Outreach Director Univ. of New Hampshire jeff.melton@unh.edu

  3. What is the Purpose of the RMRC? • Promote the safe and wise use of recycled materials in construction of transportation infrastructure through education, technology transfer, and applied research. • Wise … ensure that the recycled material is suitable for the highway environment and provide procedures for appropriate use. • Safe …. ensure that material will not have an adverse impact on the environment or users.

  4. Research – ca. 1990 • Single investigator projects • One PI and one student • Relatively short timeline (< 2 yr) • Modest budget (not much field work) • Contributions – Yes • Transformative – Not always.

  5. Research – ca. 2010 • Research centers with multiple investigators • Multifaceted projects • Teams of PIs and teams of students (BS/MS/PhD) • Longer timelines (3-5yr common, some 10+ yr) • Sufficient budget to span theory to practice. • Transformative • This is the rule rather than the exception.

  6. Why is Collaboration Key • Biggest advances are made at the edges of our knowledge. • Greatest learning occurs when we stretch past our capabilities and experience using talents of others. • Major accomplishments often involve several related, yet scientifically different issues. • Major lessons learned often achieved by interacting with non-traditional research partners (e.g., contractors).

  7. Sustainable Highway Construction Using Base Courses with Recycled Pavement Materials • Haifeng Wang, Washington State U. • Tuncer B. Edil, U. Wisconsin • Craig H. Benson, U. Wisconsin

  8. Objectives • Develop method to design base courses constructed with recycled pavement materials (dirty RAP) stabilized with cementitous fly ash. • Assess potential environmental impacts. • Assess life cycle impacts on sustainability. • Demonstrate efficacy at field scale..

  9. MnROAD Test Sections Conventional Aggregate Base RPM Base RPM + Fly Ash Base Riverside 8 Fly Ash from Xcel Energy, 14.6% LOI and 22% CaO Non-compliant with MCPA requirements.

  10. Mixing & Compaction of Full-Scale Test Sections at MnROAD

  11. Pavement Performance - Modulus

  12. Geomembrane installation Sump welding Drainage layer installation Collection tank installation

  13. Environmental Data • Lysimeter data and lab columns on RPM & Fly Ash for As. • As MCL: 10 ppb • Hg MCL: 2 ppb in MN • Hg is well below MCL and lower for fly ash stabilized materials.

  14. WiscLEACH Model

  15. Life Cycle Analysis – Cost, Energy, Environment RPM + Fly Ash RPM + Fly Ash MnROAD Test Sections with RPM & Fly Ash

  16. Expertise • Pavement engineering, pavement geotechnics • Cement chemistry and engineering • Environmental chemistry and engineering • Life cycle assessment for sustainability • Construction

  17. www.recycledmaterials.org

  18. www.bioreactorpartnership.org

  19. www.cresp.org

  20. What do all of these research initiatives have in common? • Complex problems involving several disciplines of science and engineering. • Major infrastructure. • Geotechnical & geoenvironmental issues. • Stakeholders with real-world problems and/or opportunities.

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