The Minnesota Department of Transportation has published a final report that describes a practical method to design local roadways using stabilized recycled pavement material or stabilized road surface gravel as the base layer and Class C fly ash as the stabilizing agent. According to the report, the use of industrial materials such as cementitious fly ash for stabilization during road reconstruction is attractive in the context of sustainability. The report includes a step-by-step design procedure, addresses practice implications related to implementation, and examines potential groundwater impacts. For more information, link to Use of Fly Ash for Reconstruction of Bituminous Roads. (10-19-09)

[back to top]

The Federal Highway Administration’s Recycled Materials Resource Center has published the first issue of a new RMRC Quarterly Newsletter on the center’s current research and outreach regarding the beneficial use of recycled materials in the highway community. The current edition provides details on the RMRC review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s latest version of the Industrial Waste Management Evaluation Model (IWEM V2), which includes a module for assessing potential groundwater impacts caused by leaching from industrial material resources used as pavement materials in roadway construction. The newsletter also highlights new research projects, conferences, and workshops. For more information, link to the RMRC Quarterly Newsletter, Vol. 1, No. 1 – September 2009. (10-13-09)

[back to top]

The National Center for Pavement Preservation (NCPP) has posted to its website video presentations from the Midwestern Asphalt In-Place Recycling Workshop held on August 11-13, 2009, in Bloomington, Minn. The event was one of a series of regional workshops developed by the Asphalt Recycling and Reclaiming Association and FHWA to provide a forum for pavement and recycling professionals to share information on improvements in research, design, specifications, materials, and construction practices and to promote the cost benefits of asphalt in-place recycling. For more information, including presentations from previous workshops, link to the NCPP website. (10-5-09)

[back to top]

The Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response has published a report that finds a significant potential for reducing U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through materials management and land management practices, such as recycling, waste reduction, smart growth, and brownfields redevelopment. The report provides a systems-based framework for viewing U.S. GHG emissions, finding that 42 percent of U.S. emissions are influenced by materials management policies and 16 to 20 percent of U.S. emissions are associated with land management policies, including transportation, construction, and lost vegetation from clearing of undeveloped land. Another 13 percent of emissions are absorbed by soil and vegetation that also can be protected or enhanced through land management policies. For more information, link to Opportunities to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Materials and Land Management Practices. (9-21-09)

[back to top]

The Environmental Council of the States has published the August 2009 issue of its ECOS Green Report, which includes case studies of state approaches for addressing the effects of lead wheel weights on the environment. According to ECOS, the accumulation of lead wheel weights on urban roads likely contributes to lead found in urban runoff, adversely affecting water quality. Also, lead particles from wheel weights can be tracked into homes, adding to the lead exposure of individuals who live near busy streets, potentially impacting low-income communities especially. The report points out that while the Environmental Protection Agency has begun a voluntary National Lead-Free Wheel Weight Initiative, several states have gone further by phasing out lead-based wheel weights or replacing such weights in their vehicle fleets. The report highlights initiatives by the states of Maine, California, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. The report also includes the text of an ECOS resolution recommending a prohibition on the sale and installation of lead wheel weights by 2011. For more information, link to States Offer Model Approaches for Phasing Out Lead Wheel Weights in the Environment. (8-10-09)

[back to top]

The Associated General Contractors of America has released a new web-based resource designed to help contractors recycle construction and demolition (C&D) debris generated at job sites and to reuse industrial materials in new construction projects. Developed in cooperation with EPA and the Industrial Resources Council, the new online recycling toolkit includes information on beginning a recycling program, links to webpages for C&D materials reuse or recycling facilities, examples of construction waste management plans, case studies, and other resources. For more information, link to the Recycling Toolkit. (6-30-09)

[back to top]

A report issued under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) explores the state of the practice in reducing roadside litter for state departments of transportation (DOTs). The report includes information on prevention and removal of roadside litter, unfulfilled needs, knowledge gaps, and underperforming activities. It also addresses enforcement, education, awareness, and engineering methods for litter prevention and collection. For more information, link to NCHRP Synthesis 394: Reducing Litter on Roadsides. (6-30-09)

[back to top]

The Transportation Research Board’s Committee for Waste Management and Resource Efficiency in Transportation (ADC60) will hold its 2009 summer workshop on July 13-15, 2008, in New York City. The workshop will include sessions on sustainability initiatives, environmental management systems, material and waste recovery and reuse, hazardous materials investigation, making cities greener and cleaner, and more. For more information, link to the TRB Committee ADC60 website. (6-25-09)

[back to top]

A new report by the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials’ (ASTSWMO) CERCLA and Brownfields Research Center provides a list of land revitalization indicators used by states and territories around the country to illustrate the return on investment from redevelopment of contaminated sites, including brownfields. According to the report, over half of states and territorial programs currently do not collect such data on land revitalization projects. The report describes the types of indicators currently being collected, including socioeconomic data. For more information, link to the Compendium of State Land Revitalization Indicators. (5-28-09)

[back to top]

The Recycled Materials Resource Center has made available presentations from an online workshop on the benefits of using foundry sand in transportation and civil infrastructure applications. The six presentations feature each of the topic areas covered during one-hour interactive sessions held from October and November 2008, including: characterizing engineering properties of foundry sands, designing pavements using foundry sand in base and subbase, and evaluating suitability of foundry sands for infrastructure construction. For more information, link to the Foundry Sand Recycling Forum Webinar Session Topics. (5-21-09)

[back to top]

The 7th International Conference on the Environmental and Technical Implications of Construction with Alternative Materials, or “WASCON 2009,” will be held in Lyon, France, on June 3-5, 2009. The conference will address topics on the sustainable management of waste and recycled materials in construction, including quantification and modeling of emissions, new products or processes for reuse of wastes in construction, ecological and health impacts, and barriers and incentives to waste recycling. For more information, link to the conference website. (5-19-09)

[back to top]

The Construction Materials Recycling Association will host the 4th Asphalt Shingle Recycling Forum on Nov. 5-6, 2009, in Chicago. The forum, which is titled “Implementation: Beyond the Barriers,” will feature informal roundtables with combined participation of department of transportation, environmental, and industry professionals in each industry region. Issues to be discussed include successes, failures, challenges, policies and outstanding research or information needs on asphalt shingle recycling. For more information, link to Shingle Recycling.org. (5-19-09)

[back to top]

The Transportation Research Board hosts a webinar on May 7, 2009, on the design and production of high-reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) mixes. The webinar explores current research and best practices for the processing, design, and production of high-RAP mixtures, which are characterized by recycled asphalt content greater than 25 percent. For more information, link to the TRB Design and Production of High-Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Mixes Webinar. (4-20-09)

[back to top]