Ashraf Alam and Liv Haselbach have received a $20,000 Portland Cement Association (PCA) Fellowship

Ashraf Alam and Liv Haselbach have received a $20,000 Portland Cement Association (PCA) Fellowship for work entitled “Model Development for Carbon Sequestration for Pavement Infrastructures.” This is one of two fellowships that were awarded this year. Ashraf is a Ph.D. candidate in the Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department with a structural and sustainability focus. The award was presented by Jennifer Hitch, of the Northwest Regional Office of the PCA.

Ashraf will be performing testing on old pavement specimens taken from applications around the country using the TGA in the analytical lab at CMEC to determine how much carbon has been reabsorbed into the specimens over their primary life. This follows some preliminary studies on old sidewalk pavement specimens from the WSU campus analyzed last fall that indicated the potential for a substantial reduction to the carbon footprint of concrete pavements during their life from natural processes.

They are also excited to be participating in the fourth installation of previous concrete on the Pullman Campus. Pervious concrete is a novel pavement material that allows water to run through it and into a storage vault or the soil below. It reduces many environmental and property impacts from stormwater runoff. The newest placement on the sidewalk in front of Sloan Hall will also be studied for its contributions to decreased icing during winter conditions.

Studies recently published by the previous concrete group in the CEE Department have also resulted in a modification to the newly established International Green Construction Code (IgCC). Pervious concrete is now considered to be a pavement that contributes to the mitigation of heat island effects, regardless of its solar reflectance. Voids within its structure and in the underground water storage beds, serve to aid in insulating the ground below from heat penetration during extreme heat events. Thus pervious concrete may be a beneficial surface in both cold and hot seasons, in addition to its stormwater benefits.