Basic Project Information:
Title: Open Pit Quarry Restoration to Bio-Viable Land
Duration: March 1, 2008 – February 28, 2011
Principal Investigators:
Sangchul Hwang , Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Civil Engineering and Surveying
College of Engineering
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez
PO Box 9041
Mayagüez, PR 00681-9041
E-mail:sangchul.hwang@upr.edu
Project Summary Narrative:
Open pit quarries potentially represent physical risks to safety of people and stock due to dangerous vertical pit walls or deep water. And also, they can be a possible source of environmental pollution from water accumulation unless properly drained. Other pits become arenas for off-road vehicle use, illegal dumping, trespass, and unauthorized activities like target shooting. Open pits have been restored or reclaimed to different types of environmental matrices depending on their end uses and the location and nature of the pits.
The objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of coal ash aggregates (CAA)-based restoration of the open pits in Santa Isabel. The site is planned to be used as an agricultural land after restoration. The main goal of this study is to investigate the feasibility of CAA-based refill for the open pits in Santa Isabel. The site is planned to be used as an agricultural land after restoration. Therefore, this study aims to assess the potential risks in relation to contamination of soil and groundwater associated with the use of industrial byproducts CAAs. Another objective is to evaluate bio-viability on the land after restoration. To meet this end, laboratory feasibility tests have extensively been done during the past first project year. Water quality and bio-viability after restoration with CAAs were assessed and the results obtained are to be utilized for the further investigations. Now, further laboratory feasibility tests assessing water quality parameters and bio-viability, and computational modeling are proposed to be continued for additional 2 years ending by Feb. 28, 2011.
Progress Reports:
1st Progress report form
1st Progress report
2nd Progress report form
2nd Progress report
3rd Progress report form
3rd Progress report
4th Progress report form
4th Progress report
Project Publications & Presentations
Oral Presentations
Hwang, S., Escobar, Z., Hernandez, V., Latorre, I., Hernandez, I., Fonseca, A., Del Moral, A. “Environmental Engineering Applications of Coal Combustion Byproducts Aggregates”, 2008 International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology (ICEST), Jul 28-31, 2008. (see the presentation slides)
Poster Presentations
Latorre, I., Hwang, S. “A Statistical Approach for Restoration of Disturbed Land with Coal Combustion Byproduct Aggregates”, 29th Puerto Rico Interdisciplinary Scientific Meeting, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, March 14, 2009. (see the poster)
Hernandez, I., Hwang, S. “Plant Growth on the Land Restored with Coal Combustion Byproduct Aggregates”, 29th Puerto Rico Interdisciplinary Scientific Meeting, University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras, March 14, 2009. (see the poster)
Latorre, I., Hernandez, I., Fonseca, A., Hwang, S. “Restoration of Open-Pit Quarry to Bio-viable Land: Resource Recovery Approach”, XIII Sigma Xi, University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez, PR, April 10, 2008. (see the poster)
Hernandez, I., Feliciano, I., Hwang, S. “Bio-viability on Restored Open Pit with Coal Ash Aggregate Amendment”, 2009 World Of Coal Ash Conference, Lexington, KY, May 4-7, 2009. (accepted) (see the proceeding paper)
Latorre, I., Roman, D., Hwang, S. “Feasibility of Open Pit Restoration with Coal Ash Aggregates: Ground Water Quality Assessment”, 2009 World of Coal Ash Conference (WOCA), Lexington, KY, May 4-7, 2009. (accepted) (see the proceeding paper)
Hwang, S., Latorre, I., Hernandez, I. “Groundwater Quality and Phyto-Viability from Restored Open Pit”, 2009 AWWA Annual Conference & Exposition, San Diego, CA, June 14-18, 2009. (accepted)
Activities News
Project Photos
World Of Coal Ash (WOCA)
Students
Graduate Students
Isomar Latorre (Master) Jan 08 ~ present
Thesis Topic: Groundwater Quality Assessment after Land Restoration Amended with Coal Ash Aggregates
Expected Graduation: Dec 09
Imiraily Hernandez (Master) Jan 08 ~ present
Thesis Topic: Phyto-Viability from Restored Land with Coal Ash Aggregates Amendment
Expected Graduation: Dec 09
Undergraduate Students
Arelys Fonseca (Chemical Engineering) Mar 08 ~ Dec 08
Daniel Roman (Civil Engineering) Aug 08 ~ present
Irimar Feliciano (Chemical Engineering) Aug 08 ~ Dec 08
Pablo Acevedo (Civil Engineering) Jan 09 ~ present
|
