The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides access to information on a variety of topics related to the environment and strives to inform citizens of health risks. The EPA also has an extensive library network that consists of 26 libraries throughout the United States, which provide access to a plethora of information to EPA employees, scientists, and researchers. The EPA implemented a reorganization project to digitize their materials so they would be more accessible to a wider range of users, but this plan was drastically accelerated when the EPA was threatened with a budget cut. It chose to close and reduce the hours and services of some of their libraries. As a result, the agency was accused of denying users the “right to know” by making information unavailable, not providing an adequate strategic plan, and discarding vital materials. This case study explores the background of the digitization project, the practices implemented, and the critiques of the project.

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The Environmental Protection Agency

Crack resistance of hot mix asphalt containing different percentages of reclaimed asphalt pavement and glass fiber

Using reclaimed and recycled materials in asphalt mixtures is one of the most commonly used sustainable strategies, which results in cost savings and environmental benefits because they replace virgin materials. Commonly used recycled, reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingles (RAS) can pose challenges because their inclusion in the asphalt mixture may adversely affect pavement performance. This paper presents the recently developed fracture testing method, the Illinois semicircular bending (IL-SCB) fracture geometry at 25°C with a displacement rate of 50 mm/min. The flexibility index (FI), derived from the IL-SCB test results, was introduced to rank the potential cracking resistance of mixes. The developed testing protocol provides a practical and reliable approach to screen the capacity of mixes to resist cracking. An application of the IL-SCB test method and FI is presented using laboratory-prepared and compacted mixes with varying proportions of RAP and RAS. The mixes were designe...

Fracture Characterization of Asphalt Mixtures with High Recycled Content Using Illinois Semicircular Bending Test Method and Flexibility Index

Mixed mode tensile – In plane shear fracture energy determination for hot mix asphalt mixtures under intermediate temperature conditions

Evaluation of fracture resistance of asphalt mixes involving steel slag and RAP: Susceptibility to aging level and freeze and thaw cycles

Development of the fracture-based flexibility index for asphalt concrete cracking potential using modified semi-circle bending test parameters

Fracture Characterization of Asphalt Mixtures with RAP and RAS Using Illinois Semicircular Bending Test Method and Flexibility Index

This report presents the sustainability efforts of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) in recycling and reclaiming materials for use in highway construction. This report meets the requirements of Illinois Public Act 097-0314 by documenting IDOT’s efforts to reduce the carbon footprint and achieve cost savings through the use of recycled materials in asphalt paving projects. This report also covers the development, construction, and initial performance after one winter of demonstration projects that used total recycle asphalt (TRA). TRA may consist of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), recycled concrete material (RCM), steel slag, reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS), and less than 3% new soft liquid asphalt. No newly mined aggregate is used in the mix. The results of Hamburg wheel tracking and Semi-circular bending (SCB) for fracture energy are presented for durability aspects of both rutting and pavement cracking on three demonstration projects that used TRA mix. Crack surveys were performed to establish early performance history of the TRA mixes. Included in this report is an environmental evaluation of 16 mixes including the TRA mixes used on the three demonstration projects.

Ahmad El-Khatib

Papers

Development of the fracture-based flexibility index for asphalt concrete cracking potential using modified semi-circle bending test parameters

Fracture Characterization of Asphalt Mixtures with High Recycled Content Using Illinois Semicircular Bending Test Method and Flexibility Index

Fracture Characterization of Asphalt Mixtures with RAP and RAS Using Illinois Semicircular Bending Test Method and Flexibility Index

Illinois Highway Materials Sustainability Efforts of 2013

Flexural and Shear Strengths of Structural Concrete Containing Plastic Wastes and Styrene–Butadiene Rubber Latex