Re-Use of Minnesota Waste Material in Sustainably Designed Soils—Part 2

Summary:

Stormwater runoff on Minnesota’s roads carries debris and pollutants from vehicles. Sufficiently vegetated roadsides can catch and filter stormwater before it reaches streams, lakes and communities. But to thrive, this vegetation needs organically rich, permeable soil, which is not always present after road construction. Amending roadside soil with locally available industrial by-products is a potential solution for creating sustainable soil. In this study, researchers collected and tested nine materials, ranging from sawdust to recycled concrete aggregate and beet tailings, to determine their potential for creating engineered soil mixes. Biofiltration performance, pollutant levels and adsorption rates, and plant growth assessments illustrated the materials’ capabilities to support robust, vegetated roadsides. Dredge sand, coarse street sweepings and ash sawdust exhibited significant potential as roadside soil amendments. Life cycle analyses and a design guide will help road engineers choose materials for sustainable, effective soil mixes for roadside stormwater management.

Final Deliverables:

• Re-use of Minnesota Waste Material in Sustainably Designed Soils—Part 2 (Report #2024-23)
• Reusing Local By-Products to Create Sustainable Roadside Soil (Research Summary)

Related Materials:

• Reusing Local By-Products to Create Sustainable Roadside Soil  (Blog Post)

Related Research:

• Re-use of regional waste in sustainably designed soils - Part 1

Project Personnel:

Principal Investigator:  David Saftner

Co-Principal Investigator:  Matt Aro, Meijun Cai

Technical Liaison:  Dwayne Stenlund

Project Coordinator:  Barbara Fraley

Panel Members: 
David Bauer - Alliant Inc.
John Paulson - Apex Engineering Group
Keri Aufdencamp - SEH Inc.
Kerry Glader - Plaisted
Todd Smith - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Warren Tuel - Environmental Stewardship