Mine Drainage In NE PA Being Researched For Use In Bendable Concrete

The Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation Monday announced it is aiding in the research of conducting a more durable concrete by supplying the University of Michigan with northeastern Pennsylvania Acid Mine Drainage (AMD).

Haoliang Wu, a joint Ph.D. student from the Advanced Civil Engineering Materials Research Lab at the Civil and Environmental Engineering College in the University of Michigan contacted EPCAMR with interest of collecting the raw AMD while conducting a CSC (China Scholarship Council Funding) with Professor Victor C. Li, FASCE, FASME, FWIF, FACI of the University of Michigan and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

The AMD was requested in order to test the “Durability Characteristic of Green concrete when it is exposed,” Wu said in an email.

According to the Advanced Civil Engineering Materials Research Lab at the University of Michigan, the “Engineered Cementitious Composites (ECC), popularly known as ‘Bendable Concrete’ developed at the ACE-MRL, are ultra ductile cementitious composites used to provide seismic resistance to high rise buildings.”

This concrete is not only bendable but self healing, which allow the product to enhance the service life and cut down the frequent maintenance costs, while also withstanding 4 times the amount of pressure than regular concrete.

EPCAMR sent 180 gallons of mine impacted water taken from Solomon Creek AMD Boreholes discharge located in Hanover Township, Pennsylvania to the University of Michigan earlier this April for testing.

“EPCAMR is hoping to create a new partnership with the University of Michigan on this important research effort that could lead to yet another innovate way to reuse mine drainage here in Northeastern PA for a beneficial use in what they are calling ‘bendable concrete,’” Robert Hughes, Executive Director of EPCAMR, said. “We are hoping this first pilot effort could lead to future funding opportunities for EPCAMR and the potential for a new concrete co-product that might be found on PA’s roads and bridges, in the future, giving the infrastructure a longer life-span.”

Click Here to watch a video on bendable concrete.  Click Here for more information on Engineered Cementitious Composites.

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation website.

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