Reducing Stormwater Runoff Volumes with Biochar Addition to Highway Soils

Stormwater runoff from roadways is a major source of pollution, but current stormwater treatment technologies, such as bioretention cells, do not efficiently remove contaminants. New technologies are needed that can both remove more pollutants and reduce the volume of stormwater discharge. Such technologies will not only improve water quality but result in significant cost savings for state departments of transportation. Biochar, made by pyrolyzing biological material such as wood chips, may increase water infiltration when used as an amendment in stormwater bioretention cells. Here, the authors examined how biochar contributes to soil aggregation, which in turn improves water infiltration in soil. The authors show that biochar changes production of adhesive macromolecules (proteins and polysaccharides), and that particles in biochar-amended soil are, on average, larger in diameter than those in un-amended soil. These macroaggregates likely form on time scales of months to years, suggesting that biochar may be an amendment that increases in effectiveness over time.

• Record URL:
  https://cait.rutgers.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/cait-utc-nc44-final.pdf
• Record URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/53968
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of Delaware, Newark

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, DuPont Hall
  Newark, DE  United States  19716

  Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation

  Rutgers University
  100 Brett Road
  Piscataway, NJ  United States  08854-8058

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Imhoff, Paul T
  • Maresca, Julia A
  • Nakhli, Ali
  • Chapman, Christine
• Publication Date: 2019-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 18p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drainage; Highways; Infiltration; Runoff; Soils; Water quality management
• Candidate Terms: Biochar
• Subject Areas: Environment; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01726518
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: CAIT-UTC-NC 44
• Contract Numbers: DTRT13-G-UTC28
• Files: UTC, NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
• Created Date: Dec 23 2019 3:24PM