Joshua Baker 11 th Grade February 11, 2014

Each year, hundreds of millions of tons of coal-fired power plant waste is dumped into landfills Has potential to leach into groundwater and contaminate water supplies reused, though much of it can be Little is ever reused, though much of it can be Carbon footprint can be greatly reduced if some byproducts are reused Carbon footprint can be greatly reduced if some byproducts are reused Introduction Image 1: A coal waste landfill in Henrico County, VA

Purpose To determine the structural impact of coal combustion byproduct additives at the “optimal” replacement rate, 25-30% Rationale Management of CCBs in coal-reliant nations must be addressed before they pose an environmental hazard Concrete is a versatile building material with potential for integration of numerous additives Successfully using CCBs as additives at a 25% replacement rate would greatly decrease human environmental impact and provide a strong, environmentally responsible composite that can be adapted to new uses Introduction

Independent Variable: Concrete Composition Dependent Variable: Concrete Performance In an ongoing experiment, it is being determined whether it is plausible to create cement-free concrete using geopolymers, eliminating the CO 2 released when normal concrete hardens Background

Procedures – Concrete Mixing Image 2: Mixes 1 (Portland Cement, Sand, Stone) and 2 (75% Portland Cement, 25% Class C Fly Ash, Sand, Stone) in their mid-mixing stages.

Procedures – Air Content Image 3: Unit Weight container with Air Content gauge attached

Procedures - Slump Image 4: Slump test; the bottom of the metal rod (right) is used as the starting point for determining how far the concrete falls and spreads out.

Procedures – Compressive Strength Image 5: The hydraulic press, used for compressive strength testing (right); an example of Class 5 fracturing (left) and Class 2 fracturing (center).

Figure 1: The average ultimate load of each composite mix, which is a direct measurement the maximum load a sample can withstand before fracturing.

Figure 2: The average compressive strength of each composite mix, a calculated measurement of the maximum force a sample can withstand before fracturing.

Figure 3: The percentage of air entrained in a unit of concrete, 1 ft 3. The percentage of air in a mixture contains impacts both the flexural strength and the overall weight of the concrete.

Figure 4: The measured slump of each concrete mix, a measurement of mix consistency. This variable is most significant when comparing mixes of similar composition.

Figure 5: The calculated (blue) and target (red) densities of each mix, a measure of the mass of a cubic foot of a given mix design. It is used when determining factors that influence the strength of concretes.

Group 2 (Fly Ash additive) outperformed control in ultimate load/compressive strength tests at both testing times Group 3 (Bottom Ash additive), on average, performed either similarly to (Day 56) or worse than (Day 7) the control in ultimate load/compressive strength tests Fly ash group continues to show trend of gaining strength over long periods of time Data Trends and Analysis

Based on the currently available data from experimentation and from data analysis, Mix 2 performed within the 20% margin of similarity to the control for its average compressive strength and ultimate load, thus rejecting the null hypothesis The data gathered for Mix 3 performed outside of this margin, supporting the null hypothesis Final ultimate load and compressive strength data will be collected at the 90 Day curing point Discussion and Conclusion

Determining the chemical leaching capability of CCBs and their flammability at different burn stages Investigating the environmental effects of using CCB- containing concrete composites Future Research

RMSST: John Hendrix TEC Services: Steven Maloof and Technicians Brian Smith Brian Wolfe Ernst Enterprises of Georgia: Tony Dowdy Acknowledgements

Bumjoo, K., Prezzi, M., & Salgado, R. (2005, July). Geotechnical properties of fly and bottom ash mixtures. Retrieved from Concrete tests. (2003, September 01). Retrieved from EPA – Coal Combustion Products. (May 2013). Retrieved from Kalyoncu, R. S. (2000). Retrieved from website: Kosmatka, S. H., & Wilson, M. L. (2011). Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures: The Guide to Applications, Methods, and Materials. (15th ed.). Washington, DC: Portland Cement Association. Mohanty, M. K., & Kumar, S. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, (2011). Sustainable Utilization of Coal Combustion Byproducts through the Production of High Grade Minerals and Cement-less Green Concrete. Retrieved from website: 588/report/0 Sahu, S. P. (2010). Characterization of Coal Combustion By-products (CCBs) for their Effective Management and Utilization. (Bachelor's thesis) Retrieved from References

Nominated to attend the Governor’s Honors Program for Chemistry Prestigious program that bolsters student interest in their nomination areas This program will provide valuable insight into my field of interest, and help when deciding how future years will be spent Achievements - GHP

4 on the AP Biology Exam 3 on the AP World History Exam Shows how my work ethic and study skills have improved as my time at Magnet progressed Achievements – AP Exams