BACKGROUND
State departments of transportation (DOTs) routinely receive requests from vendors to approve new products and materials. These products may involve in-the-field curing of materials such as sprays, foams, epoxies, or resins in constructing or maintaining culverts, pipes, or bridge supports. These products are in contact with surface water and may pose adverse impacts to water quality. Although manufacturers may provide evidence of meeting required laboratory testing standards indicating minimized or no impacts to water quality, several studies have nonetheless documented adverse effects during and after installation. Although some DOTs have developed specifications for certain repair methods, they do not have methods to screen products for environmental impacts. Finally, the fast-paced nature of product innovation presents DOTs with several challenges to ensuring products will not put surface waters at or near project sites at risk.
Products should be screened before use and properly field-cured to minimize adverse water-quality effects. Even with screening, risks may manifest from (1) the product not performing outside of laboratory conditions due to differing environmental conditions that are difficult to simulate, (2) installation not being performed to manufacturer specifications, (3) incomplete cure or extended cure times, and/or (4) long-term abrasion of the product from debris or sediment flows. Research is needed to provide DOTs with a standard framework to consider a range of products and installation procedures that require in-the-field curing and mechanisms to minimize risks to water quality.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this research is to develop a three-part guide for evaluating products that cure in the field, such as sprays, foams, epoxies, or resins used in constructing or maintaining culverts, pipes, or bridge supports that may be in contact with surface water.
At a minimum, the guide will deliver (1) a testing protocol for manufacturers to follow so that DOTs can qualify in-the-field curing products prior to product approval, (2) an implementable and consistent protocol with methods for field testing to ensure minimum impact on water quality, and (3) procedures or processes for DOTs to address risk factors.
TASKS
Phase I - Background Information and Assessment
Task 1: Literature Review and Data Collection
1.1) Amplified Research Plan and Kick-Off Meeting - Within fifteen days of contract execution, the research team shall deliver the Amplified Research Plan for panel review and NCHRP approval. The research team shall participate in a project kick-off meeting arranged by NCHRP following the approval of the Amplified Research Plan.
1.2) Review of Literature and Practice – The research team shall review and summarize literature to summarize relevant information on leaching behavior of field-cured products, with particular emphasis on experimental and field validation. A memorandum shall be submitted in the first Quarterly Progress Report (QPR).
Deliverables:
• 1.1) Amplified Research Plan and Kick-Off Meeting Summary
• 1.2) Literature and Practice Review Memorandum – QPR 1
Task 2: Identification of Sites for Laboratory and Field Testing
The research team shall propose sites for laboratory and field testing to take place in Phase II of this project.
Deliverables:
• 2) Laboratory and Field Testing Sites Memorandum – QPR 1
Task 3: Preparation of Interim Report I and Updated Phase II Research Plan
The research team shall document the research performed in Phase I and to prepare an updated, detailed work plan for the Phase II tasks and activities. The research team shall present findings to NCHRP at an in-person interim meeting. NCHRP approval of the interim report and updated Phase II Research Plan is required before work on subsequent tasks may begin.
Deliverables:
• 3.1) Draft Phase I Interim Report and Updated Phase II Research Plan
• 3.2) Final Phase I Interim Report and Updated Phase II Research Plan – QPR 2
Phase II - Protocols Development for Testing and Evaluating Field-cured Products
Tasks 4-5: Development of Leaching and Toxicity Protocols and Laboratory Experiments
The research team shall develop a leaching protocol to evaluate the leaching behavior of field-cured products, with particular emphasis on experimental and field-condition validation. The research team shall also develop a toxicity protocol to evaluate the toxicity of leaching solution from field-cured products. The protocol shall be revised and refined as more project information is collected throughout Phase II. The research team shall provide technical updates to NCHRP throughout the laboratory testing process (including field collected samples) as supplemental information in QPRs.
Deliverables:
• 4.1) Leaching Protocol Memorandums – QPR 3
• 5.1) Toxicity Protocol Memorandums – QPR 3
• 4.2) Leaching Protocol Laboratory Experiment Updates – QPRs 4-7
• 5.2) Toxicity Protocol Laboratory Experiment Updates – QPRs 4-7
Task 6: Preparation of Procedures or Processes for DOTs to Address Risk Factors
The research team shall prepare a document on procedures or processes to be used by DOTs to address the risk factors identified in screening protocols. These may include model contract specifications, installation requirements, requiring certified installers, observation periods, or additional in-field testing.
Deliverables:
• 6) Procedures to Address Risk Factors Memorandum – delivered in Interim Report II
Task 7: Preparation of Interim Report II and Updated Phase II Research Plan
The research team shall document the research performed in Phase II with a complete proposed leaching/evaluation protocol and to prepare an updated, detailed work plan for the Phase III tasks and activities. The research team shall present findings to NCHRP at a virtual interim meeting. NCHRP approval of the interim report and updated Phase III Research Plan is required before work on subsequent tasks may begin. For the purposes of building awareness of the anticipated research outcomes among the community of practice (without pre-publication of any findings) and to vet initial concepts of the three-step guide (described in Task 8), the research team shall engage with practitioners at a conference. The research team shall present NCHRP with options, a conference presentation abstract, and receive prior approval before travel expenses are incurred.
Deliverables:
• 7.1) Draft Phase II Interim Report and Updated Phase III Research Plan
• 7.2) Final Phase II Interim Report and Updated Phase III Research Plan – QPR 9
Phase III - Final Deliverables on Three-Stage Guide
Task 8: Development of Three-Step Guide for Implementation of Field-cured Products
The research team shall synthesize research findings from Phase II into a step-by-step guide on screening and risk mitigation of field-cured products. A detailed three-stage guide document shall be developed to provide step-by-step instructions for state DOT practitioners to mitigate the environmental risks associated with field-cured products. The guide shall cover 1) screening proposed materials for selecting appropriate field-cured products before use; 2) assessing their environmental risks during installation and curing; and 3) evaluating their potential of posing adverse impacts on water quality after implementation.
Deliverable:
• 8) Three-Step Guide Update – QPR 10
Task 9: Prepare Final Deliverables
The research team shall develop the draft three-stage guide, as well as associated research products and implementation aids. Following panel feedback and NCHRP approval, the research team shall develop final versions of all deliverables.
Deliverables:
• 9.1) Draft Guide in Microsoft Word, draft Conduct of Research Report in Microsoft Word, draft presentation (with speaker notes summarizing the project in Microsoft PowerPoint, and draft implementation plan.
• 9.2) Final Guide in Microsoft Word, final Conduct of Research Report in Microsoft Word, final presentation (with speaker notes summarizing the project in Microsoft PowerPoint, final implementation plan, and a draft TRNews Highlight.
