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Article
The Influence of Concrete Grinding Residue on Soil Physical Properties and Plant Growth
Journal of Environmental Quality
  • Chenyi Luo, Iowa State University
  • Zhuangji Wang, United States Department of Agriculture
  • Farnaz Kordbacheh, University of Manitoba
  • Yang Zhang, Iowa State University
  • Bo Yang, Iowa State University
  • Sunghwan Kim, Iowa State University
  • Bora Cetin, Iowa State University
  • Halil Ceylan, Iowa State University
  • Robert Horton, Iowa State University
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
10-17-2019
DOI
10.2134/jeq2019.06.0229
Abstract

Diamond grinding is a concrete pavement maintenance technique, and concrete grinding residue (CGR) is the byproduct. Concrete grinding residue deposited along roadsides affects soil chemical properties, but impacts of CGR on soil physical properties and plant growth are rarely studied. In this study, a controlled field experiment was performed to determine the influence of CGR on selected soil physical properties (i.e., bulk density [ρb], saturated hydraulic conductivity [Ks], and water infiltrability [It]) and on plant biomass and plant coverage under four application rates (0, 2.24, 4.48, and 8.96 kg m−2). Field measurements were performed before the CGR applications, and 1, 7, and 12 mo after the CGR applications. No significant CGR effects on soil physical properties were detected. The ρb was relatively stable for all of the treatments, whereas some nonsignificant variations (e.g., 10–30% of mean Ks values and mean It values among four CGR rates) were found. Plant biomass with a CGR rate of 2.24 kg m−2 tended to be 10 to 40% larger than biomass in the control treatment, whereas plant biomass with a CGR rate of 8.96 kg m−2 tended to be ∼10% smaller than the control treatment. Concrete grinding residue had no significant effects on plant coverage, richness, Simpson’s diversity, and evenness. Thus, CGR applications up to 8.96 kg m−2 did not significantly affect soil physical properties and plant growth in this controlled field study. This study can serve as a reference for results obtained from roadsides in Minnesota and Iowa that receive CGR applications.

Comments

This article is published as Luo, Chenyi, Zhuangji Wang, Farnaz Kordbacheh, Yang Zhang, Bo Yang, Sunghwan Kim, Bora Cetin, Halil Ceylan, and Robert Horton. "The Influence of Concrete Grinding Residue on Soil Physical Properties and Plant Growth." Journal of Environmental Quality (2019). DOI: 10.2134/jeq2019.06.0229.

Rights
Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted.
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
Chenyi Luo, Zhuangji Wang, Farnaz Kordbacheh, Yang Zhang, et al.. "The Influence of Concrete Grinding Residue on Soil Physical Properties and Plant Growth" Journal of Environmental Quality (2019)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/robert-horton/134/