Students from the University of New Mexico's Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering programs have been researching methods to decrease material use and heat generation on sidewalks, according to a UNM press release.
UNM undergraduate and graduate students recently showcased their research at the 2021 EPA P3 Student Design Competition by presenting designs for a sidewalk built out of recycled materials.
“We looked into the history of sidewalks as best we could, but came up largely empty-handed,” researcher Patience Raby said during a virtual presentation of the team’s findings. “It seems there was not a good explanation for the use of standard concrete mixes in sidewalks or even for the fact that they’re usually four inches deep.”
The team constructed three slabs as part of the study in order to compare their thermal output, emissivity and energy balance in order to get insight into the effect of the design itself; however, the team has not tested the thermal and structural aspects of its designs.
The research and project had started before the pandemic but were halted.
The members of UNM's team are Brittany Antonczak (Ph.D. Student, Civil & Environmental Engineering), Amanda Baldridge, Edgar Hernandez, Logan Hutchison, Mohammed Amin Najvani, Stephen Montaño (MS Civil & Environmental Engineering), Angel Padilla, Patience Raby, Matthew Ricks and Michael Suarez.
