Our Visions
The Pollutant Fate and Transport Processes and Geochemistry Laboratory (PFTPG) conducts researches combining laboratory experimentation, field scale testing, data analysis, and model development and assessment. Essentially, the research seeks to answer two questions: How can the sustainability of civil infrastructure and the environment be improved effectively? And how can the resilience of the related infrastructures be enhanced? This plan includes the current research areas: 1) smart hydraulic barrier materials for contaminant control, 2) the design of infrastructures with nature based resilience in a complex environment, and 3) environmental implications of reuse and recycling wastes for sustainable infrastructure.
Evaluation of Equivalency of Liner Systems based on Mass Transport and Chemical Compatibility
The current project is funded by the Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management. The main objectives of the ongoing project are to (1) verify the equivalency of the Florida double liner system to the composite liner system of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) when used for coal disposal applications, and (2) determine if the state of the art, from the literature and current knowledge about landfill barriers, support the EPA conclusions in 40 CFR 257.
Link to the Current Research Website
Florida Double Liner System and Subtitle D Composite Liners (google.com)
Hydrological Modeling of Solid Waste Disposal Facilities
This project is funded by the Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP) of the Department of Energy (DOE). The CRESP team has been evaluating the regional groundwater levels and the mechanisms contributing to pore pressures measured in the region beneath the liner and above the anticipated groundwater table elevation.
Environmental-Economic Assessments of Residential Curbside Collection Programs
The ultimate goal of this study is to evaluate the recycling efficiency, recycling contamination rates, carbon footprint, and collection cost of collection programs as a function of the collection frequency (e.g., once per week vs. twice per week collection of garbage and recyclables) and fuel types for waste collection vehicles (diesel, natural gas, landfill gas, and electric vehicles). This research is funded by the Orange County Solid Waste Division.
A Cost-Effective UAV-based Sensing System for Waste Landfill Management
Surveying technologies (e.g., LiDAR) have been widely used in landfill routine management and operation to estimate the waste volume and density for planning future waste dumping. Apart from waste volume management, several emerging issues during landfill operation, such as elevated temperature and its associated subsidence, have posed significant challenges to landfill operators and owners. The objective of the study is to develop a cost and time-effective surveying system using a UAV-based mobile platform. The landfill-related characteristics will be monitored, including the geometry and the surface features of the landfill, e.g., moisture distribution on the landfill cover for potential surface ponding. This research is currently Funded Internally at UCF and collaborated with Dr. Patrick Sun (Dr. Peng (Patrick) Sun – Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering (ucf.edu)) under the Smart City Initiatives.
