BRIGE: An Exploration Into Concrete Surface Preparation Using Dry Ice Bombardment

该布里奇奖的研究目标是调查用干冰轰击混凝土的可行性，作为一种准备衬底以接受涂层和复合覆层的方法。具体目标是(A)检查去除衬底中腐蚀副产物的有效性，(B)确定干冰轰击是否会导致衬底内部的破坏，以及(C)解释混凝土的新鲜和硬化特性如何影响这些行为。多样性、教育、家庭和科学将通过建立家长-学生团队来联合起来，开展部分研究活动。教师、家长和学生在研究中的密切参与将使来自代表性不足群体的家庭能够接受正在调查的技术。如果成功，这项研究的结果将解释基本基材特性与它们对清洁效率的影响之间的基本关系，以及干冰轰击可能导致基材损坏的可能性。通过采用完善的科学方案来研究这种不同寻常但尚未探索的爆破技术，也取得了重大成就。其中包括使用超声共振的无损检测(NDI)和激光扫描共聚焦显微镜(LSCM)。从环境的角度来看，干冰喷射可以减少地面准备的时间和成本，并减少对周围环境和施工人员的负面影响。此外，干冰的供应来自对现有制造过程中产生的二氧化碳气体副产品的回收，从而有助于其可持续性。潜在的能源相关影响可能会导致未来学术界和工业界的一项重要研究重点。此外，这项研究产生的结果可以应用于其他相关领域和材料系统，如钢桥的腐蚀和含铅油漆的去除、城市房屋的霉菌修复，以及位于繁荣但脆弱的海洋生态系统中的木桩或桥墩的生物膜去除。

The research objective of this BRIGE award is to investigate the viability of bombarding concrete with dry ice as a means of preparing the substrate to receive coatings and composite overlay. The specific goals are to (a) examine the effectiveness of removing corrosion byproduct from substrate, (b) identify whether dry ice bombardment induces damage within the substrate, and (c) explain how the fresh and hardened properties of concrete contribute to these behaviors. Diversity, education, family, and science will be united by creating parent-student teams to carry out a portion of the research activities. Close involvement of faculty, parents, and students in research will allow families from underrepresented groups to embrace the technology being investigated. If successful, the results of this research will explain the fundamental relationships between basic substrate properties and their influence on cleaning efficacy and potential to cause substrate damage from dry ice bombardment. Significant achievement also prevails by adapting well-established, scientific protocol to investigate this unusual, yet unexplored blasting technique. Among such protocol include non-destructive inspection (NDI) using ultrasonic resonance, and Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (LSCM). From an environmental perspective, dry ice blasting could reduce the time and cost of surface preparation as well as lessen the negative impact on the surrounding environment and personnel carrying out the construction. Moreover, the dry ice supply is derived from reclamation of CO2 gas byproduct from existing manufacturing processes, thus, contributing to its sustainability. Potential energy-related implications could lead to an important research thrust in academia and industry in the future. Furthermore, the results generated from this research could be applied to other topical areas and material systems such as corrosion and lead-based paint removal from steel bridges, mold remediation in urban housing, and biofilm removal from timber piles or bridge piers located in thriving, yet delicate, marine ecosystems.