CLIMA/Collaborative Research: Enhancing Soil-Based Infrastructure Resilience to Climate Change: Harnessing the Potential of Fractured Soil by Adding Biopolymers

这项气候变化减缓和适应民用基础设施研究（CLIMA）奖支持研究一种新型土壤复合材料及其多物理耦合现象，通过增强其耐久性和恢复力来减轻气候变化对已经破裂的土壤基础设施的影响。在基于土壤的基础设施应用中使用的材料的背景下，传统和钙基材料以及合成产品导致温室气体排放，直接或间接地导致全球变暖。因此，越来越需要环境友好和有效的解决方案来改善土壤特性。生物聚合物已经证明了它们在稳定完整的天然土壤中的有效性。然而，它们对已经断裂的土壤的热-水-力耦合行为的潜在影响，以及它们作为断裂稳定器的作用，相对而言尚未得到探索。通过这个合作的CLIMA项目，研究人员将研究生物聚合物作为裂缝稳定剂的潜力，以提高土壤基础设施的强度和弹性，特别是在气候引起的土壤裂缝方面。研究成果将整合到各种教育和推广活动中，吸引不同学术水平（K-12、本科生和研究生）和不同背景（女性和来自代表性不足群体的个人）的学生，以促进绿色土壤基础设施的研究。此外，该项目旨在通过在会议上开发教学模块、讲座和专题小组讨论，促进不同类别（R1和R2）的多机构合作。该研究的具体目标是了解裂缝性生物聚合物-土壤复合材料中生物聚合物、含水量和裂缝方向之间的复杂相互作用。为实现这一目标，本项目将通过(1)充分整合多尺度多物理场理论公式、实验数据和数值模型，(2)开创生物聚合物断裂土的高分辨率四维原位热力学表征方法，(3)在微观尺度上进行最先进的热力学表征。(4)确定和量化生物聚合物对不同孔隙系统中不同水种群的影响；(5)开展广泛的宏观尺度全耦合热-水-力学实验项目。本CLIMA项目的成果将为将生物聚合物纳入土壤基础设施、促进环境和社区意识选择以及产生积极的社会影响提供基本的技术路线图，这对建设具有气候适应性的未来至关重要。该项目由土木基础设施工程（ECI）计划和材料与结构力学（mom）计划的土木，机械和制造创新局（ENG）的部门支持。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This CiviL Infrastructure research for climate change Mitigation and Adaptation (CLIMA) award supports research that will investigate a novel class of soil composites and their multi-physical coupled phenomenon to mitigate climate change effects on already fractured soil-based infrastructures by enhancing their durability and resilience. In the context of materials employed in soil-based infrastructure applications, traditional and calcium-based materials, as well as synthetic products, have led to greenhouse gas emissions, directly and indirectly contributing to global warming. Thus, there is a growing need for environmentally-friendly and efficient solutions to improve soil characteristics. Biopolymers have demonstrated their effectiveness in soil stabilization for intact natural soils. However, their potential impact on the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behavior of already fractured soil, and their role as a fracture stabilizer has been relatively unexplored. Through this collaborative CLIMA project, the researchers will investigate the potential of biopolymers as fracture stabilizers to enhance the strength and resilience of soil-based infrastructure, particularly concerning climate-induced soil fractures. The research outcomes will be integrated into various educational and outreach activities, engaging students at different academic levels (K-12, undergraduate, and graduate) and diverse backgrounds (women and individuals from underrepresented groups) to promote research on green soil-based infrastructure. Additionally, the project aims to foster multi-institutional collaboration across different classifications (R1 and R2) by developing teaching modules, lectures, and special panel discussions on this subject at conferences.The specific goal of the research is to comprehend the complex interplay between biopolymer, water content, and fracture orientation in fractured biopolymer-soil composites. To achieve this goal, this project will advance scientific knowledge by (1) fully integrating multi-scale multi-physics theoretical formulations, experimental data, and numerical models, (2) pioneering high-resolution 4D in-situ thermo-mechanical characterization methods for biopolymer fractured soil, (3) conducting state-of-the-art thermo-mechanical characterization at the microscale, (4) identifying and quantifying the effect of biopolymers on different water populations in various pore systems, and (5) carrying out the extensive macro-scale fully-coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical experimental program. The outcomes of this CLIMA project will provide a foundational technical roadmap for including biopolymers in soil-based infrastructure, promoting environmental and community-conscious choices, and generating positive societal impacts essential for building a climate-resilient future.This project is supported by the Engineering for Civil Infrastructure (ECI) Program and the Mechanics of Materials and Structures (MoMS) Program of the Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) of the Directorate for Engineering (ENG).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.