Project Summary
The Air Convection Embankment (ACE) can be successfully used to provide passive cooling for roadway embankments in permafrost zones all over the world such as China, Russia, Canada, and interior Alaska. However, burdened by the need to ship suitable rock to remote locations, costs for constructing an ACE is often prohibitively high, which prevents its wide use in Alaska. The objective of the research is to investigate the possibility of using cellular concrete as an alternative to crushed rocks to extend use of the ACE design in interior Alaska. The research will focus on: 1) mixture proportions to yield adequate combinations of density, strength, and thermal conductivity; 2) air channel configuration to provide optimum performance; 3) methods of placement, and 4) material combinations to provide the lowest cost at the longest performance.
