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SUMMARY:Synthetic Lightweight Aggregates: Engineered Solution for Sustaina
 ble Material Management
DTSTART:20250314T121500
DTEND:20250314T131500
DTSTAMP:20260412T085203Z
UID:56bd73301959018939e7bfca58135e507b5aefd669f737abca131473
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Chris Swan\nAbstract\nThis presentation focuses on 1) a fundam
 ental understanding of the physical and mechanical behaviors of a syntheti
 c construction aggregate and 2) other factors (economic\, social\, and pol
 itical/regulatory\; at multiple geographical scales) involved in realizing
  the product as an appropriate waste reuse strategy. \n\nBackground: In a
 ny industrial ecosystem\, waste is inevitable.  However\, the most effici
 ent and sustainable industrial systems strategize ways to optimize their v
 arious interacting components to reduce waste via waste reuse strategies.
   Synthetic lightweight aggregates (SLAs) represent a waste reuse strateg
 y for two large volume waste streams: coal fly ash and mixed thermoplastic
  wastes.  Previous work has evaluated SLAs as a ‘green’ construction 
 material that can also provide unique benefits to the health and sustainab
 ility of various infrastructure components. For example\, current work has
  focused on SLAs as an energy-absorptive geo-material with the potential t
 o help infrastructure components weather the impacts of dynamic loadings s
 uch as earthquakes and explosions.  Additionally\, this engineered materi
 al provides a clear environmental value in reducing the leaching of contam
 inants commonly found in coal fly ashes. As such\, the SLA technology has 
 been technically shown to be a potentially significant benefit that can en
 hance an industrial ecosystem and its infrastructure development. \n\nSho
 rt bio\nChris Swan is a professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineeri
 ng (CEE) department in the School of Engineering at Tufts University.  He
  also serves as an Associate Dean for Inclusive Excellence (ADIE)\, repres
 enting the school on Tufts University Cabinet on Institutional Inclusive E
 xcellence.  This latter title was borne from his own education research o
 n diversifying the audience for STEM education through various pedagogical
  approaches\, including service-learning and entrepreneurship.    Addit
 ionally\, he has a faculty appointment as a professor in the Tisch College
  of Civic Life and is a fellow in the Center for Engineering Education and
  Outreach.  Previously\, he has served as the Dean of Undergraduate Educa
 tion (2018-2024)\, the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Curriculum Developm
 ent (2012-2015) and as CEE department chair (2002-2007) in the school.  H
 e has also served as an Associate Dean of Tisch College (2016).  He recei
 ved a Doctor of Science (ScD) degree in Civil and Environmental Engineerin
 g from MIT and both his Bachelor (BS) and Master (MS) of Science degrees i
 n Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.  Prior to pur
 suing his ScD\, he worked for GZA Geoenvironmental\, Inc. as a staff engin
 eer (1986-1989).\n\nOver is 30+ years in academia\, he has researched the 
 development/implementation of reuse strategies for waste materials.  Most
  notably\, his research efforts have focused on the reuse of fly ash from 
 coal burning facilities mechanically combined with waste plastics. Additio
 nally\, he has engaged in research on the teaching and learning in enginee
 ring.  Specifically\, these efforts have focused on a) evaluating the imp
 act of service-based learning in engineering education\, b) applying entre
 preneurial principles in examining sustainable and scalable pathways for i
 nnovations in engineering and engineering education\, and c) evaluating fa
 culty perspectives on the inclusion of macroethics in engineering educatio
 n. \n\nSandwiches are offered at the end of the seminar.\n 
LOCATION:GC B1 10 https://plan.epfl.ch/?room==GC%20B1%2010 https://epfl.zo
 om.us/j/63183614775
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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