Missouri River Studies: Alluvial Morphology and Engineering Soil Classification, HR-1, Progress Report, 1960

The primary purposes of this investigation are: 1) To delineate flood plain deposits with different geologic and engineering properties. 2) To provide basic data necessary for any attempt at stabilizing flood plain deposits. The alluvial valley of the Missouri River adjacent to Iowa was chosen as the logical place to begin this study. The river forms the western boundary of the state for an airline distance of approximately 139 miles; and the flood plain varies from a maximum width of approximately 18 miles (Plates 2 and 3, Sheets 75 and 75L) to approximately 4 miles near Crescent, Iowa (Plate 8, Sheet 66). The area studied includes parts of Woodbury, Monona, Harrison, Pottawattamie, Mills, and Fremont counties in Iowa and parts of Dakota, Thurston, Burt, Washington, Douglas, Sarpy, Cass and Otoe counties in Nebraska. Plate l is an index map of the area under consideration.

Development of Non-Petroleum Based Binders for Use in Flexible Pavements, TR-594, 2010

Most bituminous adhesives or binders that are used for pavement materials are derived primarily from fossil fuels. With petroleum oil reserves becoming depleted and the drive to establish a bio-based economy, there is a push to produce binders from alternative sources, particularly from biorenewable resources. However, until now, no research has studied the applicability of utilizing bio-oils as a bitumen replacement (100% replacement) in the pavement industry. The main objective of this research was to test various properties of bio-oils in order to determine the applicability of using bio-oils as binders in the pavement industry. The overall conclusions about the applicability of using bio-oils as bio-binders in the pavement industry can be summarized as follows: 1. Bio-oils cannot be used as bio-binders/pavement materials without any heat pre-treatment/upgrading procedure. 2. Current testing standards and specifications, especially Superpave procedures, should be modified to comply with the properties of bio-binders. 3. The temperature range of the viscous behavior for bio-oils may be lower than that of bitumen binders by about 30°–40° C. 4. The rheological properties of the unmodified bio-binders vary in comparison to bitumen binders, but the rheological properties of these modified bio-binders change significantly upon adding polymer modifiers. 5. The high-temperature performance grade for the developed bio-binders may not vary significantly from that of the bitumen binders, but the low-temperature performance grade may vary significantly

Field Evaluation of Engineering Fabrics for Asphalt Concrete Resurfacing - Audubon County, HR-360, Final Report, 2001

An ACC overlay is most often the rehabilitative effort used to maintain the serviceability of either an ACC or PCC pavement. The major problem in durability of this ACC overlay comes from reflective cracking. These cracks usually open, allowing water to enter the unsealed crack and strip the ACC in the overlay. The stripping of the ACC allows accelerated deterioration at the crack. Two engineering fabrics were evaluated in this project in order to determine their effectiveness in reducing reflective cracking. These two materials are: • PavePrep, Contech Construction Products Inc. • ProGuard, Phillips Fiber Corporation The data indicated a statistically significant decrease in reflective crack formation in the ProGuard fabric sections compared to control. There was little evidence of a similar effect from the PavePrep fabric sections compared to control. However, the rate of cracking (the rate of formation of new cracks) for both fabrics and control tended to be similar after three years. The benefits of using these fabrics (possible delay of some crack formation by two years) on this project did not outweigh the costs of up to $4200.00 per mile.

Human fetal bone cells in delivery systems for bone engineering.

The aim of this study was to culture human fetal bone cells (dedicated cell banks of fetal bone derived from 14 week gestation femurs) within both hyaluronic acid gel and collagen foam, to compare the biocompatibility of both matrices as potential delivery systems for bone engineering and particularly for oral application. Fetal bone cell banks were prepared from one organ donation and cells were cultured for up to 4 weeks within hyaluronic acid (Mesolis(®)) and collagen foams (TissueFleece(®)). Cell survival and differentiation were assessed by cell proliferation assays and histology of frozen sections stained with Giemsa, von Kossa and ALP at 1, 2 and 4 weeks of culture. Within both materials, fetal bone cells could proliferate in three-dimensional structure at ∼70% capacity compared to monolayer culture. In addition, these cells were positive for ALP and von Kossa staining, indicating cellular differentiation and matrix production. Collagen foam provides a better structure for fetal bone cell delivery if cavity filling is necessary and hydrogels would permit an injectable technique for difficult to treat areas. In all, there was high biocompatibility, cellular differentiation and matrix deposition seen in both matrices by fetal bone cells, allowing for easy cell delivery for bone stimulation in vivo. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Fly Ash Soil Stabilization for Non-Uniform Subgrade Soils, Volume I: Engineering Properties and Construction Guidelines, TR-461, 2005

Soil treated with self-cementing fly ash is increasingly being used in Iowa to stabilize fine-grained pavement subgrades, but without a complete understanding of the short- and long-term behavior. To develop a broader understanding of fly ash engineering properties, mixtures of five different soil types, ranging from ML to CH, and several different fly ash sources (including hydrated and conditioned fly ashes) were evaluated. Results show that soil compaction characteristics, compressive strength, wet/dry durability, freeze/thaw durability, hydration characteristics, rate of strength gain, and plasticity characteristics are all affected by the addition of fly ash. Specifically, Iowa selfcementing fly ashes are effective at stabilizing fine-grained Iowa soils for earthwork and paving operations; fly ash increases compacted dry density and reduces the optimum moisture content; strength gain in soil-fly ash mixtures depends on cure time and temperature, compaction energy, and compaction delay; sulfur contents can form expansive minerals in soil–fly ash mixtures, which severely reduces the long-term strength and durability; fly ash increases the California bearing ratio of fine-grained soil–fly ash effectively dries wet soils and provides an initial rapid strength gain; fly ash decreases swell potential of expansive soils; soil-fly ash mixtures cured below freezing temperatures and then soaked in water are highly susceptible to slaking and strength loss; soil stabilized with fly ash exhibits increased freeze-thaw durability; soil strength can be increased with the addition of hydrated fly ash and conditioned fly ash, but at higher rates and not as effectively as self-cementing fly ash. Based on the results of this study, three proposed specifications were developed for the use of self-cementing fly ash, hydrated fly ash, and conditioned fly ash. The specifications describe laboratory evaluation, field placement, moisture conditioning, compaction, quality control testing procedures, and basis of payment.

Covalent cell surface functionalization of human fetal osteoblasts for tissue engineering.

The chemical functionalization of cell-surface proteins of human primary fetal bone cells with hydrophilic bioorthogonal intermediates was investigated. Toward this goal, chemical pathways were developed for click reaction-mediated coupling of alkyne derivatives with cellular azido-expressing proteins. The incorporation via a tetraethylene glycol linker of a dipeptide and a reporter biotin allowed the proof of concept for the introduction of cell-specific peptide ligands and to follow the reaction in living cells. Tuning the conditions of the click reaction resulted in chemical functionalization of living human fetal osteoblasts with excellent cell survival.

Audit report on the Iowa Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Board (UST Board) for the year ended June 30, 2014

Audit report on the Iowa Petroleum Underground Storage Tank Board (UST Board) for the year ended June 30, 2014

Development of Non-Petroleum-Based Binders for Use in Flexible Pavements – Phase II, TR-650, 2015

Bio-binders can be utilized as asphalt modifiers, extenders, and replacements for conventional asphalt in bituminous binders. From the rheology results of Phase I of this project, it was found that the bio-binders tested had good performance, similar to conventional asphalt, except at low temperatures. Phase II of this project addresses this shortcoming and evaluates the Superpave performance of laboratory mixes produced with the enhanced bio-binders. The main objective of this research was to develop a bio-binder capable of replacing conventional asphalt in flexible pavements by incorporating ground tire rubber (GTR) into bio-oil derived from fast pyrolysis of agriculture and forestry residues. The chemical compatibility of the new bio-binder with GTR was assessed, and the low-temperature performance of the bio-binders was enhanced by the use of GTR. The newly developed binder, which consisted of 80 percent conventional binder and 20 percent rubber-modified bio-oil (85 percent bio-oil with 15 percent GTR), was used to produce mixes at two different air void contents, 4 and 7 percent. The laboratory performance test results showed that the performance of the newly developed bio-binder mixes is as good as or better than conventional asphalt mixes for fatigue cracking, rutting resistance, moisture sensitivity, and low-temperature cracking. These results need to be validated in field projects in order to demonstrate adequate performance for this innovative and sustainable technology for flexible pavements.

Re-Engineering CTE in Iowa: Aligning Career and Technical Education Reform, Workforce Development and Economic Development, August 2007

Iowa is a relatively small state and is on the rebound economically. It has an overall population that is stable, but which is shifting within the state from more rural areas to suburban and urban centers. There is a very tight labor market with high levels of employment. Iowa now has a time-sensitive opportunity to exert global leadership in renewable energy, while maintaining its leadership in other key industries like finance and agriculture.

Letter health consultation : Olin former petroleum bulk plant, Olin, Jones County, Iowa (2010)

This letter has been prepared as a consultation to evaluate human health impacts from residue contamination left from the operation of a bulk plant located in Olin, Iowa. The Iowa Department of Public Health’s priority is to ensure the Olin community has the best information possible to safeguard its health. That information is included in following paragraphs.

Geologic and Engineering Properties of Pleistocene Materials in Iowa, Iowa Highway Research Board Bulletin No. 20, 1960

This bulletin is a compilation of the reports on completed research done for the Iowa State Highway Research Board Project HR-1, "The Loess and Glacial Till Materials of Iowa; an Investigation of Their Physical and Chemical Properties and Techniques for Processing Them to Increase Their All-Weather Stability for Road Construction.” The research, started in 1950, was done by the Iowa Engineering Experiment Station under its project 283-S. The project was supported by funds from the Iowa State Highway Commission.

Health consultation : Silver City petroleum release and municipal wells, Silver City, Mills County, Iowa (2005)

A resident of Silver City, Iowa requested the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Hazardous Waste Site Health Assessment Program to evaluate the health impacts of a petroleum release in Silver City, Iowa, and the health impacts from the presence of chemicals detected in wells utilized as the source of municipal water for the citizens of Silver City and in the treated municipal water supply. This health consultation addresses exposure to residents of Silver City to organic chemicals within the groundwater and water supply and potential health effects at the levels of exposure. The information in this health consultation was current at the time of writing. Data that emerges later could alter this document’s conclusions and recommendations.

Health consultation : Rolfe aboveground storage tank petroleum bulk plant targeted brownfields assessment, Railroad Street and 300th Avenue, Rolfe, Pocahontas County, Iowa (2005)

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) has requested the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) Hazardous Waste Site Health Assessment Program evaluate future health impacts of exposures at a former aboveground storage tank site located in Rolfe, Iowa. The former aboveground storage tank site is located to the southwest of the intersection of Railroad Street and 300th Avenue in Rolfe, Iowa. This site is undergoing a Targeted Brownfields Assessment conducted by the Contaminated Sites Section of the IDNR. This health consultation addresses potential health risks to people from future exposure to the soil within the property boundary, and any health impacts resulting from contaminated groundwater beneath the site property. The information in this health consultation was current at the time of writing. Data that emerges later could alter this document’s conclusions and recommendations.