- CAIT Main
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- EEP - Environment and Energy Program
- FMP - Freight and Maritime Program
- ICMP - Infrastructure Condition Monitoring Program
- IMG - Information Management Group
- LPS - Laboratory for Port Security
- LTBP - Long-Term Bridge Performance Program
- NJ LTAP - NJ Local Technical Assistance Program
- PRP - Pavement Resource Program
- PSSP - Pipeline Safety and Security Program
- SAM - Structures and Advanced Materials
- SSML - Soil and Sediment Management Laboratory
- TSRC - Transportation Safety Resource Center
- TTG - Technology Transfer Group
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Updates & Features
CAIT Offers Foundation Design Expertise for NJ Offshore Wind Farm
Garden State Offshore Energy (GSOE) is developing a 350 MW wind farm off the coast of South Jersey that will produce more than 1.2 billion kilowatt-hours of energy annually—enough to supply over 110,000 New Jersey homes with clean, renewable energy harvested locally. GSOE is a joint venture between PSE&G Renewable Generation and Deepwater Wind. The wind farm is proposed for an area far from shore, approximately 20 miles due east of the Avalon coastline. The project will require an investment in excess of $1 billion. Preliminary plans call for the farm to be built over a three-year period with a target completion sometime in 2013.
Rutgers’ Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) is proposing to perform the offshore sediment testing on the project. The testing data will be used to design the proposed tripod foundation, which will hold each of the 96 windmills planned for the site. Water depths in the location are approximately 60 feet, which creates new and unique challenges for offshore wind technology. CAIT is working closely with GSOE to determine the most economically feasible foundation for the site. More information about the project can be found at http://www.gardenstatewind.com. (Jan 2009)
CAIT Pitches In on Passaic River Clean Up
The Lower Passaic River is located along Newark’s estuary system and feeds into the Newark Bay. Much of the 17-mile tidal zone has been exposed to contamination from nearby industrial sites. As a result of the contamination, water quality is poor, and fish and fauna are unsuitable for consumption due to high carcinogenic risks. Sediments in the river “hold” much of this contamination and require mitigation and containment measures for the clean up to be effective. The City of Newark is in the midst of urban revitalization efforts in the area, which could include underutilized properties along the Passaic River. In order for these properties to be safe, contamination should be contained and removed from the nearby river.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in partnership with several other organizations, is proposing a rehabilitation plan for the river that includes dredging the contaminated sediments. In 2008, the EPA finalized the first of many stages to dredge approximately 200,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment in front of the Diamond Alkali Superfund site, the source of a significant amount of the pollution. While dredging proves to be the most effective method of removing contaminant, disposal of the contaminated sediments is a serious logistical problem.
Rutgers’ Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT) is working with the feasibility study to promote new technologies such as deep soil mixing. Deep soil mixing has proven effective in Japan as a way to stabilize river sediments. The process aims to contain the contamination and prevent it from migrating during tidal flushes and periodic heavy rain events. Initial estimates of using this technique predict it could save millions in clean-up costs. More information about the Lower Passaic River Restoration Project is located at http://www.ourpassaic.org. (Jan 2009)