This idea is HOT

A UTA research team is working on a project that will utilize geothermal energy to de-ice Texas bridges • By Jeremy Agor

“WE HAVE had excellent results in our tests so far, and I’m very confdent that our system will work. This additional funding will allow us to further test our concepts and ensure that it is environmentally safe and fscally responsible.”

Ateam of researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington has earned funding to further test whether geothermal energy can make Texas bridges and overpasses safer during winter weather.

Thanks to $100,000 in funding from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Xinbao Yu, associate professor of civil engineering, will test a new design for geothermal loops beneath the bridge deck and perform a cost/beneft analysis and environmental impact survey at the test site, located of Division Street near Dottie Lynn Parkway in Arlington.

Anand Puppala, a former UTA civil engineering professor who is now at Texas A&M University, is co-principal investigator on the project.

When geothermal de-icing systems are installed in new bridges, groundwater is pumped through a circulation pipe to bring thermal energy from the ground to the surface. One end of the circulation pipe is embedded into the bridge deck, which warms to the point where ice and snow melt instead of sticking to the surface.

Installing a similar system on the underside of existing bridges adds

Xinbao Yu, UTA associate professor of civil

challenges, because the heat-transfer

engineering, is working on a potentially revolutionary project designed to melt ice on bridges during the winter.

efciency must be large enough that the heat goes to the bridge deck, not to the air.

Yu and Puppala have focused on creating new technology to accomplish this goal. Their original concept involved using panels that contained circulation pipes, but that hindered TxDOT’s ability to inspect the bridge deck from below. So the researchers created a system that left open spaces between the pipes.

“We have had excellent results in our tests so far, and I’m very confdent that our system will work,” Yu says. “This additional funding will allow us to further test our concepts and ensure that it is environmentally safe and fscally responsible.”

UTA Civil Engineering Department Chair Ali Abolmaali says Yu’s work is an example of how UTA faculty successfully collaborate with state agencies to provide solutions to infrastructure problems.

“We have a long history of working with TxDOT to test

Photos: UTA

materials and solutions to the unique issues the agency faces in maintaining Texas roads,” Abolmaali says. “Dr. Yu’s work could help TxDOT keep bridges and overpasses safer during extreme winter weather in a way that is better for the environment than using salt and sand – and that will be well worth the cost.”

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Don’t miss the bright spot of the year at Luminova Holidays, where you can celebrate the season in style! Now through January 3, Globe Life Field, the all-new stadium in Arlington, transforms into a winter wonderland. Surrounded by 2.7 million twinkling lights, there is so much to see and do at the socially safe indoor and outdoor Christmas experience. Luminova ofers you something that gets you and your family out of your car to enjoy the most wonderful time of year that we all love so much…. and do it safely.

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The socially safe Luminova Holidays, featuring more than 2.7 million twinking lights, will captivate visitors of all ages at Globe Life Field this month through Jan. 3.

Tarrant County, the City of Arlington and the Texas Rangers to make sure the holiday celebration meets all guidelines and safety protocols recommended. Be prepared to wear a mask if you are over 10 years of age. No bags are allowed inside Globe Life Field except for necessary medical bags and diaper bags that accompany infants and young children. Small clutch bags and clear bags are not allowed.

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Make Luminova Holidays your plan for safe holiday gettogethers this year. It is where the most wonderful time of the year is fun for all ages. For tickets and more information, visit LuminovaHolidays.com.