Performance of sandwiched kenaf fibre and sugarcane husk in treating pavement runoff

Abstract

Rapid urbanisation appears to cause more paved parking areas being provided which contributed into a greater impermeable surface area. Pavement runoff from the impermeable surface area does indeed have a high concentration of contaminants and it has been identified as a major cause of deterioration of nearby recipient water bodies. The more develop the country is, the poorer the water quality they have (Ashantha, et. al 2005). It carries pollutants, sediments, nutrients and heavy metals. An intensifying development in areas with impervious surface leads rainwater with small particles runs rapidly into drainages and rivers that may cause blockage that eventually leads to flash flood problem. Changes in land use increased the degree of soil imperviousness led to the increased of stormwater volume (Kundzewicz, et al., 2007). This study used a potential block system that is equipped with inner storage and expected to give minimal impact to the environment in order to improve the water quality and prevent ponding in the paved and impermeable areas. Figure 1 illustrates the simulation of pavement runoff was conducted to evaluate the performance of kenaf fibre and sugarcane husk that sandwiched in a modular block at a model scale in the hydraulic laboratory. The collected pavement runoff stored lower tank were tested and parameters observed were chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, amounts of suspended solids and turbidity. Water quality before and after being treated with the filtration media were compared. The performance and effectiveness of the two bio-composite materials as filter media were also assessed in decelerating the rate of runoff. Results show that the two proposed bio-composite materials are capable in reducing surface runoff, storing water, and reducing pollutant concentrations. The kenaf fibre appears to perform better in treating the polluted pavement runoff while sugarcane husk has a better performance in storing runoff and reduce the peak flow of runoff.