Geotechnical properties of stabilised Indian red earth

Locally available soils amended with sufficient bentonite are generally used for construction of liners for water and waste retention facilities. The amount of bentonite required to keep the hydraulic conductivity low varies with the nature of the local soil. Many studies have shown that bentonite content higher than 20% by weight is not usually required. This is also the case with Indian red earth containing predominantly quartz and kaolinite minerals. Incorporating bentonite, though keeps the hydraulic conductivity of soil low, increases the swelling and shrinkage potential; increases the loss of strength due to reduction in cohesion. This paper aims to improve the geotechnical properties of red earth and bentonite mixture with lime or cement. The studies reveal that the geotechnical properties of red earth with 20% by weight bentonite stabilised with 1% by weight of lime or cement are greatly enhanced, particularly after curing for 28 days. it has been shown that the early gain in strength is better with cement whereas its long-term strength gain is better with lime.     

Pozzolanic fly ash as a hydraulic barrier in land fills

The liner plays an important role in controlling migration of contaminants present in the leachate in waste containment systems such as land fills and impoundments. Although questions have been raised about the performance of clay liners, they are increasingly used singly or as double liners in disposal sites. Though the clay liners possess many advantages such as low permeability and large attenuative capacity, they also possess high shrinkage potential and hence can crack under unsaturated conditions causing instability and increase in leakage rates. Further, the permeability of the clay linear can increase due to clay–pollutant interaction. This study examines the potential of pozzolanic fly ash as a hydraulic barrier in land fill. The behaviour of three different types of fly ashes, showing a range of physical properties and chemical composition from three different sources are reported in the study. Geotechnical properties, needed to evaluate the use of fly ashes as barriers, such as shrinkage, compaction, permeability, consolidation and strength characteristics are reported. The results show that fly ashes possess low shrinkage and hence do not crack. Compacted fly ashes undergo very little volume changes. They also show that pozzolanic fly ashes develop good strength properties with time. Pozzolanic fly ashes containing sufficient lime develop strength even without addition of lime. Non-pozzolanic fly ashes do not develop strength even on addition of lime. Fly ashes generally consist of silt size particles and consequently possess high permeability. However, pozzolanic fly ashes with lime exhibit low permeability on curing because of the formation of gelatinous compounds which block the pores. Thus, pozzolanic fly ashes appear to be promising for construction of liners to contain alkaline leachate.     

Kerman Clay Improvement by Lime and Bentonite to Be Used as Materials of Landfill Liner

Kerman province, located in the south eastern Iran, is dominated with clays which can be used in different projects. The liner system within a landfill is constructed to control leachate migration and can be constructed by low permeable natural soils or plastic lining materials, environmentally however, natural materials is preferred that usually need to be amended in order to meet requirements recommended by environmental agencies. This research examines the possibility of using the Kerman collapsible clay as a liner layer material. A set of laboratory test was conducted on pure soil samples and additive treated samples. The moderate collapse potential of the used soil is decreased with wet compaction and under the effect of additive-soil reactions. Laboratory investigations showed that lime and bentonite treatment improved the hydraulic conductivity. The results revealed hydraulic conductivities on the order of 10^?8 m/s. The obtained values met the 1.0E?07 m/s criterion required by Iranian standards. Unconfined compression tests were also performed on pure soil and additive amended samples. The unconfined compression strength values demonstrated gradual decreases with the addition of bentonite and considerable increases with adding lime such that with adding 1% lime the unconfined compression strength increased by 75%. This study verified that the Kerman collapsing clay can be used as a liner material using lime and bentonite as additives.     

Studies on Hydraulic Conductivity of Fly Ash-Stabilised Expansive Clay Liners

Earthen barriers or clay liners are a major concern in geo-environmental engineering. They are designed to preclude or reduce leachate migration. Hence, a low hydraulic conductivity (k) is an important parameter in the design of clay liners. Materials such as bentonite and lateritic clays, which have a low hydraulic conductivity at high dry densities, are used in the construction of clay liners. Compacted expansive clays which are high in montmorillonite content also have a very low hydraulic conductivity. When expansive clays are blended with fly ash, an industrial waste, the hydraulic conductivity further reduces as the ash-clay blends result in increased dry densities at increased fly ash contents. Hence, fly ash-stabilised expansive clay can also be proposed as an innovative clay liner material. It is, therefore, required to study various physical and engineering properties of this new clay liner material. Liquid limit (LL) and free swell index (FSI) are important index properties to be studied in the case of this clay liner material. The hydraulic conductivity of this new clay liner material depends on the fly ash content in the blend. Further, parameters such as solute concentration and kinematic viscosity also influence hydraulic conductivity of clay liners. This paper presents experimental results obtained on hydraulic conductivity (k) of fly ash-stabilised expansive clay liner at varying fly ash content and solute concentration. The tests were performed with deionised water (DIW), CaCl₂, NaCl and KCl as permeating fluids. Fly ash content in the blend was varied as 0, 10, 20 and 30 % by weight of the expansive clay, and the solute concentration was varied as 5 mM (milli molar), 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. It was found that hydraulic conductivity (k) decreased with increasing fly ash content, solute concentration and kinematic viscosity. Further, hydraulic conductivity (k) was correlated with LL and FSI of the clay liner material for different fly ash contents and solute concentrations. Useful correlations were obtained.     

Analysis of WRCC of Fly Ash-Bentonite Mixes Based on Combined Shrinkage and Suction Measurement

Sand-Bentonite mixtures are used in landfill liner application in appropriate proportions. However, effort has been made to replace the sand by some waste materials like fly ash without compromising the required properties for liner construction. In recent years, many studies were carried out to determine the suitability of different fly ashes for using with bentonite based on different geotechnical parameters. On the other hand, limited studies were found in determining the unsaturated characteristics i.e. Water Retention Characteristics Curve (WRCC) of fly ash-bentonite mixes. The determination of WRCC in case of bentonite is very complexed compared to other types of clay soil due to its high shrinkage and swelling characteristics upon drying and wetting. In this study, a combined shrinkage and suction measurement was carried out in fly ash-bentonite mixes to accurately represent the WRCC under drying condition only. The shrinkage measurement was carried out using balloon method and suction measurement was carried out with the help of WP4 dew point potentiameter device. Both the shrinkage and suction results were finally used to obtain the WRCC for the different mixes. Further, the study on the variability of WRCCs for the different mixes indicates that WRCC can be represented by a generalized plot with 20% variation.

     

Heave Studies on Fly Ash-Stabilised Expansive Clay Liners

Clay liners or compacted earthen barriers are important barrier materials used for preventing contaminant transport through soils. A low hydraulic conductivity (k) is a significant parameter that governs the design and construction of clay liners. Compacted expansive clays, which are montmorillonite clays, also have a very low hydraulic conductivity (k). When expansive clays are blended with fly ash, an industrial waste, the hydraulic conductivity (k) further reduces as the ash-clay blends result in increased dry densities at increased fly ash contents. Hence, fly ash-stabilised expansive clay can also be proposed as a unique clay liner material. As expansive clays undergo heave when they come into contact with water, it is necessary to study the heave behaviour of fly ash-stabilised expansive clay liners. This paper presents heave studies on fly ash-stabilised expansive clay liners. Fly ash in different contents by dry weight of the expansive clay was added to the clay, and the ash-clay blend was compacted as a liner overlying a natural field soil layer. Compacted lateritic clay was used for simulating the natural field soil into which contaminants migrate. Calcium chloride (CaCl₂) solution of varying concentration (5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 mM) was used as the permeating fluid in the heave studies. The rate of heave and the amount of heave of the fly ash-stabilised expansive clay liners were monitored. Deionised water (DIW) was also used as inundating fluid for comparative study. Heave (mm) decreased with increase in solute concentration for all fly ash contents. For a given solute concentration, heave decreased up to a fly ash content of 20 % and thereafter it increased when the fly ash content was increased to 30 %. Heave of the fly ash-stabilised expansive clay liners was correlated with their permeability, liquid limit (LL) and free swell index (FSI) pertaining to the respective fly ash content and CaCl₂ concentration.     

California Bearing Ratio and Brazilian Tensile Strength of Mine Overburden–Fly Ash–Lime Mixtures for Mine Haul Road Construction

The production and utilization of coal is based on well-proven and widely used technologies. Fly ash, a coal combustion byproduct, has potential to produce a composite material with controlled and superior properties. The major challenges with the production of fly ash are in its huge land coverage, adverse impact on environment etc. It puts pressure on the available land particularly in a densely populated country like India. In India the ash utilization percentage has not been very encouraging in spite of many attempts. Stabilization of fly ash is one of the methods to transfer the waste material into a safe construction material. This investigation is a step in that direction. This paper presents the results of an investigation on compressive strength and bearing ratio characteristics of surface coal mine overburden material and fly ash mixes stabilized with lime for coal mine haul road construction. Tests were performed with different percentages of lime (2, 3, 6 and 9%). The effects of lime content and curing period on the bearing ratio and tensile strength characteristics of the stabilized overburden and fly ash mixes are highlighted. Unconfined compressive strength test results cured for 7, 28 and 56 days are presented to develop correlation between different tensile strengths and unconfined compressive strength. Empirical models are developed to estimate bearing ratio and tensile strength of mine overburden–fly ash–quick lime mixtures from unconfined compressive strength test results.     

Nondestructive test to track pollutant transport into landfill liners

Over the last decade, waste disposal has become a particularly sensitive issue in Algeria. New legislation concerning landfill liner design has been adopted. Traditional methods of landfill liner characterization involve soil sampling and chemical analysis, which are costly, destructive and time-consuming. New techniques are currently being investigated that aim to provide nondestructive liner characterisation. This paper details technical aspects associated with electrical conductivity measurements within landfill liners and presents experimental work to show the direct application of electrical techniques to track ionic movement through a sand bentonite liner under chemically induced flow. Samples of sand bentonite were mixed and compacted with NaCl electrolytes at different concentrations. The electrical conductivities of compacted specimens were measured with a two-electrode cell. The effects of frequency and electrolyte concentration on the conductivity measurement were explored. The relationship between the soil electrical conductivity and the NaCl electrolyte concentration in interstitial pore fluid was determined. The conductivity measurements were used to quantify the pore fluid concentration and effective diffusion coefficient of sand bentonite liners. It is concluded here that the electrical conductivity of compacted specimens depends mainly on the salt concentration in the pore fluid, and that this approach could therefore be used to track ionic movement through liners during diffusion.     

Leachate studies on fly ash-stabilised expansive clay liners

This paper presents leachate studies on fly ash-stabilised expansive clay liners. Fly ash in different contents (0%, 10%, 20% and 30%) by dry weight of the expansive clay was added to the clay, and the ash-clay blend was compacted as a liner overlying a compacted lateritic clay layer. Deionised water (DIW) and calcium chloride (CaCl₂) solutions of varying concentration (5 mM, 10 mM, 20 mM, 50 mM, 100 mM and 500 mM) were used as the permeating fluids in the leachate studies. Chemical analysis of the leachate was performed. For a given CaCl₂ concentration, the concentrations of both calcium ion and chloride ion in the leachate decreased up to a fly ash content of 20%, and thereafter they increased when the fly ash content was increased to 30%. Further, for a given fly ash content, concentrations of calcium ion and chloride ion increased with increasing CaCl₂ concentration.     

武汉地区粉煤灰和膨润土双掺合剂水泥土性能改良试验研究

近年来,水泥土被广泛应用于土体加固工程,其强度与加固效果密切相关。为研究膨润土和粉煤灰掺量对水泥土性能的影响,对25组不同膨润土和粉煤灰掺量的水泥土进行基本力学性能试验。通过抗压强度试验,发现当粉煤灰和膨润土掺量分别为40%和11%时,28 d的水泥土抗压强度最大,为7.30 MPa;当粉煤灰和膨润土掺量分别为20%和7%时,90 d的水泥土抗压强度最大,为7.19 MPa。通过室内直接剪切试验,发现当粉煤灰和膨润土掺量分别为20%和11%时,28 d的水泥土抗剪强度参数粘聚力c最大,为1144.8 kPa;当粉煤灰和膨润土掺量分别为30%和5%时,90 d的水泥土抗剪强度参数粘聚力c最大,为1753.71 kPa。研究成果可以为武汉地区的粉煤灰和膨润土双掺合剂改良水泥土的现场施工提供参考依据。     

Effect of lime and fly ash on swell,consolidation and shear strength characteristics of expansive clays: a comparative study

Expansive soils swell on absorbing water and shrink on evaporation thereof. Because of this alternate swelling and shrinkage, civil engineering structures founded in them are severely damaged. For counteracting the problems of expansive soils, different innovative techniques were suggested. Stabilization of expansive clays with various additives has also met with considerable success. This paper presents, by comparison, the effect of lime and fly ash on free swell index (FSI), swell potential, swelling pressure, coefficient of consolidation, compression index, secondary consolidation characteristics and shear strength. Lime content (weight of lime/weight of dry soil) was varied as 0%, 2%, 4%?and 6%?and fly ash content (weight of fly ash/weight of dry soil) as 0%, 10%?and 20%. A fly ash content of 20%?showed significant reduction in swell potential, swelling pressure, compression index and secondary consolidation characteristics and resulted in increase in maximum dry density and shear strength. Swell potential and swelling pressure decreased with increase in lime content also. Further, consolidation characteristics improved. Compaction characteristics and unconfined compression strength improved at 4%?lime and reduced at 6%?lime.     

粉煤灰与生石灰加固软土的室内试验研究

粉煤灰是一种工业废弃物,与生石灰一样均可用来加固软土地基。笔者进行了粉煤灰与生石灰加固土的室内配方试验,分别将水泥或生石灰与粉煤灰按照不同的比例干拌均匀后,再与不同含水量的软土人工拌和均匀,测定了不同龄期的无侧限抗压强度;分析了石灰加固土强度与生石灰掺入比和龄期的关系及其压缩系数、压缩模量等的变化。并进一步分析了粉煤灰的加固机理,旨在为其进一步的研究和工程应用提供参考。     

Impact of wetting–drying cycles on the hydraulic conductivity of liners made of lime-stabilized sand–bentonite mixtures for sanitary landfills

In this study, an investigation was performed to determine if lime-stabilized sand–bentonite mixtures are appropriate for the construction of sanitary landfills liners. For this aim, the hydraulic conductivity tests were conducted in the laboratory on sand–bentonite mixtures and lime-stabilized sand–bentonite mixtures to evaluate the effect of wetting–drying cycles. The hydraulic conductivity tests were performed to see if their hydraulic conductivities are affected by wetting–drying cycles. First series of specimens have been prepared as a mixture of sand and bentonite only. In the first series of specimens, sand was mixed with bentonite in proportions of 20, 30, 40, and 50 %. In the second series of the specimens, lime in proportions of 1, 2 and 3 % by weight was added to the mixtures of sand–bentonite in proportions of 20, 30, 40, and 50 %. From the results of the tests, it was observed that while optimum water content increased, maximum dry density decreased with addition of lime to the sand–bentonite mixtures. Generally, the hydraulic conductivity increased with the addition of lime to the mixtures but at low percentages of lime (1–2 %), however, slight decreases in k were recorded. It was also observed that the wetting–drying cycles on the permeability test indicate cure effect on specimens with addition of lime which resulted in decreased the hydraulic conductivity.     

Hydraulic Conductivity Tests for Evaluating Compatibility of Lateritic Soil—Fly Ash Mixtures with Municipal Waste Leachate

Long term competent performance of liner systems is a critical issue in the design and construction of waste repositories due to adverse interactions associated with leachate generated by wastes. This study was conducted to verify the efficacy of fly ash stabilization in enhancing compatibility between lateritic soil and municipal waste leachate. Applications investigated include soil mixtures containing 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% fly ash compacted at approximately 2% wet of optimum moisture content with modified proctor energy. Baseline hydraulic conductivity was first established at every level of fly ash content by permeating soil mixtures with tap water before permeation with leachate in a compaction mould permeameter using the falling head test method. Results show that the trend in hydraulic conductivity of specimen containing 0% fly ash was characterized by a gradual but erratic decrease which may suggests partial entry of the leachate cations into the double layer. Conversely, specimens containing fly ash showed a general trend consisting of an initial drop in k (up to an order of magnitude) that was followed by slight decrease sustained until k stabilized and later terminated. Above 10% fly ash content, the relatively high values of k observed was not connected with the reactivity of the soil mixtures with leachate, rather it may be attributed to excessive fly ash content that altered their textural and hydraulic properties. The result of this study is potentially significant in the assessment of fly ash as a compatibility enhancing agent which can be admixed in barrier materials that are susceptible to adverse reactions with the liquid to be contained.     

Feasibility of using fly ash,lime, and bentonite to neutralize acidity of pore fluids

Acidic groundwater resulting from the poorly planned use of acid sulfate soils has become a major environmental issue in coastal Australia over the last several years. Use of permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) designed to generate alkalinity by promoting sulfate reduction has recently become popular as an alternative solution to this problem. However, recent studies have also revealed that the long-term performance of such PRBs can be significantly undermined by chemical precipitation and clogging of pore space, which would decrease the buffer capacity and hydraulic conductivity of the reactive material. This study seeks to explore the feasibility of using bentonite in addition to lime and fly ash to form mixtures with a high buffer capacity and permeability that would enable groundwater flow through PRBs over a substantial period of time. A series of laboratory experiments, including buffer capacity and leaching tests, were performed on different mixtures of fly ash with lime and bentonite using acidic fluids of low pH. It was found that the ability of such mixtures to neutralize acidic fluids was mostly controlled by the content of lime. Laboratory data also showed that an addition of bentonite to lime—fly ash mixtures could decrease the buffer capacity of soil. Compaction tests indicated that the presence of bentonite would increase the dry density of mixtures at the optimum moisture content. A series of hydraulic conductivity tests were carried out to study changes in the coefficient of permeability of lime—fly ash mixtures with different contents of bentonite permeated with acidic liquids. The obtained results revealed that the coefficient of permeability of the specimens tended to increase over a period of time, likely due to the changes in the diffuse double layer of bentonite particles.     

Reduction of Expansive Index,Swelling and Compression Behavior of Kaolinite and Bentonite Clay with Sand and Class C Fly Ash

Swelling behavior of expansive soil has always created problems in the field of geotechnical engineering. Generally, the method used to assess the swelling potential of expansive soil from its plasticity index, shrinkage limit and colloidal content. Alternative way to evaluate swelling behavior is from its expansive index (EI) and swelling pressure value. The present study investigates the reduction of EI and swelling pressure for kaolinite and bentonite clay when mixed with various percentages of Ottawa sand and Class C fly ash. The percentages of Ottawa sand and Class C fly ash used were 0–50 % by weight. The results show that there is a significant reduction in the swelling properties of expansive soil with the addition of Ottawa sand and Class C fly ash. The reduction in EI ranged approximately from 10 to 50 and 4 to 49 % for kaolinite and bentonite clay, respectively. Also the maximum swelling pressure of kaolinite and bentonite clay decreased approximately 93 and 64 %, respectively with the addition of various percentages of Ottawa sand and Class C fly ash. Standard index properties test viz., liquid limit, plastic limit and linear shrinkage test were conducted to see the characteristics of expansive soil when mixed with less expansive sand and fly ash. Also, for these expansive soils one dimensional consolidation test have been conducted with sand and fly ash mixtures and the results were compared with pure kaolinite and bentonite clay.     

The usability of bottom ash as an engineering material when amended with different matrices

This study aims at investigating the utilization of bottom ash obtained from four different power stations as a construction fill and landfill bottom liner. For the matrix material, commercial powdered bentonite, construction lime and natural clay were used. Compaction tests (Standard Proctor and vibratory hammer) were carried out on the different ratios of bottom ash and matrix material. The optimum water content ranged from 40 to 45% yielding a dry density mostly ca 1 Mg m⁻³. Uniaxial compressive strength of mixtures ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 kgf cm⁻² which showed a 3–20-fold increase when tested on 28-day cured specimens. Triaxial compression tests yield varying rates of shear strength which also showed as high as an 11-fold increase for cured specimens. The hydraulic conductivity of those mixtures was mostly ca 10⁻⁴ cm s⁻¹, which is not considered to be low enough for landfill lining. Leaching tests using deionized water were also performed to investigate the possible effect of leachate produced from the mixtures on the environment. In conclusion a light density and environmentally friendly mixture is determined and proposed as construction filler.     

An experimental investigation into the compaction characteristic of granulated gangue backfilling materials modified with binders

Solid backfill mining has apparent technical advantages in extracting coal resource under sensitive surface structures such as buildings and roads; meanwhile, as an effective method of disposing mining wastes, it works well in solving some environmental problems caused by mining activities. In addition, the controlling effect of solid backfill mining is directly related to the compaction characteristic of backfilling materials. The present study aims to modify the backfilling materials by assessing the effect of binders (cement, fly ash, and lime) on the compaction characteristic of granulated gangue backfilling materials. The compaction test was performed with rock mechanic test system equipped with a self-made circular cylinder apparatus. From the results obtained, cement is not the suitable binder for modifying the gangues backfilling materials, while fly ash or lime, when the dosage is up to 20 wt%, is beneficial to the compaction characteristic of backfilling materials. The relationship between strain behavior and micro-structure of backfilling materials was investigated by SEM and the effect of fly ash or lime on the strain behavior of backfilling materials could be associated with its cementation and gap-filling effect.     

粉煤灰和二灰对桂林红黏土力学性质的影响

为了研究粉煤灰和二灰掺量及养护时间对桂林红黏土的改良效果,进行了直剪试验、固结试验以及电镜扫描试验。试验结果表明,粉煤灰的掺入提高了红黏土的抗剪强度,但超过一定量（18%粉煤灰掺量）反而会降低红黏土黏聚力,各掺量粉煤灰红黏土随养护龄期的延长,抗剪强度呈先增后缓趋势。二灰改良红黏土,在早期强度剧增,且强度随养护时间增长而大幅增加,一定龄期内,二灰红黏土黏聚力随二灰掺量呈先增后减趋势。粉煤灰和二灰的掺入均增大了红黏土的压缩模量,且随养护时间的延长而逐渐增大。红黏土中随粉煤灰、石灰的加入,发生一系列物理化学反应,从微观结构分析得知土中孔隙减少,结构性较素红黏土好。