IGC-2005,

17-19 December 2005, Ahmedabad, INDIA

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF CLASS F FLY AND BOTTOM ASH MIXTURES FOR EMBANKMENT APPLICATION
Kim B. Senior Researcher, Dam Safety Research Center, Korea Institute of Water and Environment, 462-1, Jeonmin-Dong, Yusung-Gu, Daejon, Korea bjkim@kowaco.or.kr Prezzi M. Asst Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S. Salgado R. Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, U.S. Lee J. Assoc Professor, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Yonsei University 134 Shinchon-Dong, Seodaemun-Gu, Seoul, Korea junlee@yonsei.ac.kr ABSTRACT: Fly ash and bottom ash are the solid residues from coal combustion process for power generation. In Indiana, U.S., most coal-fired utility plants produce class F fly ash and bottom ash with a typical production ratio of 80% fly ash and 20% bottom ash, and most of them are usually disposed of together as a waste in utility disposal sites. Direct use of these materials in construction projects consuming large volumes of materials, such as highway embankment construction, not only provides a promising solution to the disposal problem, but also an economic alternative to the use of traditional materials. This paper presents the investigation of mechanical properties of class F fly/bottom ash mixtures. Representative samples of class F fly and bottom ash were collected from a utility power plant in Indiana, U.S. and tested for evaluation of strength, stiffness, and compressibility. Test results showed that overall, ash mixtures compare favorably with conventional granular materials.

1. INTRODUCTION In the Unites States (US), the coal ash produced annually by coal-burning power plants amounts to more than 100 million tons (ACAA 2001). A large fraction of the coal ash (about 70% of the total production) is typically disposed of as a waste in utility disposal sites. Use of coal ash in construction projects requiring large material volumes, such as highway embankment construction, is a highly promising solution to the disposal problem. In common disposal practice, fly ash and bottom ash, which account for most coal ash production, are either ponded or landfilled together in mixtures to minimize disposal costs. According to the American Coal Ash Association (ACAA, 2001), in the US, both the production and disposal ratios of fly ash and bottom ash are approximately 80:20 by weight, which represents either ponded or landfilled ash consisting of high proportions of fly ash. In Indiana, the majority of the coal power plants produce class F fly ash and bottom ash with a typical production ratio of 80% fly ash and 20% bottom ash. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the suitability of class F fly/bottom ash mixtures with high fly ash contents as construction materials for highway 239

embankments. Although there have been investigations into the properties of separated single types of ash, studies of the fly/bottom ash mixtures, especially with high fly ash contents, are very limited. Evaluations of the environmental, physical and chemical characteristics of Indiana fly and bottom ash have been done previously (Diamond 1985; Huang 1990; Ke 1990). This study focuses mainly on fly/bottom ash mixtures with high fly ash contents. Since the intended use of these materials is as embankment construction materials, emphasis is given to the determination of their mechanical characteristics, including strength, stiffness, and compressibility. 2. TESTING MATERIAL 2.1 Ash Sources and Sampling Ash samples used in this study were extracted from the Wabash River power plant in Indiana, U.S. The plant produces non-pozzolanic class F fly ash and bottom ash with a typical production ratio of 80% fly ash and 20% bottom ash.

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17-19 December 2005, Ahmedabad, INDIA

2.2 Basic Properties <Gradation> As shown in Figure 1, the fly ash was generally wellgraded, ranging from mostly silt to fine sand sizes. A majority of the sizes occurred in a range between 0.001 mm and 0.075 mm. Bottom ash particle sizes ranged from sand to small-size gravel.

Table 1 Specific gravity and chemical composition

<Moisture-density relationship> Figure 3 shows the moisture-density relationship of fly and bottom ash mixtures, obtained by performing the standard compaction tests (ASTM D 698). As the fly ash content (F) decreased from 100% to 50% (i.e., as the bottom ash content (B) increased from zero to 50%), the maximum dry unit weight (d,max) increased, while the optimum water content (wopt) decreased. Compared with the d,max of compacted soils, however, the d,max values of ash mixtures tend to be lower than those of soils - which range typically from 17 to 20 kN/m3 (U.S. Navy 1986).

<Morphology> Figure 2a-d shows SEM photomicrographs of the fly ash particles and LM photomicrographs of bottom ash particles. In general, fly ash particles were wellrounded, spherical in shape. Some particles were very small (less than 1). Some particles were approximately hollow spheres with thin walls. In terms of the shape and surface characteristics of the particles, bottom ash was quite different from fly ash. Bottom ash particles were angular and irregular in shape and had rough, gritty surface textures. Some large particles were both internally and externally porous. The internal porosity of the particles makes them more crushable. Some of the popcorn-like particles were crushed even under finger pressure. Particle agglomerations were also observed in bottom ashes. Some of these agglomerates appeared to be lightly cemented, and some, strongly bonded. <Specific gravity and chemical component> Table 1 displays the specific gravity values of fly and bottom ash and their major chemical components.

3. TESTING METHOD 3.1 One-Dimensional Compression Test Each ash mixture sample was prepared at its wopt, and compacted to relative compaction, R = 95%, in a split mold with a diameter of 72 mm (2.8 in.) and a height of 55 mm (2.2 in.). A standard manual rammer, conforming to ASTM D 698, was used in the compaction of the mixture sample. To achieve a specified density, the number of blows was determined by trials. The tests were conducted according to the normal consolidation test procedure, as described by ASTM D 2435. 3.2 Consolidated-Drained Triaxial Test Consolidated-drained (CD) triaxial tests were performed on compacted ash mixture samples to investigate the effects of compaction levels and confining stresses on the behavior and shear strength of the ash mixtures, as well as that of fly/bottom ash mixture ratio. Hence, two levels of R = 90% and 95% were used per mixture, and at each compaction level, three tests were performed, each at a specific confining stress level (50, 100, and 200 kPa, respectively). The equipment used in these tests was the CKC automatic triaxial testing system, 240

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which uses a pneumatic pressure loading system. Each ash mixture sample was compacted in six layers in a split mold with a collar using a standard manual sleeve compaction rammer. The split mold had a diameter of 72 mm (2.8 in.) and a height of 163 mm (6.4 in.), which was equal to the specimen size. Prior to back-pressure saturation, the specimens were percolated by CO2 gas and de-aired water for about one hour each, to help obtain high B-values. Upon completion of the backpressure saturation, the specimens were isotropically consolidated by applying the desired effective confining stresses (3 = 50, 100, and 200 kPa). Following the consolidation, triaxial compression (shearing) was performed on the saturated specimens previously consolidated to a given 3 under strain-controlled conditions. 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 4.1 Compressbility Figure 4 shows the one-dimensional compression curves of the compacted ash mixture samples with F = 50%, 75% and 100%. A general observed trend is that as F decreases from 100% to 50%, the ash samples become slightly more compressible. Two possible mechanisms can explain the increasing compressibility with decreasing F (i.e. with increasing B): 1) angularity and porous surface texture of bottom ash particles and 2) particle crushing. Bottom ash particles are mostly angular and irregular in shape. Granular materials with angular particles are typically more compressible than those with well-rounded particles because the sharp edges in the angular particles tend to be overstressed during movement and reorientation of the particles, and thus break to allow compression. Particularly weak bottom ash particles, which in most cases have internal pores, can break at relatively low stress levels as discussed by Huang (1990). Furthermore, it is possible that fine fly ash particles adjacent to or filling the external pores of the bottom ash particles may be squeezed out with increasing stress, resulting in an increase in deformation.

< Stress-strain and volumetric behavior > Figure 5 shows stress-strain and volume change behaviors of ash mixture samples with F = 100% and 75%, compacted at R = 95% and 90% and sheared in a triaxial test at a 3 = 100 kPa. For the specimens at R = 95%, the stress-strain and volumetric behaviors typically resembled those of a sandy soil in a dense state. The deviatoric stress (d = 1 - 3) increased up to a peak (i.e. peak shear strength) with axial strain (a). After the peak, d dropped and gradually approached a plateau as a increased further. The specimens at R = 90 % exhibited behavior that is similar to that of a granular soil in a loose state. The d increased gradually up to a peak level and then stayed practically unchanged with increasing a . The volumetric strains ( v ) were contractive throughout shearing.

When comparing F = 100% and F = 75%, for R = 95%, as F decreased from 100% to 75%, the peak deviatoric stresses d(peak) increased slightly while both the maximum rate of dilation and the maximum dilation decreased slightly. For R = 90%, the behavior of ash mixtures became slightly less stiff and contractive, that is, v increased with decreasing F (i.e. as B increases). Figure 6 represents the effect of confining stress 3 on the volumetric behavior of the ash mixtures (R = 95%, F = 75%). Dilation decreased gradually as 3 increased. It is noted that at 3 = 200 kPa, the volumetric behavior became contractive. Slight dilation observed at relatively small a turned to contraction as a increased further.

4.2 Shear strength

< Peak friction angle peak >

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Both non-pozzolanic class F fly ash and bottom ash are basically frictional materials. For frictional materials, the peak friction angle (p) is a measure of the maximum shear strength that the material can develop. As shown in Figure 7, p for ash mixtures is a function of the relative compaction (R), the confining pressure (3) and the fly ash content (F), in order of decreasing significance. The reduction of R from 95% to 90% decreased p significantly. Also, p decreased as 3 increased from 50 kPa to 200 kPa. The samples at R = 95% displayed notable reductions in p with increasing 3 due to reduced dilatancy.

5. CONCLUSIONS From a mechanical point of view, non-pozzolanic class F fly and bottom ash mixtures generally compare favorably to conventional granular materials. It appears that high volume fly ash mixtures are suitable for use in highway embankments, if proper design and construction procedures are followed. Prior to use, the materials must pass the appropriate environmental requirements set by state regulatory agencies. As the environmental requirements are satisfied, the fly/bottom ash mixtures can provide fill materials of comparable strength and compressibility to most soils typically used as fill materials, while having the advantage of smaller dry unit weights. REFERENCES American Coal Ash Association, ACAA, (2001), CCP Survey, Retrieved from http://www.acaa-usa.org /PDF/ACAA2001CCPSurvey.pdf. Diamond, S. (1985), "Selection and Use of Fly Ash for Highway Concrete," Report No. FHWA/IN/JHRP-85/8, Final Report, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN., USA.

As compared to the effects of R and 3, however, varying F does not appear to change p significantly. The overall trend was that p decreased slightly as F increased from 50% to 75% and 100%. In other words, addition of bottom ash to fly ash increased p. This may be primarily due to the angularity of bottom ash particles, which provides higher resistance to particle rearrangement for sustained shearing. It is known that the p of compacted sandy soils typically ranges from 31 to 45 (U.S. Navy 1986). The test results suggest that, although the p of the ash mixtures varies in a wide range, depending on the ash sources and conditions (i.e. R, 3, F), ash mixtures generally exhibit fairly comparable shear strength to that of typical compacted sandy soils.

Huang, H. W. (1990), "The Use of Bottom Ash in Highway Embankments, Subgrade, and Subbases," J HRP Final Report, FHWA/IN/JHRP-90/4, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN., USA. Ke, Te-Chih (1990), "The Physical Durability and Electrical Resistivity of Indiana Bottom Ash," JHRP Final Report, FHWA/IN/JHRP-90/6, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN., USA. U.S. Navy (1986), "Design Manual - Soil Mechanics, Foundations, and Earth Structures," NAVFAC DM-7, Department of the Navy, Washington, D.C.

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