A Laboratory Study on the Shear Behavior of Mixtures of Coal Wash and Steel Furnace Slag as Potential Structural Fill

Abstract

The accumulation of industrial waste materials (e.g., coal wash and steel furnace slag) has become a critical environmental problem in Australia in recent years. The possible re-use of these types of materials as structural fill for transport embankments and land reclamation is one of the preferred options from a waste management perspective. Consequently, an experimental testing program was undertaken using the triaxial apparatus to evaluate the shear behavior of compacted mixtures of coal wash (CW) and steel furnace slag (SFS). The effect of varying the confining pressure and the percentage of coal wash on the isotropic compression line, the stress-strain behavior, and particle degradation during drained shearing was evaluated. The percentage of coal wash was found to influence the shearing behavior of the CW-SFS mixtures. When the content of coal wash increased, the shear strength of the CW-SFS mixtures decreased and the axial strain corresponding to the peak stress ratio increased. Moreover, the incidence of particle breakage increased for those mixtures with a higher CW content due to the low particle strength of CW. This paper also provided a non-linear strength envelope and a corresponding empirical equation to capture the shear strength of CW-SFS mixtures. Disciplines Engineering | Science and Technology Studies Publication DetailsTasalloti, S. M. A., Indraratna, B., Rujikiatkamjorn, C., Heitor, A. & Chiaro, G. (2015). A laboratory study on the shear behavior of mixtures of coal wash and steel furnace slag as potential structural fill. Geotechnical Testing Journal, 38 (4), 361-372. AbstractThe accumulation of industrial waste materials (e.g. coal wash and steel furnace slag) has become a critical environmental problem in Australia in recent years. The possible re-use of these types of materials as structural fill for transport embankments and land reclamation is one of the preferred options from a waste management perspective. Consequently, an experimental testing program was undertaken using the triaxial apparatus to evaluate the shear behaviour of compacted mixtures of coal wash (CW) and steel furnace slag (SFS). The effect of varying the confining pressure and the percentage of coal wash on the isotropic compression line, the stress-strain behaviour, and particle degradation during drained shearing was evaluated. The percentage of coal wash was found to influence the shearing behaviour of the CW-SFS mixtures. When the content of coal wash increased the shear strength of the CW-SFS mixtures decreased and the axial strain corresponding to the peak stress ratio increased. Moreover, the incidence of particle breakage increased for those mixtures with a higher CW content due to the low particle strength of CW. This paper also provides a non-linear strength envelope and a corresponding empirical equation to capture the shear strength of CW-SFS mixtures.

Effect of Rubber Crumbs on the Cyclic Behavior of Steel Furnace Slag and Coal Wash Mixtures

“…1. Following a previous study by Tasalloti et al (2015), to achieve the target particle size distribution (PSD), the waste materials were sieved and separated into different particle sizes, and the exact mass corresponding to a given size range was weighed and mixed thoroughly to obtain a uniform blend. All the specimens were prepared at the optimum moisture content and compacted to achieve an initial dry unit weight equivalent to 95% of their γ ୢ୫ୟ୶ (Table 3) to simulate typical field conditions of subballast.…”

Drained and Undrained Shear Behavior of Compacted Coal Wash

“…The coalwash has a plasticity index of 10.7%, a liquid limit of 27.7% and a specific gravity of 2.23; thus, it can be classified as clayey sand or SC (Unified Soil Classification System). The properties of coalwash are elaborated in detail by Rujikiatkamjorn et al (2013), Chiaro et al (2014) and Tasalloti et al (2015). The curves representing the coalwash tailings (Indraratna et al, 1994) and the arbitrary boundary of maximum permissible breakage are also shown in Fig.…”

Predicted Behavior of Saturated Granular Waste Blended with Rubber Crumbs

“…RC usually mixed with sand, clay, fine-grained soil, fine recycled glass, crushed rock or asphalt to serve as lightweight landfill, highway embankments, flexible or permeable pavements, as well as for applications in seismic isolation (Fu et al 2017;Ajmera et al 2017;Lee et al 1999;Li et al 2016;Tsang et al 2012;Sheikh et al 2013;Disfani et al 2017;Mohammadinia et al 2018;Yaghoubi et al 2018). It is reported that the blends of SFS and CW can reduce the swelling of SFS and the particle breakage of CW, and a SFS+CW mixture with an appropriate ratio of SFS:CW has been successfully applied in Wollongong port reclamation (Chiaro et al 2013;Tasalloti et al 2015). To extend the application of SFS+CW mixtures into dynamic loading projects (e.g.…”