Understanding the Effect of Pulp Mill Fly Ash on Strength, Compressibility, and Microstructure of Organic Soil
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21, Issue 11
Abstract
A lower shear strength and higher compressibility impose major challenges for construction on organic soils. Cementitious materials have been effectively used in the improvement of the engineering properties of mineral soils with low organic contents. However, limited studies have been devoted to the stabilization of the organic soils commonly encountered in forested regions in Canada. The present study investigated the effects of pulp mill fly ash (PFA) on the compressibility of a natural soil consisting of 26% organic matter. Fall-cone and oedometer tests were conducted on organic soil mixed with different PFA dosages (5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%), as well as on untreated soil samples. The mineralogical and microstructural aspects of PFA-treated organic soil were examined using scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. The results suggest that when the organic soil was treated with PFA, its undrained shear strength and compressibility behavior were improved. Moreover, the potentially large settlement of organic soil can be reduced by the addition of PFA. The primary and secondary compression index (Cc and Cα, respectively) values decreased significantly when compared with the untreated organic soil, indicating that PFA stabilizers can effectively improve the creep behavior of organic soils. These findings indicate that the beneficial utilization of PFA for the stabilization of organic soils could be a practical step toward the environmentally sound management of this waste byproduct.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by an NSERC CRD (Grant No. 11R77115) to Dr. Sumi Siddiqua. The authors would like to thank TransCanada and ConeTec for providing funding, samples, and/or in-kind support for this research.
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International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 21 • Issue 11 • November 2021
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© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Apr 9, 2020
Accepted: Jun 4, 2021
Published online: Sep 1, 2021
Published in print: Nov 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Feb 1, 2022
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