Moisture Susceptibility of Subgrade Soils Stabilized by Lignin-Based Renewable Energy Coproduct
Publication: Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 138, Issue 11
Abstract
Sustainable use of biomass as a renewable source of energy can be an alternative solution to the cost of fossil-based energy and global warming. Production of biofuel from plant biomass results not only in bio-based energy, but also in coproducts containing lignin, modified lignin, and lignin derivatives. This paper discusses the moisture susceptibility of subgrade soil stabilized by bio-based energy coproducts containing lignin, with the aim of establishing a new application for bio-based energy coproducts in soil stabilization. An experimental test program was conducted to compare the moisture susceptibility of lignin coproduct-treated soils and traditional fly ash stabilizer-treated soil samples. Additive combinations were also evaluated. There were two types of laboratory tests for moisture susceptibility evaluation: (1) unconfined compression strength (UCS) tests after “dry” and “wet” conditioning, and (2) visual observation of soaked specimens. Results indicate that the biofuel coproducts have excellent resistance to moisture degradation for the Iowa Class 10 soil classified as CL by the Unified Soil Classification System and as A-6(8) by AASHTO. In particular, Coproduct A with higher lignin content is more effective in providing moisture resistance than Coproduct B with lower lignin content as well as conventional additive (Class C fly ash). Moisture resistance comparable to that of Coproduct A could be obtained through the use of additive combinations (Coproduct A+Class C fly ash, Coproduct A+Coproduct B).
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Iowa Highway Research Board (IHRB), Grow Iowa Values Fund (GIVF) seed grant program, and Iowa State University (ISU) for supporting this study. The authors are also grateful to Dynamotive Energy Systems (Canada) and Grain Processing Corporation (Iowa) for supplying the experimental bio-oil and ethanol by-product investigated in this study. The authors thank Shiyun Wang for his assistance in conducting some aspects of the laboratory tests. The contents of this paper reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented within. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views and policies of IHRB and ISU. This paper does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering
Volume 138 • Issue 11 • November 2012
Pages: 1283 - 1290
Copyright
© 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 14, 2009
Accepted: Sep 30, 2011
Published online: Oct 3, 2011
Published in print: Nov 1, 2012
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