Remediation of Abandoned Mines Using Coal Combustion By-Products
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 8
Abstract
Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a phenomenon that occurs when pyrite that is present in abandoned coal mines comes in contact with oxygen and water, which results in the formation of sulfuric acid and iron hydroxide. Grouting of an abandoned mine with alkaline materials provides a permanent reduction in acid production. This study investigates the success of coal combustion by-product (CCB)-based grout mixtures in reducing AMD. The laboratory phase included testing of grouts with different proportions of Class F fly ash, flue gas desulfurization by-product, fluidized bed combustion by-product, and quicklime, for slump, modified flow, bleed, and strength. Then the selected optimal grout mixture was injected into the Frazee mine, located in Western Maryland. Pre- and post-injection water quality data were collected to assess the long-term success of the grouting operation by analyzing mine water, surface water, and groundwater. Laboratory tests indicated that the four mechanical properties of grout mixtures, slump, modified flow, bleed, and strength, are related to the fly ash and free lime contents of the mixture. Eight years of post-injection water quality monitoring shows that there has been a significant decrease in acidity, concentrations of major ions, and trace elements in the mine water. The groundwater and surface water data suggested no adverse impacts of AMD in the pre- or post-injection period. Tests performed on the field exhumed grout cores showed that the hardened grout retained its strength and low hydraulic conductivity with no evidence of in situ weathering. Overall, the results indicated that CCB-based grouts can control the acid mine drainage. However, the mechanical properties of the grout are highly critical for the construction phase, and long-term monitoring is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of the grouting process.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The funding for this project was provided by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Power Plant Research Program (PPRP) through a contract to ERM, Inc. ERM subcontracted some of the laboratory geotechnical testing to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Dr. Y. P. Chugh and his research team participated in the first phase of this study and performed these laboratory tests. Mr. William Aljoe of the U.S. DOE participated in field monitoring. PPRP funded the University of Maryland through Contract No. K-00-P420895 to review the monitoring program and existing laboratory test results. All these efforts are greatly appreciated. Professor Richard McCuen of the University of Maryland is thanked for reviewing an initial draft of this paper.
References
American Concrete Institute (ACI). (1999). “Controlled low-strength materials.” Rep. No. 229R-99, ACI Committee 229, Detroit.
Ayers, M. E., Wong, S. Z., and Zaman, W. (1994). “Optimization of flowable fill mix proportions.” ACI Committee 229, Controlled low-strength materials, SP-150, 15–37.
Barton, C. D., and Karathanasis, A. D. (1999). “Renovation of a failed constructed wetland treating acid mine drainage.” Environ. Geol., 39(1), 39–50.
Butalia, T. S., Wolfe, W. E., and Lee, J. W. (2001). “Evaluation of dry FGD material as a flowable fill.” Fuel, 80(6), 845–850.
Conner, J. R. (1990). Chemical fixation and solidification of hazardous wastes, Van Nostrald-Reinhold, New York, 280–427.
Cravotta, C. A., III, Brady, K. B. C., Smith, M. W., and Beam, R. L. (1990). “Effectiveness of the addition of alkaline materials at surface coal mines in preventing or abating acid mine drainage—Part I, Geochemical considerations.” Proc., 1990 Mining and Reclamation Conf., Charleston, W. Va., Vol. 1, 221–223.
Department of the Army. (1983). Soil stabilization for pavements, ⟨http://www.army.mil/usapa/eng/⟩.
Dolence, R. C., and Giovannitti, E. (1997). “Utilization of coal ash/coal combustion products for mine reclamation.” Proc., American Power Conf., Vol. 59, No. 2, 837–840.
Gabr, M. A., Boury, E., and Butler, C. (1996). “Fly ash-based mixtures for low permeability grouts.” Geotech. News, 14(1), 26–30.
Gabr, M. A., and Bowders, J. J. (2000). “Controlled low-strength material using fly ash and AMD sludge.” J. Hazard. Mater., 76(2), 251–263.
Gray, D. D., Reddy, T. P., Black, D. C., and Ziemkiewicz, P. F. (1998). “Filling abandoned mines with fluidized bed combustion ash grout.” Design and Application of Controlled Low-Strength Materials (Flowable Fill), ASTM STP 1331, A. K. Howard and J. L. Hitch, eds., Philadelphia, 180–193.
Haefner, R. J. (2002). “Environmental tracers of leachate derived from pressurized fluidized bed combustion by-products in an abandoned coal mine setting.” Proc., Coal Combustion By-Products and Western Coal Mines: A Technical Interactive Forum, Golden, Colo., 89–96.
Han, S. H., Kim, J. K., and Park, Y. D. (2003). “Prediction of compressive strength of fly ash concrete by new apparent activation energy function.” Cem. Concr. Res., 33(7), 965–971.
Harshberger, K. L., and Bowders, J. J. (1991). “Acid mine drainage control utilizing fly ash.” Proc., ASCE Energy Division Specialty Conf. on Energy in the 90’s, 300–305.
Hausmann, M. R. (1990). Engineering principles of ground modification, McGraw-Hill, New York .
Herr, J. W., Chen, C. W., Goldstein, R. A., Herd, R., and Brown, J. M. (2003). “Modeling acid mine drainage on a watershed scale for TMDL calculations.” J. Am. Water Resour. Assoc., 39(2), 289–300.
Huang, W. H. (2001). “Improving the properties of cement-fly ash grout using fiber and superplasticizer.” Cem. Concr. Res., 31(7), 1033–1041.
Indraratna, B. (1996). “Utilization of lime, slag and fly ash for improvement of colluvial soil in New South Wales, Australia.” Geotech. Geologic. Eng., 14(3), 169–191.
Loop, C. (2004). “Lessons learned from full-scale, non-traditional placement of fly ash.” Presented at State Regulation of CCB Placement at Mine Sites: A Technical Interactive Forum, Harrisburg, Pa.
Mirza, J., Mirza, M. S., Roy, V., and Saleh, K. (2002). “Basic rheological and mechanical properties of high-volume fly ash grouts.” Constr. Build. Mater., 16(6), 353–363.
Murarka, I., Bailey, T. E., and Meiers, J. R. (2002). “Water quality at coal ash filled surface coal mine pit in Indiana.” Proc., Coal Combustion By-Products and Western Coal Mines: A Technical Interactive Forum, Golden, Colo., 197–221.
Naik, T. R., and Ramme, B. W. (1994). “Low-strength concrete and controlled low-strength material (CLSM) produced with class F fly ash.” ACI Committee 229, Controlled low-strength materials, SP-150, 1–13.
Petzrick, P. (1997). “Ash utilization for elimination of acid mine drainage.” Proc., American Power Conf., Vol. 59, No. 2, 834–836, Chicago.
Petzrick, P. (1999). “The coal combustion by-product/acid mine drainage partnership.” Proc., International Ash Utilization Symposium, Paper No. 75, Lexington, Ky.
Petzrick, P. (2001). “The use power plant coal combustion products in Maryland.” Proc., International Ash Utilization Symposium, Paper No. 51, Lexington, Ky.
Rafalko, L. G., and Petzrick, P. (2000). Report of findings for the Winding Ridge demonstration project, Prepared for Power Plant Research Program, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, ERM, Inc., Annapolis, Md.
Rose, A. W., and Cravotta, C. A., III (1998). “Geochemistry of coal mine drainage.” Chapter 1, Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in Pennsylvania, The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, ⟨http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/miners/districts/cmdp/chap01.html⟩.
Rudisell, M. T., Stuart, B. J., Novak, G., Payne, H., and Togny, C. S. (2001). “Use of flue gas desulfurization by-product for mine sealing and abatement of acid mine drainage.” Fuel, 80(6), 837–843.
Sharma, H. D., and Lewis, S. P. (1994). Waste containment systems, waste stabilization, and landfills-design and evaluation, Wiley, New York.
Schueck, J., Tarantino, J., Kania, T., and Scheetz, B. (2001). “The use of FBC ash for alkaline addition at surface coal mines.” Proc., of Int. Ash Utilization Symp., Paper No. 49, Lexington, Ky., 16 p.
Singer, P. C., and Stumm, W. (1970). “Acid mine drainage: Rate-determining step.” Science, 167, 1121–1123.
Siriwardane, H. J., Kannan, R. S. S., and Ziemkiewicz, P. F. (2003). “Use of waste materials for control of acid mine drainage and subsidence.” J. Environ. Eng., 129(10), 910–915.
Smith, M. W., and Brady, K. B. C. (1998). “Alkaline addition.” Chapter 13, Coal mine drainage prediction and pollution prevention in Pennsylvania, The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, ⟨http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/minres/districts/cmdp/chap13.html⟩.
Stumm, W., and Morgan, J. J. (1996). Aquatic chemistry: Chemical equilibria and rates in natural waters.” Wiley, New York.
Stump, D. E. (1998). “Grouting to control coal mine subsidence.” Proc., Geo-Congress, Geotechnical Special Publication, No. 40, 128–138.
Taerakul, P., Lamminen, M., He, Y., Walker, H., Triana, S. J., and Whitlatch, E. (2004). “Long-term behavior of fixated flue gas desulfurization material grout in mine drainage environments.” J. Environ. Eng., 130(7), 816–823.
United Kingdom Quality Ash Association. (2002). Pulverized fuel ash for grouting, ⟨http://www.ukqaa.org.uk/DSheet03/Datasheet3GroutsJune2002.htm⟩.
Wattenbach, H. L., Rafalko, L. G., and Petzrick, P. (1999). “An evaluation of free-lime containing by-products to produce CCB grouts for use in AMD abatement.” Proc., Int. Ash Utilization Symposium, Paper #20, Lexington, Ky.
Wilbert, K. L. (1997). “Displacement grouting used in abandoned mine lands.” Proc., Ground Improvement, Ground Reinforcement, and Ground Treatment: Developments 1987–1997, ASCE Geo-Institute, Geo-Logan, Logan, Utah, 434–440.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 8 • August 2005
Pages: 958 - 969
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 5, 2004
Accepted: Feb 3, 2005
Published online: Aug 1, 2005
Published in print: Aug 2005
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.