Evidence of Stabilized Peat as a Net Carbon Sink
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 31, Issue 3
Abstract
Mass stabilization, a ground improvement solution used for construction in peatlands, involves mixing suitable dry binders into the peat, increasing strength and stiffness and reducing permeability. A previous pilot study of the carbonation process in stabilized peat showed that it could be a net sink of , because the binder takes in from the atmosphere and any released by oxidized peat due to carbonation. In this study, a closed-chamber method was applied to stabilised peat specimens over a 6 month period to assess the factors affecting intake rate. The studies revealed that an increase in cement content and a larger surcharge contributed to a larger intake rate. These rates decreased logarithmically with time, and surcharge was found to be less influential over time. The intake rate reduced when the atmospheric concentration reduced, and the replacement of cement with ground granulated blast-furnace slag had a negative effect on the intake rate due to its lower carbonation potential. Furthermore, a high water table resulted in a decrease in the intake rate. These laboratory results have highlighted that dry soil mixing has a minimal on-site impact in environmental terms, allowing geotechnical engineers to make more informed decisions on the suitability of this technique for construction projects.
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Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 31 • Issue 3 • March 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 21, 2017
Accepted: Aug 10, 2018
Published online: Jan 9, 2019
Published in print: Mar 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Jun 9, 2019
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