Application of High-Vesicularity Cinder Gravels to Railway Earth Structure in Ethiopia
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32, Issue 11
Abstract
The Addis Ababa–Djibouti Railway in Ethiopia extends across the Rift Valley, where cinder gravels (scoria) occur widely. Considering its abundance and environmental benefits, these cinder gravels are an enormous resource for earth structure fill. However, the gravels usually fail to comply with aggregate specifications for ballasted railways, primarily due to the high vesicularity of their particles. Nineteen cinder gravel samples from different locations were tested for their grain-size range, porosity, specific gravity, dry density, morphology, Los Angeles abrasion loss, and geochemistry. The results confirmed that the high void ratios of the gravels limit their direct use in railway construction. The cinder gravels therefore were blended with local silty sands to improve their suitability as aggregates. The blended material was assessed for consolidated undrained shear strength, breakage potential, and California bearing ratio. The field compaction performance of a trial railway section was evaluated and combined with the laboratory test results to produce a guideline for applying the cinder gravels as railway earth structure. Adopting interparticle porosity as a replacement for the original porosity in evaluating the quality of the compacted cinder gravel is recommended. Field dynamic measurements performed at two railway subgrade sections constructed using the stabilized cinder gravel or traditional geomaterials demonstrated that the stabilized-aggregate subgrade performed better under various train speed conditions. This study improves knowledge of aggregate stabilization techniques and facilitates wider use of cinder gravel in railway construction.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Data Availability Statement
Detailed data supporting Tables 11 and 12 of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51878560, 41901073); the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2019M663556); and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant No. 2682020CX66). The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their comments that improved the paper and acknowledge the inclusion of some of their ideas.
References
AASHTO. 2018. Standard method of test for moisture–density relations of soils using a 4.54-kg (10-lb) rammer and a 457-mm (18-in.) drop. AASHTO T180. Washington, DC: AASHTO.
Agustian, Y. 2019. “The behaviour of frozen scoria in unconfined compression test.” Civ. Eng. Archit. 7 (3A): 50–64. https://doi.org/10.13189/cea.2019.071308.
Agustian, Y., and S. Goto. 2008a. “Strength and deformation characteristics of scoria in triaxial compression at low confining stress.” Soils Found. 48 (1): 27–39. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf.48.27.
Agustian, Y., and S. Goto. 2008b. “Undrained cyclic shear behaviour of reconstituted scoria deposit.” Soils Found. 48 (6): 851–857. https://doi.org/10.3208/sandf.48.851.
Arab, M. G., R. A. Mousa, A. R. Gabr, A. M. Azam, S. M. El-Badawy, and A. F. Hassan. 2019. “Resilient behavior of sodium alginate–treated cohesive soils for pavement applications.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 31 (1): 04018361. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002565.
ASTM. 2004. Standard test methods for particle-size distribution (gradation) of soils using sieve analysis. ASTM D6913-04. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2010. Standard test methods for specific gravity of soil solids by water pycnometer. ASTM D854-10. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2012. Standard test methods for laboratory compaction characteristics of soil using modified effort (56,000 ft-lbf/ft3 (2,700 kN-m/m3)). ASTM D1557-12e1. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2015a. Standard test method for density and unit weight of soil in place by sand-cone method. ASTM D1556/D1556M-15e1. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2015b. Standard test method for relative density (specific gravity) and absorption of coarse aggregate. ASTM C127-15. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2016a. Standard test method for California bearing ratio (CBR) of laboratory-compacted soils. ASTM D1883-16. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2016b. Standard test method for nonrepetitive static plate load tests of soils and flexible pavement components, for use in evaluation and design of airport and highway pavements. ASTM D1196/D1196M-12. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2016c. Standard test method for resistance to degradation of large-size coarse aggregate by abrasion and impact in the Los Angeles machine. ASTM C535-16. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2017a. Standard practice for classification of soils for engineering purposes (unified soil classification system). ASTM D2487-17e1. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2017b. Standard test methods for liquid limit, plastic limit, and plasticity index of soils. ASTM D4318-17e1. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2020a. Standard test method for resistance to degradation of small-size coarse aggregate by abrasion and impact in the Los Angeles machine. ASTM C131/C131M-20. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
ASTM. 2020b. Standard test method for consolidated undrained triaxial compression test for cohesive soils. ASTM D4767-11. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM.
Ayele, A., E. Tadesse, G. Segni, and K. Dessie. 2002. “Stabilization of cinder gravels with volcanic ash and cement.” B.Sc. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Addis Ababa Univ.
Beaven, P., R. Robinson, and K. Aklilu. 1987. “Experimental use of weathered gravels on roads in Ethiopia.” Transp. Res. Rec. 1106 (1): 103–115.
Berhanu, G. 2009. “Stabilizing cinder gravels for heavily trafficked base course.” Zede J. 26 (1): 23–29.
Bian, X., W. Li, J. Hu, H. Liu, X. Duan, and Y. Chen. 2018. “Geodynamics of high-speed railway.” Transp. Geotech. 17 (Jul): 69–76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trgeo.2018.09.007.
Brown, R. J., and E. S. Calder. 2005. “Pyroclastics.” In Encyclopedia of geology, 386–397. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier.
Chen, J. 2014. “Experimental study on packing characteristics of gravel filling subgrade.” Ph.D. dissertation, School of Civil Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong Univ.
Chen, J., Q. Luo, D. W. Liang, and M. S. Liu. 2014. “On-site seepage test for railway embankment filled with volcanic cinder gravels.” In System planning, supply chain management, and safety, 563–569. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Chinese Standard. 1998. Sub-ballast of ballasted track bed, Ministry of Railways of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing. TB/T 2897-1998. Beijing: Chinese Standard.
Chinese Standard. 2016. Code for design of railway earth structure, national railway administration of the People’s Republic of China, Beijing. TB 10001-2016. Beijing: Chinese Standard.
Efron, B. 1979. “Bootstrap methods: Another look at the jackknife.” Ann. Stat. 7 (1): 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1214/aos/1176344552.
Eshete, Y. 2011. “Blending of cinder with fine grained soil to be used as a sub-base material (the case of the Butajira-Gubre road).” Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Addis Ababa Univ.
Gareth, G. J., A. Otto, and P. A. K. Greening. 2018. Investigation of the use of cinder gravels in pavement layers for low-volume roads. London: Transport Research Laboratory.
Hadera, Z. 2015. “The potential use of cinder gravel as a base course material when stabilised by volcanic ash and lime.” Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Addis Ababa Univ.
Hardin, B. O. 1985. “Crushing of soil particles.” J. Geotech. Eng. 111 (10): 1177–1192. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1985)111:10(1177).
Hearn, G. J., A. Otto, P. A. K. Greening, A. A. Endale, and D. M. Etefa. 2019. “Engineering geology of cinder gravel in Ethiopia: Prospecting, testing and application to low-volume roads.” Bull. Eng. Geol. Environ. 78: 3095–3110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-018-1333-3.
Lemougna, P. N., K. T. Wang, Q. Tang, A. N. Nzeukou, N. Billong, U. C. Melo, and X. M. Cui. 2018. “Review on the use of volcanic ashes for engineering applications.” Resour. Conserv. Recycl. 137 (Oct): 177–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.05.031.
Li, Z., and Y. C. Xing. 2006. “The effect of dry density and fine particle content on the shear strength of sandy pebbles and crushed stones.” Rock Soil Mech. 27 (12): 2255–2260.
Liao, J. Y., A. J. An, and Z. H. Nie. 2018. “Experimental study on volcanic cinder gravels as filler of railway surface layer of subgrade.” In Proc., Int. Conf. on Transportation and Development, 289–298. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Liu, M. 2015. “Study on seepage stability of railway subgrade filled with volcanic cinder mixed soil-gravel sand.” School of Civil Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong Univ.
Mohammadinia, A., A. Arulrajah, M. M. Disfani, and S. Darmawan. 2019. “Small-strain behavior of cement-stabilized recycled concrete aggregate in pavement base layers.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 31 (5): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002671.
Muhammad, N., S. Siddiqua, and N. Latifi. 2018. “Solidification of subgrade materials using magnesium alkalinization: A sustainable additive for construction.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 30 (10): 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002484.
Nesbitt, H. W., and G. M. Young. 1982. “Early proterozoic climate and plate motion inferred from major element chemistry of Lutites.” Nature 299: 715–717. https://doi.org/10.1038/299715a0.
Newill, D., and K. Aklilu. 1980. “The location and engineering properties of volcanic cinder gravels in Ethiopia.” In Proc., 7th Regional Conf. for Africa on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, 21–32. Crowthorne, Berkshire: Transport Research Laboratory.
Newill, D., C. G. Duffell, R. E. Black, and G. Gulilat. 1979. Investigations of cinder gravels in Ethiopia 2.. Crowthorne, Berkshire: Transport Research Laboratory.
Osouli, A., R. Chaulagai, E. Tutumluer, and H. Shoup. 2019. “Strength characteristics of crushed gravel and limestone aggregates with up to 12% plastic fines evaluated for pavement base/subbase applications.” Transp. Geotech. 18 (Mar): 25–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trgeo.2018.10.004.
Pires, P. M., J. E. Sudo Lutif Teixeira, D. V. Nepomuceno, and E. C. Furieri. 2019. “Laboratory and field evaluation of KR slag–stabilized soil for paving applications.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 31 (9): 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002811.
Ren, P. 2013. “Research of the pavement performance of stone matrix asphalt mixtures using basalt and limestone aggregates.” Master’s thesis, School of Civil Engineering, Shandong Univ.
Rocher, P. 1992. Mémento roches et minéraux industriels—Ponces et pouzzolanes. Orléans, France: Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières.
Satoh, T., M. Horike, Y. Takeuchi, T. Uetake, and H. Suzuki. 1997. “Nonlinear behaviour of scoria soil sediments evaluated from borehole records in eastern Shizuoka prefecture, Japan.” Earthquake Eng. Struct. Dyn. 26 (8): 781–795. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1096-9845(199708)26:8%3C781::AID-EQE676%3E3.0.CO;2-S.
Sudhakaran, S. P., A. K. Sharma, and S. Kolathayar. 2018. “Soil stabilization using bottom ash and areca fiber: Experimental investigations and reliability analysis.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 30 (8): 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002326.
Tamari, S., D. Samaniego-Martíne, I. Bonola, E. Bandala, and V. Ordaz-Chaparro. 2005. “Particle density of volcanic scoria determined by water pycnometry.” Geotech. Test. J. 28 (4): 321–327.
Wang, X. Z., Y. L. Weng, X. Wang, and W. J. Chen. 2018. “Interlocking mechanism of calcareous soil.” Rock Soil Mech. 39 (9): 3113–3120. https://doi.org/10.16285/j.rsm.2017.2426.
Yu, H. 2011. Microstructural study on volcanic products and its geological implications. Beijing: China Earthquake Administration.
Zhang, T., G. Cai, and S. Liu. 2018. “Application of lignin-stabilized silty soil in highway subgrade: A macroscale laboratory study.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 30 (4): 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0002203.
Zhuang, L., Y. Nakata, U. G. Kim, and D. Kim. 2014. “Influence of relative density, particle shape, and stress path on the plane strain compression behavior of granular materials.” Acta Geotech. 9 (2): 241–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-013-0253-4.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 32 • Issue 11 • November 2020
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Oct 30, 2019
Accepted: May 12, 2020
Published online: Aug 26, 2020
Published in print: Nov 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Jan 26, 2021
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.