Valorization of Scrapped Marble Slurry Powder as Potential Sand Dune Stabilizer: Pilot Studies on Thar Desert Soils
Publication: Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 27, Issue 4
Abstract
Rajasthan is considered the marble state of India, accounting for more than 94% of marble production in the country. Owing to unengineered marble processing and polishing, more than 70% of raw marble stone is scrapped as slurry powder, posing a great challenge in terms of finding sufficient dumping space, as well as an environmental concern. Concurrently, Thar Desert in Rajasthan experiences severe sand migration, owing to intense aeolian action. In this study, it is proposed to resolve both challenges through sustainable valorization of scrapped marble slurry powder to stabilize migrating sand dunes in Thar Desert. A novel surface treatment is proposed to form a crust on the sand dune using varying mixtures of scrapped marble slurry and sand sampled from Osian sand dunes in Thar Desert. With the presence of very fine particles and associated cohesion in marble slurry powder, a sufficiently thick crust is formed on the sand dune. Erodibility studies are conducted on the crusted specimens using a laboratory wind simulator. It is concluded that the proposed marble slurry–sand mixtures are effective in increasing the threshold friction velocity, thereby reducing wind-led soil erosion up to 70%. Overall, this study serves as a basic benchmarking pilot study; further scaled laboratory tests and field verifications are needed in establishing an optimized marble slurry–sand mixture.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The second author thanks the funding agency SERB for a SIRE fellowship (Project No. SIR/2022/000649). Acknowledgments are due to Mr. Satish Adari and Mr. Jagadeesh Janga for technical support during the experiments. Scanning electron microscopy and EDS analysis of aeolian soil were conducted at the Research Resources Center (RRC) at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). XRD analyses were conducted at IIT Guwahati with the help of Mr. Deepak Patwa.
References
Ameta, N. K., A. S. Wayal, and P. Hiranandani. 2013. “Stabilization of dune sand with ceramic tile waste as admixture.” Am. J. Eng. Res. 2 (9): 133–139.
Aruntas, H. Y., M. Guru, M. Dayi, and I. Tekin. 2010. “Utilization of waste marble dust as an additive in cement production.” Mater. Des. 31: 4039–4042. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matdes.2010.03.036.
Bagnold, R. A. 1941. The physics of blown sand and desert dunes. Boca Raton, FL: Chapman & Hall.
Bali Reddy, S., D. Pradeep Kumar, and A. Murali Krishna. 2016. “Evaluation of the optimum mixing ratio of a sand-tire chips mixture for geoengineering applications.” J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 28 (2): 06015007. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0001335.
Belnap, J. 2002. “Nitrogen fixation in biological soil crusts from southeast Utah, USA.” Biol. Fertil. Soils 35: 128–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00374-002-0452-x.
Bhadra, B. K., S. B. Rehpade, H. Meena, and S. Srinivasa Rao. 2019. “Analysis of parabolic dune morphometry and its migration in Thar desert area, India, using high-resolution satellite data and temporal DEM.” J. Indian Soc. Remote Sens. 47 (12): 2097–2111. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-019-01050-1.
Bilgin, N., H. A. Yeprem, S. Arslan, A. Bilgin, E. Gunay, and M. Marsoglu. 2012. “Use of waste marble powder in brick industry.” Constr. Build. Mater. 29: 449–457. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2011.10.011.
Chauhan, S. S. 2003. “Desertification control and management of land degradation in the Thar desert of India.” Environmentalist 23 (3): 219–227. https://doi.org/10.1023/B:ENVR.0000017366.67642.79.
CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board). 2012. Disposal options of marble slurry in Rajasthan. Central Pollution Control Board Zonal Office (Central). Bhopal, India: CPCB.
Dagliya, M., N. Satyam, M. Sharma, and A. Garg. 2022. “Experimental study on mitigating wind erosion of calcareous desert sand using spray method for microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation.” J. Rock Mech. Geotech. Eng. 14 (5): 1556–1567.
Darkoh, M. B. K. 1989. “Desertification in Africa.” J. East. Afr. Res. Dev. 19: 1–50.
Devrani, R., A. A. Dubey, K. Ravi, and L. Sahoo. 2021. “Applications of bio-cementation and bio-polymerization for aeolian erosion control.” J. Arid. Environ. 187: 104433. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2020.104433.
Diouf, B., E. L. Skidmore, J. B. Layton, and L. J. Hagen. 1990. “Stabilizing fine sand by adding clay: Laboratory wind tunnel study.” Soil Technol. 3 (1): 21–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0933-3630(05)80014-5.
Dong, Z., X. Liu, H. Wang, and X. Wang. 2003. “Aeolian sand transport: A wind tunnel model.” Sediment. Geol. 161 (1–2): 71–83. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0037-0738(02)00396-2.
Eldridge, D. J. 1993. “Cryptogams, vascular plants, and soil hydrological relations: some preliminary results from the semi-arid woodlands of eastern Australia.” Great Basin Nat. 53: 48–58.
Ergun, A. 2011. “Effects of the usage of diatomite and waste marble powder as partial replacement of cement on the mechanical properties of concrete.” Constr. Build. Mater. 25: 806–812. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2010.07.002.
Fattahi, S. M., A. Soroush, and N. Huang. 2020. “Wind erosion control using inoculation of aeolian sand with cyanobacteria.” Land Degrad. Dev. 31 (15): 2104–2116.
Goudie, A. S., and N. J. Middleton. 2006. Desert dust in the global system. New York: Springer.
Gurbuz, A. 2015. “Marble powder to stabilise clayey soils in sub-bases for road construction.” Road Mater. Pavement Des. 16 (2): 481–492. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680629.2015.1020845.
Helldén, U. 1991. “Desertification: Time for an assessment?” Ambio 20 (8): 372–383.
ICDD (International Center for Diffraction Data). 1978. JCPDS - Powder Diffraction File 44 7354-CD ROM, 1994. Newtown Square, PA: International Centre for Diffraction Data.
IS (Indian Standards). 1970. Classification and identification of soils for general engineering purposes. IS: 1498. New Delhi, India: IS.
IS (Indian Standards). 1972. Methods of test for soils: determination of shrinkage factors. IS: 2720 (Part 6). New Delhi, India: IS.
IS (Indian Standards). 1980a. Determination of specific gravity. IS: 2720 (Part 3). New Delhi, India: IS.
IS (Indian Standards). 1980b. Determination of water content–dry density relation using light compaction. IS: 2720 (Part 7). New Delhi, India: IS.
IS (Indian Standards). 1983. Methods of test for soils: Determination of density index (relative density) of cohesionless soils. IS: 2720 (Part 14). New Delhi, India: IS.
IS (Indian Standards). 1985a. Methods of test for soils: Grain size analysis. IS: 2720 (Part 4). New Delhi, India: IS.
IS (Indian Standards). 1985b. Methods of test for soils: Determination of liquid limit and plastic limit. IS: 2720 (Part 5). New Delhi, India: IS.
IS (Indian Standards). 1986a. Methods of test for soils: direct shear test. IS: 2720 (Part 13). New Delhi, India: IS.
IS (Indian Standards). 1986b. Laboratory determination of permeability. IS: 2720 (Part 17). New Delhi, India: IS.
IS (Indian Standards). 1987. Method of test for soils: determination of pH value. IS: 2720 (Part 26). New Delhi, India: IS.
IS (Indian Standards). 1991. Methods of test for soils: determination of unconfined compressive strength. IS: 2720 (Part 10). New Delhi, India: IS.
IS (Indian Standards). 2000. Determination of the specific electrical conductivity of soils – Method of test. IS: 14767. New Delhi, India: IS.
Jain, A. K., and A. K. Jha. 2020. “Geotechnical behavior and micro-analyses of expansive soil amended with marble dust.” Soils Found. 60 (4): 737–751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sandf.2020.02.013.
Kar, A. 1992. “Morphological processes, human influences, and land degradation in the Indian desert.” In Vol. 2 of New dimensions in agricultural geography, edited by N. Mohammad, 123–150. New Delhi, India: Concept Publishing.
Kar, A. 1993. “Aeolian processes and bedforms in the Thar Desert.” J. Arid. Environ. 25 (1): 83–96. https://doi.org/10.1006/jare.1993.1044.
Kaul, R. N. 1996. “Sand dune stabilization in the Thar Desert of India: A synthesis.” Ann. Arid Zone 35 (3): 225–240.
Kore, S. D., A. K. Vyas, and S. A. Kabeer KI. 2020. “A brief review on sustainable utilization of marble waste in concrete.” Int. J. Sustainable Eng. 13 (4): 264–279. https://doi.org/10.1080/19397038.2019.1703151.
Krishnan, P. R., and S. K. Jindal. 2015. “Khejri, the king of Indian Thar Desert is under phenophase change.” Curr. Sci. 108 (11): 1987–1990.
Kushwah, S. S., and S. Gupta. 2017. “Effect of marble slurry dust and lime stabilization on geotechnical properties of fine sand.” Int. J. Res. Eng. Technol. 2011: 62–72. https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2017.0610010.
Moharana, P. C., S. Soni, and R. K. Bhatt. 2013. “NDVI based assessment of desertification in arid part of Rajasthan in reference to regional climate variability.” Indian Cartographer 33: 319–325.
Montero, M. A., M. M. Jordan, M. B. Almendro-Candel, T. Sanfeliu, and M. S. Hernandez-Crespo. 2009. “The use of a calcium carbonate residue from the stone industry in manufacturing of ceramic tile bodies.” Appl. Clay Sci. 43: 186–189. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2008.08.003.
MSME Development Institute. 2009. Status report on commercial utilization of marble slurry in Rajasthan. Jaipur, India: Government of India.
Nij, E. T., A. Burdorf, J. Parker, M. Attfield, C. van Duivenbooden, and D. Heederik. 2003. “Radiographic abnormalities among construction workers exposed to quartz containing dust.” Occup. Environ. Med. 60 (6): 410–417. https://doi.org/10.1136/oem.60.6.410.
Okagbue, C. O., and T. U. S. Onyeobi. 1999. “Potential of marble dust to stabilize red tropical soils for road construction.” Eng. Geol. 53 (3–4): 371–380. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-7952(99)00036-8.
Padmakumar, G. P., K. Srinivas, K. V. Uday, K. R. Iyer, P. Pathak, S. M. Keshava, and D. N. Singh. 2012. “Characterization of aeolian sands from Indian desert.” Eng. Geol. 139: 38–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2012.04.005.
Pye, K., and H. Tsoar. 2008. Aeolian sand and sand dunes. New York: Springer.
Qureshi, M. U., B. Al-Sawafi, M. Al-Washahi, M. Al-Saidi, and S. Al-Badi. 2017. “The sustainable use of fine marble waste powder for the stabilization of desert sand in Oman.” In Int. Congress and Exhibition Sustainable Civil Infrastructures: Innovative Infrastructure Geotechnology, 303–313. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.
Rahman, M. M., and T. T. Nahar. 2015. “Influence of marble dust on shear strength behavior of sand.” Int. J. Res. Dev. Technol. 4 (2): 28–35.
Rizzo, G., F. A. B. I. O. D’Agostino, and L. Ercoli. 2008. “Problems of soil and groundwater pollution in the disposal of “marble” slurries in NW Sicily.” Environ. Geol. 55 (5): 929–935. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-1043-9.
Santra, P., R. S. Mertia, and H. L. Kushawa. 2010. “A new wind-erosion sampler for monitoring dust-storm events in the Indian Thar Desert.” Curr. Sci. 99 (8): 1061–1067.
Saraswat, P., and S. Singh. 2021. “Study of particulate matter (PM10 and SPM) distribution in ambient air of Jodhpur, Rajasthan.” Int. J. Res. Biosci. Agric. Technol. 17: 181–191.
Sharma, M., N. Satyam, and K. R. Reddy. 2021. “Rock-like behavior of biocemented sand treated under non-sterile environment and various treatment conditions.” J. Rock Mech. Geotech. Eng. 13 (3): 705–716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2020.11.006.
Sivrikaya, O., K. R. Kıyıldı, and Z. Karaca. 2014. “Recycling waste from natural stone processing plants to stabilise clayey soil.” Environ. Earth Sci. 71 (10): 4397–4407. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2833-x.
Sivrikaya, O., F. Uysal, A. Yorulmaz, and K. Aydin. 2020. ‘The efficiency of waste marble powder in the stabilization of fine-grained soils in terms of volume changes.’ Arabian J. Sci. Eng. 45 (10): 8561–8576. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-020-04768-0.
Tominaga, Y., T. Okaze, and A. Mochida. 2018. “Wind tunnel experiment and CFD analysis of sand erosion/deposition due to wind around an obstacle.” J. Wind Eng. Ind. Aerodyn. 182: 262–271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jweia.2018.09.008.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste
Volume 27 • Issue 4 • October 2023
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jan 23, 2023
Accepted: May 2, 2023
Published online: Jun 27, 2023
Published in print: Oct 1, 2023
Discussion open until: Nov 27, 2023
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.