2011 International Conference on Environment Science and Engineering IPCBEE vol.

8 (2011) (2011) IACSIT Press, Singapore

Compaction Characteristics and Permeability Of Tanjung Bin Coal Ash Mixtures

Marto A., Awang A.R.
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor aminaton@utm.my abdulrahimawang@yahoo.co.uk
Abstract Fly ash and bottom ash are coal ashes which are the residual by-products of coal burning to produce electricity. They are typically treated as waste materials and usually disposed in ponds. Reutilization of these materials in civil engineering applications that require large volumes of fill or backfill materials, such as embankments and retaining structures, is beneficial. There are limited information on the use of mixtures of fly and bottom ash in these types of applications. However there is a suggestion that one may use the ash mixtures in the proportions in which they exist in the disposal ponds whereby there will be no costs associated with mixing the ashes in situ at the time of construction. In addition, the use of ash preserves traditional materials and allows savings on both land acquisition and disposal operations. This paper presents the result of laboratory investigation on the compaction characteristics and permeability of Tanjung Bin coal ash mixtures. Standard compaction tests to obtain maximum dry density (dmax) and optimum water content (wopt), and permeability tests had been conducted on ash mixtures with four mixture ratios: 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90% fly ash content by weight. The compaction test results showed that, with increasing fly ash content, the maximum dry density (dmax) decreased and the corresponding optimum moisture contents (wopt) increased. The coefficient of permeability (k) of ash mixtures compacted to 95% relative density, were found to decrease slightly with increasing fly ash content. This is primarily due to the increase in specific surface with the increase in fines content, generating more resistance to water flow through voids between particles. The overall range of the coefficient of permeability values is similar to that of a fine sand/silt mixture or silt. The results presented in this paper show that coal ash mixtures from Tanjung Bin had the properties that allow their use to replace the use of traditional materials in the construction of embankment or as replacement of unsuitable soils. Keywords-Waste materials; Compaction; Permeability Fly ash; Bottom ash;

Makhtar A.M.
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor amahir@utm.my

ash disposal sites and the associated rising costs to acquire more disposal space [1]. Use of coal ash in construction projects requiring large volumes of materials, such as highway construction, is a promising solution to the disposal problem. It also helps to preserve the environment, as there is no consumption of traditional materials. In common disposal practice, fly ash and bottom ash are either ponded or landfilled together in mixtures. In general, both the production and disposal ratios of fly ash and bottom ash are approximately 80:20 by weight [2]. To maximize coal ash use, direct use of the disposed ash, with its high fly ash content, would be desirable. From the standpoint of highway engineering applications, compaction of ash materials is a primary concern. In highway embankment construction, stable slopes and settlements that do not exceed certain limits are basic requirements. Fill materials should be designed such that strength and stiffness requirements are satisfied. This paper focuses on the compaction characteristics and permeability of fly ash and bottom ash mixtures. Both the characteristics are important parameters affecting the behavior of coal ash in various engineering applications.

Tanjung Bin Power Plant Pontian Johor

I.

INTRODUCTION
Figure 1. Location of Tanjung Bin power plants in Malaysia (Mahmud, 2003)

Every year a large fraction of coal ash is disposed of as a waste at utility disposal sites. Typically, fly ash refers to fine ash particles suspended in the boiler furnace during coal combustion, while bottom ash consists of coarse particles that settle at the bottom of the boiler furnace. The disposal of coal ash has been a source of significant concern to electric utility companies due to the need for continuing expansion of

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II.

LITERATURE REVIEW

In the state of Indiana, USA more than 66% of the coals burning by-products are disposed as class-F fly ash and bottom ash [4]. According to [2], fly ash and bottom ash are typically produced and disposed in the ratio of 80:20 (fly ash: bottom ash ratio by weight). However, current Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) specifications for coal ash utilization in highway construction allow only mixtures with fly ash content less than 40%. Even though it is advantageous to use the as-disposed ash mixtures in construction, there are very limited studies on the properties of fly and bottom ash mixtures [16]. Most research studies focused on the engineering and environmental behavior of either fly ash or bottom ash [3]. In order to investigate the mechanical behavior of mixtures with various fly ash contents, a research study consisting of two phases had been carried out by [17], funded by INDOT. The first phase involved a comprehensive laboratory testing programmed to characterize the behavior of fly and bottom ash mixtures (with fly ash contents of 50, 75, and 100% by weight). The second phase of the research focused on the construction, instrumentation, and monitoring of the field performance of a demonstration embankment constructed using a fly and bottom ash mixture. The laboratory study indicated that fly and bottom ash mixtures exhibit relatively higher peak-friction angle (peak values ranging from 30 to 47) from direct shear test and lower maximum dry unit weight (ranging from 14.1 kN/m3 to 17.7 kN/m3) from compaction test, than typical fill materials of comparable particle size. In addition, the hydraulic conductivity of fly and bottom ash mixtures is similar to that of a fine sandy silt or silt (ranging from 2x105 to 1x104 mm/s). These laboratory test results showed that fly and bottom ash mixtures can perform satisfactorily when used as fill materials in the construction of embankments and retaining structures [17]. III. THE MATERIALS Figure 2 shows the coal ash samples used in this study, obtained from Tanjung Bin Power Plant, Pontian, Johor. This plant uses pulverized coal burning units and produce class F fly ash and bottom ash with a general production ratio of 80% fly ash and 20% bottom ash.

of the particles occurred within the size in the range between 0.001 mm and 0.6 mm. The bottom ash gradations also exhibited well graded size distribution. However, bottom ash particle sizes range from fine gravel to fine sand sizes and the majority of the particles occurred in the range between 0.075 mm and 20 mm. The coefficient of uniformity (Cu) for bottom ash was about 16.56 while the coefficient of curvature (Cc) was 1.01. The work of [19] also showed that according to the Unified Soil Classification System (USCS), Tanjung Bin bottom ash could be classified as well graded sand and according to the classification by AASHTO system, it was A-1-a. The specific gravity (Gs) of fly ash was obtained as 2.3 while the bottom ash was 1.99. As for the coefficient of permeability (k), [19] found that the value was 4.87 x 10-9 m/s for fly ash and 1.72 x 10-4 m/s for bottom ash. IV. TESTING PROGRAMME Sample preparation was carried out initially to obtain coal ash mixtures with different mixture ratio, that were 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90% of fly ash content. This was carried out by weighing the coal ash in dry condition to obtain the mixture ratio by weight. The compaction and permeability tests had been carried out in accordance with BS1377:1990. In compaction test, at least seven tests had been carried out at each specific ash mixture ratio, using various range of water content. In determining the coefficient of permeability, each coal ash mixtures were compacted to 95% of maximum dry density obtained from the compaction test, but using the water content at the dry side. Upon completion of the compaction, the respective samples were saturated first in the permeameter, before the falling head permeability test were carried out. Figure 3 shows the Standard proctor compaction test and permeability test equipments.

(a) Permeability test

(b) Compaction test

Figure 3. Equipments in Standard proctor compaction test and permeability test

V.
Fly ash Bottom ash

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Figure 2. Samples of Tanjung Bin coal ash

From the work of [18], it was found that the grain size distributions of Tanjung Bin fly ash showed a well graded curve, ranging from mostly fine silt to fine sand sizes. Most

A. Compaction Behaviour Four (4) ash mixtures were prepared and tested by the standard proctor compaction procedure. The compacted dry unit weight versus the water content curves of the ash mixtures are displayed in Figure 3. The values of maximum dry unit weight and corresponding optimum water content and air content are tabulated in Table 1. The test results show

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that, as the fly ash content increases from 30% to 90%, the maximum dry unit weight (d,max) decreases from 16.74 kN/m3 to 15.50 kN/m3, while the optimum water content (wopt) increases from 14 % to 18.5 %. The air content (A) at the maximum dry density decrease from 5.62% to 1.00% with the increase of the fly ash content. The gradations of the ash mixtures explain the change in dry unit weight. The addition of fly ash to bottom ash leads to increasingly more well-graded size distributions, which allows the fly and bottom ash particles to pack more closely, resulting in the increase in d,max. The increase in wopt with increasing fly ash (in compaction test) follows from the need to release the capillary tension from the greater exposed surface of the fine fly ash particles. Compared with the d,max of compacted soils, the d,max values of ash mixtures tends to be lower than those of soils, which range typically from 17 kN/m3 to 20 kN/m3 [19]. Tests on silty sands by [13] revealed that in low silt contents ranging from zero to about 25 %, both the d,max and d,min of a silty sand increase with increasing fines content due to the fines occupy the voids between sand particles. However, further increase in the fines, exceeding about 25%, causes the fines to begin to separate adjacent sand particles, resulting in a decrease in d,max and d,min. Similarly, in the ash mixtures with high fly ash content (i.e. Fly ash > 50 %), bottom ash particles can be separated by fly ash particles and are not, on average, in contact. At a certain level of fly ash content, the bottom ash particles may be completely separated, floating in a fly ash matrix. As a result, further increase of fly ash content up to 90% causes the decrease in the d,max. The behavior of a material with a floating fabric may be quite different from one in which the bottom ash particles are in contact.
2.00 1.90 1.80
3 Dry density (Mg/m )

TABLE I. Fly ash content (%) 90 70 50 30

COMPACTION PROPERTIES OF ASH MIXTURES. Optimum Water Content (%) 18.50 16.20 15.00 14.00 Max. Dry Density (kN/m3) 15.50 16.20 16.37 16.74 Air content (A) at Max. Dry Density (%) 1.00 1.10 5.26 5.62

90% FA
1.80

70% FA

B. Permeability The permeability of the coal ash mixtures was determined for ash mixtures compacted at 95% relative density through by the falling head permeability tests (BS1377-5:1990). Table 2 and Figure 4 display the values of coefficient of permeability for compacted ash mixtures. Measured coefficient of permeability (k), decreases as the fly ash contents increases from 30% to 90%. However, the range of variation on the coefficient of permeability are relatively small. The values of coefficient of permeability range from 2.09 10-7 mm/s to 14.7 10-7 mm/s. The compacted ash mixtures with high fly ash contents exhibit the permeability approximately corresponding to that of the fine sand/silt mixture or silt. It appears that the fineness of fly ash in the mixture caused the coefficient of permeability of the ash mixtures to decrease with increasing fly ash content. The coefficient of permeability is primarily influenced by the nature of the voids in between the particles. Fine fly ash particles have voids much smaller than the bottom ash particles. Larger specific surfaces of fly ash would cause more resistance to the flow of water through the voids. [15] did a series of permeability tests on Indiana bottom ashes. He observed that the fines included in bottom ash had a predominant effect on the permeability and thus the coefficient of permeability decreased as the fine (fly ash) contents increased.
TABLE II. COEFFICIENT OF PERMEABILITY OF ASH MIXTURES Coefficient of permeability, k (mm/s) 2.10 x 10-7 2.65 x 10-7 5.82 x 10-7 1.47 x 10-6 Fly ash content (%) 90 70 50 30

1.70 1.60

0%
3 Dry density (Mg/m )

1.70

5% 10%
1.50 1.40 1.30 1.20 10 12 14 16

A = 1.00%

A = 1.10%
1.60

1.50

1.40

18

20

22

11

13

15

17

19

Moisture content (%)

Moisture content (%)

50% FA
2.00 1.90 1.80
3 Dry density (Mg/m )

2.00 1.90 1.80

3 Dry density (Mg/m )

30% FA
16
A = 5.62%

1.70 1.60 1.50 1.40 1.30 1.20 6 11 16

1.70

14 12 10 8

A = 5.26%
1.60 1.50 1.40 1.30 1.20 6 11 16 Moisture content (%) 21

21

6 4 2 0 0 20 40 60 80 100

Moisture content (%)

Figure 3.

Compaction Curves of Fly Ash (FA) - Bottom Ash (BA) Mixtures for Various Fly Ash Content Figure 4.

Fly ash content (%)

The relationship between coefficient of permeability with fly ash content in the ash mixtures

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VI.

CONCLUSIONS

Fly-bottom ash mixtures (with mixture ratios ranging from 30% to 90% fly ash content) were found to exhibit relatively well-defined moisture-density relationships, and the relationships varied with the mixture ratio. The addition of fly ash to bottom ash leads to increasingly more wellgraded size distributions, which allows the fly and bottom ash particles to pack more closely The coefficient of permeability of compacted ash mixtures were found to decrease slightly with increasing fly ash content. This decrease is due to the increasing specific surface with increasing fines content, which generates more resistance to water flow through voids between particles. Based on the results obtained in this study, it appears that coal ash mixtures from Tanjung Bin had the properties that allow their use to replace the use of traditional materials in the construction of embankment or as replacement of unsuitable soils. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The authors would like to thank the Management of Tanjung Bin Power Plant, Pontian, Johor, for supplying the coal ash samples throughout this research works and also to Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) for providing the facilities for laboratory testings. REFERENCES
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