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Characterization of dredged sediments of Bouhanifia dam: potential use as a raw material

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Abstract

Dam silting has become a common problem due to the deleterious aspects that it generates, such as reducing both water quality (during turbid hydrodynamic events) and storage capacity of the reservoir. Various approaches of dam desilting have been undertaken to deal with this issue; however, the problem is far from being solved due to millions of cubic metres of sediments that are being trapped and not bypassing towards downstreams, which results in coastal erosion increment. This is particularly the case of the Bouhanifia dam in Algeria. So far, several geotechnical studies have been carried out aiming at evaluating this problem. The main objective of the current research study is the characterization of the dredged sediments of this dam for potential use as raw material to be harnessed for the construction industry. The valorization of the dam dredged sediments might include the mechanical stabilization in road construction, which reduces the excavation of natural qualified materials. The feasibility of using different fractions (5%, 10%, and 20%) of Bouhanifia dam dredged sediments as an admixture to the calcareous tuff which is a natural material usually applied in roads construction in Algeria is studied herein. A rough prediction of the long-term mechanical behaviour of the sediments and tuff is reported based on their physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics and short-term mechanical performance tests. The current study suggests the feasible use of tuff admixed sediments as embankment or subgrade materials; however, the long-term mechanical behaviour investigation of these materials is essential, and their mechanical stabilization is recommended to enhance their geomechanical behaviour as it is expected from the sediments to present lower strength when compared with the tuff.

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Acknowledgements

This paper and the scientific research behind it would have never been possible without the support of the Laboratories of Public Works of Western Algeria and hydraulic technical control of Oran, as well as the Laboratories of Geotechnics and Sedimentology of the University of Coimbra and the Geotechnical laboratories of the University of Padova and the University of Sapienza, Italy. The authors are grateful for the kind help of the director and the staff members of Bouhanifia dam and EURL TPMM FIRST quarry, the technical staff of the civil engineering laboratory of USTO, Dr. Madi Wafa, Ms. Lefdja Soraya, Mr. Kheloufi Miloud, Mrs. Belkacem Nadia, Prof. Elsa Gomes, Mr. Eric Font, and Dr. Diego Sebastiani.

Funding

This research was sponsored by FEDER funds through the programme COMPETE “Programa Operacional Factores de Competitividade” and by national funds through FCT “Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia” under the projects UIDB/00102/2020 and UIDB/00285/2020.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. EngineeringLaboratoire de Rhéologie, Transport et Traitement des Fluides Complexes (LRTTFC), USTOMBFaculté d’Architecture et de Génie civil, Département d’Hydraulique, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie d’Oran Mohamed Boudiaf (USTOMB), B.P. 1505, DjirOran-EL-M’naour 31000, Algérie

    Imene Abidi & Lakhdar Benamara

  2. University of Coimbra, CIEPQPF, Department of Civil Engineering, Coimbra, Portugal

    António Alberto S. Correia

  3. University of Coimbra, CEMMPRE, Department of Civil Engineering, Coimbra, Portugal

    M. I. M. Pinto

  4. CoimbraUniversity of Coimbra, MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, Department of Earth Sciences, Coimbra, Portugal

    Pedro P. Cunha

Authors
  1. Imene Abidi
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  2. Lakhdar Benamara
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  3. António Alberto S. Correia
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  4. M. I. M. Pinto
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  5. Pedro P. Cunha
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Contributions

All authors contributed to this scientific research including the preparation of the laboratory tests and the interpretation of the results; the collections of materials studied herein were made by Imene Abidi. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Imene Abidi, and all authors provided comments and corrections on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Imene Abidi.

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Responsible Editor: Zeynal Abiddin Erguler.

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Abidi, I., Benamara, L., Correia, A.A.S. et al. Characterization of dredged sediments of Bouhanifia dam: potential use as a raw material. Arab J Geosci 14, 2631 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-08742-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-08742-4

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