Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Critical Evaluation of the Suction and Swelling Characteristics of Sand–Bentonite–Coal Ash Mixes

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Geotechnical and Geological Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In recent times, compacted bentonite–sand/coal ash mixtures have been suggested as backfilling materials for waste disposal systems. These soil mixes containing mineral montmorillonite from the varying percentage of bentonite may exhibit swell/shrink behaviour with fluctuating moisture conditions. This paper presents the results of matric suction using pressure plate apparatus and swelling characteristics in terms of swelling pressure, free swell and swell potential on compacted sand–bentonite–coal ash mixtures. Bentonite content was varied as 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40% in case of sand–bentonite mixes; where as it was kept as 5, 10, 15, 20% for coal ash–bentonite mixes. Coal ash percentage was varied from 10, 20, 30, 50% for sand–bentonite–coal ash mixes. Data was fitted using two models—Van Genuchten, Fredlund and Xing to obtain the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) and to estimate the SWCC variables for different soil mixes. Test results depict that soils with high bentonite content exhibited a prominent swelling behaviour, while addition of coal ash had a stabilizing effect on the mix by reducing the swelling characteristics. The air entry value (AEV) and residual suction (Ψr) values decreased as the effective grain size (D10) of soil increased. A distinction in the values of the AEV and Ψr was observed using the Van Genuchten, Fredlund and Xing Models. Also, keeping in mind the statutory requirement of low hydraulic conductivity for use as a liner material, hydraulic conductivity of soil mixes was ascertained in both saturated and unsaturated state. Addition of 10% bentonite to sand and coal ash both is recommended for use as liner and cover materials in case of engineered landfills considering the hydraulic conductivity requirement and swelling characteristics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agus SS, Arifin YF, Tripathy S, Schanz T (2013) Swelling pressure–suction relationship of heavily compacted bentonite–sand mixtures. Acta Geotech 8:155–165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alonso EE, Gens A, Josa A (1990) A constitutive model for partially saturated soils. Geotechnique 40:405–430

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • ASTM C 618-12 (2019) Standard specification for coal fly ash and raw or calcined natural pozzolana for use in concrete. American Society for Testing and Materials, West Conshohocken

  • Brooks RH, Corey AT (1964) Hydraulic properties of porous medium hydrology. Hydrology Paper, 3, Department of Civil Engineering, Colorado

  • CEA (2017) Central electricity authority, Report on fly ash generation and its utilization in the country, New Delhi

  • Cho WJ, Lee JO, Kang CH (2000) Influence of temperature elevation on the sealing performance of a potential buffer material for a high-level radioactive waste repository. Ann Nucl Energy 27(4):1271–1284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delage P, Howat MD, Cui YJ (1998) The relationship between suction and swelling properties in a heavily compacted unsaturated clay. Eng Geol 50:31–48

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fleureau JM, Verbrugge JC, Huergo PJ, Correia AT, Saoud SK (2002) Aspects of the behavior of compacted clayey soils on drying and wetting paths. Can Geotech J 39:1341–1357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredlund DG (2000) The implementation of unsaturated soil mechanics into geotechnical engineering, The R.M. Hardy address. Can Geotech J 37(5):963–986

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredlund DG (2002) Use of the soil–water characteristic curve in the implementation of unsaturated soil mechanics. In: Proceedings 3rd international conference on unsaturated soils. Taylor and Francis, Oxfordshire

  • Fredlund D, Rahardjo H (1993) Soil mechanics for unsaturated soils. Wiley, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Fredlund DG, Xing A (1994) Equations for the soil-water characteristic curve. Can Geotech J 31(4):521–532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fredlund DG, Rahardjo H, Leong EC, Ng CWW (2001) Suggestions and recommendations for the interpretation of soil–water characteristic curves. In: Proceedings of 14th Southeast Asian geotechnical conference, vol 1, pp 503–508. Hong Kong

  • Gleason MH, Daniel DE, Eykholt GR (1997) Calcium and sodium bentonite for hydraulic containment applications. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng ASCE 123(5):438–445

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gueddouda MK, Goual I, Benabed B, Taibi S, Aboubekr N (2016) Hydraulic properties of dune sand–bentonite mixtures of insulation barriers for hazardous waste facilities. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 8:541–550

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hideo K (2004) Simplified evaluation for swelling characteristics of bentonites. Eng Geol 71:265–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hilf JW (1956) An investigation of pore water pressure in compacted cohesive soils, Technical Memorandum, 654, USBR, Denver

  • Hosseini SMMM, Ganjian N, Pashang Yadolah, Pisheh YP (2011) Estimation of the water retention curve for unsaturated clay. Can J Soil Sci 91:543–549. https://doi.org/10.4141/CJSS10014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IS 1498 (1970) (reaffirmed 2007) Indian standard classification and identification of soils for general engineering purposes

  • IS: 2720 (Part 4) (1985) (reaffirmed 2006) Methods of test for soils: part 4 grain size analysis (second revision)

  • IS 2720 (Part 41) (1977) Method of test for soil: Measurement of swelling pressure of soils, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi

  • IS 2720 (Part 40) (1977) Method of test for soil: Determination of free swell index of soil, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi

  • Komine H, Ogata N (1994) Experimental study on swelling characteristics of compacted bentonite. Can Geotech J 31:478–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Komine H, Yasuhara K, Murakami S (2009) Swelling characteristics of bentonites in artificial seawater. Can Geotech J 46:177–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar S, Burrus N (2005) Free swell characteristics of PCC bottom ash-bentonite mixtures with curing for use as fill or liner material. Soil Sediment Contam 14:505–514

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lloret A, Villar MV, Alonso EE et al (2003) Mechanical behaviour of heavily compacted bentonite under high suction changes. Geotechnique 53:27–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marinho FAM (2005) Nature of soil-water characteristic curve for plastic soils. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 131(5):654–661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marinho FAM, Stuermer MM (1999) The influence of the compaction energy on the SWCC of a residual soil. In: Proceedings of advances in unsaturated geotechnics. ASCE, Reston, pp 125–141

  • Mesri G, Pakbaz MC, Cepeda-Diaz AF (1994) Meaning, measurement and field application of swelling pressure of clay shales. Geotechnique 44(1):129–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira OM, Marinho FAM (2008) Suction equilibration time for a high capacity tensiometer. Geotech Test J 31(1):1–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedarla A, Acharya R, Bheemasetti T, Puppala AJ, Hoyos LR (2015) Influence of mineral montmorillonite on soil suction modeling parameters of natural expansive clay. Indian Geotech J. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40098-015-0175-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SEEP/W user’s manual (2007) GEO-SLOPE International, Canada

  • Sridharan A, Sreepada Rao A, Sivapullaiah PV (1986) Swelling pressure of clays. Geotech Test J 9(1):24–33

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stoicescu JT, Haug MD, Fredlund DG (1998) The soil water characteristics of sand-bentonite mixtures used for liners and covers. In: Proceedings of second international conference on unsaturated soils, Beijing, vol 1, pp 143–148

  • Tinjum JM, Benson CH, Blotz LR (1997) Soil-water characteristic curves for compacted clays. J Geotech Geoenvniron Eng 11:1060–1069

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Genuchten M (1980) A closed form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils. Soil Sci Soc Am J 44:892–898

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vanapalli SK, Pufahl DE, Fredlund DG (1998) The effect of stress state on the soil–water characteristic behavior of a compacted sandy-clay till. In: Proceedings of 51st Canadian geotechnical conference. Canadian Geotechnical Society, Montreal, pp 81–86

  • Vanapalli SK, Pufahl DE, Fredlund DG (1999) The effect of soil structure and stress history on the soil–water characteristics of a compacted till. Geotechnique 49(2):143–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villar MV, Lloret A (2004) Influence of temperature on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of a compacted bentonite. Appl Clay Sci 26:337–350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villar MV, Lloret A (2008) Influence of dry density and water content on the swelling of a compacted bentonite. Appl Clay Sci 39:38–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Q, Tang AM, Cui YJ et al (2012) Experimental study on the swelling behaviour of bentonite/claystone mixture. Eng Geol 124:59–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu YF, Matsuokab H, Sun DA (2003) Swelling characteristics of fractal-textured bentonite and its mixtures. Appl Clay Sci 22:197–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang H, Rahardjo H, Leong EC, Fredlund DG (2004) Factors affecting drying and wetting soil–water characteristic curves of sandy soils. Can Geotech J 41(5):908–920

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yigzaw ZG, Cuisinier O, Massat L, Masrouri F (2016) Role of different suction components on swelling behavior of compacted bentonites. Appl Clay Sci 120:81–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zapata CE, Houston WN, Houston SL, Walsh KD (2000) Soil water characteristic curve variability. In: Shackleford CD, Houston SL, Chang N-Y (eds) Advances in unsaturated soil mechanics. Geotechnical special publication 99. Geo-Institute of the ASCE, Reston, pp 84–124

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Punjab Engineering College (Deemed to be University), Sector-12, Chandigarh, India

    Sanjay Kumar Singh

  2. Lovely Professional University, Jalandhar, India

    Jaskiran Sobti

Authors
  1. Jaskiran Sobti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sanjay Kumar Singh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sanjay Kumar Singh.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Sobti, J., Singh, S.K. A Critical Evaluation of the Suction and Swelling Characteristics of Sand–Bentonite–Coal Ash Mixes. Geotech Geol Eng 37, 4229–4249 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-019-00902-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-019-00902-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation