Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Hydraulic conductivity and compressibility characteristics of bentonite enriched soils as a barrier material for landfills

  • Technical Paper
  • Published:
Innovative Infrastructure Solutions Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

An experimental program was undertaken for the index and engineering properties (compaction, hydraulic conductivity and consolidation) of various mix proportions of sand, silt and coal ash with bentonite as an admixture to act as a barrier material for landfills. Thirty-four mixes were tested in all with different categories of mixes comprising of bentonite–sand, bentonite–sand-coal ash, bentonite-coal ash, bentonite-silt and bentonite-silt-coal ash mixes with bentonite content varying from 0 to 40% and coal ash from 0 to 90%. A series of hydraulic and mechanical tests were conducted to assess the Atterberg’s limits, hydraulic conductivity, compressibility characteristics, etc. of the mixes. The influence of bentonite and coal ash content, effective consolidation pressure and void ratio on the hydraulic conductivity and consolidation indices (compression index, swell index, coefficient of consolidation) was studied. The hydraulic conductivities of the sand-bentonite mixtures decreased from 1.75 × 10−5 to 3.34 × 10−11  m/s, when the bentonite content increased from 0 to 40%. An optimum amount of admixture viz. bentonite to be added to the base materials i.e. sand, silt and coal ash to obtain different category of mixes was ascertained. Disregarding the 5% soil-bentonite mix in case of sand and coal ash, an optimum mix of 10% sand-bentonite, 10% coal ash bentonite and a range of 5–10% for silt-bentonite is recommended for use as a barrier material considering the present study. The addition of coal ash to bentonite had a favourable effect on the properties of the mix in terms of hydraulic conductivity, to act as a barrier material.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

k :

Hydraulic conductivity

C v :

Coefficient of consolidation

m v :

Coefficient of volume compressibility

γw :

Unit weight of water

MDD:

Maximum dry density

OMC:

Optimum moisture content

σ :

Effective consolidation stress

e :

Void Ratio

C c :

Compression Index

C s :

Swell Index

DDL:

Diffuse double layer

References

  1. Akgun H (2010) Geotechnical characterization and performance assessment of bentonite/sand mixtures for underground waste repository sealing. Appl Clay Sci 49:394–399

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Benson CH, Daniel DE (1994) Minimum thickness of compacted soil liners: II Analysis and case histories. J. Geotechnical Eng ASCE 120(1):153–171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Bolt GH (1956) Physico-chemical analysis of the compressibility of pure clays. Geotechnique 6(1):86–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Bohnhoff G, Shackelford C (2014) Consolidation behaviour of polymerized bentonite amended backfills. J. Geotech Geoenviron Eng 140(5):04013055

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Casagrande A, Fadum RE (1940) Notes on soil testing for engineering purposes: soil mech. Series No. 8, Harvard Graduate School of Engineering

  6. Cowland JW, Leung BN (1991) A field trial of a bentonite landfill liner. Waste Manage Res 9:277–291

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Daniel DE (1993) Landfill and impoundments geotechnical practice for waste disposal. Chapman and Hall London

  8. Dutta J, Mishra AK (2015) A study on the influence of inorganic salts on the behaviour of compacted bentonites. Appl Clay Sci 116–117:85–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Fan RD, Du YJ, Reddy KR, Liu SY, Yang YL (2014) Compressibility and hydraulic conductivity of clayey soil mixed with calcium bentonite for slurry wall backfill: Initial assessment. Appl Clay Sci 101:119–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Heineck KS, Lemos RG, Flores JAA, Consoli NC (2010) Influence of particle morphology on the hydraulic behavior of coal ash and sand. Geotech Geol Eng 28:325–335

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Hettiaratchi JPA, Achari G, Joshi RC, Okoli RE (1999) Feasibility of using fly ash admixtures in landfill bottom liners or vertical barriers at contaminated sites. J Environ Sci Health 34(10):1897–1917

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. IS: 2720 (1980) Methods of test for soils-Determination of specific gravity for Fine, medium and coarse grained soils, Part 3, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi

  14. IS: 2720 (1985) Methods of test for soils-Grain size analysis, Part 4, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi

  15. IS: 2720 (1985) Methods of test for soils-Determination of liquid and plastic limit, Part 5, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi

  16. IS: 2720 (1977) Methods of test for soils- Determination of free swell index of soils, Part 40, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi

  17. IS: 2720 (1983) Methods of test for soils- Determination of density index (relative density) of cohesionless soils, Part 14, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi

  18. IS: 2720 (1980, Reaffirmed 1987) Indian Standard Methods of determination of water content-dry density relation using light compaction, Part 7, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi

  19. IS 1498: 1970 Indian Standard classification and identification of soils for general engineering purposes Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi

  20. Kaoser S, Barrington S, Elektorowicz M, Ayadat T (2006) The influence of hydraulic gradient and rate of erosion on hydraulic conductivity of sand-bentonite mixtures. Soil Sedim Contam 15:481–496

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Kenney TC, van Neen WA, Swallow MA, Sungaila MA (1992) Hydraulic conductivity of compacted bentonite-sand mixtures. Can Geotech J 29(3):364–374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Komine H (2004) Simplified evaluation on hydraulic conductivities of sand–bentonite mixture backfill. Appl Clay Sci 26:13–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Lambe TW, Whitman RV (1969) Soil mechanics. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  24. Mishra AK, Ohtsubo M, Li LY, Higashi T (2010) Influence of the bentonite on the consolidation behaviour of soil–bentonite mixtures. Carbonates Evaporites 25:43–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Mitchell JK, Soga K (2005) Fundamentals of soil behavior, 3rd edn. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  26. Mollins LH, Stewart DI, Cousens TW (1996) Predicting the properties of bentonite-sand mixtures. Clay Miner 31:243–252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Mollamahmutoglu M, Yilmaz Y (2001) Potential Use of fly ash and bentonite mixture as liner or cover at waste disposal areas. Environ Geol 40:1316–1324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Olson RE, Mesri G (1970) Mechanism controlling compressibility of clays. Journal of Soil Mechanics 96(6):1863–1878

    Google Scholar 

  29. Pal SK, Ghosh A (2013) Hydraulic conductivity of fly ash montmorillonite clay mixtures. Indian Geotech J 43(1):47–61

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Robinson RG, Allam MM (1998) Effect of clay mineralogy on coefficient of consolidation. Clays Clay Miner 46(5):596–600

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Sridharan A, Jayadeva MS (1982) Double layer theory and compressibility of clays. Geotechnique 32(2):133–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Sridharan A, Rao GV (1973) Mechanisms controlling volume change of saturated clays and the role of the effective stress concept. Geotechnique 23(3):359–382

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Terzaghi K (1943) Theoretical soil mechanics. Wiley, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  34. Terzaghi K, Peck RB (1967) Soil mechanics in engineering practice. Wiley, New York

  35. Watabe Y, Yamada K, Saitoh K (2011) Hydraulic conductivity and compressibility of mixtures of Nagoya clay with sand or bentonite. Geotechnique 61(3):211–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Yeo SS, Shackelford CD, Evans JC (2005) Consolidation and hydraulic conductivity of nine model soil-bentonite backfills. J Geotech Geoenviron Eng 131:1189–1198

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Zhang M, Zhang H, Cui S, Jia L, Zhou L, Chen H (2012) Engineering properties of GMZ bentonite-sand as buffer/backfilling material for high-level waste disposal. Eur J Environ Civil Eng 16(10):1216–1237

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh, India

    Jaskiran Sobti & Sanjay Kumar Singh

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.

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. Hydraulic conductivity and compressibility characteristics of bentonite enriched soils as a barrier material for landfills. Innov. Infrastruct. Solut. 2, 12 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-017-0060-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41062-017-0060-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation