Abstract
The study targets the potential geotechnical applications of municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash (MSW-IBA) when reinforced with fiber. The mechanical performance of stabilized MSW-IBA with fiber additions has been evaluated through strength, permeability, and CBR value tests. The results showed that 7% binder addition provided optimized performance when reinforced with 1% fiber, making it suitable for road construction. The microstructure of the specimens was also analyzed to assess the effect of stabilizer and fiber addition on the strength enhancement of stabilized composites. The leachability tests revealed that the optimum mixes were within the acceptable GB5085.3-2007 limits when tested under standard curing durations. The microstructure analysis showed the abundance of C–S–H and C–A–H gel responsible for the encapsulation of heavy metals and improved compressive strength, while CaSO4, SiO2, and CaOH2 were identified in the major XRD peaks, which differed for different binder percentages. The EDS analysis also confirmed the oxidation of bottom ash particles under controlled curing. The study suggests that stabilized MSW-IBA is a non-hazardous material suitable for geotechnical applications with improved mechanical properties when reinforced with fibers. Using these stabilized composites as a filler material can contribute to sustainable construction practices and resource conservation.
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Abbreviations
- BA:
-
Bottom ash
- CBR:
-
California bearing ratio
- FESEM:
-
Field emission scanning electron microscopy
- FTIR:
-
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
- IBA:
-
Incinerator bottom ash
- MDD:
-
Maximum dry density
- MSW:
-
Municipal solid waste
- MSW-IBA:
-
Municipal solid waste incinerator bottom ash
- OMC:
-
Optimum moisture content
- STS:
-
Split tensile strength
- TGA:
-
Thermogravimetric analysis
- UCS:
-
Unconfined compressive strength
- WtE:
-
Waste-to-energy
- XRD:
-
X-ray diffraction
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the help and support provided at the Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, Dr. B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar (Punjab).
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SK involved in data curation, formal analysis, and writing—original draft and is responsible for the acquisition of data, analysis, and interpretation of data. DS involved in conceptualization, data curation, and formal analysis.
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Kumar, S., Singh, D. From waste to resource: Evaluating the possibility of incinerator bottom ash composites for geotechnical applications. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 21, 703–714 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-04919-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-023-04919-4