The Use of Compacted Tropical Clay Treated With Rice Husk Ash as a Suitable Hydraulic Barrier Material in Waste Containment Applications

• Published in: Waste and biomass valorization Vol. 4; no. 2; pp. 309 - 323
• Main Authors: Eberemu, Adrian. O., Amadi, A. A., Osinubi, K. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.06.2013
• Subjects: Engineering; Environment; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Industrial Pollution Prevention; Renewable and Green Energy; Waste Management/Waste Technology; Rice husk ash; Volumetric shrinkage strain; Compacted tropical clay; Hydraulic barrier; Hydraulic conductivity; Unconfined compressive strength; Waste containment systems
• ISSN: 1877-2641; 1877-265X
• DOI: 10.1007/s12649-012-9161-3

Protection of our environment from pollutants emanating from wastes generated by man made activities and disposal systems in less developed countries is now a matter of growing concern. Laboratory tests were conducted on compacted tropical clay treated with up to 16 % rice husk ash (RHA) an agro-industrial waste to access its suitability in waste containment barrier application. Soil–RHA mixtures was compacted using standard Proctor, West African Standard and modified Proctor efforts at −2, 0, 2 and 4 % of optimum moisture content. Index properties, volumetric shrinkage, hydraulic conductivity, and unconfined compressive strength tests were performed. Overall acceptable zones under which the material was suitable (low hydraulic conductivity <1 × 10 −9 m/s, minimum volumetric shrinkage strain <4 % and high compressive strength > 200 kN/m 2 ) were obtained. Results suggest the suitability of this material in waste containment barrier application for up to 8 % RHA treatment,which will ameliorate the environmental problems created by this agro-industrial waste.