Geotechnical Engineering Properties of Fly Ash and Bottom Ash: Use as Civil Engineering Construction Material

Norochcholai coal power plant is the largest coal power plant in Sri Lanka and during the combustion of coalit annually generates about 250,000 metric tons of coal ash which consists of fly ash (FA) and bottom ash (BA). Almost all the generated ash is disposed into ash dumps except a small quantity of FA (30%) that is effectively utilized. Therefore, use of coal ash for construction purposes will offer a sustainable solution for reducing its by-products and overcoming the scarcity of raw materials required for construction work. The main aim of this research was therefore to determine the geotechnical engineering properties of FA and BA to find out the feasibility of using them as light weight embankment or backfill material. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted on FA, BA and FA-BA co-mixed samples to determine their particle size distribution, specific gravity, index properties, compaction characteristics, shear strength parameters and California bearing ratio (CBR). The experimental results reveal that the particle size of coal ash (FA and BA) is predominantly silt sized while containing some sand-sized fractions as well. This coal ash has a low maximum dry density (MDD) and a high optimum moisture content (OMC) compared to typical granular soils used in embankments. In addition, this ash has a higher friction angle and higher cohesion than most types of construction fills. Thus, both FA and BA can be used as light weight embankment or back fill material in civil engineering construction work.