Bottom Ash as Aggregate Replacement in Concrete

Although relatively unreactive compared to fly ash, bottom ash does have the potential to replace either all or a portion of the natural aggregates used in concrete. This study will evaluate the fresh and hardened properties of concrete containing bottom ash as a partial or total replacement of the fine and coarse aggregate. The properties that will be studied include workability, finishability, air content, air-void system, strength gain, and durability. The investigation will begin with mortar mixes and then, based on the results, progress to concrete mixes and evaluation of the properties mentioned. In particular, the study will focus on durability of the final material, as the porous surface structure of most bottom ashes has the potential to negatively impact freeze-thaw resistance of the concrete. The study will also include a complete physical, chemical, and mineralogical characterization of the different bottom ash sources to aid in the investigation. Sustainable alternatives to traditional concrete construction are necessary to address the current state of our nation's crumbling infrastructure. The use of bottom ash as aggregate replacement in concrete will reduce the need for virgin materials and remove a material from the solid-waste stream, increasing the sustainability of concrete construction. Consequently, the concretes developed in this study will be compared to traditional concretes used in infrastructure-related applications, such as bridges, roadways, culverts, and retaining walls. These comparisons will determine whether concrete containing bottom ash offers a viable, sustainable alternative to help rebuild our nation's infrastructure.

• Record URL:
  http://transportation.mst.edu/research/r284/

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $10000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  DTRT06-G-0014

  00036313

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Ameren

  P.O. Box 66529
  St. Louis, MO  United States  63166-6529
• Principal Investigators:

  Volz, Jeffrey

• Start Date: 20110901
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 20121231
• Source Data: RiP Project 33565

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Admixtures; Air content; Bottom ash; Coarse aggregates; Freeze thaw durability; Workability
• Uncontrolled Terms: Aggregate replacement
• Subject Areas: Construction; Highways; I30: Materials;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01489338
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Infrastructure Engineering Studies
• Contract Numbers: DTRT06-G-0014, 00036313
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Aug 7 2013 1:01AM