A novel process on recyclable particle materials used for aggregate columns

Abstract

Abstract The study focused on the creative development of aggregate column materials and technologies. The seawater (SW) and alkaline agents (AA) were invited to create the recyclable particle materials (RPMs) that were used for the construction of the aggregate columns in the marine environment. The building solid waste (BSW) was utilized to produce the fine powder the chemical activity of which was restored with the help of AA and marine processes. The created products in the study were the RPMs that were also cured in the marine environment. The mechanical and chemical properties were investigated with comprehensive approaches including UCT (uniaxial compression tests), EDS (Energy Dispersive Spectrometer), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), and XRD (X-ray Diffraction). The investigation on the mechanical and chemical properties of the RPMs was carried out at three ages inclusive of 8-day, 49-day, and 583-day. The results from UCTs reported that the UCS (uniaxial compression strength) of RPMs reached 7.29 MPa at 583-day age even in the marine environment. EDS analysis detected the predominant element of RPMs and it was guaranteed that Al, Ca, and Si developed continuously with the age accumulation. Based on XRD and SEM exploration, the principal hydration products and compounds of RPMs used in the aggregate columns included C-S-H, C-A-H, C-A-S-H, N-A-S-H, and CaCO3. Particularly, the salt complexes generated in RPMs filled compactly the microscopic pores of RPMs, which resulted in its densified framework.