Shear and Deformation Characteristics of Municipal Waste Combustor Bottom Ash for Highway Applications

Abstract

Municipal waste combustor (MWC) bottom ash from mass-burn (MB) and refuse-derived-fuel (RDF) facilities was evaluated for potential use as highway fill material. MWC bottom ash exhibits acceptable shear and deformation characteristics for many highway applications. RDF ash contains a lower metals percentage than MB ash. The specific gravity of both ashes was found to be a function of metals content. Moisturedensity relationships and unconfined compressive strengths were found to be a function of compaction energy and moisture content. Allowing compacted ash to age increased its unconfined compressive strength. Stress-strain characteristics of both ashes are similar to those of sands. Cohesion exists possibly because of pozzolonic reactions in the bottom ash. The angle of internal friction increased with compacted density. Elastic moduli are a function of density and confining pressure. RDF ash was found to be twice as stiff as MB ash. California bearing ratio results greater than 100 indicated that MB ash could be utilized as road base, and values between 25 and 95 indicated that RDF would be acceptable for use in subgrade and subbase. Bearing ratio results were highly dependent on moisture conditions. Both ashes exhibit little to no swell and should not cause field problems during saturation.