Development of Fiber Reinforced Sustainable Dredge Bricks

Abstract

To maintain adequate depth of commercial waterways, large quantities of earthen material are dredged and stored on undeveloped placement areas adjacent to the waterway. As dredge placement areas become overwhelmed, an environmental and financial sustainable solution for the reuse of dredged soil is prioritized. In this study, locally dredged material from the Sabine-Neches Waterway was used to explore the potential of dredged material in the production of compressed stabilized earth bricks (CSEBs) for small-scale structures in the region. CSEB mixture designs were developed containing fly ash (FA), Portland cement (PC), hydrated lime (HL), water (W), dredged material (DM), and natural and synthetic fibers. Optimized mixtures designs reached the recommended compressive strength of over 1200 psi. Results showed that that the addition of fibers reduced the compressive and flexural strength of the bricks, with a maximum compressive strength of 1394 psi with a corresponding flexural strength of 381 psi being obtained with fiberless dredge bricks. Multiple coating systems were also tested to increase the resistance of the bricks to weathering and erosion. Results showed that the use of coatings reduced water absorption and increased the bricks resistance to erosion, making them more adept in regions commonly subjected to flooding and heavy wind-driven rains.