The performance and bearing capacity of bottom ashes filled embankment

Abstract

The municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash (IBA) as the fill material in the geotechnical applications is a wise solution where IBA will save the bulk of earth material and can bring huge economic benefits, particularly for the embankments. In this study a series of experimental model tests of embankments filled with IBA and sand were conducted and considered two different slope ratios to investigate the performance of IBA as the fill material. During the testing, the vertical stress distribution, horizontal deformation, and vertical settlement inside of the embankment were monitored. Test results demonstrated that the IBA embankment compared with the sand embankment when slope ratios of 1:1.5 and 1:1.75, enhanced the bearing capacity by 25% and 20%, respectively, and under the same vertical pressure reduced the vertical settlement by 47% and 39.6%. When the embankment shear failure occurred, the lateral deformation inside the IBA embankment was reduced by 27.36% and 23.66%, respectively, compared with the sand embankment, under the conditions of slope ratio of 1:1.5 and 1:1.75, and the lateral deformation distribution along the height of embankment was more homogeneous. These results indicated that the use of IBA as fill material for embankments can be an economical and effective method to save the earth material.