Kaolin clay reinforced with a granular column containing crushed waste glass or traditional construction sands
File(s)GMENG-6964_R2 (Accepted for Publication).pdf (10.88 MB)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Installation of granular columns is a cost-effective and versatile in situ technique to improve the shear strength, settlement, and drainage behaviour of weak soils. It involves backfilling vertical boreholes in the ground with granular materials stiffer than the native soil, such as stone or compacted sand. However, the massive use and overexploitation of sand and natural aggregates have depleted their reserves in recent decades, causing damage to the environment, creating sand shortages and skyrocketing their price. Hence, it is essential to develop a sustainable alternative to natural aggregates to construct granular columns. The ever-increasing stockpiles of waste glass could be a potential replacement for natural sand in several geotechnical construction applications, noting that both materials have a similar chemical composition. Using crushed waste glass (CWG) as an alternative to traditional natural and manufactured (quarried) sands in granular columns could offer a multi75 pronged benefit by recycling non-biodegradable waste (glass) and by conserving a depleting natural resource (sand). Using a large direct shear (LDS) machine, this study investigated the shear strength behaviour of kaolin (to represent a typical weak soil) reinforced with a central granular column. Three different materials were separately used to backfill the column, including natural sand (NS), manufactured sand (MS) and CWG. The results revealed that the geocomposites containing the CWG column have the highest peak friction angle and relatively greater shear strength under high normal stresses, favouring the potential use of CWG as a green alternative to traditional sands in backfilling granular columns, ultimately supporting resource conservation, waste recycling and the paradigm shift towards a circular economy.
Date Issued
2022-04-01
Date Acceptance
2021-11-19
ISSN
1532-3641
Publisher
American Society of Civil Engineers
Journal / Book Title
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume
22
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Subjects
Science & Technology
Technology
Engineering, Geological
Engineering
Granular columns
Natural aggregates
Crushed waste glass
Large direct shear machine
Shear strength
Geocomposites
Circular economy
STONE COLUMNS
MODEL TESTS
CONCRETE
BEHAVIOR
PERFORMANCE
IMPROVEMENT
ENCASEMENT
General Mathematics
0905 Civil Engineering
0914 Resources Engineering and Extractive Metallurgy
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN 04022030
Date Publish Online
2022-02-04