PROJECT REPORT

Use of Sewage Sludge Ash in replacement

Of Stone dust in Concrete Pavement
Submitted by

MAHAK BASSI(110470106051)
TITIKSHA RAJPARA(110470106006)
NILAM MANSURIYA(110470106017)

In fulfillment for the award of the degree

Of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
In
Civil Engineering
VVP Engineering College, Rajkot

Gujarat Technological University

Ahmedabad

VVP ENGINEERING COLLEGE

VIRDA-VAJDI, KALAWAD ROAD, RAJKOT 5

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the project entitled Use of Sewage Sludge Ash in replacement Of Stone
dust in Concrete Pavement has been carried out by Titiksha Rajpara, Nilam Mansuriya,
Mahak Bassi under my guidance in partial fulfillment for the degree of: Bachelor of
Engineering in Civil Engineering 8th Semester of Gujarat Technological University,
Ahmadabad during the academic year 2014-15.

_____________

Internal Guide

__________________

Head of Department

VVP ENGINEERING COLLEGE

VIRDA-VAJDI, KALAWAD ROAD, RAJKOT 5

DECLARATION
We hereby declare that the Project Report for the project entitled Use of Sewage Sludge
Ash in replacement Of Stone dust in Concrete Pavement submitted in partial fulfillment
for the degree of Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering to Gujarat Technological
University, Ahmedabad, is a bonafide record of the project work carried out at VVP
Engineering College under the supervision of Prof Jaydeep Bhanderi and that no part of
any of these reports has been directly copied from any students reports or taken from any
other source, without providing due reference.

Name of the Students

1. Mahak Bassi
2. Titiksha Rajpara
3. Nilam Mansuriya

Sign of Students

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is our great pleasure to acknowledge the contribution & assistance of the following individuals
to this effort. We owe this moment of satisfaction with deep sense of gratitude to our project
guide Prof: Jaydeep Bhanderi whose interest, guidance & constant supervision at any stage of
work has been the greatest help for us in bringing out this work in the present form. We sincerely
acknowledge that without his support this project would not have been feasible.

Mr. Keyur Nagecha, Head of civil engineering department, has been a source of moral support
throughout the duration of this project & we articulate our special thanks to him.

We are also indebted of our lab assistant Mr. Mahindra Vyas & all other faculties for motivating
us & fostering feeling of belongingness towards our project. Their helpful solutions & comments
helped us for the betterment of the project.

Finally we would like to thank everyone who directly or indirectly helped us in the project.

ABSTRACT
Sludge is an inevitable by-product of wastewater treatment.

The disposal of sludge is a complex problem that can affect air, land & environment.
Thus the large scaled disposal of sludge is one of the major concerns of any municipality.
Currently the most common methods of sludge disposal are ocean dumping, land filling
& agricultural use.

All these disposal alternatives have varying degrees of environmental impact. Therefore
there is a need of alternative solutions to the problem of sludge disposal.

One possible solution lies in using incinerated sludge for economical uses in construction
as substitute materials.

Digested and dewatered sludge, after incineration at a high temperature, yields a hard,
cellular, porous mass with low unit weight. This hardened mass of sludge ash can be
crushed to smaller-sized aggregates, which, when graded in suitable proportions,
manifest the basic attributes required of lightweight aggregates.
This sludge can be used in replacement of stone dust in making concrete pavements.

www.

plagiarism -detect .com

Date: 25.4.2015
Words: 5206
Plagiarised sources: 7
Plagiarised: 2%
http://rmrc.wisc.edu/ug-mat-sewage-sludge-ash/
plagiarised from source: 1%
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

treatment facilities with sludge incinerators or from

companies responsible for the disposal of the sludge
Due to the relatively small quantities of sludge ash generated, provisions
ash storage will be required to accumulate sufficient amounts for most
be expected to decrease the density of the
expected to result in an increase in air voids

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/97148/ss1.cfm
plagiarised from source: 1%
1.
2.
3.
4.

treatment facilities with sludge incinerators or from

companies responsible for the disposal of the sludge
Due to the relatively small quantities of sludge ash generated, provisions
ash storage will be required to accumulate sufficient amounts for most

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/structures/97148/ss2.cfm
plagiarised from source: >1%
1. be expected to decrease the density of the
2. expected to result in an increase in air voids
http://atvb.ahajournals.org/content/16/7/889.full
plagiarised from source: >1%
1. be expected to decrease the density of the
http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/~becker/documents.dir/density.pdf
plagiarised from source: >1%
1. be expected to decrease the density of the
http://www.ultratechconcrete.com/cement_composition.html
plagiarised from source: >1%
1. The heat of hydration generated is generally as follows at
http://landscaping.about.com/od/patioideas/a/stone-dust.htm
plagiarised from source: >1%
1. it's strong enough to support the weight of stone

INDEX
Sr no
1.

2.

Contents
Chapter -1 Project introduction
1.1

Introduction

1.2

Scope

Chapter - 2 Literature review

Page No
1

2.1 Review of the papers

3.

Chapter - 3 Materials

3.1 Sludge
3.2 Cement
3.3 Aggregate
3.4 Water
3.5 Stone Dust
4.

Chapter - 4 Methodologies

20

4.1 General
4.2 Test data for material supplied
4.3 Concrete using sewage sludge
5.

Chapter-5 Results

25

5.1 Result obtained by using normal concrete

5.2 Result obtained by using of sewage sludge ash in concrete
6.

Chapter 6 Conclusion

26

7.

Chapter 7 References

27

LIST OF FIGURES
Sr No

Figure

Page No

1.

Various methods of sewage sludge ash disposal

2.

Simplified sludge incinerator flow diagram

3.

Microscopic properties of sewage sludge ash

4.

Sieve analysis of aggregate

22

5.

Different particle sizes of aggregate

22

6.

Stone Dust

23

7.

Stone Dust as paver

23

8.

Mixing of the components

24

9.

Tamping of material

24

10.

Preparing the concrete

24

11.

Removal of concrete cubes

24

12.

Measuring the compressive strength of concrete

25

13.

Failure of specimen

25

LIST OF TABLES

Sr No

Table

Page No

1.

Physical properties of sludge ash

2.

Typical range of elemental concentrations in sewage

10

sludge ash
3.

Type & various tests of cement

11

4.

The basic components of cement

11

5.

The extent of chemical compounds in cement

12

6.

Role of compounds on properties of cement

13

7.

14

8.

Comparative table of heat of hydration produced at

the end of 90 days
Mix design of concrete

20

9.

Sieve Analysis of coarse aggregate

21

10.

Sieve Analysis of fine aggregate

22

11.

Concrete using sewage sludge

23

12.

Result obtained after replacing sludge ash with fine

25

aggregate

CHAPTER 1
1.1 INTRODUCTION

Sludge is an inevitable by-product of wastewater treatment. The disposal of sludge is a

complex problem that can affect air, land & environment. Thus the large scaled disposal
of sludge is one of the major concerns of any municipality. Currently the most common
methods of sludge disposal are ocean dumping, land filling & agricultural use.

All these disposal alternatives have varying degrees of environmental impact. Due to
large volume of sludge, prohibition of sludge dumping in the ocean & lack of suitable
land space, municipalities are turning to incineration. These incineration processes
reduces the volume of sludge to about 10% of its original volume.

Due to limited landfill space available & stringent environmental regulations as well as
the potential for the ground water contamination generated from landfill leach ate , many
waste water treatment plants using sludge incineration processes are attempting to
develop an efficient, economic & environmentally sound alternatives for utilizing ash as
residues.
Therefore there is a need of alternative solutions to the problem of sludge disposal. One
possible solution lies in using incinerated sludge for economical uses in construction as

substitute materials. Stabilization of sludge ash into concrete blocks is a potentially viable
alternative for ash management.
1
Digested and dewatered sludge, after incineration at a high temperature, yields a hard,
cellular, porous mass with low unit weight. This hardened mass of sludge ash can be
crushed to smaller-sized aggregates, which, when graded in suitable proportions,
manifest the basic attributes required of lightweight aggregates.

When used as aggregates in the production of lightweight concrete, experimental results

show that the resulting concrete satisfies the physical requirements of a lightweight
concrete in terms of unit weight, strength, heat-insulating properties, and fire resistance,
thus indicating that sludge ash could be a potential source of suitable lightweight
aggregates.

The solution to the problem of ash seems to be directed towards utilization of ash in
Portland cement concrete roadways (i.e. for highways & airport runways), concrete
building materials, channel stabilization materials & other alternatives.

1.2 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

In metropolitan areas & highly populated cities the volume of sludge produced by
waste water treatment plants is enormously high. Incineration of sludge is a common
practice to reduce its volume through a burning process that converts it into ash. Still,
a considerable amount of ash is produced which creates serious disposal problems.

Attempts have been made to study the feasibility of using sludge ash as a substitute
for a portion of fine aggregates in concrete. The objectives of this papers are to:

Determine the physical characteristics of the ash produced in Madhapar waste

water treatment plant, Rajkot.

Evaluate the utilization of the stabilized mixes (mixing ash with Portland
cement concrete) for suitability in application.

Evaluate the potential impact to the environment as a result of ash

stabilization in a concrete mix.

CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
Sewage sludge ash is the by-product produced during the combustion of dewatered sewage
sludge in an incinerator. Sewage sludge ash is primarily a salty material with some sand-size
particles. The specific size range and properties of the sludge ash depend to a great extent on the
type of incineration system and the chemical additives introduced in the wastewater treatment
process.

Sludge ash can is obtained directly from municipal wastewater treatment facilities with sludge
incinerators or from private companies responsible for the disposal of the sludge ash. Due to the
relatively small quantities of sludge ash generated, provisions for ash storage will be required to
accumulate sufficient amounts for most applications.

Figure 1 Various methods of sewage sludge ash disposal

4
The multiple hearth incinerators are a circular steel furnace that contains a number of solid
refractory hearths and a central rotating shaft. Rabble arms that are designed to slowly rake the
sludge on the hearth are attached to the rotating shaft. Dewatered sludge (approximately 20
percent solids) enters at the top and proceeds downward through the furnace from hearth to
hearth, pushed along by the rabble arms.

Cooling air is blown through the central column and hollow rabble arms to prevent overheating.
The spent cooling air with its elevated temperature is usually recalculated and used as
combustion air to save energy. Flue gases are typically routed to a wet scrubber for air pollution
control. The particulates collected in the wet scrubber are usually diverted back into the sewage
plant.

Fluidized bed incinerators consist of a vertical cylindrical vessel with a grid in the lower
sections to support a bed of sand. Dewatered sludge is injected into the lower section of the
vessel above the sand bed and combustion air flows upward and fluidizes the mixture of hot sand
and sludge. Supplemental fuel can be supplied by burning above and below the grid if the
heating value of the sludge and its moisture content are insufficient to support combustion.
Figure 1 shows a simplified flow diagram of a sludge incinerator.

The complete system includes sludge pretreatment operations such as sludge thickening
(sedimentation) and sludge dewatering (vacuum filter, centrifuge, or filter press), followed by
incineration, air pollution control, and ash handling. Sludge dewatering may involve the addition

of ferrous chloride, lime, or organic polymers to enhance the dewatering process. Auxiliary fuel
is normally needed to maintain the combustion process.

The quantity of auxiliary fuel required depends on the heating value of the sludge solids and,
primarily, on the moisture content of the incoming feed sludge. Operating temperatures can vary,
depending on the type of furnace, but can be expected to range from approximately 650C
(1200F) to 980C (1800F) in the incinerator combustion zone. High operating temperatures
above 900C (1650F) can result in partial fusion of ash particles and the formation of clinkers,
which end up in the ash stream. Lime may also be added to reduce the slogging of sludge during
incineration.

Fig 2: Simplified sludge incinerator flow diagram

(Courtesy of www. www.fhwa.dot.gov)

Sludge ash has been previously used as a raw material in Portland cement concrete production,
as aggregate in flow able fill, as mineral filler in asphalt paving mixes, and as a soil conditioner
mixed with lime and sewage sludge.

6
Sludge ash has also been proposed as a substitute lightweight aggregate product, produced by
firing sludge ash or a mixture of sludge ash and clay at elevated or sintering temperatures. Other
potential uses that have been reported include the use of ash in brick manufacturing and as a
sludge dewatering aid in wastewater treatment systems.

Applications that could potentially make use of sewage sludge ash in highway construction
include the use of ash as part of a flow able fill for backfilling trenches or as a substitute
aggregate material or mineral filler additive in hot mix asphalt. Sludge ash can is obtained
directly from municipal wastewater treatment facilities with sludge incinerators or from private
companies responsible for the disposal of the sludge ash. Due to the relatively small quantities of
sludge ash generated, provisions for ash storage will be required to accumulate sufficient
amounts for most applications.

Sludge ash properties (chemical) depend on the nature of the wastewater and the chemicals used
in the treatment and sludge handling and incineration process. Since sludge is almost always
dewatered prior to combustion, pretreatment of the sludge to enhance the dewatering process
may include the addition of ferrous salts, lime, organics, and polymers.

Ash produced at treatment plants that introduce ferrous salts or lime for sludge conditioning and
dewatering contain significantly higher quantities of ferrous and calcium, respectively, than

plants that do not. The pH of sludge ash can vary between values 6 and 12, but sludge ash is
generally alkaline.
Incineration of sewage sludge (dewatered to approximately 20 percent solids) reduces the weight
of feed sludge requiring disposal by approximately 85 percent.

CHAPTER 3
3.1 SLUDGE

Some of the properties of sludge ash that are of particular interest when sludge ash is used in
concrete include particle size, plasticity and organic content.
Physical properties

Particle Size: Depending on the source of ash, some sludge ash may have a significant
fraction of particles greater than 0.6 mm in size. If this is the case, then sludge ash may
have to be processed (crushed and screened) or introduced into the mix as a combination
mineral filler and fine aggregate. Sludge ash particles greater than 0.6 mm in size are
expected to comply with gradation and soundness requirements for fine aggregate
material.

Plasticity: Sludge ash is a non plastic material and meets the plasticity requirements for
mineral filler or fine aggregate.

Organic Impurities: Sludge ash can be expected to contain some small percentage
(generally less than 2 percent) of organic material, depending on the efficiency of
combustion. This small organic fraction does not appear to affect the performance of
sludge ash as a mineral filler.

The properties of a concrete containing sludge ash that are of particular interest include stability,
mix density, air voids, durability.

Stability: The addition of sludge ash in concrete mixes up to approximately 30% by

weight of aggregate reportedly increases the stability of the mix.

Mix Density: The addition of sludge ash can be expected to decrease the density of the
mix.

Air Voids: An increase in sludge ash concentration can be expected to result in an

increase in air voids and a corresponding increase in the cement demand of the mix.

Durability: Mix durability may be slightly improved by the addition of sludge ash.

Table 1 presents physical property characterization data for sludge ash. Sludge ash is a
silty-sandy material. A relatively large fraction of the particles (up to 90 percent in some
ashes) are less than 0.075 mm in size. Sludge ash has a relatively low organic and
moisture content. Permeability and bulk specific gravity properties are not unlike those of
natural inorganic silt. Sludge ash is a non plastic material.

Moisture Content (% by
Total Weight)

0.28

Absorption (%)

1.6

Specific Gravity

2.61

Bulk Specific Gravity

1.82

Plasticity Index

Non plastic
4 x 10-4

Permeability (cm/sec)

Table 1: Physical properties of sludge

ash
(a)

Fig 3: Microscopic properties

fly ash (b) incinerated sludge
ash

Chemical Properties
Sludge ash consists primarily of silica, iron and calcium. The composition of the ash can vary
significantly, and depends in great part on the additives introduced in the sludge conditioning
operation. There are no specific data available relative to the pozzolanic or cementitious
properties of sludge ash, but sludge ash is not expected to exhibit any measurable pozzolanic or
cementitious activity. Table 2 lists the range of major elemental concentrations present in sludge
ash reported from two sources.
Trace metal concentrations (e.g., lead, cadmium, zinc, copper) found in sludge ash are typically
higher than concentrations found in natural fillers or aggregate. This has resulted in some
reluctance to use this material.

Table 2: Typical range of elemental concentrations in sewage sludge ash

Element

Oxide

Reported as Elemental %
Concentration

Reported as %
Oxides

Silicon (Si)

(SiO2)

5.6 - 25.7

14.4 - 57.7

Calcium (Ca)

(CaO)

1.4 - 42.9

8.9 - 36.9

Iron (Fe)

(Fe2O3)

1.0 - 16.4

2.6 - 24.4

Aluminum (Al)

(Al2O3)

1.1 - 8.5

4.6 - 22.1

Magnesium
(Mg)

(MgO)

0.6 - 1.9

0.8 - 2.2

Sodium (Na)

(Na2O)

0.1 - 0.8

0.1 - 0.7

Potassium (K)

(K2O)

0.3 - 1.6

0.07 - 0.7

Phosphorus

(P2O5)

1.2 - 4.4

3.9 - 15.4

Sulphur (S)

(SO3)

0.3 - 1.2

0.01 - 3.4

Carbon (C)

0.6 - 2.2

10

3.2 CEMENT
The cement used in the tests is of ultratech cement of opc type of grade 43. The usual tests
carried out for cement are for chemical and physical requirements. The chemical standards
give permissible limits for insoluble residue, loss of ignition and other compounds and
impurities like Magnesium Oxide, Sulphate, etc. The physical requirements are for fineness,
soundness, setting time and compressive strength. 33, 43 and 53 grade in OPC indicates the
compressive strength of cement after 28 days when tested. Similarly for 43 grade the 28 days
compressive strength should not be less than 43 MPa.

Table 3: Type & various tests of cement

Sr Type of
no cement

OPC-43

IS Code Fineness Setting Time Soundness

Compressive Strength
m2/kg
in minutes
in MPa
(min)
Initial Final Le
Auto 3 days 7 days 28 days
(min.) (max.) Chatelier Clave
(mm)
(%)
8112 :
225
30
600
10
0.8
23
36
47
1989

Table 4: The basic components of cement

SiO2
17-25 %
Al2O3
4-8%
Fe2O3 0.5-0.6 %
CaO
61-63 %
MgO
0.1-4.0 %
SO3
1.3-3.0 %
Na2 + K2O 0.4-1.3 %
Cl
0.01-0.1%
IR
0.6-1.75 %
There are four major compounds in cement and these are known as C2S, C3S, C3A & C4AF,
and their composition varies from cement to cement and plant to plant.

11
There are other minor compounds such as MgO, TiO2, Mn2O3, K20 and N2O. K2O and Na2O
are found to react with some aggregates and the reaction is known as Alkali Silica Reaction
(ASR) and causes disintegration in concrete at a later date.

The silicates C3S and C2S are mainly responsible for the strength of the cement paste. C3A and
C4AF do not contribute much to the strength, but in the manufacturing process they facilitate
combination of lime and silica, and act as a flux. In a typical Portland cement, the composition
of mineralogical compounds could be as shown in the following table.

Table 5: The extent of chemical compounds in cement

Sr no Compound

Composition as %

C3S

48-52 %

C2S

22-26 %

C3A

6-10 %

C4AF

13-16 %

Free lime

1-2 %

12

Table 6: Role of compounds on properties of cement

Characteristic

C3S

C2S

C3A

C4AF

Setting

Quick

Slow

Rapid

Hydration

Rapid

Slow

Rapid

Heat Liberation
(Cal/gm) 7 days

Early Strength

Later Strength

Higher

Lower

High up to Low up to
14 days

14 days

Moderate

High at

Higher

Higher

Not much
beyond 1 Insignificant
day
-

at later

later stage

stage

after 14
days

Heat of Hydration
Most of the reactions occurring during the hydration of cement are exothermic in nature (heat
is generated). This heat is called heat of hydration. It is desirable to know the heat producing
capacity of cement in order to choose the most suitable cement for a given purpose.

For Ordinary Portland Cement, half of the total heat is liberated between 1-3 days, about th
in 7 days and nearly 90% in 28 days. It may lead to cracks if not properly dissipated. The sum
total heat produced, if spread over a longer period can be dissipated to a greater degree with
fewer problems. The hydration of C3S produces higher heat as compared to the hydration of
C2S. Fineness of cement also affects the rate of heat development. The heat of hydration
generated is generally as follows at 28 days.
13

Table 7:Comparative table of heat of hydration produced at the end of 90

days
Sr
Heat of hydration (calories
Compound
no
per gram)
1
C3S
100-110
2
C2S
50-60
3
C3A
300-315
4
C4AF
95-105

It may be seen that the heat produced by C3S is twice that of C2S and that by C3A is still
higher. It follows that, reducing the proportions of C3S and C3A, the heat of hydration and its

rate can be reduced. The fully hydrated reaction can be expressed as

2C3S

+6H

->

2C2S

+4H

->

C3S2H3
C3S2H3

+3Ca(OH)2
+Ca(OH)2

C3S2H3 (Calcium Silicate Hydrate) becomes a hard mass over a period of time and normally
called as C-S-H gel. While C3S contributes to most of the strength development during the first
two weeks, C2S influences gain of strength after two weeks.

14

3.3 AGGREGATE ( FINE AGGREGATE AND COARSE AGGREGATE)

Aggregate is commonly considered inert filler, which accounts for 60 to 80 percent of the
volume and 70 to 85 percent of the weight of concrete. Although aggregate is considered
inert filler, it is a necessary component that defines the concretes thermal and elastic
properties and dimensional stability.

Aggregate is classified as two different types, coarse and fine. Coarse aggregate is usually
greater than 4.75 mm, while fine aggregate is less than 4.75 mm. The compressive aggregate
strength is an important factor in the selection of aggregate. When determining the strength

of normal concrete, most concrete aggregates are several times stronger than the other
components in concrete and therefore not a factor in the strength of normal strength concrete.
Lightweight aggregate concrete may be more influenced by the compressive strength of the
aggregates.

Other physical and mineralogical properties of include shape and texture, size gradation,
moisture content, specific gravity, reactivity, soundness and bulk unit weight.

The shape and texture of aggregate affects the properties of fresh concrete more than
hardened concrete. The surface texture of aggregate can be either smooth or rough. A smooth
surface can improve workability, yet a rougher surface generates a stronger bond between the
paste and the aggregate creating a higher strength.

The moisture content of an aggregate is an important factor when developing the proper
water/cementitious material ratio. All aggregates contain some moisture based on the
porosity of the particles and the moisture condition of the storage area. The moisture content
can range from less than 1% in gravel & up to 40% in very porous sandstone and expanded
shale.

15
Aggregate can be found in four different moisture states that include oven-dry (OD), air-dry
(AD), saturated-surface dry (SSD) and wet. Of these four states, only OD and SSD
correspond to a specific moisture state and can be used as reference states for calculating
moisture content. In order to calculate the quantity of water that aggregate will either add or
subtract to the paste, the following three quantities must be calculated:

absorption capacity

effective absorption

Surface moisture.

Most stockpiled coarse aggregate is in the air dry state with absorption of less than 1%, but most
fine aggregate is often in the wet state with surface moisture up to 5%.

The most common classification of aggregates on the basis of bulk specific gravity is lightweight,
normal-weight, and heavyweight aggregates. In normal concrete the aggregate weighs 1,520
1,680 kg/m3, but occasionally designs require either lightweight or heavyweight concrete.
Lightweight concrete contains aggregate that is natural or synthetic which weighs less than 1,100
kg/m3and heavyweight concrete contains aggregates that are natural or synthetic which weigh
more than 2080 kg/m3.

16

3.4 WATER
Water is when mixed with the dry composite (cement, sand, aggregate & fly ash), produces a
semi-liquid that can be shaped (typically by pouring it into a form). The concrete solidifies and
hardens through a chemical process called hydration.
The water reacts with the cement, which bonds the other components together, creating a robust
stone-like material. Combining water with a cementitious material forms a cement paste by the
process of hydration. The cement paste glues the aggregate together, fills voids within it, and
makes it flow more freely.

A lower water-to-cement ratio yields a stronger, more durable concrete, whereas more water
gives a free - flowing concrete with a higher slump. Impure water used to make concrete can
cause problems when setting or in causing premature failure of the structure.
Hydration involves many different reactions, often occurring at the same time. As the reactions
proceed, the products of the cement hydration process gradually bond together the individual
sand and gravel particles and other components of the concrete to form a solid mass.
Reaction:
Cement chemist notation: C3S + H C-S-H + CH
Standard notation: Ca3SiO5 + H2O (CaO)(SiO2)(H2O)(gel) + Ca(OH)2
Balanced: 2Ca3SiO5 + 7H2O 3(CaO)2(SiO2)4(H2O)(gel) + 3Ca(OH)2

Almost any natural water that is drinkable and has no pronounced taste or odor can be used as
mixing water for making concrete. However, some waters that are not fit for drinking may be
suitable for use in concrete.

17

Excessive impurities in mixing water not only may affect setting time and concrete strength, but
also may cause efflorescence, staining, corrosion of reinforcement, volume instability, and
reduced durability. Therefore, certain optional limits may be set on chlorides, sulfates, alkalies,
and solids in the mixing water. Some impurities may have little effect on strength and setting
time, yet they can adversely affect durability and other properties.

Water containing less than 2000 parts per million (ppm) of total dissolved solids can generally be
used satisfactorily for making concrete. Water containing more than 2000 ppm of dissolved
solids should be tested for its effect on strength and time of set. It is important to remember that

cement is the powder that reacts with water to form cement paste, a hard, solid material that
forms the matrix for the concrete composite.

18

3.5 STONE DUST

Stone dust is a darker, coarser version of sand. It is a byproduct of running stones through a
crushing machine to make crushed stone. Stone dust makes a great setting bed for stone
pavers. It can be smoothed to create a very flat surface and its strong enough to support the
weight of stone pavers.

Stone dust is more prone than sand to settling and drainage problems. It absorbs moisture,
holds onto it and drains very slowly. Stone dust does not compact well due to its powdery

nature. Not all stone dust are poor choices for pavers, crusher run also called processed
gravel is a rock or stone dust made of particles about size of grain of sand. It is coarse thus
superior to regular stone dust.

Using one particular material over the other for a paver project does not guarantee how long
it will last before problems occur. Various factors affecting it are- appropriate depths of bas
materials, proper compaction, loads that these materials are subjected to etc.

19

CHAPTER 4
METHODOLOGIES
4.1 GENERAL
Different batches of concrete were prepared using incinerated sludge and without using it.
Three cubes each of sludge ash content 10%, 20% and 30% were made. Three cubes of
normal concrete were made and the compressive strengths of the cubes were tested. Nominal
Mix Design for making the concrete cubes was used.

Grade of Concrete: M 20
Total Aggregate (CA + FA) per 50 kg cement 250 kg,
FA of Zone II (say)
Water content: 30 lit per 50 kg cement
W/c ratio= 30/50= 0.60
Considering FA: CA= 1: 2
Sand= (250 X 1)/ 3= 83 kg
Coarse Aggregate= (250 X 2)/ 3= 167 kg
Table 8 Mix Design for concrete
CEMENT

FINE

COARSE

WATER

AGGREGATE

AGGREGATE

5Okg

83kg

167kg

30litres

(By weight)

1.66

3.32

0.6

1.43kg/l

1.52kg/l

1.6kg/l

35l

54.6l

104.4l

30l

(by volume)

1.56

2.98

20
4.2 TEST DATA FOR MATERIALS SUPPLIED

CEMENT
Specific Gravity 3.05
Average compressive strength more than 43
Exposure moderate

COARSE AGGREGATE
20 mm graded
Crushed stone aggregate
Specific gravity 2.68
Water absorption 1.46
Free moisture 0
Table 9 Sieve Analysis of coarse aggregate
IS SIEVE (mm)SIZE
40
20
10
4.75

% Retained
0
.6
73.5
22.9

Cumulative retained
0
.6
74.1
97

%passing
100
99.4
25.9
3

21

Figure 4 Sieve analysis of aggregate

Figure 5 Different particle sizes

Of aggregates

FINE AGGREGATE
Type- natural
Specific Gravity- 2.6
Water Absorption 0.5
Free moisture 0.4
Table 10 Sieve analysis of fine aggregate
IS SIEVE
10 mm
4.75 mm
2.36 mm
1.18 mm
600mic
300mic
150mic

%retained
0
5.2
3
8.6
25.8
32.8
20.7

Cumulative retained
0
5.2
8.2
16.8
42.6
75.4
96.1

%passing
100
94.8
91.8
83.2
57.4
24.6
3.9
22

TARGET MEAN STRENGTH

ft = fck + k. s
Where, ft = target mean compressive strength at 28 days
fck = Characteristic compressive strength of concrete at 28 days
k = usually 1.65 (as per IS 456-2000)
s = standard deviation.( Here it is 4.6)
Target mean strength ft= 27.59 N/mm2
SELECTION OF WATER CEMENT RATIO
Assume water cement ratio 0.5

Table 11 Concrete using sewage sludge

% sludge

CEMENT

FINE

ash

(kg)

AGGREGATE (kg) AGGREGATE(kg)

50

83

167

30

10

50

74.7

167

30

20

50

66.4

167

30

30

50

58.1

167

30

Figure 6 Stone Dust

COARSE

WATER(litre)

Figure 7 Stone Dust used in paver

23

Figure 8 Mixing of the components

Figure 10 Preparing the concrete

Figure 9 Tamping of material

Figure 11 Removal of concrete cubes

24

CHAPTER 5
TEST RESULTS
Table 12 Result obtained after replacing sludge ash with fine aggregate
% of sewage sludge ash

7 days compressive strength

28days compressive strength

21.96

31.8

10

20.65

29.35

20

19.86

28.03

30

17.03

26.36

Figure 12 Measuring the compressive

Figure 13 failure of specimen

Strength of concrete
25

CHAPTER 6

CONCLUSION
The 28-day compressive strength of concrete decreases as the percentage of sludge ash in the
mix increases. However, the design strength is still attainable for up to 30% (by weight) ash
replacement.

Under the presence of clay lumps in ash may have contributed to the reduction in
compressive strength. Ash is a water-absorbent material but, unlike plastic soils, it does not
undergo undesirable volume change.

Excess water in the ash will obviously result in considerable reduction of strength. This
excess water should be either accounted for in the mix proportionalities or, preferably, the
ash should be dried before being added into the concrete mix.

More than 20% sewage sludge ash content is not acceptable. Use of 20% sludge ash gives
exact 28.03 N/mm2 at 28 days. So it is better not to replace more than 15% sludge ash in
concrete.

26

CHAPTER 7
REFERENCES

Research Papers

Disposal method and use of sewage sludge Inventors: William C. Webster; Robert G.
Hilton; Ronald F. Cott

Manufacturing method of lightweight construction materials using sludge waste

Inventor: se-Lin lee

Lightweight aggregate from fly ash and sewage sludge. Inventor Timothy m. nechvatal,
waukesha; glenn a. heian, franklin.

Fixation and utilization of ash residue from the incineration of municipal solid waste
Inventors: Frederick H. Gustin; Hugh P. Shannonhouse; Robert W. Styron, all of
Marietta, Ga.

Process for forming light weight aggregate. Inventor: Robert w. Styron, Marietta, Ga.

Websites

www.fhwa.dot.gov

www.sciencedirect.com

www.rmrc.wisc.edu

www.engineeringcivil.com

BooksConcrete Technology by MS Shetty

Concrete Technology ML Gambhir
Advanced Concrete Technology Zongjin Li

27

Project Team: 4764

GIC Patent Drafting Exercise

FORM 1
THE PATENTS ACT 1970
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
APPLICATION FOR GRANT OF PATENT

(FOR OFFICE USE ONLY)

Application No: 5818
Filing Date:
Amount of Fee paid:
CBR No:

1. APPLICANT(S)
ID
1

Name
MAHAK BASSI

Nationality
Indian

TITIKSHA RAJPARA

Indian

NILAM MANSURIYA

Address

Mobile No.
8511103205

Email Address
mahakbassi@gmail.com

rajkot

9558669694

titiksharajpara@yahoo.com

Indian

rajkot

9427452554

nilammansuriya1234@gmail.
com

Name

Nationality

Address

Mobile No.

Email Address

MAHAK BASSI

Indian

90-E sector 6 reliance

greens moti khavdi
jamnagar

8511103205

mahakbassi@gmail.com

TITIKSHA RAJPARA

Indian

rajkot

9558669694

titiksharajpara@yahoo.com

NILAM MANSURIYA

Indian

rajkot

9427452554

nilammansuriya1234@gmail.
com

90-E,sector 6,Reliance
Greens,Moti
Khavdi,Jamnagar

2. INVENTOR(S)
ID

3. TITLE OF INVENTION / PROJECT

USE OF SEWAGE SLUDGE ASH AS REPLACEMENT OF STONE DUST IN CONCRETE

PAVEMENT
4. ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE OF APPLICANT/AUTHORIZED PATENT AGENT IN INDIA
Name:
Address:

MAHAK BASSI
90-E sector 6 raliance greens moti khavdi jamnagar

Mobile:
Email ID:

8511103205
mahakbassi@gmail.com

NOTE: This is just a mock Patent Drafting Exercise (PDE) for semester 8, BE students of GTU. These documents are not to be submitted
with any patent office.

Page 1 of 4

Project Team: 4764

GIC Patent Drafting Exercise

5. PRIORITY PARTICULARS OF THE APPLICATION(S) FIELD IN CONVENTION COUNTRY

Country

Application No.

N/A

N/A

Filing Date

Name of the Applicant

N/A

N/A

Title of the Invention

N/A

6. PARTICULARS FOR FILING PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) NATIONAL PHASE

APPLICATION
International application number

N/A

International filing date as alloted by the receiving office

N/A

7. PARTICULARS FOR FILING DIVISIONAL APPLICATION

Original(First) Application Number

N/A

Date of filing of Original (first) application

N/A

8. PARTICULARS FOR FILING PATENT OF ADDITION

Main Application / Patent Number

N/A

Date of filing of main application

N/A

9. DECLARATIONS:
(i) Declaration by the inventor(s)
I/We, the above named inventor(s) is/are true & first inventor(s) for this invention and declare that the applicant(s)
herein is/are my/our assignee or legal representative.

Date: 19-April-2015
Name

Sign & Date

1 MAHAK BASSI
2 TITIKSHA RAJPARA
3 NILAM MANSURIYA
(ii) Declaration by the applicant(s) in the convention country

I/We, the applicant (s) in the convention country declare that the applicant(s) herein
assignee or legal representative.

is/are my/our

Not Applicable

NOTE: This is just a mock Patent Drafting Exercise (PDE) for semester 8, BE students of GTU. These documents are not to be submitted
with any patent office.

Page 2 of 4

GIC Patent Drafting Exercise

Project Team: 4764

(iii) Declaration by the applicant(s)

I/We, the applicant(s) hereby declare(s) that:I am/We are in possession of the above mentioned invention .
The provisional specification relating to the invention is filed with this application.
The invention as disclosed in the specification uses the biological material from India and the necessary
permission from the competent authority shall be submitted by me/us before the grant of patent to me/us.
There is no lawful ground of objection to the grant of the patent to me/us.
I am/we are the assignee or the legal representative of true & first inventors.
The application or each of the application,particulars of each are given in the para 5 was the first application in
the convention country/countries in respect of my/our invention.
I/we claim the priority from the above mentioned applications (s) filed in the convention country/countries & state
that no application for protection in respect of invention had been made in a convention country before that date
by me/us or by any person from which I/we derived the title.
My/Our application in India is based on international application under Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) as
mentioned in para 6.
The application is divided out of my/our application(s) particulars of which are given in para 7 and pray that this
application may be treated as deemed to have been filed on ___________under section 16 of the Act.
The said invention is an improvement in or modification of the invention particulars of which are given in para 8.

NOTE: This is just a mock Patent Drafting Exercise (PDE) for semester 8, BE students of GTU. These documents are not to be submitted
with any patent office.

Page 3 of 4

Project Team: 4764

GIC Patent Drafting Exercise

10. FOLLOWING ARE THE ATTACHMENTS WITH THE APPLICATION:

(a) Provisional specification/Complete specification
(b) Complete specification(In confirmation with the international application) / as amended before the
international.Preliminary Examination Authority(IPEA),as applicable(2 copies),No.of pages.....No.of claims.....
(c) Drawings(In confirmation with the international application)/as amended before the international Preliminary
Examination Authority(IPEA),as applicable(2 copies),No.of sheets.....
(d) Priority documents
(e) Translations of priority documents/specification/international search reports
(f) Statement and undertaking on Form 3
(g) Power of Authority
(h) Declaration of inventorship on Form 5
(i) Sequence listing in electronic Form
(j) ........................................
Fees Rs.XXX in Cash/Cheque/Bank Draft bearing No.XXX Date: XXX on XXX Bank.
I/We hereby declare that to the best of my /our knowledge, information and belief the fact and mtters stated
herein are correct and I/We request that a patent may be granted to me/us for the said invention.
Dated this ........ day of .......... 20.......
Name

MAHAK BASSI

TITIKSHA RAJPARA

NILAM MANSURIYA

Sign & Date

To
The Controller of Patent
The Patent Office, at Mumbai.

NOTE: This is just a mock Patent Drafting Exercise (PDE) for semester 8, BE students of GTU. These documents are not to be submitted
with any patent office.

Page 4 of 4

Project Team: 4764

GIC Patent Drafting Exercise

FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION

1. TITLE OF INVENTION / PROJECT

USE OF SEWAGE SLUDGE ASH AS REPLACEMENT OF STONE DUST IN CONCRETE

PAVEMENT
2. APPLICANT(S)
MAHAK BASSI (Indian )

90-E,sector 6,Reliance Greens,Moti Khavdi,Jamnagar

TITIKSHA RAJPARA (Indian )

rajkot
NILAM MANSURIYA (Indian )

rajkot

3. PREAMBLE TO THE DESCRIPTION

The following specification describes the invention.

NOTE: This is just a mock Patent Drafting Exercise (PDE) for semester 8, BE students of GTU. These documents are not to be submitted
with any patent office.

Page 1 of 3

Project Team: 4764

GIC Patent Drafting Exercise

4. DESCRIPTION
a. Field of Application / Project / Invention
Concrete technology

b. Prior Art / Background of the Invention / References

In the project we use sewage sludge by 10%,20%,30% of the stone dust content in concrete cubes. The cubes are
then tested for compressive strength.

c. Summary of the Invention/Project

In the project we use sewage sludge by 10%,20%,30% of the stone dust content in concrete cubes. The cubes are
then tested for compressive strength.

d. Objects of the Invention/Project

the project involves use of sewage sludge ash in replacement of stone dust.

e. Drawing(s)

f. Description of the Invention

we use sewage sludge by 10%,20%,30% of the stone dust content in concrete cubes. The cubes are then tested for
compressive strength.We can use sewage sludge upto 10 percent in concrete pavement.

g. Examples

h. Unique Features of the Project

the project involves use of sewage sludge ash in replacement of stone dust.

5. DATE & SIGNATURE

Date: 19-April-2015
Name

MAHAK BASSI

TITIKSHA RAJPARA

NILAM MANSURIYA

Sign & Date

NOTE: This is just a mock Patent Drafting Exercise (PDE) for semester 8, BE students of GTU. These documents are not to be submitted
with any patent office.

Page 2 of 3

GIC Patent Drafting Exercise

Project Team: 4764

6. ABSTRACT OF THE INVENTION

In the project we use sewage sludge by 10%,20%,30% of the stone dust content in concrete cubes. The cubes are then
tested for compressive strength.

NOTE: This is just a mock Patent Drafting Exercise (PDE) for semester 8, BE students of GTU. These documents are not to be submitted
with any patent office.

Page 3 of 3

Project Team: 4764

GIC Patent Drafting Exercise

FORM 3
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
STATEMENT AND UNDERTAKING UNDER SECTION 8
1. Declaration
I/We, MAHAK BASSI
TITIKSHA RAJPARA
NILAM MANSURIYA

2. Name, Address and Nationality of the joint Applicant

MAHAK BASSI (Indian )

90-E,sector 6,Reliance Greens,Moti Khavdi,Jamnagar

TITIKSHA RAJPARA (Indian )

rajkot
NILAM MANSURIYA (Indian )

rajkot
hereby declare:
(i) that I/We have not made any application for the same/substantially the same
invention outside India.
(ii) that the right in the application(s) has/have been assigned to,
Name of the
Country
N/A

Date of
Application
N/A

Application
Number
N/A

Status of the
Application
N/A

Date of
Publication
N/A

Date of Grant

N/A

(iii) that I/We undertake that up to the date of grant of patent by the Controller , I/We
would keep him inform in writing the details regarding corresponding application(s)
for patents filed outside India within 3 months from the date of filing of such
application.
Dated this _____________day of ___________ ,20____

3. Signature of Applicants

(Sign and Date)

(Sign and Date)

(Sign and Date)

MAHAK BASSI

TITIKSHA RAJPARA

NILAM MANSURIYA

To
The Controller of Patent
The Patent Office, at Mumbai.

NOTE: This is just a mock Patent Drafting Exercise (PDE) for semester 8, BE students of GTU. These documents are not to be submitted
with any patent office.

Page 1 of 1