Stabilization of Clayey Soil by

Incinerated Sewage Sludge Ash

Haluk Isik 1, Ali Firat Cabalar 2,
Nurullah Akbulut 3
1. Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey, halukisik@gantep.edu.tr
2. Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey, cabalar@gantep.edu.tr
3. Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep, Turkey, nurullah.akbulut@hku.edu.tr

Contents

Introduction
Experimental Study
Results and Discussion
Conclusions

Introduction
Sewage sludge is a waste material that is produced
during the processing of dewatered sewage sludge in
an incinerator.
In the literature, there has been studies on this waste
material, and we can see that it has wide range of
applications such as for use an additive for glaze tiles,
as a raw feed in cement clinker and lightweight
aggregate production, or in concrete production
It is estimated that around 10 million tons of this
material is produced only in Europe alone. We believe
this paper will contibute to usage of this waste
material.

Experimental Study
Two different ratios (5% and 10%) of ISSA with
varying water contents were mixed with clayey
soil to prepare soil samples.
Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS) tests
were performed on these samples
In the results of a series of UCS tests that were
performed on sewage sludge ash-clay mixtures, it
was observed that as the ISSA ratio was increased
the UCS values decreased. The mixtures of 10%
ISSA with clayey soil displayed the lowest results
on UCS performance.

Experimental Study
The materials used in the tests to form mixtures
were incinerated sewage sludge ash (ISSA), clay,
and water.
The clay used in the experimental studies was
quarried from the Gaziantep University Campus.
It's plastic limit and liquid limit values are 23.27
and 49.51, respectively. The specific gravity of the
sand and clay grains were found to be 2.65 and
2.61, respectively

Experimental Study

SEM pictures of the (left) clay, (right) ISSA used during

the experimental study.

Experimental Study
Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS)
testing equipment used in the experimental
study had a 10 kN capacity of proving ring,
and 0.01 mm sensitivity of a dial gauge for
displacement readings. The UCS tests in this
study were carried out on the clay-ISSA
mixtures at different water contents.

Experimental Study
The performance of the specimens was
investigated with the clean clay, and clay with
ISSA at the mixture ratios of 90%, and 95% by
dry weight of the specimens.

Results and Discussion

UCS results for the clean clay samples at different

water contents

Results and Discussion

UCS results for the clay with 5% (on the left) and
10% (on the right) ISSA samples at different water
contents.

Results and Discussion

The unconfined compression strength (UCS) test
results showed that the stress- strain behaviour
of the specimens was markedly affected by the
addition of ISSA.
The UCS tests were carried out on the specimens
compacted at water contents corresponding 5, 8,
10, 13, 15, and 18% of the mixtures.
The initial stiffness and peak compressive
strength values of the specimens decreased as
the amount of ISSA content increased in all cases
of the water content.

Results and Discussion

The rate of strength loss with ISSA content
was evaluated in terms of the parameter
strength decrement index (SDI) as defined by
the following expression:

UCScleanclay -UCSclaywithISSA
SDI =
UCSclaywithISSA

Results and Discussion

SDI changes with ISSA content

A plot of SDI with ISSA

content was drawn as
show in the figure on the
left, which shows that SDI
decreases with increasing
ISSA content and water
content.
This figure clearly
demonstrates the relative
degree of strength loss
resulted due to increasing
ISSA content and water
content.

Conclusions
This paper reports an investigation carried out to
systematically test the behaviour of the mixtures of ISSA
and clay quarried from the vicinity of Gaziantep.
The goal of the presented experimental investigation was
to have an understanding of the behaviour of ISSA and clay
mixtures, which have a potential usage in earthwork
projects in Gaziantep and southern-central part of Turkey.
The tests reported in this paper indicate that the samples
with more ISSA content exhibit a less UCS value. It is
important to recognize that the results presented here for
the geomaterials are at introductory level, further data are
required to analysis the load-deformation behavior of these
ISSA during monotonic and cyclic tests.

References
[1] J.H. Tay, A.T.C. Goh, Clay-blended sludge as lightweight aggregate concrete
material, J. Environ. Eng. 117 (6) (1991) 834844.
[2] A. Yague, S. Valls, E. Vazquez, Use of cement Portland mortar of stabilized dry
sewage sludge in construction applications, Waste Manage. Environ. (2002) 527536.
[3] D.F. Lin, H.L. Luo, Y.N. Sheen, Glazed Tiles Manufactured From Incinerated Sewage
Sludge Ash and Clay, J. Air Waste Manage. Assoc. 55 (2) (2005) 163172.
[4] (Ciarn J. Lynn, Ravindra K. Dhir, Gurmel S. Ghataora, Roger P. West
Sewage sludge ash characteristics and potential for use in concrete)
Construction and Building Materials 98:767-779 November 2015
[5] http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-datasets/-/ten00030

Stabilization of Clayey Soil by Incinerated Sewage Sludge Ash

Thank you
Haluk Isik 1, Ali Firat Cabalar 2,
Nurullah Akbulut 3
1. Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey, halukisik@gantep.edu.tr
2. Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey, cabalar@gantep.edu.tr
3. Hasan Kalyoncu University, Gaziantep, Turkey, nurullah.akbulut@hku.edu.tr