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Suitability of remediated heat-treated soil in concrete applications

Significant quantities of soil are adversely impacted by organic contaminants, including per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). One proven technology for remediating PFAS affected soils is excavation and heat-treatment which destroys the PFAS, but renders the soil as an industrial waste that is normally diverted to landfill. This study investigated alternative uses for heat-treated industrial waste (HIW) soils as components in concrete, as aggregate replacement and as partial substitution of cement binder. At a replacement rate of 100% fine aggregate and ≈15% coarse aggregate, concretes made with HIW soil exhibited a strength of 47.2–48.3 MPa after 28 days’ curing, compared with a reference concrete of 49.7–53.1 MPa, making the HIW ideal for aggregate replacement. Overall, the study demonstrated a novel, holistic approach to (1) remediating PFAS-affected soils, (2) diverting contaminated soil away from landfill, (3) reducing the use of high quality quarried concrete aggregates and (4) producing normal-strength concretes with a lower embodied carbon footprint than existing approaches. This study reveals that in Australia, up to 93% of all contaminated soil currently sent to landfill annually could instead be used a resource for mid-strength concretes, suitable for many applications.

History

Journal

Journal of Environmental Management

Volume

329

Article number

ARTN 117076

Location

England

ISSN

0301-4797

eISSN

1095-8630

Language

English

Publication classification

C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Publisher

ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD