Study on Development in Engineering Properties of Dense Grade Bituminous Mixes With Coal Ash by Using Natural Fiber

Abstract

Coal-based thermal power plants have been a key source of power generation in India. The prime waste product of a coal thermal power plant are fly ash and bottom ash. Heavy dumping of these waste products causes fatal environment pollution to air, water, and land, besides impairing human health. This research work is done to deliver the optimum use of ash, namely bottom ash as fine aggregate and fly ash as mineral filler with natural fiber (such as sisal fiber) used to improvise the engineering properties of bituminous paving mixes. For national interest these waste products, which are available easily and abundantly cane be used economically for bituminous paving purpose, which ultimately helps in saving the natural aggregate resources of the nation. In the present study, dense graded bituminous mix specimens are prepared using natural aggregate as coarse aggregates, bottom ash as fine aggregates, fly ash as filler and sisal fiber as additive. Proportion of aggregate for dense graded bituminous macadam (DBM) grading has been considered as per MORTH (2013) having nominal maximum aggregates size (NMAS) 26.5 mm. To strengthen the mix, slow setting emulsion (SS1) coated sisal fiber is added in varying percentage of 0, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% by weight of the mix, with different length variations such as 5mm, 10 mm, 15 mm and 20 mm. At the initial stage of the research, specimens were prepared with two types of paving bitumen i.e. VG30 and VG10, out of which the initial trials resulted better Marshall characteristics with VG30 bitumen and hence was considered for subsequent study. Detailed study with Marshall test results were used to determine the marshal characteristics, optimum binder content and also optimum fiber content including the optimum length of fiber. Marshall stability as high as 15kN was obtained with optimum bitumen content of 5.57%, with optimum fiber content of 0.5% with optimum fiber length of 10 mm. Further, for delivering the performances of the pavement, various performance tests were also conducted such as moisture susceptibility test, indirect tensile strength (ITS), creep test and tensile strength ratio of bitumen mixes. It is finally observed that not only satisfactory, but also much improved engineering properties result with coal ash as fine aggregate and filler, stabilized with natural sisal fiber duly coated with SS-1 emulsion in advance. Utilization of non-conventional aggregate like coal ash and natural fiber together thus may help to find a new way of bituminous pavement construction. The coal ash dumping which is a serious concern to everyone in respect of its disposal and environmental pollution, can find one way for its reuse in an economical way by substituting natural resources of sand and stone dust.