Feasibility of granite processing waste as a fill material in geotechnical applications

Abstract

India is the third largest granite producer worldwide, and an increasing trend in its export has been seen year by year. Granite is generally sold in dimensional and finished form. Large quarried granite blocks are processed to get a finished dimensional granite in processing industries. Processing comprises sawing, grinding and polishing operations. In processing operations, about 30 to 35 per cent of the mass of large granite blocks is left as fine Granite Processing Waste (GPW) in the form of slurry. Dumping of GPW is of major concern for the processing industries; it is often unscientifically dumped. Disposal of GPW in an unscientific manner causes adverse effects on humans and the environment. Delightful results are obtained in previous studies addressing its use in concrete, mortar building blocks and stabilization of expansive soils. GPW has the potential to serve as a fill material in geotechnical applications. However, a comprehensive characterization of GPW addressing its use as a fill material is significantly lacking. The current study intends to characterize GPW in light of its application as a non-conventional fill material in place of natural materials. Based on geotechnical and geoenvironmental tests carried out on GPW involving grain size analysis, Atterberg limits, hydraulic conductivity, swelling potential, compaction characteristics, surface morphology, chemical composition, elemental and mineralogical composition, pH and organic content analysis, it can be inferred that GPW is comparable to conventional fill materials.