Fly ash utilization in McLean County, North Dakota. Topical report, Task 7.25

Abstract

In 1989, the McLean County Commissioners requested assistance from personnel at the University of North Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) with the construction of a section of road and a boat ramp in their county. Assistance was sought from the EERC because the county`s construction plans called for partial replacement of the lime and portland cement normally used for soil stabilization with fly ash. Since the EERC had recently conducted several research projects dealing with the use of coal combustion by-products for road construction, the commissioners requested that EERC personnel help to determine appropriate formulas for the stabilized soil mixtures to be used for both the road and boat ramp applications. An additional incentive was provided when the management of the Coal Creek Power Plant offered to donate the necessary fly ash at no cost. This project was performed as a joint venture between McLean County and the EERC. The EERC was primarily responsible for conducting a laboratory testing program to develop soil stabilization mixtures for the two construction activities. These mixtures were to contain a relatively high percentage of fly ash and to exhibit sufficient strength and durability so that the road and boat ramp would both have a service life of 20 years or more. McLean County would be primarily responsible for the road and boat ramp construction activities. The funding for the EERC portion of the project was provided by the US Department of Energy through a joint venture support program.