Investigating the influence of particle size ranges on the physical, mineralogical, and environmental properties of raw marine sediment

Abstract

Annually, over one billion cubic meters of sediments are dredged worldwide. The field of construction suffer shortage of natural resources, these sediments present a potential local resource in various regions. Amongst the sectors, road construction stands as the largest consumer of aggregates, making the recovery of sediments an appealing solution. The dredged sediments made of three phases: solid, liquid, and air. The solid phase contains both mineral and organic components, each with particle size ranges. Particle size is a well-known factor significantly impacting material characteristics.This study's primary objective is to compare sediment particle size ranges as sub materials, particularly focusing on their classification for sediment recovery in road construction. The preparation of sediments for characterization tests in this context necessitates specific drying procedures, prompting an investigation into the effects of drying methods. Three distinct drying techniques-air drying, freeze drying, and oven drying were employed.Particle size ranges were extracted from raw marine sediment and categorized based on the following diameter ranges: 2–0.4 mm; 0.4–0.180 mm; 0.180–0.063 mm; and < 0.063 mm. Comprehensive physical, environmental, and chemical characterizations were conducted. The pivotal findings of this study unequivocally reveal variations in the distribution of organic matter across these different fractions. Notably, the fine fraction exerts a substantial influence on material-level attributes, especially concerning environmental characterization. Moreover, the choice of sample drying method before testing introduces variable effects on the investigated attributes. environmental impact analyses using leaching tests indicated higher values of elements like Barium (Ba), Molybdenum (Mo), Fluoride (F), and Chloride (Cl) in sediment fractions below 0.063 mm. The DRX analyses appear that the fine fraction had few clay particles, and higher values measured on different test were associated with organic matter.