Abstract
Application of sawdust in civil engineering projects, specifically those with geotechnical applications, has been the interest of many studies. This study focuses on exposure of soil samples treated with sawdust to MgSO4. This study was conducted in three stages. The first stage was compaction. In this stage, the compaction characteristics of each mixture were derived. The second stage was to run unconfined compressive strength (UCS) testing and report the UCS peaks relevant to each mixture. The third stage was microstructural examination (i.e., SEM) conducted on the chosen samples before and after sulphate exposure to highlight the reactions during exposure. The results of first stage (i.e., compaction tests) suggested that increasing sawdust content, the OMC (Optimum moisture content) decreased and MDD (Maximum dry density) decreased. In the second stage, the UCS (Unconfined compressive strength) testing was conducted on 640 samples [including reliability tests] and the outcome suggested that sawdust increased the resistance of samples against sulphate attack. In stage three, the micro analysis backed the main body results, suggesting that sawdust had a positive effect on helping to form a better connection between the particles and therefore more resistance noted.
Highlights
The application of recycled materials into soil and pavement system has been an interest of many researchers [1,2,3,4]
Sulphate attacks are a major issue for infrastructures, especially in coastal lands, and cause significant damages every year
Sawdust is an abundant by-product, and previous studies have shown its potential usage in civil engineering projects
Summary
The application of recycled materials into soil and pavement system has been an interest of many researchers [1,2,3,4]. It has been reported that normally 50% of wooden logs turn into waste materials [5,6]. Application of sawdust in civil engineering has been the focus of many studies. Ahmed et al [8] worked on adding sawdust to concrete mix in light and normal weight concrete. They summarized that sawdust can be a good alternative for fine-grain materials. A different study was conducted by Bruscato et al [9] to address the application of sawdust in a broader action to help waste reduction. In addition to the above, another study suggested that replacing sand with 5% to 30%
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