Verification of the effect of Raw Materials Mill Dust on soil stabilization: An experimental study

Abstract

Cement plants produce large quantities of dust, which is an important source of pollution. Among these pollutants is raw materials mill dust (RMMD), it is a dust produced during the grinding of raw materials. RMMD differs in chemical composition from cement kiln dust (CKD), where CKD is a by-product that collects in the electrostatic filters of a cement kiln. A lot of studies have been done around the world to find effective ways to recycle CKD and use it again in soil stabilization to avoid the failure of the entire pavement in the future as well as an economical and environmental solution, while there is a dearth of research done on RMMD. In this study, the performance of a weak subgrade for one of the sites in Aleppo city was examined, where its physical and mechanical properties (plasticity index, maximum dry density, optimum water content, and California bearing ratio (CBR)), were determined. Then RMMD was added to the subgrade samples according to five ratios 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% of the dry weight of the soil. The research concluded that adding the RMMD to the weak subgrade by 20% of its dry weight is the optimal ratio, improved its performance, as the plasticity index decreased by 13%, and the CBR increased up to 63 %. Thus, the bearing capacity increases, it saves costs and reduces future pavement maintenance.