Specifying and using pulverised fuel ash as an engineered fill

Claims arising from incorrect use of fill materials are significant. These claims are often due to a lack of understanding of material behaviour and incomplete or wrong specifications. This is especially the case when using waste products such as pulverised fuel ash (pfa). A review of current and proposed specifications and current practice highlights some of the problems arising when selecting design parameters and acceptance criteria for pfa. Pfa can be considered a particulate material not unlike fine-grained soils, and properties of a pfa can be ascertained at the design stage because the sources are known. Design parameters are post peak effective strength parameters taken from triaxial or direct shear tests on saturated specimens compacted to 90% of the average maximum dry density. Compaction characteristics and design parameters of a particular source can be determined from tests if it is stockpiled pfa, or historical records if it is conditioned pfa. Method compaction can be used to place pfa but site trials should be carried out to determine the best method. Experience has shown that six to eight passes are sufficient, but usually the movement of construction traffic during tipping and spreading pfa will give the minimum required density. Inundation has little effect on compacted ash provided the water content is within acceptable limits, that is, within 20% of the average optimum water content.