A

Seminar Report

On

“UTILIZATION OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SLUDGE IN

CONCRETE”

Submitted to

THE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING MNIT, JAIPUR

For the Partial Fulfillment of
MASTERS OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

Under the supervision of: Submitted by:

Dr. A.B. Gupta
Professor Rijuta Gupta
Department of Civil Engineering M.Tech. (Environmental Engineering)
2015PCE5274
&

Dr. Sandeep Chaudhary

Associate Professor
Department of Civil Engineering
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to express my deep regards and gratitude to my mentors Dr. A.B. Gupta and
Dr. Sandeep Chaudhary for their guidance and support for the completion of this seminar report
successfully.

I express sincere thanks to Mr. Ramswaroop Mandolia (Concrete Lab Incharge), Mr.
Syed Ahmed Kabeer (Research scholar, MNIT Jaipur), Mr. Salman Siddique (Research scholar,
MNIT Jaipur), Mr. Sadique Ansari Yasin (Lab Technician, PHE Lab), and Mr. Inderjeet Singh
Choudhary for their useful suggestions for this seminar.

Rijuta Gupta
M.Tech. (Env. Engg.)
2015PCE5274
 MALAVIYA NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY JAIPUR

DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

JAIPUR – 302017 (RAJASTHAN) INDIA

CERTIFICATE
I hereby certify that the work, which is being presented in this seminar report entitled
“UTILIZATION OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SLUDGE IN CONCRETE” in the partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Masters of Technology in
Environmental Engineering and submitted at Civil Department of Malaviya National Institute of
Technology, Jaipur is an authentic record of my own work (literature review of existing
researches) under the supervision of Dr. A.B. Gupta, Professor and Dr. Sandeep Chaudhary,
Associate Professor, MNIT Jaipur.

Rijuta Gupta
2015PCE5274

This dissertation report is hereby approved for submission.

Dr. A.B. Gupta & Dr. Sandeep Chaudhary

Table of Contents

1. Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………1

2. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………......2

3. Objective…………………………………………………………………………………….....4

4. Reservoir Sediment in Concrete……………………………………………………………..…5

4.1 As Replacement for Natural Aggregate and Cement……………………………..…..6

4.2 In Manufacturing LWA for LWAC and CMU……………………………………….9

5. Water Treatment Sludge in Concrete ………………………………………………………....15

5.1 Alum Sludge as Partial Replacement of Cement in High Performance Concrete…..16

6. Industrial Sludge in Concrete.………………………………………………………………...23

6.1 Textile Effluent Sludge in Concrete Block…………………………………………..24

6.2 Dyeing Industry ETP Sludge as Synthetic Sludge Aggregate...…………………......27

7. Conclusion………..……………………………………..…………………………………….29

8. Bibliography………..…………………………………..……………………………………..30
1. ABSTRACT

In India, it is estimated that about 62 million tonnes of solid waste is generated annually.
(Ministry of Environment & Forest, 2016). Sludge from different sources are unavoidable
wastes, which may even pose risk to the environment and human health if disposed of
indiscriminately.

Reusing is regarded as the second most preferred waste disposal option and has numerous
environmental benefits. It is a viable option to offset the environmental impact associated with
the construction industry as well and also addresses the problem of increasing waste disposal
cost and paucity of space.

This paper reviews the results of laboratory tests and important research findings on attempts
at the potential of reusing different types of sludge from industries, water and waste water
treatment plants, and dredged sediments in concrete. It also studies the chemical and physical
characteristics of the waste along with engineering properties of resulting concrete at fresh and
hardened state. This is done with the focus on environmental friendly waste disposal and
sustainable building material options.

Attempts to utilize sludge/dredged sediment in various forms of concrete are studied. The
percentage of the waste in the mix and the issues observed are extensively explored to determine
feasibility of their reuse as replacement for cement or aggregates (fine or coarse) or as Light
Weight Aggregate. Also included are trials with joint addition of sludge and other wastes.
Leaching is invariably assessed to ascertain that the reuse will not pose any risk to the
environment.

1
2. INTRODUCTION

With the ever increasing population and urbanization, the waste management has emerged as
a huge challenge worldwide. Not only the waste has increased in quantity, but the characteristics
of waste have also changed tremendously over a period. Every year 11.2 billion tonnes of solid
waste are collected worldwide (UNEP, 2011). Furthermore, the latest World Bank report predicts
that annual global solid waste management costs will increase from USD 205.4 billion to about
USD 375.5 billion by 2025 (Hoornweg, 2012)
In India, it is estimated that about 62 million tonnes of waste is generated annually (as per
2011 data). In addition, hazardous waste generation is 7.90 million TPA (Tonnes per annum) and
15 lakh tonne is e-waste. 43 million TPA is collected, 11.9 million is treated and 31 million is
dumped in landfill sites. (Ministry of Environment & Forest, 2016)
It is projected that by the year 2031 the MSW generation shall increase to 165 million tonnes
and to 436 million tons by 2050. If cities continue to dump the waste at present rate without
treatment, it will need 1240 hectares of land per year and with projected generation of 165
million tons of waste by 2031, the requirement of setting up of land fill for 20 years of 10 meters
height will require 66,000 hectares of land. (Ministry of Environment & Forest, 2016)
Considering the alarming scenario, continuous efforts are being made to minimize the waste
reaching landfill by the waste management principle of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. As per
information available for 2013-14, compiled by CPCB, municipal authorities have so far only set
up 553 compost & vermi-compost plants, 56 bio-methanation plants, 22 Refuse Derived Fuel
plants and 13 Waste to Energy plants in the country. Remaining of the waste collected is
disposed of indiscriminately at dump yards. (Ministry of Environment & Forest, 2016)
Reusing, which is regarded as the second most preferred waste disposal option, with its
numerous environmental benefits, stand as a viable option to offset the environmental impact
associated with the construction industry as well. When unavoidable waste products like sludge
from industries, water and waste water treatment plants, and dredged sediments are used in
place of other conventional building construction materials, natural resources and energy are
preserved and expensive and/or potentially harmful waste disposal is avoided. Moreover,
disposal of sludge from many of the sources have adverse environmental and health effect.

2
 Moreover, traditionally building materials have been produced from the existing natural
resources and will have intrinsic distinctiveness for damaging the environment due to their
continuous exploitation. Also, during the process of manufacturing aggregates for concrete high
concentration of suspended particulate matter are invariably emitted to the atmosphere and with
rapid increase in construction activities the cost of construction materials is increasing
incrementally.
There have been many researches carried out to explore feasibility of reuse of various types
of sludge in concrete, few of which are reviewed and presented in this report.

3
3. OBJECTIVE OF THE REPORT

This study intends to determine possible and effective reuse of different types of sludge in
concrete and the issues associated with it. This is done to make an environmental friendly and
profitable disposal alternative for “Sludge from Industries, Water and Waste Water Treatment
Plants and Reservoir Sediment” along with exploring alternatives for sustainable building
materials. Possible reasons for variation in diverse parameters like leaching, water cement ratio,
setting time, workability, compressive strength, tensile strength with change in types of sludge
are studied so that the actual performance of such building materials in practical and real life
application can be identified.

Few elaborations also have been incorporated so as to form a comprehensive report, on the
basis of which trial mixes and experimental protocol have been developed for “Utilization of Silt
from Delhi Drains for Paver Blocks”.

4
4. RESERVOIR SEDIMENT IN CONCRETE

Siltation is one of the major problems in water reservoirs as it reduces the basin accumulation
capacity. Regular dredging is required to overcome this problem, which in turn results in the
issue of disposal of the dredged sediment. Since disposal in landfill is an unsustainable method,
feasibility of reuse of dredged sediment are not only explored but has also been put into common
practice. Worldwide reuse of reservoir sediment in construction application is growing and
newer options are being explored in research field as well. (Natalia Junakova, 2015)

In a study conducted by Hwang et al., reservoir sediment has been blended with MSW
incinerator fly ash (that includes cyclone ash and scrubber ash) to manufacture synthetic LWAs
in a rotary kiln. The LWA corresponding to optimum results has been as replacement of coarse
aggregate for production of self-consolidating lightweight concrete (SCLWC). The results
reflected that the fly ash content should not exceed 30%. Specific gravity of the resulting LWA
is found to be between 0.88–1.69 g/cm3 and crushing strength has been as high as 13.43 MPa.
TCLP results of all LWAs have been well within Taiwan’s EPA regulatory requirements if fly
ash content is kept under 30%. SCLWCs produced have excellent workability with no bleeding
or segregation. They have the 28-day compressive strengths between 25 and 55 MPa (Minimum
28-day compressive strength requirement for structural LWC as per ASTM C330 (ASTM -
American Society for Testing and Materials) and ACI 318 is 17.2 MPa). The SCLWCs produced
in this study are found to have good corrosion resistance (based on electrical resistivity and
ultrasonic pulse velocity) and can be classified as good quality. (Chao-Lung Hwang, 2012)

Junakova and Junak have investigated the feasibility of utilization of dredged reservoir
sediments as a replacement of raw material in concrete. Their study includes determination of the
chemical and physical characteristics of the sediment. Since, characteristics are found to be
favourable, research has been carried on partial substitution of natural aggregate in concrete
production. The results illustrate that concrete mixtures with weight ratio 20% to 80% of coarse-
grained sediments as a partial replacement of 0/4 natural aggregate fraction exceeded the
compressive & flexural strengths after 2 & 7 days of curing as compared to control concrete
mixture. The 28 days compressive strength of this mixture slightly decreased (34.44 MPa with
respect to the control concrete composite (38.30 MPa), while 28 days flexural strength of the
mixture (5.41 MPa) was higher than that of control concrete composite (4.93 MPa). Concrete
5
specimens in which the fine-grained sediments have been used as partial of Portland cement in
concrete replacement (40:60 fine sediment/cement by weight) have 28 days compressive
strengths 18.94 MP. It is approx. half than that of control concrete mixture (38.30 MPa). Their
28 days flexural strength has been similar to the control mixture. (Natalia Junakova J. J.)

4.1 AS REPLACEMENT FOR NATURAL AGGREGATE AND CEMENT

(Natalia Junakova J. J., 2015)

Natalia et al. has conducted a study on possible reuse of dredged sediments from the
small water reservoir Klusov (Slovakia) as a substitute to raw material in concrete. It includes the
physical and chemical characteristics of the sediment. Coarse-grained sediments are used to
replace the natural aggregate (fraction 0/4 mm - implies max 4mm) in part, and fine-grained
sediments are used to replace cement partially.

4.1.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF SEDIMENT

Fine grained sediment that is used to replace cement is silt with slight traces of clay and
sand. While, coarse grained sediment is the blend of silt and sand, which is used to partially
replace natural aggregate fraction 0/4 mm.

Table 1. Particle Size Composition (Natalia Junakova J. J., 2015)

6
 Fine grained aggregate has high silica content (68.56%) and because of this its reuse as
partial replacement of cement has been explored. Combining silica and alumina content is as
high as 86.57%.

Table 2. Chemical composition of the sediments (Natalia Junakova J. J., 2015)

4.1.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCED CONCRETE

To find out the optimum proportion of replacement, investigation has been conducted on
four concrete mixtures:

M0 – C 25/30 Grade Concrete Mix as Control, with cement, natural aggregate (0/4 and 4/8 mm)
and water at a solid/liquid ratio of 0.5. No plasticizer is used.

M1 – Fine grained sediment : cement mixture = 40 : 60

M2 – 20 % of 0/4 mm sediment fraction & 80 % natural coarse aggregate (by weight)

M3 – Fine grained sediment : cement mixture = 40 : 60; 20% of 0/4 mm sediment fraction &
80% Natural coarse aggregate (by weight)

7
STRENGTH CHARACTERISTICS

Table 3. Compressive Strengths of Composites after 2, 7, 28, and 365 days of Curing
(Natalia Junakova J. J., 2015)

Concrete mixture with 20% of 0/4 mm sediment fraction & 80% natural coarse aggregate
has similar compressive strength as that of the control concrete mixture, while reduction of
compressive strength in other mixes has been found to be about 35%.

Table 4. Flexural Strengths of Composites after 2, 7, 28, and 365 days of Curing (Natalia
Junakova J. J., 2015)

The flexural strengths of concrete mixture with 20% of 0/4 mm sediment fraction & 80%
natural coarse aggregate are higher than control mixes. Flexural strengths concrete mix with fine
grained sediment : cement mixture = 40 : 60 reduces < 10%. But the reduction in remaining mix
is approx. 23%.

8
4.2 IN MANUFACTURING SYNTHETIC LWA FOR LWAC AND CMU

(Chao-Wei Tang, 2011)

Tang et al. have investigated lightweight aggregates manufactured in rotary kiln using
fine sediment dredged from the Shihmen Reservoir (Taiwan). Suitability of the synthetic LWA
has been explored by comparing their properties with commercially available LWA.
Subsequently, feasibility study for produced LWAC and CMU (concrete masonry units) has
been conducted based on strength characteristics.

(Chao-Wei Tang, 2011)

Figure 1. Appearance of the fine sediment collected from the Shihmen Reservoir

4.2.1 CHARACTERISTICS OF FINE SEDIMENT

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The sediment is classified as inorganic clays of low to medium plasticity i.e. CL. Its
physical attributes are as presented in the table 5:

9
Table 5. Physical Test Results of the Fine Sediments (Chao-Wei Tang, 2011)

CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS

TCLP on dredged silt for Zn, Pb, Cu, Cd, and Cr have been carried out and all values are
well within the standard for hazardous industrial waste, EPA, Taiwan.

Major components of the sediment are displayed as under:

Table 6. Chemical composition of the sediments (Chao-Wei Tang, 2011)

4.2.2 CHARATERISTICS OF PRODUCED LWA

(Chao-Wei Tang, 2011)

Figure 2. Appearance of Sintered Sedimentary LWA

10
 Different types of LWAs have been manufactured using varied heat treatment processes.
The results revealed that the sedimentary LWAs have particle densities in the range between
1010 to 1380 kg/m3, hence meeting the requirements of ASTM C 330 for coarse aggregates with
bulk densities < 880 kg/m3.

The crushing strength of the synthetic LWAs increases as the bulk density increases.
Also, the SA-800 (Synthetic Aggregate with dry loose density in the range of 600-699 kg/m3)
and SA-700 displays better strength than the CA-800 aggregate (Commercial Aggregate with dry
loose density in the range of 800-899 kg/m3), while SA-600 has similar crushing strength as that
of CA-800.

Hence, the synthetic lightweight aggregate manufactured from fine sediment can serve as
a structural aggregate.

Table 7. Crushing Strength of LWA (Chao-Wei Tang, 2011)

Types of LWAs Crushing Strength (Mpa)

SA – 600 a
7.2
SA – 700b 10.0
SA – 800c 13.4
CA – 800d 7.5
(a, b, c indicate use of different heat treatment processes for manufacturing LWAs)

Table 8. Physical properties of sedimentary LWA used in LWAC and CMU (Chao-Wei
Tang, 2011)

11
Following are the reasons to choose:

SA-600 --- As its crushing strength is similar to commercially available LWA.

SA-800 --- As its bulk density is similar to commercially available LWA (while crushing
strength is 78.67% higher than commercially available LWA).

4.2.3 PROPERTIES OF THE LWAC MADE FROM SEDIMENT LWA

6 LWAC mixtures have been tested to find out the viability of manufacturing LWAC
from the reservoir sediment synthetic LWA. Portland cement has been used for the study and no
plasticizer has been added. Fine aggregates with specific density = 2.64 in saturated surface dry
condition, Water absorption = 0.60% and Fineness Modulus = 2.67 have been used. Synthetic
LWA SA-600 and SA-800a, which are composed of two sizes (i.e. 12.5–9.5 and 9.5–4.75 mm)
have been used as coarse aggregate in the proportion 1:1.

Table 9. Engineering Properties of the LWAC (Chao-Wei Tang, 2011)

*40, 55, 75 indicates water/cement percent (i.e. w/c = 0.4, 0.55, 0.75)

The density of the sedimentary LWAC ranges from 1490 to 1566 kg/m3, which is about
29–35% lighter than normal density concrete. This complies with ACI (American Concrete
Institute) 318 for structural lightweight concrete.

12
 The 28-day compressive strength of the sedimentary LWAC ranges from 19.8 to 34.7
MPa, which satisfies the minimum 28-day strength requirement, i.e. 17 MPa as stipulated in ACI
(American Concrete Institute) 318 for structural lightweight concrete.

The 28-day flexural strength of the sedimentary LWAC ranged from 5.3 to 7.2 MPa,
which is satisfactory as per ACI (American Concrete Institute) 318 for structural lightweight
concrete.

4.2.4 PROPERTIES OF THE CMU MADE FROM SEDIMENT LWA

12 CMU mixtures have been tested to find out the viability of manufacturing LWAC from
the reservoir sediment synthetic LWA. Fine aggregates with specific density = 2.61 in saturated
surface dry condition, Water absorption = 1.13% and Fineness Modulus = 2.05 have been used.
The coarse aggregate used are synthetic LWA SA-800b.

Portland cement has been used for the study and for the reduction of production cost;
granulated blast furnace slag has been used as a partial replacement for the cement by mass. The
main test variables and their ranges are listed as follows:

 Filling ratio of the mortar in Vv (Fv): 1.0, 0.85, and 0.70;

 Filling ratio of sand in the mortar (Fm): 15%, and 30%; and
 Cement replacement level by the slag (Sc): 15%, and 30%.

W/C ratio has been fixed at 0.30.

Where, Fv = LWA/ (cement+slag+FA+water), Fm = FA/ (LWA+FA), Sc = slag/ (slag+cement)

The unit weight of CMU have been found out to be in the range 1585 to 1743 kg/m3,
which is 25–30% lower than unit weight of normal weight CMU, i.e., 2300 kg/ m3. 7 CMU
samples fall into the lightweight category as per CNS 8905 (China National Standard) with a
bulk density of < 1680 kg/ m3, while remaining 5 CMU samples with bulk densities of > 1680
kg/ m3 fall into the medium weight category.

13
 28 days compressive strengths of CMU manufactured from sediment fall in to the range
of 8.4 to 15.1 MPa. Thus, they meet the minimum compressive strength requirements (5.88
MPa) as per CNS 8905 for CMU with an air-dry bulk density of < 1900 kg/m3.

Water absorption of CMU manufactured from sediment fall in to the range of 0.05 and
0.13 g/cm3, which is significantly lower than the maximum limit (0.45 g/cm3) as stipulated in
CNS 8905 for CMU with air-dry bulk density of < 1900 kg/m3. Also, for a constant filling ratio
of sand in mortar (Fm) and a fixed cement replacement level by slag (Sc), the value of water
absorption decreases with increasing aggregate content (Fv) in the CMU. The reason assigned is
the decreased porosity in case of a high aggregate content mixture.

14
5. WATER TREATMENT SLUDGE IN CONCRETE

Water treatment sludge (WTS) is generated during the treatment processes of

coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, and filtrations. The sludge volume generation depends
on the quality of raw water and the characteristics of the operational unit. Chemical substances
usually used for water treatment are aluminum salts (Al2 (SO4)3.18H2O), ferric ion salts (such as
FeCl3.6H2O), and ferrous iron salts (such as FeCl2, FeSO4.7H2O) (Fytianos. K., 1998). This
results in sludge rich in iron and/or aluminum, which may be high in concentration and thus can
be toxic for water bodies.

Hence, the disposal of WTS needs careful handling, which is environmentally acceptable.
The salts must be treated prior to their disposal. Aside from these salts, the WTP sludge may also
contain other heavy metals from raw water or from contaminants resulting from the addition of
coagulants (Sotero-Santos, 2007).

So far, predominantly two methods are used to dispose of WTS. One is land-filling and
the other is soil application. Landfill disposal is detrimental as it involves tightening legislation,
space scarcity, and increasing costs (Sanchez-Monedero MA, 2004) (Kim EH, 2005). Despite its
agronomic benefits (used as a liming agent for acidic soil) there are concerns over heavy metal
contents and their possible leaching potential (Singh RP, 2008) (Zang FS, 2002) (Zang FS Y. S.,
2002). Considering this, there are augmenting incentives to develop alternative as well as
economically viable options of reuse and recycling. These alternatives include the use of WTS in
building material and construction. (Chung-Ho Huang, 2013)

A study by Sales et al. has evaluated the feasibility of combining sludge from decanters
and WTPs in Brazil along with saw dust to produce Light Weight composites for concrete. The
concrete produced with cement : sand : composite (as coarse aggregate) : water mass ratios of 1 :
2.5 : 0.67 : 0.6 has the mean axial compressive strength of 11.1 MPa, a specific mass of 1847
kg/m3 and water absorption of 8.8%. The composite has shown good binding to the mortar
matrix as it cracked together with the matrix during the concrete failure when subjected to
compression tests. As per the results, this concrete is suitable for application in light-weight non-
structural elements. (Almir Sales, 2011)

15
 Another study by Alqam et al. has investigated WTP sludge as cement replacement for
production of paving tiles, in which replacement percentage of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%
has been utilized. Produced tiles were tested for water absorption and breaking (bending)
strength. Water absorption ratios for all the proportions have been found out to be 10% (approx.),
while breaking strength requirement of 2.8 MPa has been complied with for all tiles except for
50% sludge replacement. Metal leaching from the finished product has been found to be
negligible. Hence, it has been concluded that up to 40% replacement WTP sludge can be used as
cement replacement for paving tiles. (Maha Alqam, 2011)

5.1 ALUM SLUDGE AS PARTIAL REPLACEMENT OF CEMENT IN

HIGH PERFORMANCE CONCRETE

(Haider Mohammed Owaid, 2013)

Owaid et al. study has investigated the effect of Alum Sludge powder as partial
replacement of Portland cement on the physical and mechanical properties of high performance
concrete (HPC).

5.1.1 ALUM SLUDGE AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS

Alum Sludge obtained from a WTP plant in Malaysia has been used after oven drying
and grounding to meet fineness specifications as stipulated in ASTM C 618-2003. Its specific
gravity is found out to be 2.34 and moisture content as 0.85

16
 (Haider Mohammed Owaid, 2013)

Figure 3. Alum Sludge Oven-dried at 110oC

(Haider Mohammed Owaid, 2013)

Figure 4. Ground Alum Sludge

The main component of the Alum Sludge has been 42.38% SiO2. The total amount of
SiO2, Al2O3, and Fe2O3 has found out to be 82.35%. Although the alum sludge is not a natural
pozzolan, on the basis of its chemical composition, it can be classified as Class N (natural)
pozzolan, which must have combined silica, alumina and iron oxides content of > 70% as
stipulated in ASTM C 618. Hence, it can be used as a pozzolanic material for cement
replacement to produce concrete.

Table 10. Chemical Composition of the Alum Sludge (Haider Mohammed Owaid, 2013)

17
5.1.2 PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE

Investigation has been made with constant water/binder ratio of 0.33, a fixed total binder
content of 483 kg/m3 and superplasticizer at 2% by mass of OPC. The replacement percentages
of the alum sludge by weight of cement have been taken as: 0%, 6%, 9%, 12%, and 15%.

WORKABILITY

There has been no segregation or bleeding observed in the concrete due to alum sludge
replacement in cement. Instead, workability has been enhanced.

Figure 5. Effect of Alum Sludge on Slump (Haider Mohammed Owaid, 2013)

DENSITY

The densities of the samples ranged from 2,403 kg/m3 to 2,349 kg/m3. It decreased with increase
in replacement percentage and thus the lowest density has been reported for 15% Alum Sludge
replacement mixture. It is due to a much lower specific gravity of Alum Sludge than that of

18
cement. There has been 2.5% reduction in density for 15% replacement mix as compared to
control HPC mix.

Figure 6. Effect of Alum Sludge on Density (Haider Mohammed Owaid, 2013)

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

There has been significant improvement in the strength of the HPC in 6% replacement
mix across all ages. The increase has been found out to be 3.4%, 5.5%, and 7% on 3rd, 7th, and
28th day, respectively. But for samples with 9%, 12%, and 15% Alum Sludge there has been
decline in compressive strength with increase in replacement percentage. Part of the reason could
be that the higher percentage of Portland cement (94%) in the 6% replacement mix induced more
hydration reactions than in the 9%, 12%, and 15% Alum Sludge concretes. But for larger
replacement the rate of hydration lowered.

19
Figure 7. Effect of Alum Sludge on Compressive Strength (Haider Mohammed Owaid, 2013)

SPLITTING TENSILE STRENGTH

Results of splitting tensile strength tests have followed the same pattern as that of
compressive strength tests. The average tensile strength has been within the permissible values
and is in accordance with design specifications. Concrete with 6% replacement has greater
splitting tensile strength than the control concrete across all ages. For higher replacement level,
the strength decreases. The ratio of splitting tensile strength to compressive strength at 28 days
has been in the range between 6.7% and 7.2%, which is lower than the results obtained from
normal-strength and medium-strength concrete, which range between about 8% to about 10%.
This result implies that as the compressive strength of concrete increases, the ratio of splitting
tensile strength to compressive strength decreases, which is consistent with the results of other
studies on high strength concrete (Haque and Kayali, 1998; Shannag, 2000).

20
Figure 8. Effect of Alum Sludge on Splitting Tensile Strength (Haider Mohammed Owaid,
2013)

FLEXURAL STRENGTH

28 days flexural strength tests have shown a significant increase in the flexural strength
of the HPC with the 6% replacement mix as compared with the control concrete.

Figure 9. Effect of Alum Sludge on Flexural Strength (Haider Mohammed Owaid, 2013)

21
 As compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength for the concrete
with 6% replacement mix are higher than those of the control sample by 7%, 4% and 4.7%
respectively, the best proportion of Alum Sludge to replace cement is 6%.

22
6. INDUSTRIAL SLUDGE IN CONCRETE

With rapid industrialization comes the concern of indiscriminate disposal of industrial

wastewater. Effluent treatment plant (ETP) sludge from various types of industries has degrading
effect on the environment and it is hazardous to both human and animal life. Due to wide scale
land disposal, large areas of fertile land have become unproductive for agricultural purposes.
Efforts are, therefore, being made throughout the world to effectively recycle these industrial
wastes in eco-friendly construction materials.

In industrial sludge there is wide variation of characteristic depending upon the kind of
industry. Also, pollutant levels are usually higher in such sludge that may have adverse effect on
cement concrete. So investigations are made on numerous kinds of industrial sludge to assess the
feasibility of their reuse in concrete.

Sreehari & Sreelekshmi study has investigated the effective reuse of ETP sludge of
TiO2 pigment generated from Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd. The replacement percentage of
fine aggregate by the ETP sludge of TiO2 have been 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% in M-35
concrete mix. Workability of the mixes has decreased with increment in replacement proportion.
The 5% replacement concrete has 99.14% of compressive strength of ordinary concrete, while
10% and 15% replacement concrete have attained 97.66% and 92.59% of strength of reference
concrete respectively. The flexural and split tensile strength of 5% replaced concrete are less but
almost similar to the ordinary M-35 concrete. According to this study, up to 15% replacement of
ETP sludge can possibly be used in the concrete for achieving the target mean strength as per the
Indian Standard code of mix design. However, 5% of ETP sludge replacement is recommended
as it exhibits similar properties of normal concrete. (Sreehari Raj, 2015)

Ismail & AL-Hashmi has carried out a series of 109 experiments and 586 tests to
investigate the viability of reuse of iron waste resulting from the industrial sector in Iraq. The
waste has been reused as partial sand replacement at 10%, 15%, and 20% in concrete mixture.
Slump has decreased with increase in proportion of the iron waste sludge but all mixes have been
found workable. The reason attributed has been the shape of the waste grains. Both fresh and dry
densities at each curing stage have increased with increase in replacement proportion. The
flexural strengths of waste-iron concrete mixes at all curing periods has increased above the

23
reference concrete mixes with an increasing percentage of waste iron aggregate. The highest 28
days flexural strength has been attained at 20% waste-iron aggregate, which is 27.86% higher
than the reference mix. Compressive strengths have also followed the same pattern of increase
with increase in replacement percentage. For 20% replacement mix, 28 days compressive
strength has been 17.40% higher than the reference mix. These results validate that reuse of iron
waste in concrete is not only a viable option but also adds modified properties to the concrete.
(Zainab Z. Ismail, 2008)

6.1TEXTILE EFFLUENT SLUDGE IN CONCRETE BLOCKS

(Bao Jian Zhan, 2015)

Studies have shown that the levels of pollutants in textile effluent are considerably higher
than the discharge limits stipulated by local regulations (Noorjahan, 2011) (Paul, 2012). Thus,
treatment of the textile effluent before disposal is mandatory in most cases, which leads to large
volume generation of textile effluent sludge.

Zhan & Poon have investigated the feasibility of reutilization of a textile effluent sludge
(TES) with high concentrations of ammonia.

Table 11. Composition of Textile Effluent Sludge (Bao Jian Zhan, 2015)

Considering the high concentration of ammonia (NH4-N) in TES, there has been the
necessity to remove the ammonia salts. Firstly, because ammonia is a strong odor compound and

24
thus poses handling problem. Also, a previous study on reuse of ammonia contaminated fly ash
in cement mortar and concrete has demonstrated that the presence of ammonia can inhibit
cement hydration, thereby lowering the compressive strength (Kim, 2007).

Four different pretreatment processes for the TES have been attempted in order to
alleviate the deleterious effects of TES on the properties of cement-sludge mixtures. Thereafter,
the pretreated sludge was used as a partial replacement of fine aggregate to produce concrete
blocks. The evaluation of the concrete blocks has been conducted in terms of compressive
strength and drying shrinkage with respect to the pretreatment method and percent replacement.

(Bao Jian Zhan, 2015)

Figure 10. NH4-N concentration in sludge pretreated with different methods

6.1.1 CONCRETE AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS

Four series (A, B, C and D) of concrete block mixes corresponding to the four
pretreatment methods have been designed to reuse the sludge of TES. For Series A, Aggregate to
cement ratio (A/C) = 12, for Series B the A/C = 10, for Series C-S the A/C = 6, for Series C-T
the A/C = 10, and for Series D the A/C = 6 have been adopted. The pretreated sludge has been
used to replace the fine aggregate with different mass ratios. The amount of water varied slightly
with the different mixes, and was dependent on the amount of pretreated sludge (because
normally the pre-treated TES has a higher water demand than natural aggregates) used.

25
Table 12. Properties of concrete blocks prepared with TES (Bao Jian Zhan, 2015)

(Notation A-10 indicates TES of series A as 10% replacement)

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH

For the samples in Series A, there has been a significant reduction in compressive
strength after adding the TES into the blocks. Even only 10% of fine aggregate was replaced by
TES (A-10), the 28-day compressive strength was reduced by 70% compared to the reference
samples (A-00). The 7-day compressive strength of the samples with TES replacement in Series
A has not met the minimum requirement of 7 MPa according to BS 6073-1 (British Standards).
The B-05 samples attained a satisfactory compressive strength value after 7 days moist curing (>
7 MPa). However, the 28-day compressive strength of B-10 and B-15 samples have been around
4.4 MPa only. In Series C, the compressive strength value for concrete blocks (C-10S) after 7-
day and 28-day curing is acceptable with an A/C ratio of 6. While 7-day compressive strength of
concrete blocks with an A/C ratio of 10 (C-10T) failed to meet the minimum requirement of 7
MPa.

For the concrete blocks in Series D, the 7 day compressive strength for concrete blocks
D-10 is higher than the minimum of 7 MPa. However, after 28 days curing age, the compressive
strength are reasonable even for 20% replacement of fine aggregate.

26
 (Bao Jian Zhan, 2015)

Figure 11. Comparison of Drying Shrinkage Value of Concrete Blocks from Different
Series

The study indicates that the samples in Series D have the minimum strength loss and
maximum volume stability. Observations of test results show that presence of NH4-N weakens
the mechanical properties of the concrete blocks. Tests for metal leaching in Series D concrete
indicate that toxic trace metals in textile effluent sludge could be stabilized/ solidified and metal
leaching from the concrete blocks is not a concern.

Based on the study, there is feasibility to reuse the textile effluent sludge for producing
non-load bearing concrete blocks with acceptable compressive strength and volume stability
when appropriate pretreatment processes are used.

6.2 DYEING INDUSTRY ETP SLUDGE AS SYNTHETIC SLUDGE

AGGREGATE

(Raghunathan T, 2010)

DIETPS is generated during the primary treatment of textile effluents and is classified as
hazardous waste because it is consisted of dye waste, lime, ferrous sulphate, coagulant aids and
polyelectrolyte, etc., that may leaches in to the ground and storm runoff.

Raghunathan et al. has investigated a new composite made with ordinary Portland cement
and DIETPS. DIETPS used in the research contains 36.85% of chlorides and 20.63% of

27
sulphates. A non-dissolving and economical mix having sufficient strength (as per BIS 3&4) is
obtained in phase I of the research. In phase II, SSA (Synthetic Sludge Aggregate) is obtained by
crushing the composite and this SSA is used as a replacement for sand in different ratios viz. 5%,
10%, 15% and 20% in M20, M30 and M40 concretes. Concrete mix design is done by using the
ACI (American Concrete Association) Committee method, while compressive strength and split
tensile strengths is evaluated as per BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). Only strength aspects are
considered in this study. Environmental, durability, and other engineering attributes have not
been considered in this study.

The compressive strength of the composite bricks with only OPC – DIETPS mixes gave high
strength but cost per brick is quite high and not marketable. The OPC – DIETPS – sand 1:1.7:3
mixes has shown appreciable reduction in strength when compared to OPC – DIETPS mixes, but
the cost per brick is comparable to the cost of other country bricks. Its average 28 days crushing
strength is 7.41 N/mm2, which is equivalent to second class brick as per IS 3495 (part – I) 1976,
hence acceptable. Therefore, the 1:1.7:3 mix composite bricks have been crushed to obtain SSA.

Table 13. Compressive Strengths at 28 days in N/mm2 (Raghunathan T, 2010)

The compressive strength of concrete cubes decreases with increase in percentage

of SSA. This may be due to the presence of chlorides of 36.85% and sulphate of 20.63% in
DIETPS, which are deleterious to concrete. Hence, SSA of 5% may be used in concrete as there
is only mild variation in strength and results for M20 and M30 concrete show increase in
strength as compared to plain concrete.

28
7. CONCLUSION
Through this literature study, the possibility of utilization of various types of sludge as
constituent of concrete is established. This is done to explore environmental friendly and
profitable disposal alternative for “Sludge from Industries, Water and Waste Water Treatment
Plants and Reservoir Sediment in Concrete”.
Possible reasons for variation in diverse parameters like leaching, water cement ratio, setting
time, workability, compressive strength, tensile strength with change in types of sludge are
studied so that the actual performance of such building materials in practical and real life
application can be identified. In few cases, the use of these wastes at an adequate level of
replacement has shown to improve the intrinsic properties of the produced concrete.
To effectively utilize these wastes as aggregate and/or cement replacement either directly or
after pretreatment or as synthetic aggregate in concrete, detailed physical-chemical, engineering,
thermal, mineralogical and morphological properties of these wastes along with their durability
must be evaluated.
The scientific advancement in reusing sludge from various sources will help in conservation
of valuable land fill spaces, conservation of natural resources and energy, thereby reducing
environmental pollution, as well as reduction in construction cost.
On basis of this report, experimental protocol has been developed for “Utilization of Silt
from Delhi Drains for Paver Blocks”.

29
8. REFERENCE

 Almir Sales, F. R. (2011). Mechanical properties of concrete produced with a composite of water
treatment sludge and sawdust. Construction and Building Materials 25, Elsevier Ltd. , 2793–
2798.

 Bao Jian Zhan, C. S. (2015). Study on feasibility of reutilizing textile effluent sludge for producing
concrete blocks. Journal of Cleaner Production 101, Elsevier Ltd. , 174-179.

 Chao-Lung Hwang, L. A.-T.-L.-T. (2012). Manufacture and performance of lightweight aggregate

from municipal solid waste incinerator fly ash and reservoir sediment for self-consolidating
lightweight concrete. Elsevier Ltd , 1159-1166.

 Chao-Wei Tang, H.-J. C.-Y. (2011). Production of synthetic lightweight aggregate using reservoir
sediments for concrete and masonry. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. , 292-300.

 Chung-Ho Huang, S.-Y. W. (2013). Application of water treatment sludge in the manufacturing of
lightweight aggregate. Construction and Building Materials 43, Elsevier Ltd. , 174-183.

 Fytianos. K., V. E. (1998). Modeling of Phosphorus Removal from Aqueous and Wastewater
Samples UsingFerric Iron. Environmental Pollution. 101: 123–30 .

 Haider Mohammed Owaid, R. H. (2013). Physical and Mechanical Properties of High

Performance Concrete with Alum Sludge as Partial Cement Replacement. Jurnal Teknologi
(Sciences & Engineering) 65:2 , 105–112.

 Hoornweg, D. &.-T. (2012). What a waste a global review of solid waste management,
Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www-
wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2012/07/25/000333037_201
20725004131/Rendered/PDF/681350WP0REVIS0at0a0Waste20120Final.pdf .

 Kim EH, J. C. (2005). Digested sewage sludge solidification by converter slag for landfill cover.
Chemosphere 2005;59(3):387–95 .

 Kim, J. C. (2007). Effect of ammonia concentration on the utilization of ACFA (Ammonia

contaminated fly ash) as an additive in mortar and concrete mixture. J. Ind. Eng. Chem. 6 , 932-
938.

30
 Maha Alqam, A. J. (2011). Utilization of Cement Incorporated with Water Treatment Sludge.
Jordan Journal of Civil Engineering, Volume 5, No. 2 , 268-277.

 Ministry of Environment & Forest. (2016). Solid Waste Management Rules Revised After 16
Years; Rules Now Extend to Urban and Industrial Areas: Javadekar. New Delhi: Press Information
Bureau, GoI.

 Natalia Junakova, J. J. (2015). Beneficial Reuse of Reservoir Sediments in Concrete Production.

Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland , 202-206.

 Natalia Junakova, J. J. (2015). Reservoir sediment as a secondary raw material in concrete

production. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg .

 Noorjahan, C. (2011). Physicochemical characterization of untreated textile effluent and its

effects on biochemical constituents of fresh water fish. Tilapia Mossambica. India Streams Res.
J. V , 1-11.

 Paul, S. C. (2012). Studies on characterization of textile industrial waste water in Solapur City.
Int. J. Chem. Sci. 2 , 635-642.

 Raghunathan T, G. P. (2010). Study on Strength of Concrete with ETP Sludge from Dyeing
Industry. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING, Volume 1, No 3 ,
379-389.

 Sanchez-Monedero MA, M. C. (2004). Land application of biosolids. Soil response to different

stabilization degree of the treated organic matter. Waste Manage;24(4):325–32 .

 Singh RP, A. M. (2008). Potential benefits and risks of land application of sewage sludge. Waste
Manage 2008;28(2):347–58 .

 Sotero-Santos, R. B. (2007). Toxicity of Ferric Chloride Sludge to Aquatic Organisms.

Chemosphere. 68: 628–36 .

 Sreehari Raj, S. S. (2015). Study of Concrete by Replacing Fine Aggregate by ETP Sludge of TiO2.
Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications, ISSN: 2248-9622, Vol. 5, Issue 8, (Part - 5) ,
118-122.

31
 UNEP. (2011). Waste: Investing in energy and resource efficiency. In Towards a green
economy:Pathways to sustainable development and poverty eradication. Retrieved from
http://www.unep.org/greeneconomy/Portals/88/documents/ger/ger_final_dec_2011/8.0-WAS-
Waste.pdf.

 Zainab Z. Ismail, E. A.-H. (2008). Reuse of waste iron as a partial replacement of sand in
concrete. Elsevier Ltd., Waste Management 28 , 2048–2053.

 Zang FS, Y. S. (2002). Waste ashes for use in agricultural production:I. Liming effect, contents of
plant nutrients and chemical characteristics of some metals. Sci Total Environ 2002;284(1–
3):215–25.

 Zang FS, Y. S. (2002). Waste ashes for use in agricultural production:II. Contents of minor and
trace metals. Sci Total Environ;286(1–3):111–8.

32