Beneficial properties of coal ashes and effective solid waste management

Abstract

Large quantities of coal ashes are being produced by coal fired thermal power plants all over the world. Because of some of their inherent properties, the coal ashes are proving to be potential hazardous materials causing environmental pollution. The need of the day is to have practical engineering applications which involve the safe disposal of such so considered hazardous materials. Coal ashes have been shown to have advantageous properties such as low specific gravity, lower compressibility, higher rate of consolidation, high strength, high California Bearing Ratio, high volume stability, water insensitiveness to compaction, and pozzolanic reactivity. Coal ashes can be used as better alternative materials of construction in addition to their bulk use in the field of Geotechnical Engineering. Geotechnical Engineering Practice helps in the safe and effective disposal of coal ashes in bulk in a more ecofriendly way.