2011 World of Coal Ash (WOCA) Conference May 9-12, 2011in Denver, CO, USA

http://www.flyash.info/

Hardening Characteristics of Controlled Low

Strength Material Made of Coal Ash
Juhyong Kim 1, Samdeok Cho 1 Jinyoung Kong 2, Hyuksang Jung 2,
Byungsik Chun 2
1

Korea Institute of Construction Technology, Earth Structure & Foundation Engineering

Research Division, Daehwa-Dong, Ilsanseo-Gu, Goyang-Si, Geyeonggi, 411-712,
Republic of Korea; 2 Hanyang University, Dept of Civil and Geoenvironmental Eng., 17
Haengdang-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea;
ABSTRACT
Unconfined compressive strength tests were performed to evaluate hardening
characteristics of Controlled Low Strength Material (CLSM) made of coal ashes. It was
found that, if the mixing ratio is same, the lower the water content of CLSM is, the more
the unconfined compressive strength increases, and it was confirmed that such a
phenomenon apparently appears during first three days. Also, in the result of analyzing
characteristics of CLSM of different mixing ratios through a dynamic cone penetration
test carried out by constructing a small scale model ground using the most costeffective cement adding ratio, it showed that the time it took the strength to reach the
500 kPa (penetration rate 2.0 cm/blow) target of unconfined compressive strength was
about 10 days and the hardening speed rapidly decreased after 10 days irrespective of
the mixing ratio.
KEYWORDS: controlled low strength materials(CLSM), coal ash, dynamic cone
penetration test , unconfined compressive strength

1. OUTLINE
While coal ash discharged by thermoelectric power plants is recycled and used for
various purposes in US and Europe, coal ash still has not been spared from being
recognized as waste in Korea. Though coal ash is recycled by developing very limited
applications such as cement admixture, fertilizer, embanking and reclaiming material,
light aggregate, etc. also in Korea recently, the situation is that the recycling rate of coal
ash falls behind the increase in coal ash production. Accordingly, it is desperately
needed to develop diverse construction materials which can consume coal ashes in a
large scale. In this study, the hardening characteristics of Controlled Low Strength
Materials (CLSM) of different mixing ratios were analyzed. CLSM can be placed in the
state of slurry at the initial period of mixing as it is highly fluidic being made of coal
ashes with cement and water added and is gradually hardened to reach a strength
which does not require any compaction after a certain period of time.
2. CHARACTERISTICS OF POND ASH
The coal ash produced by domestic thermoelectric power plants are largely divided into
bottom ash which fall down to the bottom of the boiler during combustion of coal and fly
ash which is fine powder ash collected by the dust collector as the diameter is smaller
than that of bottom ash. The coal ash produced in Korea is about 6 million tons annually
and, though 58 % of this is recycled, remaining 42 % is buried. Among coal ash
production, some 75 to 80 % of the total is fly ash and a considerable part of it is
recycled as concrete admixture material or fertilizer material due to its chemical/physical
characteristics of being aluminosilicate-based spherical particle with pozzolan reactivity.
Bottom ash covers some 10 % of the total coal ash production and though some part of
it is used for brick or as light aggregate, most of it is buried in ash landfills.
Table 1. Main Chemical Ingredients of Bottom Ash and Fly Ash
Type

Specific
Gravity

Bottom Ash 1.84

Fly Ash
2.23

SiO2
50.6
52.8

Fe2O3
11.5
9.28

Chemical Ingredient (%)

K2O MgO Al2O3 CaO
1.75 0.85 24.7 5.91
2.33 1.17 22.7 7.43

TiO2
1.72
1.55

Na2O
0.37
0.57

Table 1 shows the specific gravities and chemical ingredients of bottom ashes and fly
ashes collected from coal ash landfill of Power Plant. First, it showed that the specific
gravity of bottom ashes of which the particle size is comparatively big is smaller than
that of fly ashes of which the particle size is comparatively small, and that 75 % or more
of the chemical ingredients of coal ash is consisted of SiO2 and Al2O3. Though it is
desirable to use pond ash in ash landfills as it is for large scale recycling of coal ashes,
it is known that the physical/chemical characteristics of pond ash are different
depending on the types of coal used for power generation and the time when the coal

ash was disposed of in ponds. Figure 1 and Figure 2 show the locations of coal ash
landfills where standard penetration tests were carried out and the results of the tests,
and Figure 3 shows the particle size distribution of the specimen collected from these
locations.

Figure 1. Locations of Investigation

Figure 2. Result of Standard

Penetration Test

Figure 2 showed that most of the N values which are the results of the standard
penetration tests of coal ash landfill are 10 or lower showing a very loose condition.
Though it is difficult to classify fly ashes and bottom ashes based on particle diameter,
in the result of analyzing particle sizes of two materials by separately collecting bottom
ashes and fly ashes at the coal ash generation stage as shown in Figure 3, the particle
size boundary of two materials was judged to be about 0.25 mm, and the result of
classifying bottom ashes and fly ashes based on this was shown in Table 2. Table 2
showed that the mixing ratios of bottom ashes and fly ashes are different depending on
the location and layer where they are buried, and, while the percentage of bottom ashes
was higher at the top layer of area No. 1, the percentage of fly ashes was shown to be
higher at the areas No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4. Also, the mixing percentage of fly ashes was
shown to be higher than that of bottom ashes in the sample collected from the lower
landfill, which is thought to be the result of recent increase in recycled rate of fly ashes.
Like this, it appeared to be very difficult to use coal ashes of uniform quality as the
reclamation ratios of fly ashes and bottom ashes are different depending on the location
and depth of the coal ashes buried.

Figure 3. Particle size distribution of Specimen Collected (No. 1)

Table 2. Bottom Ash/Fly Ash Ratio by Location (%)
Depth (m) No.1
No.2
No.3
No.4
1
68/32
27/73
15/85
49/51
2
72/28
43/56
17/83
14/86
3
55/45
28/72
9/91
24/76
4
40/60
40/60
12/88
13/87
5
31/69
31/69
12/88
3/97
6
17/83
17/83
11/89
10/90
7
25/75
16/84
2/98
8
6/94
16/84
1/99
9
68/32
4/96
5/95
10
0/100
5/95
0/100
11.5
7/93
Considering the reality where bottom ash and fly ash which have different engineering
properties are buried in ash landfills without being separately distinguished, only the
pond ash which has passed through sieve no. 4 (mesh size 4.75 mm) was used in place
of fine aggregate. That is to say, pond ash was considered to be fine aggregate as,
while fly ash has self-hardening property, in case of pond ash, no self-hardening
property was shown in the result of preliminary test. The particle size distribution curve
of the coal ashes used for this study is as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4. Particle size distribution of coal ashes

3. LABORATORY TEST
3.1 Strength criteria of CLSM
The result of site investigation showed different particle size distributions depending on
the time when the coal ashes were discharged and the location where they were buried,
in case coal ashes are used as reclamation material or filler. Also, as shown in the
result of standard penetration test in Figure 2, in case that using pond ash as they was
buried, there is a problem that the ground should be reinforced or deep foundation
should be used when constructing a structure on top of it as the ground is very loose.
Accordingly, in order to develop reclamation material or filler using coal ashes, it is
required to grasp accurate flow (ASTM, 2004) and strength characteristic (ASTM, 2002)
of the pond ash. The existing CLSM is getting the required unconfined compressive
strength by adjusting addition of cement using sand as the main material. CLSM should
have an unconfined compressive strength of the extent which allows re-excavation by
man or machine, for which each organization is presenting a different standard. For
example, ACI (1994) defines CLSM as a material with unconfined compressive strength
of 2,068 kPa (300 psi) or lower, and ASTM (2002) proposes the scope of unconfined
compressive strength of CLSM as 345 kPa (50 psi) when excavation is done by man
and 1,380 kPa (200 psi) when excavation is done by machine, and TRB (2008) defines
it as 350 to 1,000 kPa (51 to 145 psi). Also, in oder to secure self-levelling property and
smooth liquidity of CLSM, ACI (1994) and TRB (2008) specify that the flow value should
be minimum 20 cm ( 8 in).
3.2 Result of unconfined compression test
Unconfined compression test of CLSM mainly made of coal ashes was carried out in
accordance with ASTM D 4832 and the test piece specimen was produced in the same
mixing rate used for the flow test. Among conditions of mixture, judgment was made

that the cement content should exceed at least 1.4 % as, if the cement content is 1.4 %,
the test piece specimen could not maintain its shape during underwater curing
irrespective of the mixing ratio of pond ash and fly ashes. Also, even in case the cement
content is 3.0 to 3.2 %, unconfined compressive strength test was impossible when the
fly ash and pond ash consisted 100 % and the mixing ratio of pond ash and fly ash was
30 to 70 because the test piece specimen also scattered during underwater curing. The
result of the unconfined compression test showed that a certain quantity of fly ash
should be mixed as, if 100 % pond ash was used, the material not only fails to satisfy
the flow value which represents self-levelling property but also the unconfined
compressive strength itself was very low.

(a) UCS by cement content

(b)UCS by water content

Figure 5. Changes in unconfined compressive strength (28 Day Strength)

In Figure 5, the results of 28 day unconfined compressive strength test of the CLSM test
piece specimen manufactured in accordance with coal ash mixing ratio of diverse
conditions tested are shown for different cement contents and water contents. Figure
6(a) showed that the 28 day unconfined compressive strength increases almost in direct
proportion to increase in the cement content and unconfined compressive strength very
sensitively reacts to water content and shows a tendency of decrease as water content
increases in Figure 5(b). To make optimal mixture of CLSM using coal ashes, a mixing
ratio should be selected so as to satisfy minimum flow value which represents selflevelling property and achieve the target strength by adding minimum quantity of
cement.
3.3 Increase Rate of Strength following Lapse of Time
For CLSM, what is important is not only to have self-levelling property and target
strength but also at what rate the strength increases as time passes. Figure 6 shows the
increase rate of unconfined compressive strength of CLSM normalized as 28 day
unconfined compressive strength of test piece specimen of each mixing ratio following
lapse of time. First, in case of 31 % water content, the unconfined compressive strength
measured after 3 days was 28 to 60 % of the 28 day strength, and the unconfined
compressive strength measured after 7 days was 44 to 81 % of the 28 day strength

which shows that about 50 % of the strength measured after 28 days was displayed in
about a week. In case of 32.5 % water content, the unconfined compressive strength
measured after 3 days was 26 to 60 % of the 28 day strength and the unconfined
compressive strength measured after 7 days was 50 to 85 % of the 28 day strength. In
case of 34 % water content too, the unconfined compressive strength measured after 3
days was 23 to 65 % of the 28 day strength, and the unconfined compressive strength
measured after 7 days was 39 to 87 % of the 28 day strength. Though there is a little
difference depending on the mixing ratio, the lower the cement content is, the larger the
ratio of 3 day unconfined compressive strength and 7 day unconfined compressive
strength appears. This confirms that, while, in the case the cement content is
comparatively low, hardening phenomenon takes place at the initial stage, in the case
the cement content is comparatively high, hardening phenomenon gradually takes place
as time goes by.

(a) 31 % Water Content

(b) 32.5 % Water Content

(c) 34 % Water Content

Figure 6. Increase rate of unconfined compressive strength by elapsed time
4. Small Scale Model Test
In order to carry out a small scale model test, a model ground was constructed by
mixing materials using a mixing and pumping device of 1 m3 size as shown in Figure 7

and placing the mixed CLSM into a rubber cylinder of height 94 cm x diameter of the
bottom 76 cm x diameter of upper part 100 cm in the shape as shown in Figure 8. In
order to evaluate the strength increase rate of the constructed ground by time, the
strength increase aspect of the ground was analyzed by testing penetration resistance
using a Dynamic Cone Penetration Tester.

Figure 7. Mixing Device

Figure 8. Construction of Ground

Also, in order to indirectly evaluate the result of dynamic cone penetration test carried
out for the model ground constructed in the small scale model test in unconfined
compressive strength, a small test piece specimen of 400 mm 500 mm size and a
test piece specimen of 100 mm 200 mm size were built and used for dynamic cone
penetration test and unconfined compression test respectively. Figure 9 shows the
relation between unconfined compressive strength and cone penetration rate (mm/blow),
from which we can see that there is a certain relation between the results of two tests.
Especially, the minimum unconfined compressive strength of CLSM of 500 kPa as
targeted in this study, can be converted to cone penetration rate of about 20 mm/blow,
the unconfined compressive strength of 100 kPa which is the standard for sandy soil of
soft layer can be converted to cone penetration rate of about 50 mm/blow and the
unconfined compressive strength of 50 kPa which is the standard for cohesive soil of
soft layer can be converted to cone penetration rate of about 73 mm/blow.

Figure 9. Relation between cone penetration rate & unconfined compressive strength

Figure 10. Result of dynamic cone penetration test carried out in small scale model test
Figure 10 shows the result by time of dynamic cone penetration test carried out for the
ground in the small scale model test. In the small scale model test, the strength of the
constructed ground was evaluated adjusting cement content and water content around
mixing ratio of pond ash and fly ash of 70 to 30 with 3.1 % cement content which has
been judged to be most cost effective among various mixing ratio of coal ashes, cement

and water evaluated in the previous laboratory test. Though, grounds of all conditions
have very low strengths until 24 hour period passes after construction to the extent cone
penetration rate cannot be measured as the weight of the cone makes it penetrate the
material, we can see the aspect of the mixture strength increasing as time goes by due
to occurrence of pozzolan reaction. In the result of small scale model test, it could be
also confirmed that the ground becomes harder as water content decreases which
makes the cone penetration to decrease, if the mixing ratios are same, and it could be
clearly checked that, the higher the cement content is, the more the cone penetration
rate decreases, if the water contents are same. Especially, it showed that the strength
of ground does not increase much even after leaving it for a long period of time, if the
cement content is 0 %, as it showed cone penetration rate of 27.7 cm/blow when being
blown once after 60 days. Especially, in the state of 3.2 % cement content and 31 %
water content which was determined to be the optimal mixing ratio in the laboratory test
for which controlled low strength soil is used, it showed that the time it took to reach 50
kPa (cone penetration rate 7.2 cm/blow) which is the standard for cohesive soil of soft
ground was about 4 days and the time it took to reach the target strength of 500 kPa
(cone penetration rate 2.0 cm/blow) was about 10 days. The result of small scale model
test showed that the magnitude of hardening reaction rapidly decreased after 10 days.
Also, when we look into the result of dynamic cone penetration test of the model ground
with 1.4 % cement content where unconfined compression test could not be carried out
as the test piece specimen scattered during underwater curing when manufacturing the
test piece specimen in the laboratory test performed previously, it was judged that the
target unconfined compressive strength could be achieved even when the cement
content is minimized if the construction period is sufficiently long such as a landfill
construction as it showed that the time it took to reach the target unconfined
compressive strength of 500 kPa was 60 days which is 6 times of that of ground with
3.2 % cement content.
5. CONCLUSION
In this study, in order to develop CLSM of which the main material is pond ash, its
characteristics for different mixing ratios of pond/coal ash, cement and water through
laboratory test and small scale model test were analyzed;
1) In the result of analyzing the hardening times of CLSM with different cement contents
based on the result of laboratory unconfined compression test, we confirmed that, the
lower the water content is, the more the daily unconfined compressive strength
increases, if the mixing ratios are same, and that such a phenomenon appears clearly
especially during the first 3 days.
2) In the result of analyzing the characteristics of CLSM of different mixing ratios
through dynamic cone penetration test using a small scale model ground, it showed that
the time it took the strength to reach 50 kPa (cone penetration rate 7.2 cm/blow) which
is the standard for cohesive soil of soft ground in the state of 70:30 mixing ratio of pond
ash and fly ash, 3.2 % cement content and 31 % water content was about 4 days and
the time it took to reach the target strength of 500 kPa (cone penetration rate 2.0

cm/blow) was about 10 days. Also, in the result of small scale model test, it showed that
the hardening speed rapidly decreased after 10 days irrespective of the mixing ratio.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was supported by the Power Generation & Electricity Delivery of the Korea
Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning(KETEP) grant funded by the
Korea government Ministry of Knowledge Economy.
(No. 20091020100060, Manufacturing Process Development for Lightweight Flowable
Fills Using Coal Ash )
REFERENCES
[1] ACI, Controlled Low Strength Materials (CLSM), American Concrete Institute, 229R2. 1994, pp.1-12.
[2] ASTM, Standard Test Method for Preparation and Testing of Controlled Low
Strength Material (CLSM) Test Cylinders, ASTM D 4832, American Society for Testing
Materials, 2002 .
[3] ASTM, Standard Test Method for Flow Consistency of Controlled Low Strength
Material (CLSM), ASTM D 6103, American Society for Testing Materials, 2004.
[4] TRB, Development of a Recommended Practice for Use of Controlled Low-Strength
Material in Highway Construction, NCHRP Report 597, U.S. Transportation Research
Board, 2008, pp.3-59.