Abstract

In many countries, recycling coal ashes as backfill materials for subsided lands, abandoned mine tunnels, and road pipeline constructions by making low-strength concretes with minimal amounts of cement is frequently considered for massive treatment of coal ashes. This study investigates the variation of heavy metals in the concrete test pieces prepared for the cases of using only Portland cement as binding material, fly ash as a replacement of the cement, sand as aggregates, and disposed ashes in the ash ponds as a replacement of aggregates. Heavy metal contents were measured based on the aqua regia extraction technique following the Korean Standard for Fair Testing of Soil Contamination and the influences of each materials on the total heavy metal contents were also assessed. Results show that the cement has the highest Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations than any other materials. Therefore, the test pieces show significant concentration decreases for those metals when the cement was replaced by fly ash. Ponded ash shows low concentrations relative to fly ash in most of the parameters but shows higher Cu and Ni, and lower Pb levels than the sand aggregate. In overall, heavy metal levels of the test pieces are regulated by mixing among the used materials. Test pieces prepared during this study always show concentrations much lower than the Worrisome Level of Soil Contamination (Area 1), which was designated by the Soil Environment Conservation Act of Korea.

Keywords low strength concrete, backfill, heavy metals, coal ashes, ponded ashed, cement