Fly Ash Use in Road and Embankment Construction: A Goa Workshop

- Panaji, Goa

Another successful workshop, organized by AsianCAA and hosted by our friends at ALCON (Anil Counto Enterprises) took place in Goa, India during the globally prestigious CoalTrans India conference.

The speaker, Mr. Bill Martin, is an experienced operations, sales and marketing executive with decades of experience in the construction materials industry. Bill’s expertise covers raw materials procurement, supply chain management, new business development and manufacturing operations in cement, masonry and concrete products.

Bill has held positions at the ADAA (Ash Development Association of Australia) and the Concrete Masonry Association of Australia.

A regular at the annual Asian Coal Ash Association’s Coal Ash Asia conferences, Bill and the team at CAS (Coal Ash Solutions) team offer complimentary introductions, translation and business matching to all international guests in attendance.

The Workshop:

Explored in “Fly Ash Use in Road and Embankment Construction” were some of the technical, environmental and operational requirements for achieving maximum benefits from fly ash in road and embankment construction.

In attendance at the workshop were ash managers, construction and engineering firms, government officials including the Department of Transport and the Ministry of Environment. 

The group examined the many benefits of incorporating fly ash and bottom ash into Portland Cement/Concrete. Extensive research and countless highway and bridge construction projects have indisputably proven the following facts about the use of fly ash in construction:
1. Higher ultimate strength

2. Improved workability

3. Lowered costs

4. Reduced bleeding

5. Reduced heat of hydration

6. Reduced permeability

7. Increased sulfate attack resistance

8. Increased resistance to ASR

9. Reduced shrinkage

10. Increased durability.

AsianCAA hosts and organizes multiple workshops and conferences throughout the year. To find out more about our next event, enter your email below and we will send you more information.

India, Institute for Solid Waste Management and Ecological Balance: Fly Ash used in higher performance and energy efficient road construction

Nellore, India - November 29, 2015
Springtime brings flooding to many parts of southern India. Roads made of tar or bitumen are commonly subjected to this flooding, especially near water causeways, as has happened recently between Nellore and Tada. In road construction, cement concrete is superior but is an expensive alternative and therefore cannot be implemented widely. Road construction companies are now experiencing an industry wide change to address this issue. Coal fly ash aggregates are being implemented to improve the quality of roads with increased maneuverability and cost efficiency.

The Institute for Solid Waste Management and Ecological Balance, among other institutes of it’s kind, widely advocate for the utilization of fly ash for road construction. Due to several of its physical and chemical properties, fly ash makes a choice material for road construction. During construction, it settles less than 1%. When properly compacted, fly ash does not exhibit any long-term settlement issues and can be compacted easily while utilizing sufficiently less water than its industry alternatives. With the use of regular construction equipment, it can be mixed with lime to spread along soil providing significant strength unmatched by its competitors.

Its hardening property is useful for road embankment/pavement construction necessary to reduce pressure on retaining walls. When used as filler, expansive properties of soil can be reduced considerably. It stabilizes well with lime and cement, facilitating its use as filler material. The high permeability factor of fly ash eases free drainage during rainfall and afterwards.

Fly ash provides a cost-effective solution, saving approximately 75% of costs. Its use in construction leads to numerous environmental benefits. Notably it helps with the disposal of fly ash, generally viewed as a waste material. And of course, it reduces fossil fuel burning that otherwise would have needed for producing more cement and other road construction materials.