Abstract:
The slag and waste tires are among the major wastes associated with the mining and automobile sectors, respectively. The disposal of such large quantities of waste requires immediate attention. This manuscript focusses on the application of copper slag under unreinforced and reinforced conditions as a load-bearing filling material in shallow foundations. For this purpose, model footing tests were conducted on copper slag under central and eccentric-inclined loading. The locally available sand was used as a reference. The parameters studied included the placement density, type of loading, tire chip content, and depth of reinforced zone. The pressure settlement behaviour of the copper slag was superior to local sand under central vertical as well as under eccentric inclined loading conditions. Quantitively, the bearing capacity increased by up to 21 times, when compared to the locally available sand. Furthermore, when mixed with tire chips, the bearing capacity of the copper slag increased by up to 1.41 times to that of the unreinforced case. The leaching potential of the copper slag was evaluated using toxicity characteristic leaching procedure tests. It was observed that the concentrations of the leached elements were well below the regulatory limits prescribed by the US, EPA. Henceforth, it can be concluded that the use of copper slag as a load-bearing filling material not only prevents the disposal of this waste into valuable land but also works as a sustainable alternative to prevalent ground improvement methods.