A Study on Application of Pickling Sludge in Pavements Tiles

Abstract

Spent pickling liquor disposal is not safe according to US K062 the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Hazardous Waste (Management &Handling) Rule, 1989. In the normal practice pickling sludge is being disposed off on both sides of roads and railway tracks to fill low-lying areas. This may cause a severe problem of ground water contamination. In the present study, an attempt has been made to examine the potential of utilizing Solidification and stabilization (S/S) pickling sludge in pavement tiles as a substitute to cement to avoid disposal problem. The results of this work showed that the compressive strength of pavement tiles increases by replacing cement with pickling sludge up to 10%. As per US EPA TCLP test, heavy metal (Fe, Cr, and Ni) concentrations are below detectable limit in the leachate of pavement tiles at 28 days of curing. Thus, sludge-cement pavement tiles can be safely used on the footpath. Reusing pickling sludge as the raw materials of the pavement will not only solve the disposal problem, but also decrease the producing cost of pavement.