TY - JOUR
T1 - Influence of feedstock type and particle size on efficiency of biochar in improving tensile crack resistance and shear strength in lean clayey soil
AU - Kumar, Himanshu
AU - Huang, Shan
AU - Mei, Guoxiong
AU - Garg, Ankit
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
PY - 2021/4
Y1 - 2021/4
N2 - The development of tensile stress can cause desiccation cracks, further increasing infiltration and inducing instability in green infrastructure (slopes and landfill liners). Recent research has promoted the use of biochar (i.e., stable carbon with a life period of more than 500 years) as an eco-friendly material that can provide simultaneous benefits in reducing tensile stresses and crack development, aiming to enhance landfill cover longevity. However, there is a lack of guidelines and criteria for selecting biochar (feedstock type and particle size) as landfill cover material. This study aims to investigate the effects of biochar particle size and feedstock type on cracking of soil. Two contrasting feedstock types (i.e., pig manure-based and wood-based) have been selected for amendment on lean clay soil. Laboratory experiments were conducted to monitor the cracks. The results show that wood biochar (WB) is more efficient in crack reduction than pig manure biochar (PMB). Moreover, it has been observed that fine-grained biochar is more suspectable to cracks formation regardless of biochar type. The cohesion and internal friction angle of biochar are dependent on the surface morphology of biochar. WB has more angularity and sharp edges, which can increase interlocking in soil, thereby enhancing shear resistance and, hence, soil stability. The comprehensive study can help narrow down the selectivity of biochar and its specifications to mitigate cracks and enhance the strength of landfill cover.
AB - The development of tensile stress can cause desiccation cracks, further increasing infiltration and inducing instability in green infrastructure (slopes and landfill liners). Recent research has promoted the use of biochar (i.e., stable carbon with a life period of more than 500 years) as an eco-friendly material that can provide simultaneous benefits in reducing tensile stresses and crack development, aiming to enhance landfill cover longevity. However, there is a lack of guidelines and criteria for selecting biochar (feedstock type and particle size) as landfill cover material. This study aims to investigate the effects of biochar particle size and feedstock type on cracking of soil. Two contrasting feedstock types (i.e., pig manure-based and wood-based) have been selected for amendment on lean clay soil. Laboratory experiments were conducted to monitor the cracks. The results show that wood biochar (WB) is more efficient in crack reduction than pig manure biochar (PMB). Moreover, it has been observed that fine-grained biochar is more suspectable to cracks formation regardless of biochar type. The cohesion and internal friction angle of biochar are dependent on the surface morphology of biochar. WB has more angularity and sharp edges, which can increase interlocking in soil, thereby enhancing shear resistance and, hence, soil stability. The comprehensive study can help narrow down the selectivity of biochar and its specifications to mitigate cracks and enhance the strength of landfill cover.
KW - biochar
KW - particle size
KW - soil crack
KW - Tensile stress
KW - water retention
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100563341&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1056789521991194
DO - 10.1177/1056789521991194
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85100563341
SN - 1056-7895
VL - 30
SP - 646
EP - 661
JO - International Journal of Damage Mechanics
JF - International Journal of Damage Mechanics
IS - 4
ER -