Title:
Valorization of Harbour Dredging Sediments as Supplementary Cementitious Materials
Author(s):
Manassée Foksou Tchilia, Victor Brial and Claudiane Ouellet-Plamondon
Publication:
Symposium Paper
Volume:
362
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
507-519
Keywords:
activated clays, alternative supplementary cementitious materials, reactivity, sediment
DOI:
10.14359/51741007
Date:
6/14/2024
Abstract:
Dredging of ports and waterways generates large quantities of sediments with limited applications that need to be disposed of. In the ports of Quebec, Canada, 450,000 m3 of sediments are dredged annually. The study focuses on the valorization of clay-rich port dredging sediments as a sustainable solution for the development of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM), which represents a significant environmental and economic solution. The research first characterized the sediments to better understand their physical and chemical composition. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) was used to determine the chemical composition and laser diffraction granulometry was used to determine the particle size distribution (PSD). The reactivity of the raw and calcined sediments was evaluated. Isothermal calorimetry on R3 paste and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to evaluate the reactivity of the sediments. A replacement rate of 20% of cement by sediments was used in the tested mixture. The mechanical performances were evaluated at 1, 7, 28, and 112 days. The conclusions of this study are promising as they suggest that port dredging sediments, which are often considered waste, could be valorized as a sustainable and environmentally friendly construction material. This approach could contribute to the sustainable management of port dredging sediments while offering an economic and ecological solution for the construction industry.