Ingenieur Vol.82 April-June2020 | Page 69

Source: https://www.devalt.org/newsletter/sep19/lead.htm Figure 3: Taisei Soil System RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOTTOM ASH USAGE IN MALAYSIA A detailed physical and chemical analysis of BA would enable the material to be better understood and widen its applications in various industries in the country. Among the potential mass BA applications are: - ● As a component in the production of cement since the BA material is rich in silica, iron oxide, calcium oxide and alumina. ● In the production of bricks, ready-mixed concrete products or factory-fresh mortars. BA is non-flammable and safe for use as a building material. ● Applied in numerous road works such as in landfills, backfills, soil improvements, trench fillings and base setting. BA can be delivered loose or in bags depending on the storage capacity on site while reducing the storage, space and logistics issue. ● Applications in gardens and lawns should be encouraged as a soil additive to improve the crumb structure of soil, enhance the compost and horticulture of the soil. BA could be used without any additional process or sorting because it does not contain any germinal seeds and regenerative plant parts. It has a potential application in horticulture as an alternative substrate when mixed with coir dust. ● As it is an open-pored mineral, it has good water storage capacity and reduces the drying of the vegetation and enhances the growth. BA has good environmental properties with trace element quantities similar to natural soil. ● The presence of calcium in BA increases the electrical conductivity of the substrate, improves soil texture, cation exchange capacity (CEC), drainage conditions, organic matter level, salinity, and subsoil characteristics. ● BA has a high content of aluminium and calcium oxides, which is suitable for wastewater treatment application as a coagulant and flocculants. 67