Valorization Of Industrial Ash Waste As Eco-Friendly Binder For Pavement Applications: Experimental Study On Strength And Permeability Properties

Authors

  • Ruben Alexis Autonomous University of Baja California, Baja California, Mexico Author
  • Camacho Huereca Autonomous University of Baja California, Baja California, Mexico Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51903/fd9z5952

Keywords:

Industrial ash waste, Eco-friendly binder, Permeable pavement, Circular economy, Tropical climate

Abstract

As the construction industry faces increasing pressure to reduce its environmental footprint, the use of industrial byproducts as alternative construction materials presents a promising strategy for promoting sustainability. This study investigates the potential valorization of industrial ash waste, particularly fly ash and steel slag, as an eco-friendly binder in permeable pavement applications. The main objective is to engineer a sustainable binder mix that aligns with circular economy principles while maintaining structural and hydraulic performance, particularly in tropical climate conditions. A series of experimental tests was conducted on various ash-based binder formulations to evaluate compressive strength, permeability rate, and durability under simulated tropical environmental exposure. Complementary microstructural analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were also performed to explore the internal bonding characteristics and hydration behavior. The results revealed that specific combinations of fly ash and steel slag achieved compressive strength values comparable to conventional cement-based binders, while exhibiting significantly higher water permeability, an essential feature for stormwater management in urban areas. Moreover, the binder demonstrated good resistance to moisture-induced degradation. These findings suggest that industrial ash waste can be effectively transformed into high-performance, low-impact materials for green infrastructure. This research contributes to both material innovation and sustainable engineering practices, offering a viable solution for environmentally responsible pavement design in developing countries with tropical climates.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abd El-Wahab, H., Meligi, G. A., Hassaan, M. G., & Lin, L. (2020). New water-based flexographic ink based on new ter-polymer nano-particles as eco-friendly binders – Part II. Pigment and Resin Technology, 49(6), 473–482. https://doi.org/10.1108/PRT-12-2019-0111

Afrin, H., Huda, N., & Abbasi, R. (2021). An Overview of Eco-Friendly Alternatives as the Replacement of Cement in Concrete. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 1200(1), 012003. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/1200/1/012003

Apithanyasai, S., Supakata, N., & Papong, S. (2020). The potential of industrial waste: using foundry sand, fly ash, and electric arc furnace slag for geopolymer brick production. Heliyon, 6(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e03697

Barreiro-Gen, M., & Lozano, R. (2020). How circular is the circular economy? Analysing the implementation of circular economy in organisations. Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(8), 3484–3494. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2590

Boscaro, F., Quadranti, E., Wangler, T., Mantellato, S., Reiter, L., & Flatt, R. J. (2022). Eco-Friendly, Set-on-Demand Digital Concrete. 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, 9(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1089/3dp.2020.0350

Carruthers, T., Gonçalves, D. J. P., Li, P., Chanderbali, A. S., Dick, C. W., Fritsch, P. W., Larson, D. A., Soltis, D. E., Soltis, P. S., Weaver, W. N., & Smith, S. A. (2024). Repeated shifts out of tropical climates preceded by whole genome duplication. New Phytologist, 244(6), 2561–2575. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20200

Chen, W., Zheng, M., Gao, Q., Deng, C., Ma, Y., & Ji, G. (2021). Simulation of the effect of permeable pavement on surface runoff control. Water Science and Technology, 83(4), 948–960. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2021.027

Corvellec, H., Stowell, A. F., & Johansson, N. (2022). Critiques of the circular economy. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 26(2), 421–432. https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13187

Ekins, P., Domenech, T., Drummond, P., Bleischwitz, R., Hughes, N., & Lotti, L. (2019). Managing environmental and energy transitions for regions and cities How and Where Background information Managing environmental and energy transitions for regions and cities The OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities on Twitter: @OECD_local Citation.

England, M. R., Polvani, L. M., Sun, L., & Deser, C. (2020). Tropical climate responses to projected Arctic and Antarctic sea-ice loss. Nature Geoscience, 13(4), 275–281. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-020-0546-9

Grafström, J. (2020). Breaking Circular Economy Barriers. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.12383.48809

Harja, M., Buema, G., & Bucur, D. (2022). Recent advances in removal of Congo Red dye by adsorption using an industrial waste. Scientific Reports, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-10093-3

Huang, E., Cao, Y., Duan, X., Yan, Y., Wang, Z., & Jin, C. (2021). Cross-Linked Chitosan as an Eco-Friendly Binder for High-Performance Wood-Based Fiberboard. International Journal of Polymer Science, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8671384

Jaeger-Erben, M., Jensen, C., Hofmann, F., & Zwiers, J. (2021). There is no sustainable circular economy without a circular society. In Resources, Conservation and Recycling (Vol. 168). Elsevier B.V. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105476

Karstensen, K. H., Engelsen, C. J., & Saha, P. K. (2019). Circular economy initiatives in Norway. In Circular Economy: Global Perspective (pp. 299–316). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1052-6_16

Kia, A., Wong, H. S., & Cheeseman, C. R. (2021). High-strength clogging resistant permeable pavement. International Journal of Pavement Engineering, 22(3), 271–282. https://doi.org/10.1080/10298436.2019.1600693

Liu, W., Feng, Q., Chen, W., & Deo, R. C. (2020). Stormwater runoff and pollution retention performances of permeable pavements and the effects of structural factors. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27(24), 30831–30843. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-09220-2

Mies, A., & Gold, S. (2021). Mapping the social dimension of the circular economy. In Journal of Cleaner Production (Vol. 321). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.128960

Mili, M., Hashmi, S. A. R., Ather, M., Hada, V., Markandeya, N., Kamble, S., Mohapatra, M., Rathore, S. K. S., Srivastava, A. K., & Verma, S. (2022). Novel lignin as natural-biodegradable binder for various sectors—A review. In Journal of Applied Polymer Science (Vol. 139, Issue 15). John Wiley and Sons Inc. https://doi.org/10.1002/app.51951

Moure Abelenda, A., Semple, K. T., Lag-Brotons, A. J., Herbert, B. M. J., Aggidis, G., & Aiouache, F. (2021). Effects of Wood Ash-Based Alkaline Treatment on Nitrogen, Carbon, and Phosphorus Availability in Food Waste and Agro-Industrial Waste Digestates. Waste and Biomass Valorization, 12(6), 3355–3370. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-020-01211-1

Rahman, N. M. A., Haw, L. C., & Fazlizan, A. (2021). A literature review of naturally ventilated public hospital wards in tropical climate countries for thermal comfort and energy saving improvements. In Energies (Vol. 14, Issue 2). MDPI. https://doi.org/10.3390/en14020435

Seifeddine, K., Amziane, S., & Toussaint, E. (2022). Experimental investigation of physical characteristics to improve the cooling effect of permeable pavements. https://www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/

Shadabfar, M., Ehsani, M., Khonakdar, H. A., Abdouss, M., & Ameri, T. (2023). Waterborne conductive carbon paste with an eco-friendly binder. Cellulose, 30(3), 1759–1772. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-022-04998-5

Suchek, N., Fernandes, C. I., Kraus, S., Filser, M., & Sjögrén, H. (2021). Innovation and the circular economy: A systematic literature review. Business Strategy and the Environment, 30(8), 3686–3702. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2834

Tambovceva, T. T., Melnyk, L. Hr., Dehtyarova, I. B., & Nikolaev, S. O. (2021). Circular Economy: Tendencies and Development Perspectives. Mechanism of an Economic Regulation, 2021(2), 33–42. https://doi.org/10.21272/mer.2021.92.04

Thuy Nguyen, T. T., Vuong, T. X., Ha Pham, T. T., Hoang, Q. A., Tu, B. M., Nguyen, T. H., & Phuong Nguyen, T. T. (2024). Insight into heavy metal chemical fractions in ash collected from municipal and industrial waste incinerators in northern Vietnam. RSC Advances, 14(23), 16486–16500. https://doi.org/10.1039/d4ra01465k

Tziampou, N., Coupe, S. J., Sañudo-Fontaneda, L. A., Newman, A. P., & Castro-Fresno, D. (2020). Fluid transport within permeable pavement systems: A review of evaporation processes, moisture loss measurement and the current state of knowledge. In Construction and Building Materials (Vol. 243). Elsevier Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.118179

Webster, K. (2021). A Circular Economy Is About the Economy. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 1(1), 115–126. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-021-00034-z

Yu, Z., Gan, H., Xiao, M., Huang, B., Zhu, D. Z., Zhang, Z., Wang, H., Lin, Y., Hou, Y., Peng, S., & Zhang, W. (2021). Performance of permeable pavement systems on stormwater permeability and pollutant removal. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(22), 28571–28584. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-12525-5

Downloads

Published

2025-10-25

Similar Articles

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.