Utilization of reservoir sediments for engineering applications

In this paper, a detailed characterization of Tungabhadra (TB) Reservoir sediment such as physical, chemical, Geotechnical, morphological and mineralogical attribute is brought off for identifying the suitability of dredged sediment as engineering material. Characteristics of sediment is however compared with Indian Standard codes for specific engineering applications. Through this study it is depicted that, sediment obtained from TB dam reservoirs as such, cannot be used for engineering purpose (such as, as a fill material for highway construction, as sand for concreting and plastering and as foundry sand and other applications) these sediments need prior treatment before using them for above mentioned applications. However, it is also be noted that, to enhance the strength properties of sediment, Air-cooled blast-furnace slag (ABS) is used as a stabilizer. On the other hand, ABS is treated as waste material in steel industry. Thus, it is concluded from this study that, TB dam sediment can be used for many engineering applications provided proper screening and stabilization technic is adopted. Thereby, the cost of dredging is converted into profit by selling the TB dam sediments for engineering applications. © 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited: All rights reserved.