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Upcycling of wastes for sustainable controlled low-strength material: A review on strength and excavatability

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Abstract

In recent decades, the use of controlled low-strength material (CLSM) in densely populated cities has increased. CLSM is designed for future excavation with great fluidity, appropriate early strength, and low final strength. CLSM mixtures exhibit variable strength properties and performance due to the distinctive features of wastes (i.e., combustion residues, industry slags, and construction and other solid wastes) produced from various sources. CLSM should increase early strength quickly enough to allow traffic to resume within a few hours while maintaining a low strength for future re-excavation. It is suggested that the initial mixture design for each waste reported in the literature be changed until the combination meets the application standards defined in ACI 229R-13. The effects of adjusting other ingredients (i.e., cement, water, and admixtures) in the wastes incorporated into CLSM mixtures on the strength and re-excavatability properties are also detailed and discussed in this review. From practical and economic perspectives, the supply of materials in the waste streams, transport distance, and material properties and cost are important aspects to consider before their introduction to the construction industry.

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Funding

This study is financially supported by the NSFC International (Regional) Cooperation and Exchange Program (5191101169).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China

    Senthil Kumar Kaliyavaradhan & Tung-Chai Ling

  2. CSIR-Structural Engineering Research Centre, Taramani, Chennai, 600113, Tamil Nadu, India

    Senthil Kumar Kaliyavaradhan

  3. College of Mechanics and Materials, Hohai University, Nanjing, 210098, China

    Ming-Zhi Guo

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  1. Senthil Kumar Kaliyavaradhan
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SKK collected and analyzed the literature and was a major contributor in writing the original manuscript. TCL conceptualized and supervised the review and editing of the manuscript. MZG reviewed and edited the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Tung-Chai Ling.

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Kaliyavaradhan, S.K., Ling, TC. & Guo, MZ. Upcycling of wastes for sustainable controlled low-strength material: A review on strength and excavatability. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 16799–16816 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-18511-9

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