Effect of Ground Improvement on Settlement Problems of Lignite Spoil Heaps Using Numerical Modelling

Surface coal mining activities have resulted in the creation of massive spoil heaps worldwide. As the world moves towards clean energy and sustainable development, the valorisation of these spoil heap areas has become essential. However, technical challenges exist due to the nature of spoil material...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of geosynthetics and ground engineering 2024-10, Vol.10 (5), Article 75
Main Authors: Papagiannis, Angelos, Theocharis, Alexandros I., Koukouzas, Nikolaos C., Zevgolis, Ioannis E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Building Materials
Clean energy
Coal mining
Deformation effects
Deformation mechanisms
Engineering
Environmental Science and Engineering
Fly ash
Foundations
Geoengineering
Hydraulics
Lignite
Numerical models
Original Paper
Settling
Soil improvement
Soil investigations
Soil settlement
Stone columns
Sustainable development
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Summary:Surface coal mining activities have resulted in the creation of massive spoil heaps worldwide. As the world moves towards clean energy and sustainable development, the valorisation of these spoil heap areas has become essential. However, technical challenges exist due to the nature of spoil material. This work approaches geotechnical issues in the valorisation procedure of coal and lignite spoil heaps by analysing the effect of ground improvement methods. The performance of three ground improvement methods, dynamic compaction (DC), stone columns (SC), and deep mixing with fly ash (DM), is assessed in terms of settlement reduction (β), com-paring settlements due to an embankment with and without the application of these methods. Overall, ground improvement is a solid possibility to improve the chances of efficient spoil heap valorisation. The results indicate that SC and DM exhibit substantial settlement reduction, with a predicted reduction of approximately 60%. In contrast, DC demonstrates a less significant effect with an approximate reduction of 40%. The deformation mechanisms of soil improvement methods are investigated, including mainly bulging, punching and block punching mechanisms. The findings highlight the effectiveness of ground improvement methods in reducing settlements and provide valuable insights for designing and implementing infrastructure on spoil heaps.
ISSN:2199-9260
2199-9279
DOI:10.1007/s40891-024-00586-8