V. Suthagaran1, A. Arulrajah1, M.W. Bo 2 and J. Wilson1
1Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia, 2 DST Consulting Engineers, Ontario, Canada
Biosolids are defined as appropriately treated sewage sludge, which consists of untreated
organic slurry residue derived from wastewater treatment processes. The use of biosolids and
other waste materials in a sustainable manner is currently being investigated in several
countries around the world. This paper reports on results obtained from field investigations to
assess the viability of using biosolids as stabilised fill for road embankments. Field tests were
recently carried out on biosolids stockpiles at the Western Treatment Plant in Victoria,
Australia. The field tests included field vane shear tests, standard penetration tests (SPT) and
dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP) tests. Undisturbed tube samples and disturbed bulk
samples were also collected for future laboratory testing. Geotechnical parameters from the
field test were obtained and compared with the existing local road authority specification for fill
material.
KEY WORDS
Bearing capacity, biosolids, field testing, shear strength.
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