Dynamic Properties of Controlled Low-Strength Materials with Treated Oil Sand Waste

The use of controlled low-strength materials (CLSM) is rapidly expanding in many geotechnical applications as designer backfill, especially foundations subjected to dynamic loading. This paper investigates the effects of incorporating treated oil sand waste (TOSW) in CLSM as a replacement of fly ash and partial replacement of sand on its dynamic properties. Several mixtures of CLSM were prepared with varying contents of cement, fly ash, and TOSW, and their shear wave velocity and geo-mechanical properties were evaluated. The piezoelectric ring actuator (PRA) technique was used for measuring Vs of CLSM and an empirical equation was suggested to estimate shear wave velocity (Vs) based on mixture proportions of CLSM. The results suggest that the shear wave velocity was affected primarily by the cement content, while TOSW had minimal impact on it. However, TOSW improved the flowability of the mixture and could totally replace fly ash for that function. It is concluded that TOSW can be successfully incorporated in CLSM mixtures, offering an application to reduce the landfill disposals of oil sands waste while reducing the demand on natural resources.