Unconfined Compressive Strength of Municipal Solid Waste Incineration Bottom Ashes

The prospects for the beneficial use of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash mainly lie in the field of road construction, as a substitute for the traditional filling materials. Nevertheless, the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) characteristics of MSWI bottom ashes are still little known, that are particularly essential to the roadway stability. The main purpose of this paper is to study the UCS and its affected factors of MSWI bottom ashes. A large experimental campaign of unconfined compression tests is presented to describe the UCS characteristics of MSWI bottom ashes. The UCS and initial elastic modulus of MSWI bottom ashes increase with the curing age. There are linear relations between the UCS and initial elastic modulus. In addition, the wave velocity of compacted samples is measured, and the relations of the UCS and initial elastic modulus to the ultrasonic wave velocity are presented.