Use of Incinerator Bottom Ash as a Recycled Aggregate in Contact with Nonwoven Geotextiles: Evaluation of Mechanical Damage Upon Installation

Abstract

The recycling and reuse of materials is crucial to reducing the amount of generated waste and the exploitation of natural resources, contributing to achieving environmental sustainability. During the incineration process of municipal solid waste, a residue known as incinerator bottom ash is generated in considerable amounts, being important the development of solutions for its valorization. In this work, three nonwoven geotextiles were submitted to mechanical damage under repeated loading tests with incinerator bottom ash and, for comparison purposes, with three natural aggregates (sand 0/4, gravel 4/8 and tout-venant) and a standard aggregate (corundum). Damage assessment was carried out by monitoring the changes that occurred in the short-term tensile and puncture behaviors of the geotextiles. Results showed that the damage induced by incinerator bottom ash on the short-term mechanical behavior of the geotextiles tended to be lower than the damage induced by the natural aggregates or by the standard aggregate. Therefore, concerning the mechanical damage caused on geotextiles, there are good prospects for the use of incinerator bottom ash as a filling material in contact with those construction materials, thereby promoting its valorization.