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Technical Paper

Evaluating the feasibility of muck from slurry shield tunnels as a growth medium for landscaping

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Pages 455-462 | Received 06 Apr 2021, Accepted 28 Feb 2022, Published online: 08 Apr 2022
 

ABSTRACT

Muck from slurry shield tunnels (MSST) is a complex mixture. Directly transporting this muck to dumping grounds not only increases the costs but also raises environmental concerns due to its unusual properties. In this study, a formula has been studied that can turn the MSST into an environment friendly soil. The treatment process can realize the harmless disposal and effective utilization of MSST. In the laboratory study, three different types of growing media (MSST, MSST with 1% fly ash, and local garden soil) were used to grow ryegrass in a series of pot experiments, and the seed germination, chlorophyll content, root characteristics, root activity and physical and chemical properties of the growing media were examined. The results showed that MSST and MSSTF (MSST with added fly ash) can be used as a soil matrix for ryegrass because they exhibited a technical performance comparable to that of local garden soil (LGS), and the physicochemical parameters of the soil matrix were enhanced compared with the standard values of CJT 340–2011. Although the additive (fly ash) and different types of substrates can affect plant growth and the properties of harvested soils, the level of variation decreases with the stage of growth. As waste recycling is the primary objective of this work, MSSTF is the ideal substrate to use. The treatment process is easy to handle, and represents a sustainable option and an environmentally friendly, beneficial use of MSST.Implications: Muck discharged from slurry shield tunnel construction has put great pressure on the environment and construction cost because of a large number shield tunnels emerging in cities. Directly transporting the discharged muck waste to dumping site not only increases the machinery and labor costs but also raises environmental concerns. Therefore, we explore the way of recycling the discharged muck from slurry shield tunnel as a growth medium for landscaping which was proved to be feasible by a series of pot experimental study. Recycling the discharged muck from shield tunnel as the growth medium for landscaping instead of using purchased raw materials not only can dramatically reduce project costs but also can obviously minimizing the consequent environment pollution. Such technology can contribute to sustainable developments and cleaner construction of infrastructures.

Data availability statement

Some or all data, models, or code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. https://tmxy.csuft.edu.cn/szdw/fjslm/202104/t20210419_110140.html.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the science and technology innovation Program of Hunan Province (2020RC4049), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.51878669, No.52078496, No.52178262), Changsha Municipal Natural Science Foundation (kq2014159), and Scientific Research Project of Hunan Education Department (20B596). The corresponding author gratefully acknowledges this financial support.

Notes on contributors

Cong Zhang

Cong Zhang is an associate professor of Central South University of Forestry and Technology, China. In 2019, he graduated from Central South University with a doctoral degree in engineering. His research interest is mainly focus on research and development of new grouting materials, numerical analysis method of grouting, and the rehabilitation of tunnels and underground structures. He has presided over and participated in more than 10 projects entrusted by the state, provincial and ministerial level, as well as enterprises and companies, also won the second prize of science and technology progress of Ministry of Education in 2019 (in seventh place). In addition, he has published more than 30 journal papers indexed by SCI/EI, authorized 10 national patents.

Xu Liu

Xu Liu is a graduate student of Central South University of Forestry and Technology, China. His research interest is mainly focus on research and development of new grouting materials, numerical analysis method of grouting, and the rehabilitation of tunnels and underground structures. He has participated in more than 10 projects entrusted by the state, provincial and ministerial level, as well as enterprises and companies.

Jinyang Fu

Jinyang Fu is an associate professor of Central South University, China. He was awarded his PhD from Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany in 2014. His research interest is mainly focus on tunnelingl-ground-structure interaction, numerical analysis method of underground engineering, and the health detection of underground structure by computer machine vision. He presided projects granted by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Hunan Natural Science Foundation, and the general and special projects suppoted by the China Postdoctoral fund. As a research backbone, he has participated 2 general projects of NSFC, 1 key R & D plan of the 13th five year plan, and otherd in more than 10 scientific research projects supported by enterprises. He also served as the director of underwater tunnel engineering branch of China Society of rock mechanics and engineering, Secretary General of construction management and youth work Science and Technology Forum of tunnel and underground engineering branch of China Society of civil engineering, etc., and won the second prize of science and technology progress of Ministry of Education in 2019 (in third place), paper award of International Youth Academic Forum of St. Petersburg University of mining, Russia, and excellent paper of Guangdong highway society: He published more than 20 journal papers indexed by SCI/EI, authorized 5 national patents, and invited to serve as reviewers for Int J Geomech, J Performance Constr Fac and other journals.

Junsheng Yang

Junsheng Yang is a professor and doctoral supervisor of Central South University, China. In 1996, he graduated from Central South University of Technology (now Central South University) with a doctoral degree in engineering. He has successively been listed as the young backbone teacher of universities in Hunan Province (1998), the discipline leader of universities in Hunan Province (2005), the new century 121 talent project of Hunan Province (2008) and the new century excellent talent support plan of the Ministry of Education (2008). He mainly engages in the teaching and research work of tunnel and underground engineering, undertaking undergraduate and postgraduate teaching tasks. His academic research includes: impact assessment and risk control of sensitive structures adjacent to tunnels, treatment of tunnel diseases and quality defects, construction mechanics and risk assessment of tunnels and underground works, shield construction technology, dynamic information construction of tunnels and underground works, foundation of geotechnical mechanics, etc. He has presided over and participated in more than 50 projects entrusted by the state, provincial and ministerial level, as well as enterprises and companies, also won more than 10 science and technology progress awards and published more than 200 academic papers and 1 monograph. In addition, he is also as the editor in chief to compile 5 ASCE proceedings and published 5 textbooks or anthologies.

Linyi Li

Lin-yi Li obtained his BSc degrees in Civil Engineering from Central South University, China, in 2016. Now, he is a PhD candidate in Civil Engineering at Central South University, China. He has presided over and participated in than 10 projects entrusted by the state, provincial and ministerial level, school level, as well as enterprises and companies. In addition, he is published more than 10 journal papers indexed by SCI/EI, authorized 9 national patents

Yipeng Xie

Yipeng Xie is a doctoral candidate of Central South University, China. His research interest is mainly focus on mechanical behavior of granular soils and its grouting reinforcement. He has participated in more than 10 projects entrusted by the state, provincial and ministerial level, as well as enterprises and companies. In addition, he has published more than 10 journal papers indexed by SCI/EI.

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