INFILTRATION AND ERODIBILITY OF A FLY-ASH SLUDGE MANUFACTURED SOIL

Six treatments of 50-mm-thick, 10% sloped applications of 1:1, 2:1, or 3:1 fly ash to sludge manufactured soil (Ecoloam(TM)) were evaluated and compared to a seventh control treatment of recompacted soil to determine infiltration and erosion properties. The greatest infiltration occurred during the first rain, independent of Ecoloam treatment-time averaged K-sat = 49.6 mm/h and SCS Curve Number, CN = 16. Infiltration during rains 2 and 3 was reduced by 65% compared to rain 1 and was equal to infiltration during rain 2 applied to the Control-K-sat = 18.1 mm/h; CN = 38. The slowest infiltration occurred during the third rain to the Control-K-sat = 3.4 mm/h; CN = 53. Ecoloam erosion was dependent on the duration between when the Ecoloam was spread and the rain occurred. After removal of this time dependency, the Ecoloam was 3.9 times more erodible than the control during the first rain; 1.8 to 2.5 times more erodible than the control during the second rain; and 0.2 to 0.4 times more erodible than the control during the third rain.