Performance of adding waste glass and sewage sludge to reservoir-sediment aggregates

Accumulated annual reservoir sedimentation in Taiwan was 14.6 million m3 in 2010, seriously endangering reservoir safety and the water supply. In addition, the sintering temperature of reservoir-sediment aggregates (RSAs) is very high, and very energy consuming consequently. Therefore, to explore the effects of admixtures on sintering behavior and performance of the aggregates, two different admixtures are blended, waste-glass and municipal sewage sludge, into reservoir sediment to make artificial aggregates. Experimental results show that the lightweight characteristics of waste-glass/reservoir-sediment aggregates (WGRSAs) are more significant than those of sewage sludge/reservoir-sediment aggregates (SSRSAs). Moreover, as sintering temperature increases, the specific gravity of WGRSAs drops more apparently. The optimum sintering temperature of pure reservoir-sediment aggregates (PRSAs), SSRSAs, and WGRSAs was 1150 degrees C, 1100 degrees C, and 1050 degrees C, respectively. The PRSAs are normal weight with better strength; the WGRSAs are lightweight and energy-saving; and the SSRSAs are lightweight with normal strength.