A new major road construction (the Tinsley Link) in the North of England, has used pulverized fuel ash for a bridge approach embankment. The embankment, a 500m-long mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) wall on piled foundations, was constructed utilizing a geogrid reinforcement and enabling the beneficial use of pulverized fuel ash (PFA).
The PFA, a waste product of pulverized fuel from fired power stations, was supplied by the nearby EDF West Burton and Cottam power stations. The MSE walls were built up to 11m in height in order to achieve the required grade separation of the proposed link road alignment.
The engineering thinking behind this use of PVA could assist South African projects requiring additional “fill” in areas close to power stations with supplies of PVA that could be utilised. South Africa’s reliance upon coal fired power stations to supply over 90% of the country’s electricity means that massive quantities of PVA are generated and need to be disposed of in expensive, carefully designed waste dumps.