WP2 – Sustainability: environmental and economic impacts

Photo above from https://unsplash.com/s/photos/nature (Photo Gabriel Jimenez)

Research tasks

• T.2.1 Develop a unified framework to quantify environmental and economic life cycle impacts of soils stabilised with industry by‐products
• T.2.2 Conduct leaching experiments to better understand the fate of contaminants when employing industry by‐products for soil stabilisation
• T.2.3 Map environmental and economic aspects of the installation process

Theoretical approach and methodology

Environmental and economic life cycle considerations are vital to evaluate the sustainability of using industry‐by-products for soil stabilisation. LCA of geotechnical works are, however, still in their infancy32. Detailed LCA studies of deep dry mixing (DDM) are currently lacking. The topic of fate of contaminants in soils stabilised with industrial by‐products remains unexplored.

WP2 will start by developing a conceptual LCA model for DDM to stabilise soil. The LCA will consider the full life cycle, from the supply of the industry by‐products, through their field application and use as soil stabilisers, to end of life considering potential leaching of contaminants from the stabilisers. WP2 will perform leaching experiments to shed light on the fate of contaminants in soils stabilised with industry by‐products.