CCR-Lab Receives Funds to Research Landfilled Fly Ash

Dr. Shakouri received a grant from the Mountain Plains Consortium (MPC) to study the the influence of (1) physiochemical properties, (2) unburned carbon content, and (3) reactivity of landfilled fly as, as opposed to ASTM-grade fly ash, on the properties of concrete. This research is pursuant to the national calls for an alternative to ASTM-grade fly ash. According to a recent survey by the American Coal Ash Association (ACAA), approximately 38 million tons of fly ash were produced in 2017 and about 14 million tons of which were used in concrete. The rest of 24 million tons of fly ash were disposed in landfills. The ACAA estimates that the gap between demand and supply of concrete-grade fly ash is about 25% nationally. Shortages are being driven by the retirement and capacity reductions of coal-fired power plants and the move toward natural gas and renewable energy sources. It is anticipated that future shortages in fly ash will be more significant in the near future. As a result, the concrete industry needs to identify the availability of fly ash in various landfills/storage facilities across the country.