ABSTRACT
More than 123 million tons of solid by-produets are produced by coal-burning electric utilities each year in the United States [ACAA 2005]. In particular, the annual production of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) by-products continues to increase. As landfill space becomes more limited and expensive, there is incentive to find productive and sustainable uses for coal combustion by-products (CCBs). However, by-products utilization technology is not likely to be adopted by the construction industry unless it is more cost-effective than land filling and the resulting construction has sufficient thawing. Therefore, it is extremely important that the electric-utility industry provide guidance to CCB research and development programs. Likewise, government agencies and private-sector organizations that may be able to utilize these materials should also provide input.
A U.S. Department of Energy - National Energy Technology Laboratory-funded program, the Combustion Byproducts Recycling Consortium (CBRC), serves as an effective vehicle for acquiring and maintaining guidance from these diverse organizations so that the proper balance in research and development is achieved. The mission of the CBRC is to promote and support the commercially viable and environmentally sound recycling of CCBs for productive uses, through scientific research, development, and field testing. Since its inception in 1998, the CBRC has funded 52 CCB research projects nationwide with a total value exceeding $10 million. Projects have ranged from using CCBs in mine void filling, surface mine reclamation, soil remediation, road base materials and aggregates to marine structures, lagoon liners, transmission poles, and building products. This paper focuses specifically on the projects related to using CCBs for construction materials including wall panels, siding, bricks, masonry units, countertops, and wall and floor tiles. Project results and findings are presented.
