Skip to main content

Fly ash erodibility

Lehrsch, Gary A. and Baker, Dale E. (1989) Fly ash erodibility. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation. 44(6):624-627.

[img] PDF
697.pdf

Download (424kB)

Abstract

In the northeastern United States, fly ash is removed from stack gases and
commonly trucked to landfills for disposal. The cover soil and especially the underlying
fly ash of these landfills are susceptible to erosion by water. Fly ash erodibility was estimated
by collecting sediment eroded by natural rainfall in the field from standard erosion plots
(1.8 m wide and 22.1 m long on a 9% slope of exposed fly ash). The universal soil loss
equation (USLE) was used with direct measurements on-site to obtain estimates of the
erodibility factor, K, for fly ash. These estimates were then compared to an estimate obtained
using a soil erodibility nomograph. The K factors measured in the field ranged
from 0.11 to 0.13 Mg ha h (ha MJ mm)-1 and averaged 0.122 Mg ha h (ha MJ mm)-1.
A K factor of 0.122 Mg ha h (ha MJ mm)-1 was recommended for erosion control. With
this K factor and the USLE, the surface topography of vegetated fly ash disposal areas
was designed to limit soil loss to a tolerance level of 4.5 Mg (ha y). Using the design
K factor, erosion from vegetated demonstration plots, 73 m long on a 15% slope, was
controlled.

Item Type: Article
NWISRL Publication Number: 0697
Subjects: Mass Import - unclassified
Depositing User: Users 6 not found.
Date Deposited: 20 Nov 2010 21:53
Last Modified: 03 Jan 2017 18:06
Item ID: 530
URI: https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/530