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THE EFFECT OF WATER CONTENT REDUCTION TO FIBROUS PEAT

ABSORBENT CAPACITY AND ITS BEHAVIOR

Conference Paper · October 2014

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 9th International Symposium on Lowland Technology
September 29-October 1, 2014 in Saga, Japan

THE EFFECT OF WATER CONTENT REDUCTION

TO FIBROUS PEAT ABSORBENT CAPACITY AND ITS BEHAVIOUR

F. E. Yulianto1, F. Harwadi2, M. K. Wardani3

ABSTRACT : Fibrous peat is an organic soil with very high organic content and very porous; its capacity to retain
water and carbon dioxide (CO2) is also very high. Reduction of peat water content can accelerate the fibers
decomposition process, affect peat behavior, and release the CO2 to the atmosphere. Therefore, it is very important to
detect the allowable water content reduction that will not affect the peat behavior and its water holding capacity. The
study was carried out in the laboratory by reducing the peat water content using room-temperature until it reached 80%,
60%, 40% and 20% of the initial water content. Some of those samples were then tested to determine their behavior; the
rest were submerged in water at different period of time in order to check their capacity to re-absorb water. The results
show that the absorbent capacity of fibrous peat is affected by its water content reduction; when the water content of the
peat lower than 80% of the initial ones, the peat soil lost its ability to re-absorb water. In addition, reduction of water
content causes reduction of its void ratio and its compressibility; the peat soil strength increases with the decrease of
water content.

Keywords : Fibrous peat, water content reduction, absorbent capacity.

INTRODUCTION Due to that reason, it is very urgent to perform this

Peat soil is an organic soil composed of the
decomposition of various types of grasses, ferns,
mangroves, pandanus, areca, and other marsh plants(Van
de meene, 1982). This soil was usually formed in
swamps and low land swamps or in areas with a low rate
of climate change. Peat soil area in the world reached
394 million hectares (Enrizco, 1998) while the peat land
in Indonesia about 20.1 million hectares (wetlands of
Indonesia, 2001); it is mostly located on the Island of
Borneo, Sumatra and Papua.
Peat soils has very high organic content, void ratio,
water content and very low bearing capacity as well as a
high compressibility. Its physical and engineering
parameters, however, are very easy to change when load
is applied on it or water content decreased. High
reduction of peat water content causes its ability to re-
absorb water only 33% -55% of the initial water content
(Feustel and Byers, 1930). Besides, decrement of peat
water content induces the anaerobic process takes place
which affects the discharge of carbon dioxide (CO2)
(Sani, 2011; Sabiham, 2010; Chow, et al 2005; Wibowo,
2009) and methane (CH4) gas. This methane gas will
contribute about 4-10% of the total methane gas in the
atmosphere (Fung, et.al. 1991).
study in order to know what is the lowest water content
reduction that will not affect peat absorbent capacity and
its behavior. For this purpose, laboratory experiment was
carried out on peat soil with various water content:100%,
80%, 60%, and 20% of the initial water content (wc-initial).
The water content reduction of samples were prepared
by letting the water in the soil pores to evaporate in the
room temperature at different period until the designed
peat water content was reached. Before peat properties
and its absorbent capacity were determined, peat samples
were submerged in the water for different period of time.
The laboratory test was done by ASTM Standard D4427-
84 Reapproved1985".
FIBROUS PEAT SOIL STUDIED
Peat soil studied was taken from the Bareng Bengkel
Village, City of Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan. Two
type of samples taken were disturbed and undisturbed
samples. Peat sampling process is shown in Fig. 1. The
peat studied is classified as “Peat soil (Hemic) with Low
Ash Content and High Acidity” (Yulianto, F.E &
Mochtar, N.E 2010).
Decrement of water content in peat soil samples was
prepared by letting the peat soil interact with the outside

1
. Doctorate Student of Geotechnical Engineering of Civil Engineering, FTSP- ITS/Lecture of Civil Engineering, Madura University,
Indonesia, email : femi_281208@yahoo.com, Indonesia .
2.
Lecture of Civil Engineering, Borneo University/Kaltara University, East Kalimantan Indonesia, email : fuhar_71@yahoo.com
3
. Graduate Student in Geotechnical Engineering of Civil Engineering Department, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, ITS..
 F. E. Yulianto, et al.
(a) (b)
Fig. 1a). Undisturbed Sample; b). Disturbed Sample.
(Yulianto, F.E & Mochtar, N.E, 2012)
Air (without sunlight) for approximately 12 months until
the sample water content reached 80%, 60%, 40%, and
20% the initial water content (Wcinitial). The experiments
were carried out in the laboratory based on "Standard
Classification of Peat Samples by Laboratory Testing
ASTMD4427-84 Reapproved1985”.
Based on the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)
test performed by Yulianto, F.E & Mochtar, N.E
(2012),it shows that the peat studied has macro pores
among the soil fibers and micro pores found in the soil
fibers (Fig. 2). Due to these structures, the fibrous peat
soil studied has different behavior compared to the other
soils (MacFarlane, 1959; MacFarlane and Radforth,
1965; Mochtar, N.E 1999).
(a) (b)
Fig. 2a) Macro pores; b) micro pores of fibrous peat soil
studied. (Yulianto, F.E & Mochtar, N.E, 2012).
ABSORBENT BEHAVIOUROF FIBROUSPEAT
In order to know the absorbent capacity of fibrous
peat, the prepared samples (water content: 80%, 60%,
40%, and 20% Wcinit) were submerged in water in
different period of times 1, 3, and 7 days ; the results are
plotted in Figure 3. They show that sampels with higher
initial water content are able to absorb more water than
dryer fibrous peat. Besides, those samples can absorb
water in longer period than the others.
Fig. 3 Absorbent capacity of the fibrous peat studied.
The absorbent capacity of fibrous peat with 80%
Wcinitial is still very high; in 3 days the water content
increases from 500% to 625%. Afterwards, the fibrous
peat gradually still absorbs water until the initial water
content is reached. Samples with initial water content
60% and 20% Wcinit, however, has different behavior.
They are not able to reach the initial water content
although samples were submerged in the same period.
Besides, the absorbent process is short compared to
sample with 80% Wcinit. It means that fibers shrinkage
caused by water content decrement affects their ability to
re-absorb water.
Drying behavior of fibrous peat was studied by
evaporating samples in room temperature for 1, 3, and 7
days. The result in Figure 4 shows that until 3 days of
drying, the water content of the peat decreases very fast;
afterwards, the water content decrement occurs rather
slow. It shows that water in macro pores can evaporate
easily but not water in micro pores; it takes longer time
to evaporate. It is because the pores size is very small
and the volume of pore water is very little.
Fig. 4 The effect of initial water content of fibrous peat
to its drying capacity
 The Effect of Water Content Reduction to Fibrous Peat Absorbent Capacity and Its Behavior

The Effect of Water Content Reduction to Physical From SEM pictures given in Figure 7, it can be seen
Behavior of Fibrous Peat. clearly that size of macro pores and micro pores are
influenced by initial water content of the fibrous peat.
The unit weight (t) of fibrous peat is not affected by Peat with lower initial water content has smaller pores.
its water content decrement. As shown in Figure 5 that
until peat initial water content 40% Wcinit, its unit weight
is about constant. It is because reduction of the initial
water content of peat always accompanied by decrement
of the peat volume so that ratio of its weight and volume
(as a unit weight) of peat is about constant. The unit
weight drops rather significant when the initial water
content is 20% Wcinit. It shows that most of water in
micro pores evaporated already so that peat lost its
weight; as a result its unit weight decreases.
(a) (b)

(c)
Fig. 5 The effect of initial water content of fibrous peat
Fig. 7. SEM of peat with different initial water content
to its unit weight (t).
a. 80% Wcinit; b. 60% Wcinit; c. 40% Wcinit.
Figure 6 shows that void ratio of peat decreases with
the decrease of initial water content of the sample. The Specific gravity (Gs) of peat also shows similar
initial water content significantly affect its void ratio behavior to its unit weight. Until its initial water
because fibrous peat has very high initial void ratio 40%Wcinit, its specific gravity is not affected by its water
(Yulianto, F.E & Mochtar, N.E, 2010; 2012; Harwadi & content, except when its initial water content reach
Mochtar, N.E. 2010; Wardani, M.K & Mochtar, N.E, 20%Wcinit; it is slightly affected (Figure 8).
2012). For fibrous peat, loosing water pores is always
accompanied by reduction of peat fibers volume. Besides,
decomposition process of dry peat becomes faster due to
aerobic condition.

Fig. 8 The effect of initial water content of fibrous peat

to its specific gravity.

Fig.6 The effect of initial water content of fibrous peat to It is because specific gravity is determined by measuring
its void ratio. the dry weight and the volume of fibers (excluded pore
 F. E. Yulianto, et al.
volume) so that peat in wet and dry condition supposed
to have the same specific gravity.
In Figure 9, it is shown the relationship between
organic content (Oc) and initial water content of the
fibrous peat samples. As mentioned by MacFarlane
(1959) that Oc of peat soil always constant except there
is mineral material added in peat.
Fig. 9 The effect of initial water content of fibrous peat
to its organic content
The Effect of Water Content Reduction to
Engineering Behavior of Fibrous Peat
It is known that fibrous peat is friction material
(Adam, 1965) so that fiber size and its distribution
affects its shear strength (Landva, 1982). This statement
is approved by curve in Figure 10, where shear strenght
of peat with 100% Wcinit is higher than that with lower
initial water content. It is unusual because peat at the
initial condition has higher void ratio and water content
which usually accompanied by lower shear strength.
From the curve given in Figure 10, it also shows that
shear strength of peat increases with the decrease of
water content, except the initial peat as discussed above.
Fig. 10 The effect of initial water content of fibrous peat
to its shear strength
The highest shear strength reached when the initial
water content of peat is 20% Wcinit. These results
appropriate with the one studied by Anderson dan
Hemstock (1959).
Figure 11 shows compression curves of fibrous peat
with different initial water content. Those curves are due
to consolidation load 50 kPa. The curves show that
initial water content significantly affects the compression
behavior of peat. Total compression of peat decreases
with the decrease of its initial water content. It is due to
void ratio of peat soil is really affected by its initial
water content (Figure 6), the less the initial water content
of peat the smaller its void ratio. In addition, the
compression curve of peat with 20% Wcinit is very flat, it
could be the tertiary compression due to decomposition
of fiber takes place.
Fig. 11. The effect of initial water content of fibrous peat
to its compression behavior.
Reduction of water content also affect the primary
compression process (Figure 11). Peat with lower initial
water content needs longer periods to finish its primary
compression because of its smaller void ratio. However,
rate of the secondary compression is not affected by its
initial water content. It can be seen from Figure 11 that
the secondary compression curves are parallel to each
other.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on the result obtained in this study, the
following conclusions can be made:
1. Absorbent capacity of fibrous peat is still very good
when the peat water content is not less than 80% of
its initial water content.
2. The effective period of absorbent process is 3 days.
3. Peat unit weight is not affected by the reduction of its
water content except when its water content is 20%
of Wcinit, the unit weight slightly decreases.
 The Effect of Water Content Reduction to Fibrous Peat Absorbent Capacity and Its Behavior
4. Peat void ratio is significantly affected by the
reduction of its water content; the lower the water
content, the smaller the void ratio.
5. Specific gravity and organic content of peat are not
affected by reduction of the peat water content.
6. Peat compressibility is significantly affected by its
water content reduction; the dryer the peat, the
smaller the peat compressibility.
7. Peat shear strength increases with the decrease of
peat water content.
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