ULICoSTE 2022

VALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS AND FINE SOILS

DIFFICULTIES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN
RECYCLING

Daniel LEVACHER
Em. Pr. Caen-Normandie University
Associate Em. Pr. Associé UniLaSalle Rouen

daniel.levacher@unicaen.fr
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DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY

Recycled, covalorised and ecovalorised

sediments
Mechanical dredging in river, AMORAS platform, Port of Antwerp, The beneficial use of mudcrete,
France
2
Belgium Port of Auckland, NZ
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DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY

From valorisation to ecovalorisation
of marine, river and dam sediments
resource ↔ waste → secondary raw material SRM →
processed materials

Natural sediments = resource Deposited sediments = waste Treated sediments = SRM Valorised sediments Ecovalorised sdiments

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DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY

Valorisation?
• Valorising sediments: this means defining and giving a certain value to the
sediments, whatever the means to be used to achieve a certain value,

• Valorising sediments means giving them a certain societal value, but above all
a market value, either naturally (sands) or by structural transformation (from
particles to solid matter),

• Valorising sediments also means finding beneficial uses for them in society,

• Valorising sediments: this means turning them into a resource. It means saving
raw materials and partly natural resources (in the case of sands).

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DEFINITIONS AND TERMINOLOGY

Valorisation as material?
Sediment: a resource or a waste?
• Valorisation is also a general term that covers the recycling, reuse, re-
employment or regeneration of materials,

• Material valorisation can be defined according to the concepts of recycling,

reuse and re-employment. Recycling, where any waste can be used as a full or
partial substitute for a material in industry in the same or a similar production
process (e.g. sediments in backfill and construction materials). Reuse differs
from re-employment in that reuse is the use of waste for the same purpose as
the first use (e.g. sediment for wetland restoration), and the Re-employment
consists of recovering a waste product and using it for a purpose other than
the initial one (e.g.sediments for beach nourishment or bank river stabilisation).

• Valorising sediments: in fact, it is also eliminating some waste.

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VALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS
• Valorising sediments: this means considering their nature, elementary
components and contamination

D. Levacher, 2020 6
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POSSIBLE BENEFICIAL USES OF

SEDIMENTS
• Valorising sediments: giving value to sediments (resource
or waste) but at what economic, environmental and societal
cost?

D. Levacher, 2020 7
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COVALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS

• Material valorisation has a cost. Reducing it by eliminating one or

more wastes, sediments and industrial by-products has given rise
to the concept of covalorisation, which is both economic and
ecological: eliminating waste, saving natural resources.
• A mixture of sediments and lime or cement is an example of
valorisation. But mixtures of sediments and slag or fly ash are an
example of covalorisation.
• A mixture of sediments and fibres is also an example of
covalorisation if the fibres used are waste fibres

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COVALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS

• 1- Covalorisation of sediments: this means combining sediments

with other material elements such as waste to enable their
valorisation.
• 2- Covalorisation of sediments: this also means combining other
material elements such as waste during a treatment applied to
sediments in order to reduce the overall cost of the treatment

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COVALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS
Reducing the cost of processing in a valorisation project

CA-Calcined
sediments

P-Phosphated
sediments
C0-Composted sediments DD-
B- raw dehydrated
desanded

SANNIER L., LEVACHER D., JOURDAN M. (2009) Economical approach and validation of
treatment methods using binders of contaminated marine sediments, Revue Paralia, p s2.17-s2.31. 10
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COVALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS
Examples of covalorisation

• Sediments + Additions of industrial byproducts with fine grain size

distribution and binder properties – using activators or not
•Ground granulated blast furnace slag-GGBS
•Steel slags
Slags
•Coal fly ash
•Wastepaper fly ash
•Wooden biomass fly ash
Fly ash •Agricultural waste product fly ash

•Silica fume
•Quarry fillers
•Cementitious industry muds
Dust •Municipal solid waste incinerated - MSWI

SILITONGA E. (2010) Valorisation des sédiments marins contaminés par

solidification/stabilisation à base de liants hydrauliques et de fumée de silice. Thèse de doctorat,
Université de Caen, 229 p. tel-00731611, version 1
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COVALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS
Examples of covalorisation

• Sédiments + Additions of natural fibers or industrial fibers as reinforcement

• Agriculture plants : flax, hemp, straw,

reed…
Natural • Vegetal fibres, fruit fibres…
fibres • Woody product fibres…
Flax – bio-degradable fibres – Banana fruit

• Polypropylene.
• Polyamid.
Industrial • Polyacrylate.
Fibres • Others.
Non degradable fibres

LIANG Y. (2012). Co-valorisation de sédiments et de sols fins par apport de liants et de fibres.
Interfaces continentales, environnement. Université de Caen, 192p. tel-00731611, version 1
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ECOVALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS
• Ecovalorisation is an eco-design approach.
• Ecovalorisation is intended to be more respectful of the environment.
• Eco-valorisation of sediments is based on the material valorisation of
sediments associated with natural waste (vegetable fibres) or inert waste
(minerals) to produce an alternative sustainable and/or reusable
material at the end of its life.
• Ecovalorisation of sediments: this means combining sediments with
other waste materials to enable their recovery in a sustainable
development and/or circular economy approach.

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ECOVALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS
• Ecovalorisation of sediments: this means combining sediments with
other waste materials to produce a recoverable ecological material or
eco-material.
• The eco-brick is a good example of this concept: raw earth (sediment
from river, dam, ports) and natural waste fibres (tropical fibers) and no
need to fire or use binders or industrial co-products with a significant
carbon footprint

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ECOVALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS
Example of ecovalorisation
• Usumacinta river (Mexico) sediment eco-brick is a zero carbon footprint
eco-material

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ECO/CO/VALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS

④
①

Beneficial
uses

②
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D. Levacher, 2020
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ECO/CO/VALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS
Beneficial future uses of sediments should decrease
cost, energy-consuming and carbon footprint

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D. Levacher, 2021
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VALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS

• Valorisation of sediments: sediments (resource or waste?) become a

recycled or non-recycled material with a market value.
• Covalorisation of sediments: sediments are recycled with other waste
materials to be transformed into alternative materials or secondary raw
materials SRM.
• Ecovalorisation of sediments: sediments are covalorised into ecological
materials or eco-materials with the lowest possible carbon footprint

From dredged sediment → recycled material or secondary raw material → eco-

material: a real challenge or opportunity in future?

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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ①
A possible reuse of the river or dam sediments
in agronomy for the future?

The past to present: agronomy uses

(1A) - Fertilization and improvement of soils after river flooding periods
(natural spreading) or spreading of sediments: direct reuse of sediments in
agriculture along the rivers: cultivation of vegetables and plant fibers
(1B) – Reconstitution of soils (disturbed soils in industrial areas), reclamation
of soils, ecological restoration of soils

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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ①
A possible 1A
sustainably
reuse of the
river or dam
sediments in
agronomy for
the future?

Cultivation of local vegetable plants

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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ①
Elementary agronomy analyses are necessary: nutrient
contents: Ca, Mg, N,P,K, Organic matter, pH,…
A possible
sustainably
reuse of the
1A
Unicaen and
river or dam UniLaSalle Rouen
sediments in
agronomy for
the future?

Germination test of tropical vegetable seeds on river or dam

sediments and a reference soil 21
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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ①

Example of ray grass growth in pots on river sediments

Growth after 66 days.

From left to right: compost soil, 50% -50% compost-sediment, 100% sediment.

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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ②
A possible reuse of the river or dam or marine sediments in
bio-based materials for the future?

The past to present: Earth materials

• From the Middle Age till now:

Use of cob materials with wooden habitats demonstrating hygro-thermal properties.
Earth materials combined mud and plant fibers were manually made. Muds and
fibers were local natural resources

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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ②
Sediments? A renewable natural
resource for bio-based
materials and
green bricks.

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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ②
ULICoSTE 2022

Sediment-based fiber reinforced

mud bricks or eco-bricks?
A laboratory investigation consists
in suitability, mixture, shaping,
preparation, molding, compaction,
fibers distribution and orientation
and adhesion fiber-sediment.
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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ②

+ =
Sediments + fibers waste = mud bricks?
A real challenge

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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ②
Example of earth based sediment brick
Size: 4x4x16cm

An eco-brick of sediments, why not?

A small-scaled USU eco-brick made with Usumacinta river
sediments and oil palm flower fibers.
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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ③

What should we do consider nowadays

for future road applications?

Sustainability
Circular economy
Renewability of resources
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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ③
The sediments as unpaved road materials

Proctor and CBR curves

Sediment based sublayer

gravel
Example of in situ
unpaved road

Use of sediments for unpaved roads

1- Laboratory testing = suitability
2 -In-situ or pilot testing
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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ③

With the courtesy of INSA Lyon, France

Application of cyclic load using the circular plate

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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ③
With the courtesy of INSA Lyon, France

Traffic Simulator-Accelerator TSA

(1.8 x 5.0 m)

wheel
diameter 0.821m
width 0.18m Khoueiry, INSA Lyon, France,2020

Full-scale traffic simulation using wheel

circulation
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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ④

What should we do consider nowadays

for future building materials?

Sustainability
Circular economy
Renewability of resources
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Shovelability of sediments
OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ④
A possible reuse of the river, dam and marine sediments
in brick materials for the future?

The past to present: Fired materials

• The industrial revolution in the 18th century :

Cement (1824), concrete (1900) and cementitious materials replacing traditional
bricks during the 19th century.

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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ④
Sediments? A renewable natural
resource for ceramics,
pottery, tiles,
bricks.

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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ④
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Brick of
sediments?
A laboratory
investigation makes
possible a such pathway for
recycling river, dam and marine
sediments in fired bricks. 35
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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ④

Example of fired based sediment brick

Size: 4x4x16cm

A fired brick of sediments, why not?

A small-scaled USU brick made with river sediments.
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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ④

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OPPORTUNITY OR CHALLENGE ④

16 cm

PC - system
4 cm

Servo-hydraulic Sediment-based
brick dimensions
actuator

Foundation fixation
With the courtesy of INSA Lyon, France

Push-over test on wall built with different sediment-based bricks - Loading rate: 1mm/min

Use of sediments for masonry walls

Laboratory testing or in-situ pilot testing 38
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VALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS
OBSTACLES OR DIFFICULTIES

Main difficulties are always:

• Contamination levels → state regulations → deposals or storage
centres
1. Shovel ability and transportation → high initial water content
2. Dewatering and transportation → required water content for
valorization processes
• Cost of valorisation → energy, CO2 emissions, cost of binders,
market values…

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DIFFICULTIES IN VALORISATION
Dewatering Controlled
water content
Necessar water Continuously
in mixtures mechanical
Obstacle to
valorization in dewatering
materials Large volumes

Controlled
Obstacle to continuous Lagooning
transportation dewatering dewatering
Shovel ability of Volumes limited
sediments

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DIFFICULTIES IN VALORISATION
Dewatering

• Obstacle to sediment transportation, sediment storage, sediment

treatment and finally sediment valorization.
• How to eliminate water and to lower the water content to a critical
value: volume of water needed for transportation or for a given
treatment?
• Large volumes, continuous mechanized dewatering, economical
dewatering system, control of water content and consistency,
passage from laboratory drying to practice.

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DIFFICULTIES IN VALORISATION
Dewatering systems
Techniques Treated
Operation Fine soils Energy Output water
and/or System volume per Mobility
type type consumption content
machines hour
Low and
All type of
Lagooning Natural Continuous Nul Very high No need of long
sédiments
time
All type of
Centrifuge Mechanical Discontinuous Very high Very low Possible Low
sédiments
All type of
Press filter Mechanical Discontinuous High Low Possible Medium
sédiments
Pseudo- All type of
Belt press Mechanical High Low Difficult Medium
continuous sédiments
Fine soils non
Pseudo-
Screw press Mechanical fibrous lightly Slightly high Low Possible Low
continuous
sands

Sediments
Nemeau® Mechanical Continuous lightly organic, Low Very high Yes Medium
non fibrous
Muds without Low to Low to
Volute® Mechanical Continuous Slightly high Yes
sands medium medium
All type of Low to Low to 42
Hydrased® Mechanical Continuous Slightly high Yes
sédiments medium medium
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DIFFICULTIES IN VALORISATION
Dewatering systems

Note: * DBWP = Drying bed with plantations WS = Work System

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Dewatering operational systems

DIFFICULTIES IN VALORISATION
Flocculation tank : Water jets : Screw :
Washing of sludge residues
Input mixed and flocculated sludge Mud dessication
under pressure water

Flocculant input :
Dosage tank Motor and rotative
screw
Dehydrated mud
Control panel :
Operating control: input
data, dosages,..
Input sludge : Water tank :
Sludge pump Collected water
0.5 - 780 kg –
Operating parameter Dry matters
Dm /h Sludge
input
Sludge thickening capacity 1 - 90 m3/h

Sludge treated volume 12-20m3 Dehydrated

muds
Economy of water by par recycling
Reduced noise and vibrations
Filtration 44
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Dewatering operational systems

DIFFICULTIES IN VALORISATION
Flocculation tank :
Input mixed and flocculated muds Sludge
input

Rotative rings Input sludge :

Sludge pump

KDS® Schematic view

Water tank :
Dehydrated muds Collected waters Filtration
Dehydrated
muds
Pressure Jacket
Pressure plate

Rotative rings

KDS® Filter press Mud cakes

Water 45
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Dewatering operational systems

DIFFICULTIES IN VALORISATION
Geotextile tube dewatering

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Shovelability of sediments

DIFFICULTIES IN VALORISATION
• What is the required water content of sediments to be shoveled?
• How to decrease the adhesion of sediments for spreading them?
• Research of criteria for shovelability of sediments

(a) (b)

A laboratory shovelability meter

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Concluding remarks
VALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS
Methodology approach for valorization of
dredged sediments managed on land

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Concluding remarks
VALORISATION OF SEDIMENTS

Sediments need to be valorized but recommendations are:

1. Valorisation of sediments must follow a rigorous methodology to
look for green, ecofriendly and cost-effective beneficial uses.
2. If impossible with the green reuse options, investigate options
with the lowest environmental effects and the best socio-
economic benefits for the local population.
3. Needs of research and developments on geopolymers with
precursors from industrial byproducts.
4. Development of research works on eco-binders and biopolymers

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Thanks for your attention

The eco-brick of the future!

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