Influence of organic matter type and content on the intrinsic compressive behavior of sewage sludge
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The compressibility of municipal sewage sludge is significantly influenced by its organic matter type and content. This study investigated the impact of organic matter type and dosage on sludge compressibility. To this end, raw sludge was mixed with varying amounts of dry soil powder and humus to prepare two organic soil specimens. These specimens were then subjected to a series of tests, including Atterberg limits, specific gravity, particle size analysis and one-dimensional confined compression. The findings demonstrated that sludge-dry soil powder organic soil exhibited high levels of activity, while sludge-humus organic soil demonstrated low activity. For high-active soils, parameters such as liquid limit, plastic limit, plasticity index, compression coefficient, compression index, and intrinsic compression parameters exhibited an upward trend with increasing organic content. Conversely, these parameters exhibited a downward trend for low-active soils. Furthermore, the correlation between low-active organic soil components and particles measuring less than 10 μm was investigated, and it was found that organic soil specific gravity decreased with increasing organic content. The average intrinsic compression line (ICL) of the two specimens was plotted, and their compression curves were found to be comparable on the same ICL under vertical effective stress greater than 100 kPa. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the theoretical and practical aspects of sludge disposal, resource utilisation and leachate evaluation.
Source: Results in Engineering
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,940
Awards: G1133481629, G1867612375, G659132060
OpenAlex ID: W7154505093