Using Recycled Material from the Paper Industry as a Backfill Material for Retaining Walls near Railway Lines

The construction industry uses a large amount of natural virgin material for different geotechnical structures. In Europe alone, 11 million tonnes of solid waste is generated per year as a result of the production of almost 100 million tonnes of paper. The objective of this research is to develop a new geotechnical composite from residues of the deinking paper industry and to present its practical application, e.g., as a backfill material behind a retaining structure. After different mixtures were tested in a laboratory, the technology was validated by building a pilot retaining wall structure in a landslide region near a railway line. It was confirmed that a composite with 30% deinking sludge and 70% deinking sludge ash had a high enough strength but experienced some deformations before failure. Special attention was paid to the impact of transport, which, due to the time lag between the mixing and installation of the composite, significantly reduced its strength. The pilot retaining wall structure promotes the use of recycled materials with a sustainable design, while adhering to government-mandated measures.

Automated summary

The construction industry generates a significant amount of solid waste due to the use of natural virgin material. This research focuses on developing a new geotechnical composite from residues of the deinking paper industry and validating its practical application through testing and building a pilot retaining wall structure. The study demonstrates the potential of using recycled materials with sustainable design in construction projects.