1. BIOMASS AGGREGATE CONCRETE FOR
SOFT SOIL SUBBASE (S3) SYSTEM
YL Lee, PhD, MCSM
ashmann@gmail.com
Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UTHM, 86400 Parit Raja,
Batu Pahat, Johor Darul Takzim, Malaysia.
30 January 2013

2. Objectives:
• To inspire innovation
• To explore opportunities in
research & postgraduate studies

3. Outline
• Biomass aggregate concrete
• Foundation on soft soil
• Opportunities
• Challenges

4. Rice husk ash (biomass aggregate)

5. Milestone achievement for the exploitation of solid wastes in construction

6. • Fact Sheet
• Name of Rice Miller - Lok Eak Khim Rice Mill, Skun,
Kampong Cham, Kingdom of Cambodia
• Date of Installation – November 2007
• Capacity of Gasifier – 250kW
• Type of Gasifier – Downdraft type
• Saving of Diesel to existing Diesel Engine – 85%
• Carbon credit – not pursued
• Addition of Gas Engine 250kW, installed in May 2008.

7. Biomass Silica Project in Cambodia

8. Bulk handling of biomass silica

9. Bulk handling of biomass silica

10. Prepacked biomass silica

11. Emerging Technology
 A method of using air bubbles and
catalyst in cement mortar
 Reduce density
 Enhance durability performance
On-site
production of
KUIKcrete

12. Research opportunities
KUIK Block for soft soil subbase (S3) system

13. Test site at RECESS, UTHM

14. Soft soil subbase (S3) system

15. Soft soil subbase (S3) system

16. Novel combination of foamed aggregate and scrap tyres

17. S3 experimentation

18. S3 subgrade ready for pervious concrete pavement

19. KUiK block for pervious pavement

20. Biomass aggregate for plantation road

21. Technology Showcase
Within 3 days, 1800m3 of
foamed concrete (6m high)
was cast. The total volume
was about 180 units of low
cost houses.

22. Density monitoring of foamed concrete

23. Stress Distribution due to Lifting

24. KUiK wall at UTHM

25. KUiK Cabin for construction research

26. KUiK Drain experimentation

27. The soft soil sample

28. PROPERTIES OF ORIGINAL SOIL
Properties Values
Liquid limit, LL (%) 67.47
Plastic limit, PL (%) 30.16
Plasticity index, PI (%) 37.31
Moisture Content (%) 84.19
pH Soil 3.32
pH Water 3.82
Color Light gray
Specific gravity, Gs 2.62
Grain size distribution
Silt (%) 79.5
Clay (%) 10.7
Fines (%) 10.8
Soil Type MH (organic silty clay with high
plasticity)

29. STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT OF SOILCRETE

30. Unconfined compressive strength of TIA treated soil under humid curing
Curing 7 Days 14 Days 28 Days
Period
Additive
Content
0% TIA + 100% cement 85.010 kPa 205.621 kPa 304.202 kPa
(Specimen Cement)
8% TIA + 92% cement 53.066 kPa 97.046 kPa 98.988 kPa
(Specimen A)
10% TIA + 90% cement 79.787 kPa 154.178kPa 158.562kPa
(Specimen B)
13% TIA + 87% cement 121.309 kPa 134.611 kPa 160.264kPa
(Specimen C)

31. Unconfined compressive strength of TIA treated soil under wet curing
Curing 7 Days 14 Days 28 Days
Period
Additive
Content
0% TIA + 100% cement 79.507 kPa 72.441 kPa 78.733 kPa
(Specimen Cement)
8% TIA + 92% cement 41.156 kPa 123.303 kPa 41.686 kPa
(Specimen A)
10% TIA + 90% cement 63.850 kPa 109.568 kPa 155.823 kPa
(Specimen B)
13% TIA + 87% cement 49.233 kPa 83.381 kPa 93.951 kPa
(Specimen C)

32. Compressive strength development of TIA soilcrete (Humid Condition)
7 Days Curing
400
14 Days Curing
28 Days Curing
300
Strength, qu (kPa)
200
100
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
TIA % CONTENT IN 10% CEMENT (%)

33. Compressive strength development of TIA soilcrete (Wet Condition)
7 Days Curing
200 14 Days Curing
28 Days Curing
Strength, qu (kPa)
100
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
TIA % CONTENT IN 10% CEMENT (%)

34. Tan Sri Soon Siew Hoong and Azra’i Shu’ib @ SMIDEX2008 KLCC

35. Challenges

36. Discussion with Sheikh Farhad Nur of the ILA Group

37. Opposed Jet Mill micronising chamber

38. Water treatment for industrial applications

39. Industrial RO water

40. ACKOWLEDGEMENT
We wish to acknowledge Cradle Fund for supporting (
www.1.com.my) and www.1.net.my leading to the Kumomo Tree
Charity Project for humanity.

41. References
www.1.net.my
www.ashmann.com
www.biomass.org.my

42. Contact
Lee Yee Loon
ashmann@gmail.com
0127533135