Diffusive Behavior of a Compacted Cemented Soil As Containment Barrier for Industrial and Mining Waste

The study evaluated, through a series of diffusion tests, the attenuation capacity of a compacted residual clayey soil with and without the addition of Portland cement (0 to 2%), when subjected to a static load (100 to 500 kPa) simulating the action of a solid waste mass and to an acidic contaminant solution, prepared with pH varying in the range of 1 to 6, enriched with the toxic metal cadmium. The results indicated that the investigated soil might be employed as containment barriers for industrial and mining solid waste, especially with the addition of Portland cement, as it showed low hydraulic conductivity and high attenuation capacity.