ADVANTAGES AND BARRIERS FOR USE OF EXCAVATED SEDIMENTS

Abstract

Soil excavation, including extraction from rivers, lakes, and marine sediments, can lead to a large surplus of clean or slightly contaminated excavated soil. All excavated soil is treated as waste until it is reused. Therefore, the reuse of excavated soil is an important part of sustainable construction, which also helps reduce carbon emissions and lower the cost of earthworks. The reuse of excavated soil is generally viewed positively, but there is a lack of uniform definition of construction waste and a lack of guidance and understanding of reuse. This article discusses the use of excavated soil and provides advice for good practice in the future, considering regulatory, economic, environmental, and implementation aspects. Regulatory aspects refer to the complex legislation and the lack of guidelines for reusing excavated soil. Economic aspects relate to integrated planning, including contracts for construction projects, and the interest of those involved in construction. The environmental aspect includes the impact of reused material on the soil. Logistical obstacles are discussed, which include both spatial and temporal problems due to difficulties in moving excavated soil, storing it, and coordinating supply and demand. Barriers to performing the work are related to the lack of standardization of tests to demonstrate that the geochemical and geotechnical quality of the excavated soil is suitable for reuse. Examples of the reuse of surface, river, lake, and marine soils and possible solutions to overcome the barriers to their use contributed to a proposal for increased use of excavated soils and sediments.