(*)Erosion is the removal and transport of surface materials (soil, rocks, mud, sediments, etc.) through the actions of wind, water, ice, and gravity. The object size is limited with the kiln size, it requires support around the blocks and it is a permanent joint that can not be seperated. Knowing the strong joining ability of glazes with the fired earth body, the question has arised if an ordinary ceramic glaze could be used as a joint, to create a structural element with the silt blocks.Īlthough the technique of using glaze to join two blocks worked well, it was not deemed to be the ideal joint for higher sizes and cantilever parts. During firing, glaze ingredients melt and join with the sintered clay body to form a coating layer. However, it performs as a firm material when kiln fired, which makes it structurally functional.Īpart from the decorative purposes, glazing is the most common method to protect the ceramic surfaces against water, dirt, as well as wear and tear. As a result, the material cracks more than usual clay while shaping and drying. Although it has a clay-like consistency, plastic behavior and permeability are lower in the silt mixture than usual pottery clay mixtures. SE, 2022.īasic tests have been carried out to understand the elasticity, formability limits and physical structure of the material. Especially for a material which has a clay-like consistency, it is possible to observe how natural forces like rain, wind and temperature changes could shape it.įragments taken from the quarry silt pond. Gravel silt which is left to settle out in the lagoon is exposed to weathering** and erosion* in small scale. Investigating into reusing this by-product contributes to more efficient use of resources and revaluation of the overlooked materials, as well as reduces grey energy. Otherwise, it might cause colmation if it reaches river beds and reduce ground permeability. When used as landfiller, it needs to be mixed with other materials which have bigger grain sizes. The main use of quarry silt is as landfill material for filling the gap of the quarried space and for road constructions. Using filter presses speeds up the process and eliminates the need for settling lagoons. Ideally the water is recycled out of the sludge via filter presses. Silt is collected in water and then pumped into lagoons to settle out. They consist of finely divided silicates (quartz, feldspar), carbonates (calcite, dolomite) and clay minerals (illite, chlorite, montmorillonite/smectite, kaolinite). It is a very fine-grained and homogeneous mineral mixture (grain size smaller than 0.063 millimeter). 15% of the extracted material corresponds to 4.9 billion tons of by-product. Considering 87% of sand and gravel demand is met by mining, avg. Construction industry makes up the 75% of the total sand and gravel demand, which is yearly 37,5 billion tons. Globally, the ratio of quarry silt from the total extracted material can vary between 5-40% depending on the site geology. It is a non-commercial, unavoidable and non-hazardous “waste” material. It is generated during sand and gravel processing and essentially corresponds to the fine fractions which can not be used in concrete mi xtures. Quarry silt is a by-product of the gravel industry. Kiln fired brick-like fragments of silt were joined with recycled tin to create a series of pedestals. Celebrating the rough and naturally eroded look of the material, “as found” pieces were minimally intervened. Rain-shaped surfaces were captured from the site and sculpted into blocks. In collaboration with the local gravel company BEER SA in Rabius-Switzerland, we have been exploring alternative uses for gravel quarry silt which is usually used as landfilling material. Fluid Residuum is a site-specific material investigation into the overlooked and so-called “waste” materials produced in large volumes by the construction industry.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |