Materials Today: Proceedings 20 (2020) 505–511

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Materials Today: Proceedings

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Use of palm oil fuel ash (POFA)-stabilized Sarawak peat composite for
road subbase
Ali A. Mahmood a,⇑, Mohammed Khazal Hussain b, Syazie Nordzaima Ali Mohamad c
a
Independent Researcher, Brossard, Quebec J4W 2E6, Canada
b
Technical Engineering College, Middle Technical University, Al-Za’franiya, Baghdad, Iraq
c
Dept. of Civil Engineering, University College of Technology Sarawak, 868 Persiaran Brooke, 96000 Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Peat land covers a large portion of the total land area in Malaysia and several other countries throughout
Received 1 July 2019 the world. The Malaysian state of Sarawak has the most peat land area nationally. Peat is considered a
Received in revised form 25 September problematic type of soil due to its high compressibility, high moisture content, high organic matter
2019
and low shear strength. As a form of stabilization, it is suggested to combine palm oil fuel ash (POFA) with
Accepted 29 September 2019
Available online 24 October 2019
peat. This study investigated the engineering properties of these composite matrices in terms of the
California Bearing Ratio (CBR) and Standard Proctor test values. Results showed that the dry density of
the peat samples increased with the increase in POFA content. The POFA-peat composites showed an
Keywords:
Peat
increase of 4 times the untreated peat value. Also, CBR values for these composites increased from 31
CBR to 42 fold, in comparison with untreated peat. The peat-POFA CBR values are rated as good materials
Palm oil fuel ash for the purpose of road base or subbase construction.
Standard Proctor test Ó 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Subbase Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 2nd International
Conference on Materials Engineering & Science.

1. Introduction
1.1. Peat
Peat is a soft soil characterized by its high organic content, high
compressibility, high moisture content and low shear strength [1].
Organic and peaty soils generally have high liquid limit, low den-
sity, relatively low plasticity, and different particle size distribu-
tions compared to inorganic soils. Peat subgrades are usually
avoided when construction work is considered [2]. Peat can be
found in many countries. In Malaysia peat land can be found in
several states including Sarawak. Most of Sarawak’s peat lands
are found in the central region of the State, specifically in Sibu,
which covers 70% of the division [3].
ASTM [4] states that peat is classified according to fibre content,
ash content and acidity. Under fibre content classification, peat
separated into three groups. The first group is fibric. This is the
least decomposed and contains fibre content greater than 67%.
The Second group is hemic (semi-fibrous) and is in intermediate
decomposition. The third group is sapric (amorphous). It is the
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: alimahmood45@yahoo.ca (A.A. Mahmood).
most decomposed and its fibre content is less than 33%. Fiber, tem-
perature and humidity of peat differ and vary spatially [5].
The Von Post is another peat classification system that is widely
used [6]. It consists of 10 different classification levels for peat
(H1–H10), depending on its humidification state [6]. Humidifica-
tion influences the colour, texture and consistency of peat.
The index property tests typically performed for peat include
water content, loss on ignition, organic content, fibre content, grain
size distribution, density, specific gravity and Atterberg Limits [2].
1.2. Palm oil fuel ash (POFA)
Palm oil fuel ash (POFA) is a secondary product produced by
burning the palm oil tree husk and palm oil fruit shell as fuel in
the boiler inside the palm oil factory [7]. Generally, POFA can vary
in appearance from whitish grey to a darker colour depending on
its carbon content. The operating process in the palm oil factory
largely affects the physical properties of POFA [7].
POFA is one of the wastes largely produced in Malaysia. In the
year 2009–2010, Malaysia had produced about 41% of the total
world supply of palm oil [8]. These huge amounts cause landfill
disposal issues that are plagued with environmental and financial
problems. Therefore, and in order to offset this, using POFA in

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2019.09.178
2214-7853/Ó 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 2nd International Conference on Materials Engineering & Science.
506 A.A. Mahmood et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 20 (2020) 505–511

sustainable applications has recently increased in the engineering
sector [9–13]. This has the potential to reduce groundwater con-
tamination and public health issues that are characteristic of POFA
land filling [14].
There are several advantages of using POFA to stabilize peat.
The main advantage is that POFA fills the peat inter-particle voids
and undergoes pozzolanic reactions with the organic matter, thus
increasing shear strength and contact friction. Furthermore there
is an economic advantage of using a byproduct with a low procure-
ment cost as a soil stabilizing agent [15].
In the town of Sibu located in the Malaysian state of Sarawak,
severe ground settlement due to peat is a common occurrence. This
has caused water stagnation problems in several areas making
them prone to flooding [16].
In Malaysia, construction on peat land has witnessed an
increase in recent years [17,18]. Hence improving the engineering
properties of peat is inevitable for better and more economic
infrastructure initiatives.
In conclusion, it can be seen from the above that no researcher
had attempted to investigate the effect POFA has on the com-
paction characteristics of local Sarawak peat in the Sibu region.
Therefore, this study will focus on the compaction characteristics
of peat soil through the conduction of the CBR and Standard Proc-
tor tests. The purpose of this investigation is to assess the applica-
bility of using the POFA-peat composites as road subbase materials
in Sibu, Sarawak.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Peat
2.3.1. Moisture content
The oven-drying method was used in which all 3 samples were
over-dried at 105 °C for 24 h, after which the dry weight was
determined.
2.3.2. Organic content
The oven dry peat samples were then put inside the furnace at
temperature of 550 °C for 3 h [20]. After which the organic content
was determined based on the loss in weight after combustion.
2.3.3. Specific gravity
The pycnometer method was used on 3 samples to determine
the specific gravity of the POFA-peat mixtures. Each sample was
water submerged in a glass pycnometer and an air pump was used
to extract the air bubbles. For about ten minutes, gentle shaking of
the pycnometer was performed until all air bubbles have been
removed. The average of the 3 samples was used as the peat speci-
fic gravity.
2.3.4. Sieve analysis
Mechanical sieve analysis was applied on three dry peat sam-
ples to determine their particle size analysis. About 500 gm of
dry peat was placed, each time, on a stack of sieves that changed
from bigger to smaller diameter openings as we move downwards.
Mechanical shaking was performed for about 15 min. Afterwards,
the weight accumulated on each sieve was measured to determine
the particle size distribution of the peat samples.

The peat used in this study was obtained from a jungle area
near the Tun Zaidi stadium in Sibu, Sarawak. All peat samples were
extracted from a depth of 3 m below ground level and then placed
in plastic bags and properly sealed before being sent to the
laboratory.
2.2. Palm oil fuel ash (POFA)
Palm oil fuel ash (POFA) passing 300 mm sieve was used in this
study. Its reported specific gravity is 1.65 [19]. Table 1 shows its
chemical analysis [19].
2.3. Methods
2.3.5. Standard Proctor
POFA was mixed with dry peat in 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% combi-
nations to determine their maximum dry density and optimum
moisture contents using the Standard Proctor test [21]. The test
was performed on 3 similar samples for each mixing combination.
The POFA-peat sample, each time, was compacted in a standard
mould using a standard hammer that falls from a standard distance
onto the sample. Afterwards, the sample-mould was weighed and
moisture content specimens were taken for analysis. The whole
procedure was repeated at least two more times until a curve with
a bell-shaped peak was obtained [21]. This procedure was
employed to determine the maximum dry density and the opti-
mum moisture content of the composite mixtures.

Before the start of the experimentation stage, all peat samples 2.3.6. California Bearing Ratio (CBR)
were oven dried to ensure complete dryness. This was done to The same POFA-peat combinations were tested to determine
remove any ambiguity in the test results as a consequence of the their CBR values [22]. The CBR test is the standard test used to
presence of water. Also, all plant roots and wood fibres were measures the subgrade strength in roads and pavements.
removed to reduce any testing inaccuracies. Subsequently, index For this test, the POFA-peat composite matrices were fabricated
and engineering tests were conducted as follows: by mixing POFA in percentages of: 5, 10, 15 and 20 with the peat to
form the composite material. Each matrix combination was com-
pacted in a standard CBR mould then placed in CBR testing
Table 1
Chemical composition of POFA [19]. machine. Penetration was measured as a function of load. The
CBR values were measured based on the load at 5 mm penetration
Chemical Composition % in POFA
for each composite mixture.
Silica 21.81
Aluminium 2.76
Iron 3.20
Calcium 5.70
Table 2
Magnesium 3.978
Index values for the peat samples.
Potassium 3.23
Sodium 0.76 Peat sample Moisture content (%) Organic content (%) Specific gravity
Phosphorus 3.58
Chlorine 0.34 1 2464 56.41 1.14
Sulphur 1.28 2 2683 58.33 1.15
LOI 2.99 3 2193 56.10 1.16
 A.A. Mahmood et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 20 (2020) 505–511
3. Results
3.1. Index tests
Table 2 shows the index test values for the Peat samples. Mois-
ture content of the Peat samples obtained varied between 2193%
and 2683%. Organic content varied between 56.1% and 58.33%.
Specific gravity values averaged at 1.15.
Fig. 1 shows the particle size distribution curve for 3 peat sam-
ples. It was observed after the test that the top sieve contained a
large amount of coarse materials such as leaves and branches.
3.2. Standard Proctor test
The values of the dry density (cd) were plotted against their cor-
responding moisture contents to find the maximum dry unit
weight and the optimum moisture content for the Peat-POFA com-
posite samples. Figs. 2–5 show the results of the Standard Proctor
Compaction test on the peat-POFA samples. It is shown in these
figures that the optimum moisture content ranges between 6.35%
and 7.6% for the range of POFA content from 5 to 20%. Maximum
dry density of these samples varied from 2.08 g/cm3 to
2.16 g/cm3, for the same mixtures.
3.3. California bearing ratio test
Fig. 6 shows the breakdown of the CBR with mixture values. It is
shown here that California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test results varied
Fig. 1. Particle size analysis of the peat samples.
507
from 24 to 33 as the POFA percentage increased from 5% to 20%.
Water contents for the three samples of each peat-POFA composite
mixture was varied as follows: 5%, 7%, 9%.
4. Discussion
Specific gravity values determined are within the range found
from previous studies on peat in Sarawak and elsewhere [3,23].
However, organic matter content determined is less than what
has been previously reported [3], while natural moisture content
is relatively higher for this area [24]. This peat is considered Hemic
(H4-H5) according to the Von Post classification system [6]. Most
materials retained on the 3.35 sieve (Fig. 1) are leaves and
branches in various stages of decomposition. It is well known that
soils in general and Peat in particular have properties that substan-
tially vary temporally and spatially. Hence the variation in the peat
properties, from previously reported values, for this area of Sara-
wak is not uncommon.
The figures and tables show that the increase in POFA content
has lead to an increase in the maximum dry density and optimum
moisture content. The increase in POFA content, also, lead to a cor-
responding increase in the CBR values. This can be explained by the
fact that POFA particles have higher density than peat particles and
tend to resist more loads. Also since POFA is a highly pozzolanic
material, its addition to Peat caused an increase in cohesion. This
might have improved the packing of the POFA-Peat matrix
composite at the interfaces with the peat particles resulting in a
508 A.A. Mahmood et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 20 (2020) 505–511

Fig. 2. Standard Proctor Compaction test on the peat-POFA with 5% POFA.

Fig. 3. Standard Proctor Compaction test on the peat-POFA with 10% POFA.
 A.A. Mahmood et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 20 (2020) 505–511 509

Fig. 4. Standard Proctor Compaction test on the peat-POFA with 15% POFA.

Fig. 5. Standard Proctor Compaction test on the peat-POFA with 20% POFA.
510 A.A. Mahmood et al. / Materials Today: Proceedings 20 (2020) 505–511
Fig. 6. CBR values versus peat-POFA mixtures.
denser stabilized matrix. Neville and Aitcin [25] and Yarbasi et al.
[26] reported similar improved packing of soil particles leading to
denser stabilized soil sample when using silica fume as an additive.
Another reason for the increase in the CBR values when adding
POFA is an increase in the maximum unit weight of stabilized sam-
ples and a decrease in the void ratio due to the addition of additive
mixtures with fine particle size distribution [26]. Therefore this
confirms the applicability of using POFA as a stabilizing agent in
peat land.
Maximum dry density for untreated peat is reported to be about
0.5 g/cm3. The stabilization of peat using POFA has increased the
MDD to a range of 2.08–2.16 g/cm3, which is an increase of more
than 4 times the untreated value.
CBR values for untreated peat are reported to be 0.782% [27].
Therefore the increase in CBR, after treatment with POFA, is esti-
mated at 31–42 fold. Since all CBR values for the tested samples fall
between 24 and 33, they are rated as good materials for the pur-
pose of road base or subbase construction [28].
5. Conclusions
The main goal of this research was to investigate the potential
use of POFA-peat composite mixtures as road subbase materials.
Based on the results of the Standard Proctor and CBR compaction
tests, the following conclusions can be drawn:
 The results of standard proctor test showed that the dry density
of peat-POFA composite mixtures increased with the increase in
POFA content. The values of the maximum dry density of the
POFA-peat composites ranged from 2.08 g/cm3 to 2.16 g/cm3.
This is an increase of 4 times the untreated peat value.
 The increase in POFA content lead to a corresponding increase
in the CBR values from 31 to 42 fold, in comparison with
untreated peat.
 The peat-POFA CBR values are rated as good materials for the
purpose of road base or subbase construction.
Acknowledgement
The authors would like to acknowledge with gratitude the con-
tribution to this research by Mr. Lai Chien Bui.
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