WASTE MATERIALS IN GEOENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS Naveen, B. P., Anil Kumar Sharma, Sivapullaiah, P. V. and Sitharam, T. G. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore – 560012 ABSTRACT Large quantities of waste materials are generated in the industrial world. Land and ground water contamination is a serious issue associated with the disposal of various waste materials. Further the disposal of most of the huge quantities of waste materials requires considerable land space. Use of these materials not only overcomes their disposal problems but also achieves economy. Some of the prominent industrial waste materials are fly ash, blast furnace slag, red mud, organically modified clays etc. The present paper describes the various approaches to use these materials for ground improvement. The mechanical improvement in the soil properties is described in this paper. To overcome the environmental concerns various methods to tests the stabilized materials by appropriate leaching tests have to be performed. 1. Introduction Although there has been concern about land pollution since the onset of industrialization, this has been restricted to a relatively limited number of people. Consequently, until recently, land has not been seen as deserving protection to the same extent as air or water, but now it is recognized that land pollution cannot continue unabated. The recognition has risen because of incidents of contamination, the scarcity of usable land and increased general concern about the effect of industrial activity on the environment. Many technologies being considered for treating hazardous waste may produce residues still requiring management. In many cases, land disposal will be the only option available for these residues, which may be concentrated with toxic contaminants. In addition, waste banned from land disposal must be manageable by an alternative technology. If not, land disposal may still be the only option available. Pretreatment of banned waste may also help make it more acceptable for land disposal. Use of the waste materials is big option in finding solution to this problem. 1.1 Ground Improvement Methods Solidification/stabilization (S/S) is being considered as a technology available for treating selected waste prior to landfill. It is also being considered for treating residues from other treatment technologies. S/S technology has been used for approximately 20 years to manage industrial waste. S/S employs selected materials (e.g., Portland cement, fly ash, lime, etc.) to alter the physical and chemical characteristics of the waste stream prior to disposal in the land. The goal of the S/S process is to limit the spread, via leaching, of contaminated material. The end