What is Bottom Coal Ash?
When coal is burned to generate electricity, two major by-products are produced: fly ash and bottom coal ash. Fly ash is the material that exits the plant’s combustion chamber through the smoke stacks while the bottom coal ash is what settles at the bottom. There are two ways to dispose of bottom coal ash: dilution by spreading it on streets, and as an amendment in construction materials, said Sonia Marcus, Sustainability Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability at Ohio University, whose heating plant produces much of the area’s coal waste. In construction processes, bottom coal ash can be used as an amendment in concrete. The problem with this, Marcus said, is that it has an adverse effect on the final product. Mixing coal ash with the cement mix takes longer and results in weaker concrete. “So far we haven’t been able to figure out that there’s any manufacturer anywhere in this area who would likely be interested in taking it from us for that purpose. In fact, there may even be a
