Wildfire Ash Composition and Engineering Behavior

Abstract

After a wildfire event, ash is a newly formed surficial soil layer with microscale properties such as roughness, morphology, and chemical composition that may impact how ashes form fabrics in situ and so affect the overall hydrological conditions of a burned area (infiltration capacity, permeability, etc.). To examine the effects of ash microscale properties on macroscale behavior, eight wildfire ash samples from California were characterized physically (specific gravity, specific surface area, particle size, etc.), chemically (elemental composition, organic and inorganic carbon content, etc.), and geotechnically (strength, compaction, saturated hydraulic conductivity, etc.). The tested ashes were found to contain predominantly organic unburned carbons and carbonates derived from the combustion of calcium-oxalate rich fuels in temperatures likely ranging from 300°C to 500°C. Ashes had high specific surface areas because morphologically, particles had highly texturized and porous surfaces. Additional water was necessary to coat the particle surfaces, which led to high liquid limits and compaction optimum moisture contents. Hydraulic conductivity values were within range for silty sands (10−5–10−3 cm/s), and specimens had friction angles near 30°. However, tested ashes consistently demonstrated high void ratios and low bulk densities during testing for strength, hydraulic conductivity, and compaction. These anomalies were attributed to unusual carbonate morphologies; the high interparticle friction of these phases allowed ashes to form looser fabrics than a typical silty sand and contributed to the measured high void ratios, low maximum dry unit weights, and high friction angles. Overall, we hypothesize that the relative amounts of inorganic versus organic constituents in our wildfire ash samples affected how the ashes formed fabrics and so affected their geotechnical properties. The role of wildfire ash in the postfire hydrological response of a catchment is not perfectly understood. Ash is a very heterogenous material whose properties are directly related to its formation environment (fuel type and accessibility, fire duration, and fire temperature, to name a few). This newly formed surface soil layer has unusual properties compared to natural soils, including low bulk densities and high porosities (sometimes up to 70% or more) in situ, but there is currently not enough information on ash properties in the literature to fully explain why. This study addresses this gap by providing physical, chemical, and geotechnical information about wildfire ashes. This is one of the first studies to specifically test wildfire ash maximum density, Atterberg limits, and shear strength. It provides geotechnical data to the community as well as information about ash chemical and physical properties. We hope that this study not only supplements the current literature on postwildfire landscapes but also informs researchers, engineers, and policy makers about how the formation environment of ash can influence its engineering behavior, such as strength, compressibility, and permeability.