# Geopolymerization of Untreated Dredged Sediments for Sustainable Binder Development

## TL;DR

This paper explores using untreated dredged sediments as a sustainable material for making geopolymers, reducing environmental impact and offering a new use for these sediments.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the reactivity of untreated dredged sediments in geopolymerization without thermal pre-treatment, enabling sustainable binder development.

## Key findings

- Untreated dredged sediments can achieve compressive strengths up to 5.16 MPa at 90 days through geopolymerization.
- Calcium-poor systems show better long-term strength due to homogeneous gel formation and refined microporosity.
- Calcium-rich systems exhibit higher early strength but limited long-term performance due to heterogeneous gels and higher porosity.

## Abstract

The valorization of dredged sediments represents a major environmental and logistical challenge, particularly in the context of forthcoming regulations restricting their marine disposal. This study investigates the potential of untreated dredged sediments as sustainable raw materials for geopolymer binder development, with the dual objective of sustainable sediment management and reduction in cement-related environmental impact. Dredged sediments from the Grand Port Maritime de Bordeaux (GPMB) were activated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (Na2SiO3), both alone and in combination, with supplementary aluminosilicate and calcium-rich co-products, to assess their reactivity and effect on binder performance. A multi-scale experimental approach combining mechanical testing, calorimetry, porosity analysis, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) was employed to challenge the commonly assumed inert behavior of sediments within geopolymer matrices, to elucidate gel formation mechanisms, and to optimize binder formulation. The results show that untreated sediments actively participate in alkali activation, reaching compressive strengths of up to 5.16 MPa at 90 days without thermal pre-treatment. Calcium-poor systems exhibited progressive long-term strength development associated with the formation of homogeneous aluminosilicate gels and refined microporosity, whereas calcium-rich systems showed higher early age strength but more limited long-term performance, linked to heterogeneous gel coexistence and increased total porosity. These findings provide direct evidence of the intrinsic reactivity of untreated dredged sediments and highlight the critical role of gel chemistry and calcium content in controlling long-term performance. The proposed approach offers a viable pathway for low-impact, on-site sediment valorization in civil engineering applications.