Physicochemical and geotechnical characteristics of raw dredged sediments and the mechanical, durability and thermal properties of sediment-based earth materials: an overview

• Dredged sediments (DS) can replace natural soils in making unfired earth materials. • Characterization methods for natural soils are also applied to dredged sediments. • DS and natural soils have comparable physicochemical and geotechnical properties. • DS-based materials exhibit acceptable strength and thermal insulation properties. The application of dredged sediments as an alternative to natural soils in construction materials has attracted significant attention in recent years. While existing literature covers a wide range of earthen materials, fired and unfired, only a limited a number of review studies have focused specifically on unfired sediment-based materials. This study provides a comprehensive review of the literature in three principal areas: (i) characterization methods for soils and dredged sediments, (ii) the properties and advantages of unfired earthen materials, and (iii) recent advances in evaluation techniques, including the application of machine learning. The literature indicates that dredged sediments possess physicochemical and geotechnical properties comparable to those of natural soils. However, their reuse is challenged by variability in composition, particularly higher moisture content, organic matter, salts and pollutants. Despite these challenges, earthen materials produced from dredged sediments exhibit satisfactory mechanical strength, durability and thermal insulation performance for a range of civil engineering applications. Conventional soil characterization methods are largely applicable to dredged sediments, and the integration of machine learning techniques presents promising potential for material evaluation. Nonetheless, life cycle assessment (LCA) studies on dredged sediment-based construction materials remain scarce, underlining the necessity for further research to evaluate their long-term sustainability.