Macro-micro behaviors and failure mechanism of frozen weakly cemented mudstone

Understanding the mechanical properties and multiscale failure mechanism of frozen soft rock is an important prerequisite for the construction safety of tunnels,artificially frozen ground and other infrastructure in cold regions.In this study,the triaxial compression test are performed on mudstone in the weakly cemented soft rock strata in the mining area of western China,and the mechanical characteristics and failure mechanism of weakly cemented mudstone are systematically investigated under the combined action of freezing and loading.Furthermore,the quantitative relationship between the microstructural parameters and the macroscopic strength and deformation parameters is established based on fractal theory.Thus,the failure mechanism of frozen weakly cemented mudstone is revealed on both micro- and macro-scales.The results show that temperature and confining pressure significantly affects the elastic modulus and peak strength of weakly cemented mudstone.With decreasing temperature,the compressive strength increases,while the corresponding peak strain decreases gradually.On the deformation curve,the plastic deformation stage is shortened,and the brittle fracture feature at the post-peak stage is more prominent,and the elastic modulus correspondingly increases with decreasing temperature.Under low-temperature conditions,most of the weakly cemented mudstone undergoes microscopic shear failure along the main fracture surface.The micro-fracture morphology characteristics of weakly cemented mudstone under different temperatures are quantified via the fractal dimension,and an approximately exponential relationship can be obtained among the fractal dimension and the temperature,compressive strength and elastic modulus.

Experimental Study on Clogging Characteristics of Silt Soft Soil in Nansha District of Guangzhou

The silt soft soil in Nansha District of Guangzhou was the softest soft soil in China. It had the characteristics of high natural water content, high compressibility, long consolidation time, and complex layered distribution of soil layers. These characteristics formed the clogging characteristics of silt soft soil, which greatly increased the construction difficulty and hindered the construction progress. Therefore, based on the basic physical and mechanical properties of silt soft soil in Nansha District of Guangzhou, this paper evaluated the clogging characteristics of three silt soft soil areas in Nansha District of Guangzhou through long-term permeability test, and carried out scanning electron microscope test to explore the influence of different parameters and microstructure on the clogging difficulty of silt soft soil. The results showed that the silt soft soil Zone I and Zone II (shallow layer) in Nansha District of Guangzhou were divided into slight siltation levels, and the silt soft soil Zone III (deep layer) was mild siltation level. Large pores were widely distributed in shallow silt soft soil, while the continuity of large pores in deep silt soft soil was poor. The migration of fine particles that failed to establish contact with surrounding particles in the soil blocks the small pores of seepage and thus produces siltation.