Swelling pressure evolution characterization of strong expansive soil considering the influence of reserved expansion deformation

Numerous engineering cases have demonstrated that the expansive soil channel slope remains susceptible to damage with the implementation of a rigid or closed protective structure. It is common for the protective structure to experience bulging failure due to excessive swelling pressure. To investigate the swelling pressure properties of expansive soil, the constant volume test was employed to study the influence of water content and reserved expansion deformation on the characteristics of swelling pressure in strong expansive soils, and also to explore the evolution mechanism of the swelling pressure. The findings demonstrate that the swelling pressure-time curve can be classified into swelling pressure-time softening and swelling pressure-time stability type. The swelling pressuretime curve of the specimen with low water content is the swelling pressure-time softening type, and the softening level will be weakened with increasing reserved expansion deformation. Besides, the maximum swelling pressure Psmax decreases with increasing water content and reserved expansion deformation, especially for expansion ratio η from 24% to 37%. The reserved deformation has little effect on reducing Psmax when it is beyond 7% of the expansion rate. The specimen with low water content has a more homogeneous structure due to the significant expansion-filling effect, and the fracture and reorganization of the aggregates in the specimens with low water content cause the swelling pressure-time softening behavior. In addition, the proposed swelling pressure-time curve prediction model has a good prediction on the test results. If necessary, a deformation space of about 7% expansion rate is recommended to be reserved in the engineering to reduce the swelling pressure except for keeping a stable water content.

At-rest lateral earth pressure of compacted expansive soils:Experimental investigations and prediction approach

This paper presents experimental studies on a compacted expansive soil,from Nanyang,China for investigating the at-rest lateral earth pressureσL of expansive soils.The key studies include(i)relationships between theσL and the vertical stressσV during soaking and consolidation,(ii)the influences of initial dry densityρd0 and moisture content w 0 on the vertical and lateral swelling pressures at no swelling strain(i.e.σV0 andσL0),and(iii)evolution of theσL during five long-term wetting-drying cycles.Experimental results demonstrated that the post-soakingσL-σV relationships are piecewise linear and their slopes in the passive state(σL>σV)and active state(σL<σV)are similar to that of the consolidationσL-σV relationships in the normal-and over-consolidated states,respectively.The soakingσL-σV relationships converge to the consolidationσL-σV relationships at a thresholdσV where the interparticle swelling is restrained.TheσL0 andσV0 increase monotonically withρd0;however,they show increasing-then-decreasing trends with the w 0.The extent of compaction-induced swelling anisotropy,which is evaluated byσL0/σV0,reduces with an increase in the compaction energy and molding water content.TheσL reduces over moisture cycles and the stress relaxation in theσL during soaking is observed.An approach was developed to predict the at-rest soakingσL-σV relationships,which requires conventional consolidation and shear strength properties and one measurement of theσL-σV relationships during soaking.The proposed approach was validated using the results of three different expansive soils available in the literature.

Seismic stability of expansive soil slopes reinforced by anchor cables using a modified horizontal slice method

Earthquake-induced slope failures are common occurrences in engineering practice and pre-stressed anchor cables are an effective technique in maintaining slope stability,especially in areas that are prone to earthquakes.Furthermore,the soil at typical engineering sites also exhibit unsaturated features.Explicit considerations of these factors in slope stability estimations are crucial in producing accurate results.In this study,the seismic responses of expansive soil slopes stabilized by anchor cables is studied in the realm of kinematic limit analysis.A modified horizontal slice method is proposed to semi-analytically formulate the energy balance equation.An illustrative slope is studied to demonstrate the influences of suction,seismic excitations and anchor cables on the slope stability.The results indicate that the stabilizing effect of soil suction relates strongly to the seismic excitation and presents a sine shape as the seismic wave propagates.In higher and steeper slopes,the stabilizing effect of suction is more evident.The critical slip surface tends to be much more shallow as the seismic wave approaches the peak and vice versa.

Application of multi-algorithm ensemble methods in high-dimensional and small-sample data of geotechnical engineering:A case study of swelling pressure of expansive soils

Geotechnical engineering data are usually small-sample and high-dimensional,which brings a lot of challenges in predictive modeling.This paper uses a typical high-dimensional and small-sample swell pressure(P_(s))dataset to explore the possibility of using multi-algorithm hybrid ensemble and dimensionality reduction methods to mitigate the uncertainty of soil parameter prediction.Based on six machine learning(ML)algorithms,the base learner pool is constructed,and four ensemble methods,Stacking(SG),Blending(BG),Voting regression(VR),and Feature weight linear stacking(FWL),are used for the multi-algorithm ensemble.Furthermore,the importance of permutation is used for feature dimensionality reduction to mitigate the impact of weakly correlated variables on predictive modeling.The results show that the proposed methods are superior to traditional prediction models and base ML models,where FWL is more suitable for modeling with small-sample datasets,and dimensionality reduction can simplify the data structure and reduce the adverse impact of the small-sample effect,which points the way to feature selection for predictive modeling.Based on the ensemble methods,the feature importance of the five primary factors affecting P_(s) is the maximum dry density(31.145%),clay fraction(15.876%),swell percent(15.289%),plasticity index(14%),and optimum moisture content(13.69%),the influence of input parameters on P_(s) is also investigated,in line with the findings of the existing literature.

Semi-analytical solution for drained expansion analysis of a hollow cylinder of critical state soils

The expansion of a thick-walled hollow cylinder in soil is of non-self-similar nature that the stress/deformation paths are not the same for different soil material points.As a result,this problem cannot be solved by the common self-similar-based similarity techniques.This paper proposes a novel,exact solution for rigorous drained expansion analysis of a hollow cylinder of critical state soils.Considering stress-dependent elastic moduli of soils,new analytical stress and displacement solutions for the nonself-similar problem are developed taking the small strain assumption in the elastic zone.In the plastic zone,the cavity expansion response is formulated into a set of first-order partial differential equations(PDEs)with the combination use of Eulerian and Lagrangian descriptions,and a novel solution algorithm is developed to efficiently solve this complex boundary value problem.The solution is presented in a general form and thus can be useful for a wide range of soils.With the new solution,the non-self-similar nature induced by the finite outer boundary is clearly demonstrated and highlighted,which is found to be greatly different to the behaviour of cavity expansion in infinite soil mass.The present solution may serve as a benchmark for verifying the performance of advanced numerical techniques with critical state soil models and be used to capture the finite boundary effect for pressuremeter tests in small-sized calibration chambers.

Hydraulic and volume change behaviors of compacted highly expansive soil under cyclic wetting and drying

The wide engineered application of compacted expansive soils necessitates understanding their behavior under field conditions.The results of this study demonstrate how seasonal climatic variation and stress and boundary conditions individually or collectively influence the hydraulic and volume change behavior of compacted highly expansive soils.The cyclic wetting and drying(CWD)process was applied for two boundary conditions,i.e.constant stress(CS)and constant volume(CV),and for a wide range of axial stress states.The adopted CWD process affected the hydraulic and volume change behaviors of expansive soils,with the first cycle of wetting and drying being the most effective.The CWD process under CS conditions resulted in shrinkage accumulation and reduction in saturated hydraulic conductivity(k sat).On the other hand,CWD under CV conditions caused a reduction of swell pressure while has almost no impact on k sat.An elastic response to CWD was achieved after the third cycle for saturated hydraulic conductivity(k sat),the third to fourth cycle for the volume change potential under the CV conditions,and the fourth to fifth cycle for the volume change potential under the CS conditions.Finally,both swell pressure(s s)and saturated hydraulic conductivity(k sat)are not fundamental parameters of the expansive soil but rather depend on stress,boundary and wetting conditions.

Reinforcement Technology for Soft Soil Roadbed in the Widened Section of Expressway Expansion

This article examines the soft soil roadbed reinforcement technology for widened sections of highways in a specific project.It provides an overview of the project,the principles of soft soil roadbed reinforcement technology for wide sections,and its practical application.The analysis aims to offer guidance on applying soft soil roadbed wide section reinforcement technology and enhancing the overall quality of similar projects.

Weak Expansive Soil Physical Properties Modification by Means of a Cement-Jute Fiber

Sixteen groups of comprehensive tests have been conducted to investigate the modifications in the physical properties of a weak expansive soil due to the addition of a cement jute fiber.The tests have been conducted to analyze the liquid plastic limit,the particle distribution and the free expansion rate.The results show that:(1)With an increase in the cement-jute fiber content,the free expansion rate of the modified expansive soil gradually decreases,however,such a rate rebounds when the fiber content exceeds 0.5%and the cement content exceeds 6%.(2)With an increase in the cement percentage,the particle unevenness coefficient(Cu)and curvature coefficient(Cc)of the modified expansive soil tend to grow gradually.The Cc coefficient reaches 1.0 when the cement content is 6%.The unevenness coefficient of 16 soil samples is greater than 5.0,however,the Cu coefficient decreases when the cement content reaches 6%.(3)The plastic limit of soil increases as the cement content is made higher,while the liquid limit and plastic index decrease gradually.When the content of the modified material is 2%+0.1%~2%+0.7%(Cement content+jute fiber content),the change of particle size distribution is most obvious.(4)When the contents of cement and jute fiber are is 6%and 0.5%,respectively,the modification induced in the physical properties of soil samples corresponds to the best case.

Novel protection systems for the improvement in soil and water stability of expansive soil slopes

To improve the soil and water stability of expansive soil slopes and reduce the probability of slope failure,novel protection systems based on polymer waterproof coatings(PWC)were used in this study.Herein,three groups of expansive soil slope model tests were designed to investigate the effects of polyester nonwovens and PWC(P-PWC)composite protection system,three-dimensional vegetation network and PWC(T-PWC)composite protection system,and nonprotection on the soil and water behavior in the slopes under precipitation–evaporation cycles.The results showed that the moisture change of P-PWC and T-PWC composite protected slopes was significantly smaller than that of bare slope,which reduced the sensitivity of slope moisture to environmental changes and improved its stability.The soil temperature of the slope protected by the P-PWC and T-PWC systems at a depth of 70 cm increased by 5.6℃ and 2.7℃,respectively.Using PWC composite protection systems exhibited better thermal storage performance,which could increase the utilization of shallow geothermal resources.Moreover,the maximum average crack widths of the bare slopes were 7.89 and 3.17 times those of the P-PWC and TPWC protected slopes,respectively,and the maximum average crack depths were 6.87 and 3 times those of the P-PWC and T-PWC protected slopes,separately.The PPWC protection system weakened the influence of hydro–thermal coupling on the slopes,inhibited the development of cracks on the slopes,and reduced the soil erosion.The maximum soil erosion of slopes protected by P-PWC and T-PWC systems was 332 and 164 times lower than that of bare slope,respectively.The P-PWC and T-PWC protection systems achieved excellent"anti-seepage and moisture retention"and anti-erosion effects,thus improving the soil and water stability of slopes.These findings can provide important guiding reference for controlling rainwater infiltration and soil erosion in expansive soil slope projects.

The lateral pressure coefficient at rest of expansive soils in landfill at various vertical stresses and moisture contents

When expansive soils in the original location are artificially transferred to landfill in different seasons,and subject to engineering activities afterwards,the corresponding deformation and stability of retaining structures become unpredictable.This necessitates the determination of lateral pressure coefficient at rest(k_(0) value)for expansive soils in landfill.Considering compaction,excavation of expansive soils,as well as construction of landfill in different seasons,series of stepwise loading and unloading consolidation tests at various moisture contents were carried out in this work to explore the evolution characteristics of k_(0) value and assess the dependence of k_(0) value on vertical stress and moisture content.Besides,scanning electron microscope(SEM)was used to track the change in microstructural features with vertical stresses.The results indicated that the k_(0) value of expansive soil shows a pronounced nonlinearity and is inextricably linked with vertical stress and moisture content,based on which a prediction formula to estimate the variation in k_(0) value with vertical stress during loading stage was proposed;there is a significant exponential increase in k_(0) value with overconsolidation ratio(OCR)during unloading stage,and OCR dominates the release of horizontal stress of expansive soil;SEM results revealed that with an increase in vertical stress,the anisotropy of expansive soil microstructure increases dramatically,causing a significant directional readjustment,which is macroscopically manifested as an initially rapid increase in k_(0) value;but when vertical stress increases to a critical value,the anisotropy of microstructure increases marginally,indicating a stable orientation occurring in the soil microstructure,which causes the k_(0) value to maintain a relatively stable value.

Fractional derivative statistical damage model of unsaturated expansive soil based on unified hydraulic effect

Unsaturated expansive soil is widely distributed in China and has complex engineering properties.This paper proposes the unified hydraulic effect shear strength theory of unsaturated expansive soil based on the effective stress principle,swelling force principle,and soil–water characteristics.Considering the viscoelasticity and structural damage of unsaturated expansive soil during loading,a fractional hardening–damage model of unsaturated expansive soil was established.The model parameters were established on the basis of the proposed calculation method of shear strength and the triaxial shear experiment on unsaturated expansive soil.The proposed model was verified by the experimental data and a traditional damage model.The proposed model can satisfactorily describe the entire process of the strain-hardening law of unsaturated expansive soil.Finally,by investigating the damage variables of the proposed model,it was found that:(a)when the values of confining pressure and matric suction are close,the coupling of confining pressure and matric suction contributes more to the shear strength;(b)there is a damage threshold for unsaturated expansive soil,and is mainly reflected by strength criterion of infinitesimal body;(c)the strain hardening law of unsaturated expansive soil is mainly reflected by fractional derivative operator.

Expansive Soil Stabilization by Bagasse Ash in Partial Replacement of Cement

This study examined the effects of using bagasse ash in replacement of ordinary Portland cement(OPC)in the treatment of expansive soils.The study concentrated on the compaction characteristics,volume change,compressive strength,splitting tensile strength,microstructure,California bearing ratio(CBR)value,and shear wave velocity of expansive soils treated with cement.Different bagasse ash replacement ratios were used to create soil samples.At varying curing times of 7,14,and 28 days,standard compaction tests,unconfined compressive strength tests,CBR tests,Brazilian split tensile testing,and bender element(BE)tests were carried out.According to X-ray diffraction(XRD)investigations,quartz and crystobalite make up the majority of the minerals in bagasse ash.Bagasse ash contains a variety of grain sizes,including numerous fiber-shaped particles,according to a scanning electronic microscope(SEM)test.For all of the treated specimens with various replacement ratios,the overall additive content has not changed.The results of the Brazilian split tensile tests demonstrate improved tensile strength for all specimens with various replacement proportions.A lower maximum dry density and a greater optimal water content would result from the substitution of bagasse ash.When the replacement ratio is not more than 20%,the CBR values of the parts replaced specimens are even higher than the cement treatments.The results of BE testing on the treated soils show that there is significant stiffness anisotropy but that it steadily diminishes with curing time and replacement ratio.According to the study,bagasse ash is a useful mineral additive,and the best replacement ratio(CBA20)is 20%.

The Effect of Pore Solution on the Hysteretic Curve of Expansive Soil under Cyclic Loading

A dynamic triaxial instrument was used to study the effects of different concentrations of sodium chloride and stress amplitudes on the dynamic properties of an expansive soil under cyclic loading.In particular,four parameters were considered in such a parametric investigation,namely,hysteresis curve morphology characteristic non-closure degreeεp,the ratio of the short and long axisα,the slope of the long axis k and the enclosed area S.The results show that with an increase in the sodium chloride concentration,the soil particle double electric layer becomes thinner,the distance between soil particles decreases,and the whole sample becomes denser.Theεp-N,α-N and S–N relation curves all show a decreasing trend.The ratio of plastic deformation to total deformation grows with increasing the dynamic stress amplitude,and the curves show an upwards trend.The k-N relationship curve displays an increasing trend with the concentration and a general downwards trend as the dynamic stress amplitude is made higher.This also indicates that sodium chloride solutions can improve the engineering properties of expansive soil to a certain extent.With an increase in the vibration times N,the shape of the hysteretic curve becomes narrower,and the whole soil exhibits a cyclic strain hardening.With the help of an exponential function,a model is introduced to predict the relationship between the concentration and the hysteretic curve.

Moso bamboo expansion decreased soil heterotrophic respiration but increased arbuscular mycorrhizal mycelial respiration in a subtropical broadleaved forest

Moso bamboo(Phyllostachys Pubescens)expansion into adjacent forests has been widely reported to affect plant diversity and its association with mycorrhizal fungi in subtropical China,which will likely have significant impacts on soil respiration.However,there is still limited information on how Moso bamboo expansion changes soil respiration components and their linkage with microbial community composition and activity.Based on a mesh exclusion method,soil respirations derived from roots,arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)mycelium,and free-living microbes were investigated in a pure Moso bamboo forest(expanded),an adjacent broadleaved forest(nonexpanded),and a mixed bamboo-broadleaved forest(expanding).Our results showed that bamboo expansion decreased the cumulative CO_(2)effluxes from total soil respiration,root respiration and soil heterotrophic respiration(by 19.01%,30.34%,and 29.92%on average),whereas increased those from AM mycelium(by 78.67%in comparison with the broadleaved forests).Bamboo expansion significantly decreased soil organic carbon(C)content,bacterial and fungal abundances,and enzyme activities involved in C,N and P cycling whereas enhanced the interactive relationships among bacterial communities.In contrast,the ingrowth of AM mycelium increased the activities ofβ-glucosidase and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase and decreased the interactive relationships among bacterial communities.Changes in soil heterotrophic respiration and AM mycelium respiration had positive correlations with soil enzyme activities and fungal abundances.In summary,our findings suggest that bamboo expansion decreased soil heterotrophic respiration by decreasing soil microbial activity but increased the contribution of AM mycelial respiration to soil C efflux,which may potentially increase soil C loss from AM mycelial pathway.

Emerging trends in expansive soil stabilisation: A review

Expansive soils are problematic due to the performances of their clay mineral constituent, which makes them exhibit the shrink-swell characteristics. The shrink-swell behaviours make expansive soils inappropriate for direct engineering application in their natural form. In an attempt to make them more feasible for construction purposes, numerous materials and techniques have been used to stabilise the soil. In this study, the additives and techniques applied for stabilising expansive soils will be focused on,with respect to their efficiency in improving the engineering properties of the soils. Then we discussed the microstructural interaction, chemical process, economic implication, nanotechnology application, as well as waste reuse and sustainability. Some issues regarding the effective application of the emerging trends in expansive soil stabilisation were presented with three categories, namely geoenvironmental,standardisation and optimisation issues. Techniques like predictive modelling and exploring methods such as reliability-based design optimisation, response surface methodology, dimensional analysis, and artificial intelligence technology were also proposed in order to ensure that expansive soil stabilisation is efficient.

Dynamic characteristics of lime-treated expansive soil under cyclic loading

To better understand the dynamic properties of expansive clay treated with lime, a series of laboratory tests were conducted using a dynamic triaxial test system. The influential factors, including moisture content, confining pressure, vibration frequency, consolidation ratio, and cycle number on the dynamic characteristics were discussed. Experimental results indicate that specimens at low moisture contents tend to damage along the 30~ shear plane and they present brittle failure, while saturated specimens show swelling phenomenon and plastic failure. A redtiction in cohesion has been observed for unsaturated samples at large number of cycles, while it is opposite for the internal friction angle. For the saturated specimens, both the cohesion and internal friction angle decrease with increasing number of cycles.

Cracking in an expansive soil under freeze–thaw cycles

Expansive soils located in cold regions can easily endure the action of frost heaving and cyclic freezing–thawing. Cracking can also occur in expansive clayey soils under freeze–thaw cycles, of which little attention has been paid on this issue.In this study, laboratory experiment and cracking analysis were performed on an expansive soil. Crack patterns were quantitatively analyzed using the fractal concept. The relationships among crack pattern, water loss, number of freeze–thaw cycles, and fractal dimension were discussed. It was found that crack patterns on the surface exhibit a hierarchical network structure that is fractal at a statistical level. Cracks induced by freeze–thaw cycles are shorter, more irregularly oriented,and slowly evolves from an irregularly rectilinear pattern towards a polygonal or quasi–hexagonal one; water loss, closely related to specimen thickness, plays a significant role in the process of soil cracking; crack development under freeze-thaw cycles are not only attributed to capillary effect, but also to expansion and absorption effects.

Shear strength of an unsaturated weakly expansive soil

To study the weakly expansive clay obtained from a slope along Wuhan—Shiyan expressway in Hubei Province,soil-water property tests and some unsaturated triaxial tests with suction control were conducted,and the soil-water retention curve（SWRC） and unsaturated shear strength of this soil were obtained.Results show that the air-entry suction and the residual degree of saturation of the tested soil are 106 kPa and 8%,respectively.The boundary effect zone and the transition zone can be identified on the desorption curve,but the residual zone is not so obvious.The unsaturated shear strength increases as suction increases within the range of controlled suction in the test,and friction angle,b,in the triaxial shear test is 17.6°.Based on the results,constitutive models for predicting the unsaturated shear strength using the SWRC were evaluated,and comparisons between prediction and measurement were made.It is concluded that for engineering purpose,the constitutive model should be carefully selected based on soil properties when predicting the unsaturated shear strength using the SWRC.

Sugarcane press mud modification of expansive soil stabilized at optimum lime content:Strength,mineralogy and microstructural investigation

This study attempted to investigate the potential of sugarcane press mud(PM) as a secondary additive in conjunction with lime for the stabilization of an expansive soil.The physico-mechanical properties of an expansive soil,such as plasticity,shrink-swell behavior,unconfined compressive strength(UCS),mineralogical and microstructural characteristics were investigated.The expansive soil was stabilized at its optimum lime content(7%) for producing maximum strength,and was modified with four different quantities of PM in small dosages(0.25%-2%).Cylindrical soil samples,38 mm in diameter and 76 mm in height,were cast and cured for varying periods to evaluate the strength of the amended soil.The spent samples after strength tests were further used for determination of other properties.The test results revealed that PM modification led to a substantial improvement in 7-d strength and noticeable increase in 28-d strength of the lime-stabilized soil(LSS).The addition of PM does not cause any detrimental changes to the shrink-swell properties as well as plasticity nature of the stabilized soil,despite being a material of organic origin.Mineralogical investigation revealed that the formation of calcium silicate hydrate(CSH) minerals,similar to that of pure lime stabilization with only the type of mineral varying due to the modification of PM addition,does not significantly alter the microstructure of the LSS except for superficial changes being noticed.

Stabilization of expansive soils using chemical additives: A review

Volume instability of expansive soils due to moisture fluctuations is often disastrous,causing severe damages and distortions in the supported structures.It is,therefore,necessary to adequately improve the performance of such soils that they can favorably fulfil the post-construction stability requirements.This can be achieved through chemical stabilization using additives such as lime,cement and fly ash.In this paper,suitability of such additives under various conditions and their mechanisms are reviewed in detail.It is observed that the stabilization process primarily involves hydration,cation exchange,flocculation and pozzolanic reactions.The degree of stabilization is controlled by several factors such as additive type,additive content,soil type,soil mineralogy,curing period,curing temperature,delay in compaction,pH of soil matrix,and molding water content,including presence of nano-silica,organic matter and sulfate compounds.Provision of nano-silica not only improves soil packing but also accelerates the pozzolanic reaction.However,presence of deleterious compounds such as sulfate or organic matter can turn the treated soils unfavorable at times even worser than the unstabilized ones.