Effect of curing, capillary action, and groundwater level increment on geotechnical properties of lime concrete: Experimental and prediction studies

Lime concrete and lime treatment are two attractive techniques for geotechnical engineers.However,researches have rarely been carried out to study the effects of moisture and capillary action due to increasing groundwater level on geotechnical properties of lime concrete.The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of curing time and degree of saturation on some of geotechnical properties of lime concrete such as unconfined compressive strength(UCS),secant modulus(ES),failure strain,brittleness index(IB),and deformability index(ID) using unconfined compression tests.First of all,geotechnical and chemical properties of used materials were determined.After curing times of 14 d,28 d,45 d,and 60 d in laboratory condition,the specimens were exposed to saturation levels ranging from 0 to 100%.The results showed that the moisture and curing time have significant effects on the properties of lime concrete.Based on the results of scanning electron micrograph(SEM) test,it was observed that the specimen was characterized by a rather well-structured matrix since both the filling of a large proportion of the coarse-grained soil voids by clay and the pozzolanic activity of lime led to retaining less pore water in the specimen,increasing the UCS and ES,and consequently resisting against swelling and shrinkage of the clay soil.Moreover,due to the pozzolanic reactions and reduction of water,by increasing the curing time and decreasing the degrees of saturation,UCS,ES,and IBincreased,and IDdecreased.Based on the experimental results,a phenomenological model was used to develop equations for predicting the properties in relation to the ratio of degree of saturation/curing time.The results showed that there was a good correlation(almost R2> 90%) between the measured parameters and the estimated ones given by the predicted equations.

Study on Food-making Quality of Strong-gluten Wheat Varieties from Lime Concretion Black Soil Area in the Huanghuai Wheat Region

In this study, 13 strong-gluten wheat varieties screened by the Key Project of Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System ＂Study on Industrial Technology for Strong-gluten Wheat from Lime Concretion Black Soil Area in the Huanghuai Wheat Region＂ were used as experimental materials to investigate their bread-making quality, noodle-making quality and other related characteristics. The results showed that more than half of the wheat varieties had better bread-making quality; the bread made from wheat with longer dough mixing time than 3.0 min had better texture, lighter color, and better taste. All these 13 strong-gluten wheat varieties showed good noodle-making quality in color, appearance, smoothness and taste; the differences between varieties were mainly found in palatability and viscoelasticity. Jimai 20, Xinong 979, Zhengmai 7698, Ji＇nan 17 and Zhengmai 9023 exhibited excellent bread-making quality; Zhengmai 366, Jimai 20 and Xinong 979 displayed excellent noodle-making quality. Fresh dough sheets made from Zhengmai 366, Jimai 20 and Xinong 979 exhibited slight color variation within 24 h and high peak starch paste viscosity; dry and cooked noodles made from Zhengmai 366, Jimai 20 and Xinong 979 had good quality.

Effect of climate change on the trends of evaporation of phreatic water from bare soil in Huaibei Plain, China

When the soil condition and depth to water table stay constant, climate condition will then be the only determinant of evaporation intensity of phreatic water from bare soil. Based on a series of long-term quality-controlled data collected at the Wudaogou Hydrological Experiment Station in the Huaibei Plain, Anhui, China, the variation trends of the evaporation rate of phreatic water from bare soil were studied through the Mann-Kendall trend test and the linear regression trend test, followed by the study on the responses of evaporation to climate change. Results indicated that in the Huaibei Plain during 1991-2008, evaporation of phreatic water from bare soil tended to increase at a rate of 5% on monthly scale in March, June and July while in other months the increase was minor. On the seasonal basis, the evaporation saw significant increase in spring and summer. In addition, annual evaporation tended to grow evidently over time. When air temperature rises by 1 °C, the annual evaporation rate increases by 7.24–14.21%, while when the vapor pressure deficit rises by 10%, it changes from-0.09 to 5.40%. The study also provides references for further understanding of the trends and responses of regional evapotranspiration to climate change.