Experimental investigation into the salinity effect on the physicomechanical properties of carbonate saline soil

For engineering structures with saline soil as a filling material,such as channel slope,road subgrade,etc.,the rich soluble salt in the soil is an important potential factor affecting their safety performance.This study examines the Atterberg limits,shear strength,and compressibility of carbonate saline soil samples with different NaHCO3 contents in Northeast China.The mechanism underlying the influence of salt content on soil macroscopic properties was investigated based on a volumetric flask test,a mercury intrusion porosimetry(MIP)test,and a scanning electron microscopic(SEM)test.The results demonstrated that when NaHCO3 contents were lower than the threshold value of 1.5%,the bound water film adsorbed on the surface of clay particles thickened continuously,and correspondingly,the Atterberg limits and plasticity index increased rapidly as the increase of sodium ion content.Meanwhile,the bonding force between particles was weakened,the dispersion of large aggregates was enhanced,and the soil structure became looser.Macroscopically,the compressibility increased and the shear strength(mainly cohesion)decreased by 28.64%.However,when the NaHCO3 content exceeded the threshold value of 1.5%,the salt gradually approached solubility and filled the pores between particles in the form of crystals,resulting in a decrease in soil porosity.The cementation effect generated by salt crystals increased the bonding force between soil particles,leading to a decrease in plasticity index and an improvement in soil mechanical properties.Moreover,this work provides valuable suggestions and theoretical guidance for the scientific utilization of carbonate saline soil in backfill engineering projects.

Rheological and physicomechanical properties of rod milling sand-based cemented paste backfill modified by sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde condensate

Rod milling sand(RMS)—a coarse sand aggregate—was recycled for cemented paste backfill(CPB)for the underground mined area at the Jinchuan nickel deposit,named rod milling sand-based cemented paste backfill(RCPB).The adverse effects of coarse particles on the transportation of CPB slurry through pipelines to underground stopes resulting in weakening of the stability of the backfill system are well known.Therefore,sulfonated naphthalene formaldehyde(SNF)condensate was used for the performance improvement of RCPB.The synergistic effect of solid content(SC),lime-to-sand ratio,and SNF dosage on the rheological and physicomechanical properties,including slump,yield stress,bleeding rate,uniaxial compressive strength(UCS),as well as mechanism analysis of RCPB,have been explored.The results indicate that the effect of SNF on RCPB performance is related to the SNF dosage,lime-to-sand ratio,and SC.The slump of fresh RCPB with 0.1wt%-0.5wt%SNF increased by 2.6%-26.2%,whereas the yield stress reduced by 4.1%-50.3%,indicating better workability and improved cohesiveness of the mix.The bleeding rate of fresh RCPB decreased first and then rose with the increase of SNF dosage,and the peak decrease was 67.67%.UCS of RCPB first increased and then decreased with the increase of SNF dosage.At the optimal SNF addition ratio of 0.3wt%,the UCS of RCPB curing for 7,14 and,28 d ages increased by 31.5%,28.4%,and 29.5%,respectively.The beneficial effects of SNF in enhancing the early UCS of RCPB have been corroborated.However,the later UCS increases at a slower rate.The research findings may guide the design and preparation of RCPB with adequate performance for practical applications.