Unconfined compressive strength and failure behaviour of completely weathered granite from a fault zone

Understanding the strength characteristics and deformation behaviour of the tunnel surrounding rock in a fault zone is significant for tunnel stability evaluation.In this study,a series of unconfined compression tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical characteristics and failure behaviour of completely weathered granite(CWG)from a fault zone,considering with height-diameter(h/d)ratio,dry densities(ρd)and moisture contents(ω).Based on the experimental results,a regression mathematical model of unconfined compressive strength(UCS)for CWG was developed using the Multiple Nonlinear Regression method(MNLR).The research results indicated that the UCS of the specimen with a h/d ratio of 0.6 decreased with the increase ofω.When the h/d ratio increased to 1.0,the UCS increasedωwith up to 10.5%and then decreased.Increasingρd is conducive to the improvement of the UCS at anyω.The deformation and rupture process as well as final failure modes of the specimen are controlled by h/d ratio,ρd andω,and the h/d ratio is the dominant factor affecting the final failure mode,followed byωandρd.The specimens with different h/d ratio exhibited completely different fracture mode,i.e.,typical splitting failure(h/d=0.6)and shear failure(h/d=1.0).By comparing the experimental results,this regression model for predicting UCS is accurate and reliable,and the h/d ratio is the dominant factor affecting the UCS of CWG,followed byρd and thenω.These findings provide important references for maintenance of the tunnel crossing other fault fractured zones,especially at low confining pressure or unconfined condition.

Artificial intelligence model for studying unconfined compressive performance of fiber-reinforced cemented paste backfill

To reduce the difficulty of obtaining the unconfined compressive strength(UCS) value of fiber-reinforced cemented paste backfill(CPB) and analyze the comprehensive impact of conventional and fiber variables on the compressive property, a new artificial intelligence model was proposed by combining a newly invented meta-heuristics algorithm(salp swarm algorithm, SSA) and extreme learning machine(ELM) technology. Aiming to test the reliability of that model, 720 UCS tests with different cement-to-tailing mass ratio, solid mass concentration, fiber content, fiber length, and curing time were carried out, and a strength evaluation database was collected. The obtained results show that the optimized SSA-ELM model can accurately predict the uniaxial compressive strength of the fiber-reinforced CPB, and the model performance of SSA-ELM model is better than ANN, SVR and ELM models. Variable sensitivity analysis indicates that fiber content and fiber length have a significant effect on the UCS of fiber-reinforced CPB.

Improving the Unconfined Compressive Strength of Red Clay by Combining Biopolymers with Fibers

To explore an environmentally friendly improvement measure for red clay,the function and mechanism of xanthan gum biopolymer and polypropylene fibers on the strength properties of red clay were investigated by unconfined compressive strength and scanning electron microscopy tests.The test results demonstrated that the contents and curing ages of xanthan gum had significant influences on the unconfined compressive strength of red clay.Compared with untreated soil,1.5%xanthan gum content was the optimal ratio in which the strength increment was between 41.52 kPa and 64.73 kPa.On the other hand,the strength of xanthan gum-treated red clay increased,whereas the ductility decreased with the increase in curing ages,indicating that the xanthan gum-treated red clay started to gradually consolidate after 3 days of curing and stiffness significantly improved between 7 and 28 days of curing.The results also showed that the synergistic consolidation effects of the xanthan gum–polypropylene fibers could not only effectively enhance the strength of red clay but also reduce the brittle failure phenomenon.The strengths of soil treated with 2.0%xanthan gum-polypropylene fibers were 1.9–2.41 and 1.12–1.47 times than that of red clay and 1.5%xanthan gum-treated clay,respectively.The results of study provide the related methods and experiences for the field of ecological soil treatment.

The Influence of Freeze-Thaw Cycles on Unconfined Compressive Strength of Lignin Fiber-Reinforced Loess

In the seasonal permafrost region with loess distribution,the influence of freeze-thaw cycles on the engineering performance of reinforced loess must be paid attention to.Many studies have shown that the use of fiber materials can improve the engineering performance of soil and its ability to resist freeze-thaw cycles.At the same time,as eco-environmental protection has become the focus,which has been paid more and more attention to,it has become a trend to find new environmentally friendly improved materials that can replace traditional chemical additives.The purpose of this paper uses new environmental-friendly improved materials to reinforce the engineering performance of loess,improve the ability of loess to resist freeze-thaw cycles,and reduce the negative impact on the ecological environment.To reinforce the engineering performance of loess and improve its ability to resist freeze-thaw cycles,lignin fiber is used as a reinforcing material.Through a series of laboratory tests,the unconfined compressive strength(UCS)of lignin fiber-reinforced loess under different freeze-thaw cycles was studied.The effects of lignin fiber content and freeze-thaw cycles on the strength and deformation modulus of loess were analyzed.Combined with the microstructure features,the change mechanism of lignin fiber-reinforced loess strength under freeze-thaw cycles was discussed.The results show that lignin fiber can improve the UCS of loess under freeze-thaw cycles,but the strengthening effect no longer increases with the increase of fiber content.When the fiber content is less than 1%,the UCS growth rate of loess is the fastest under freeze-thaw cycles.And the UCS of loess with 1%fiber content is the most stable under freeze-thaw cycles.The freeze-thaw cycles increase the deformation modulus of loess with 1%fiber content,and its ability to resist deformation is obviously better than loess with 1.5%,2%and 3%fiber content.The fiber content over 1%will weaken the strengthening effect of lignin fiber-reinforced loess,and the optimum fiber content of lignin fiber-reinforced loess under freeze-thaw cycles is 1%.

Analysis of influence factors of unconfined compressive strength for composite soil stabilizer-stabilized gravel soil

In order to investigate the effect o f some factors on the unconfined compressive strength(UCS)for composite soil stabilizer-stabilized gravel soil(CSSSGS),the orthogonal test is adopted to set up the experimental scheme.Three levels o f each factor armconsidered to obtain the change laws o f UCS,in which the binder dosages are8%,10%,and12%;the curing times ae7,14and21d;the gradation nae0.3,0.35and0.4;and the degrees of compaction are95%,97%,and99%.The range analysis clearly indicates that the influence degree o f the four factors on UCS is in such an order:dosage,age,gradation,and degree o f compaction.The variance analysis shows that only the composite soil stabilizer dosage can significantly affect UCS.In road construction,the examination o f composite soil stabilizer dosage and base-course maintenance should be given much more attention to obtain satisfactory base-course strength,compared w ith gradation floating and the change of degree o f compaction.

Unconfined compressive strength prediction of soils stabilized using artificial neural networks and support vector machines

This study aims to improve the unconfined compressive strength of soils using additives as well as by predicting the strength behavior of stabilized soils using two artificial-intelligence-based models.The soils used in this study are stabilized using various combinations of cement,lime,and rice husk ash.To predict the results of unconfined compressive strength tests conducted on soils,a comprehensive laboratory dataset comprising 137 soil specimens treated with different combinations of cement,lime,and rice husk ash is used.Two artificial-intelligence-based models including artificial neural networks and support vector machines are used comparatively to predict the strength characteristics of soils treated with cement,lime,and rice husk ash under different conditions.The suggested models predicted the unconfined compressive strength of soils accurately and can be introduced as reliable predictive models in geotechnical engineering.This study demonstrates the better performance of support vector machines in predicting the strength of the investigated soils compared with artificial neural networks.The type of kernel function used in support vector machine models contributed positively to the performance of the proposed models.Moreover,based on sensitivity analysis results,it is discovered that cement and lime contents impose more prominent effects on the unconfined compressive strength values of the investigated soils compared with the other parameters.

Performance evaluation of laterite soil embankment stabilized with bottom ash,coir fiber,and lime

In tropical regions,heavy rainfall induces erosion and shallow landslides on road embankments.Cement-based stabilization methods,common in these regions,contribute to climate change due to their high carbon footprint.This study explored the potential application of coir fiber-reinforced laterite soil-bottom ash mixtures as embankment materials in the tropics.The objective is to enhance engineered embankment slopes'erosion resistance and stability while offering reuse options for industrial byproducts.This study examined various mix designs for unconfined compressive strength(UCS)and permeability,utilizing 30%bottom ash(BA)and 1%coir fiber(CF)with varying sizes ranging from 10 to 40 mm,6%lime,and laterite soil(LS),followed by microstructural analyses.The results demonstrate that the compressive strength increases as the CF length increases to 25 mm.In contrast,permeability increases continuously with increasing CF length.Lime-treated mixtures exhibit superior short-and long-term strength and reduce permeability owing to the formation of cementitious materials,as confirmed by microstructural analyses.A lab-scale slope box was constructed to evaluate the surface erosion of the stabilized laterite soil embankment.Based on the rainfall simulation results,the LS-BA-CF mixtures show better resistance to erosion and deformation compared to untreated LS,especially when lime is added to the top layer.This study provides insights into a sustainable and cost-effective approach for slope stabilization using BA and CF,offering a promising solution for tropical regions susceptible to surface erosion and landslides.

Biopolymer stabilization of clayey soil

This study investigates the efficacy of sodium alginate(SA),xanthan gum(XG),guar gum(GG)and chitosan(CS)d each applied at five different solid biopolymer-to-water mass ratios(or dosages)and cured for 7 d and 28 d d on the unconfined compressive strength(UCS)performance of a high plasticity clayey soil.Moreover,on identifying the optimum biopolymer-treatment scenarios,their performance was compared against conventional stabilization using hydrated lime.For a given curing time,the UCS for all biopolymers followed a riseefall trend with increasing biopolymer dosage,peaking at an optimum dosage and then subsequently decreasing,such that all biopolymer-stabilized samples mobilized higher UCS values compared to the unamended soil.The optimum dosage was found to be 1.5%for SA,XG and CS,while a notably lower dosage of 0.5%was deemed optimum for GG.Similarly,for a given biopolymer type and dosage,increasing the curing time from 7 d to 28 d further enhanced the UCS,with the achieved improvements being generally more pronounced for XG-and CS-treated cases.None of the investigated biopolymers was able to produce UCS improvements equivalent to those obtained by the 28-d soilelime samples;however,the optimum XG,GG and CS dosages,particularly after 28 d of curing,were easily able to replicate 7-d lime stabilization outcomes achieved with as high as twice the soil’s lime demand.Finally,the fundamental principles of clay chemistry,in conjunction with the soil mechanics framework,were employed to identify and discuss the clayebiopolymer stabilization mechanisms.

Efficient stabilization of dredged sludge with high water content using an improved bio-carbonation of reactive magnesia cement method

This study proposed an improved bio-carbonation of reactive magnesia cement(RMC)method for dredged sludge stabilization using the urea pre-hydrolysis strategy.Based on unconfined compression strength(UCS),pickling-drainage,and scanning electron microscopy(SEM)tests,the effects of prehydrolysis duration(T),urease activity(UA)and curing age(CA)on the mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of bio-carbonized samples were systematically investigated and analyzed.The results demonstrated that the proposed method could significantly enhance urea hydrolysis and RMC bio-carbonation to achieve efficient stabilization of dredged sludge with 80%high water content.A significant strength increment of up to about 1063.36 kPa was obtained for the bio-carbonized samples after just 7 d of curing,which was 2.64 times higher than that of the 28-day cured ordinary Portland cement-reinforced samples.Both elevated T and UA could notably increase urea utilization ratio and carbonate ion yield,but the resulting surge in supersaturation also affected the precipitation patterns of hydrated magnesia carbonates(HMCs),which weakened the cementation effect of HMCs on soil particles and further inhibited strength enhancement of bio-carbonized samples.The optimum formula was determined to be the case of T?24 h and UA?10 U/mL for dredged sludge stabilization.A 7-day CA was enough for bio-carbonized samples to obtain stable strength,albeit slightly affected by UA.The benefits of high efficiency and water stability presented the potential of this method in achieving dredged sludge stabilization and resource utilization.This investigation provides informative ideas and valuable insights on implementing advanced bio-geotechnical techniques to achieve efficient stabilization of soft soil,such as dredged sludge.

Effect of chloride salt concentration on unconfined compression strength of cement-treated Lianyungang soft marine clay

This study aims to quantify the influence of the amount of cement and chloride salt on the unconfined compression strength （UCS） of Lianyungang marine clay. The clays with various sodium chloride salt concentrations were prepared artificially and stabilized by ordinary Portland cement with various contents. A series of UCS tests of cement stabilized clay specimen after 28 d curing were carried out. The results indicate that the increase of salt concentration results in the decrease in the UCS of cement-treated soil. The negative effect of salt concentration on the strength of cement stabilized clay directly relates to the cement content and salt concentration. The porosity-salt concentration/cement content ratio is a fundamental parameter for assessing the UCS of cement-treated salt-rich clay. An empirical prediction model of UCS is also proposed to take into account the effect of salt concentration. The findings of this study can be referenced for the stabilization improvement of chloride slat- rich soft clay.

Effect of Sample Disturbance on Unconfined Compression Strength of Natural Marine Clays

Quantitatively correcting the unconfined compressive strength for sample disturbance is an important research project in the practice of ocean engineering and geotechnical engineering. In this study, the specimens of undisturbed natural marine clay obtained from the same depth at the same site were deliberately disturbed to different levels. Then, the specimens with different extents of sample disturbance were trimmed for both oedometer tests and unconfined compression tests. The degree of sample disturbance SD is obtained from the oedometer test data. The relationship between the unconfined compressive strength q u and SD is studied for investigating the effect of sample disturbance on q u. It is found that the value of q u decreases linearly with the increase in SD. Then, a simple method of correcting q u for sample disturbance is proposed. Its validity is also verified through analysis of the existing published data.

Testing and numerical simulation of a medium strength rock material under unconfined compression loading

This study aims to numerically and experimentally investigate the response of a medium strength rock material under unconfined compression loading up to failure. The unconfined compressive strength(UCS) is one of the most important parameters in characterising rock material behaviour. Hence the UCS is crucial in understanding the failure mechanism of fractured rocks. An effective approach to determine the UCS and to investigate the behaviours of rock materials under unconfined compression is essential in the majority of research fields of rock mechanics. The experimental configuration for the unconfined compression test, suggested by the protocols of the ASTM standard, has some limitations which affect the accuracy in determination of the real UCS. Among several alternative configurations proposed, the Mogi’s configuration seems to be the most appropriate one. Therefore, the ASTM and Mogi’s configurations were used to perform the tests on a medium strength rock material, i.e. Pietra Serena sandstone. The results using two configurations were discussed in terms of the differences. The tests were also replicated in LSDYNA using a finite element method(FEM) coupled smooth particle hydrodynamics(SPH) technique.This technique is employed in this study due to its capabilities to cope with large deformation issues related to the rocks. An advanced material model, called the Karagozian and Case Concrete(KCC) model,is implemented in the numerical simulations. The KCC model consists of three independent fixed failure surfaces and it can consider the damage accumulation based on the current state of stress among these failure surfaces. An equation-of-state(EOS) is used in conjunction with KCC material model for decoupling the volumetric and deviatoric responses. The numerical and experimental results were finally compared with the focus on the stress-strain diagram and the failure patterns. The comparison shows that the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental results.

The compressive strength experimental study of cemented soil under H2SO4 corrosive in earlier period

In order to simulate and study the erosion effect process such as the changes of corrosive depth and unconfined compression strength of cemented soil sample in earlier period from 0 day to 60 days, a series of tests including unconfined compressive tests, measuring the blocks＇ sizes, and taking photos, are conducted on the cemented soil blocks which were cured in different concentrations of H2SO4 solutions. The results of tests show that the corrosive depth is increasing and the unconfined compression strength is decreasing with the increase of H2SO4 solution concentration at the same erosion time, and the corrosive degree is increasing with the corrosive time. In the earlier state, the corrosive effect is serious, but the effect becomes slow in the later state in the same concentrated H2SO4 solution. After take statistics the date, a coefficient a is put forward to predict the reduction of the compressive strength of cemented soil in various concentration of H2SO4 solution, which could be used in practical design.

Mechanical and hydraulic properties of carbonate rock:The critical role of porosity

Carbonate rocks are extensively used in civil infrastructure and play a critical role in geoenergy geoengineering,either as hydrocarbon reservoirs or potential repositories for CO_(2)geological storage.Carbonate genesis and diagenetic overprint determine the properties of carbonate rocks.This study combines recent data gathered from Madison Limestone and an extensive dataset compiled from published sources to analyze the hydraulic and mechanical properties of limestone carbonate rocks.Physical models and data analyses recognize the inherently granular genesis of carbonate rocks and explain the strong dependency of physical properties on porosity.The asymptotically-correct power model in terms of(1-Ф/Ф*)a is a good approximation to global trends of unconfined stiffness E and unconfined compressive strength UCS,cohesive intercept in Mohr-Coulomb failure envelopes,and the brittle-toductile transition stress.This power model is the analytical solution for the mechanical properties of percolating granular structures.We adopted a limiting granular porosityФ*=0.5 for all models,which was consistent with the loosest packing of monosize spheres.The fitted power model has exponent(α=2)in agreement with percolation theory and highlights the sensitivity of mechanical properties to porosity.Data and models confirm a porosity-independent ratio between unconfined stiffness and strength,and the ratio follows a log-normal distribution with mean(E/UCS)≈300.The high angle of internal shear strength measured for carbonate rocks reflects delayed contact failure with increased confinement,and it is not sensitive to porosity.Permeability spans more than six orders of magnitude.Grain size controls pore size and determines the reference permeability k^(*)at the limiting porosityФ*=0.5.For a given grain size from fine to coarse-grained dominant carbonates,permeability is very sensitive to changes in porosity,suggesting preferential changes in the internal pore network during compaction.

The geomechanical properties of soils treated with nanosilica particles

This study examines the effect of nanosilica(NS)additive to improve the mechanical properties of clay,clayey sand,and sand.The engineering properties of the soils were investigated through Atterberg limits,compaction,unconfined compression,ultrasonic pulse velocity(UPV),freeze-thaw,and direct shear tests.The NS content varied from 0%to 0.7%and cement content was 5%and 10%by the dry weight of the soil.The curing period varied from 7 d to 150 d.The consistency,compaction,and strength properties of the soils were affected by the presence of NS and cement.The optimum NS contents in clay specimens with 5%and 10%cement were 0.5%and 0.7%,respectively.It was 0.7%in sand specimens with both cement ratios,as well as 0.3%and 0.7%in clayey sand specimens with 5%and 10%cement,respectively.In terms of freeze-thaw resistance,clayey sand specimens containing 0.5%NS and 10%cement had the minimum strength loss.Exponential relationships existed between the ultrasonic pulse velocity(UPV)and the unconfined compressive strength(UCS)of soil specimens having the same curing period.The shear strength parameters of the soils also improved with the addition of NS.Scanning electron microscope(SEM)images demonstrated that cement and NS contributed to the improvement of the soils by producing a denser and more uniform structure.It was concluded that the minor addition of NS could potentially improve the geomechanical properties of the soils.

Influence of Salt-Lime Stabilization on Soil Strength for Construction on Soft Clay

Construction on soft soil is one of the most challenging situations faced by geotechnical engineers. The heterogeneous and complex nature of soil, especially those containing organic clay, often makes it impossible for the construction specification to be addressed properly. Generally, clay exhibits low strength, high compressibility, and strength reduction when subjected to mechanical disturbance. This means that construction on clay soil is vulnerable to bearing capacity failure induced by low inherent shear strength. All these properties can be improved by the effective stabilization of soil. This study analyzed the effectiveness of incorporating salt-lime mixtures at various dosages in improving the strength increment of the soil. The results indicate that among different combinations of salt and lime, the best performance in terms of strength increase was achieved by adding 10% NaCl with 3% lime in the soil. The outcome of this study focuses on enhancing the ultimate strength of soil and its implementation in the field of foundation engineering.

An investigation on the strain accumulation of the lightly EICP-cemented sands under cyclic traffic loads

Industrial production of chemical cement leads to extreme emissions of greenhouse gases.Biological or bioinspired sustainable materials for soil treatment projects can be employed instead of chemical cement to heal the carbon cycle in the ecosystem.The enzyme-induced calcite precipitation(EICP)method is one of the novel bio-inspired technologies that can be employed in soil treatment projects to increase desired properties of soils.While the monotonic and cyclic behavior of the enzymatically treated sands has been investigated comprehensively,the strain accumulation pattern in these improved soils under cyclic traffic loads has not been evaluated yet.In this paper,confined and unconfined cyclic compression tests are applied to the enzymatically lightly cemented sands,and the effects of the different parameters on their strain accumulation pattern are investigated for the first time in the literature.This study uses two types of specimens with unconfined compression strengths(UCS)equal to 42 kPa and 266 kPa.It is shown that the treated specimens have a rate-dependent behavior where cyclic loads with low frequencies lead to more resilient and plastic strains in the specimens.The results show that by approaching the maximum applied stresses to the UCS of the specimens(by breaking more calcite bonds between sand particles),the rate dependency behavior of specimens will reduce.Investigation of the effects of the cementation level demonstrated that by increasing the amount of the precipitated calcite from 0.38%to 0.83%,accumulated plastic strains are reduced almost 95%under the same loading condition.Effects of the initial static loads,confining pressures,the number of cycles,and amplitudes of the cyclic loads are also evaluated.

Determination and Evaluation of Strength Characteristics of Dry Jet Mixing

Dry jet mixing (DJM) for soft soil stabilization has been widely used since 1980s. The quality and strength of stabilized columns are fundamental parameters to evaluate the stabilization work. This paper presents the standard penetration test (SPT) method and its test results on cement columns. It is shown that SPT is an effective and simple method for inspecting and evaluating cement columns. The strength characteristics along the length of the column, a good correction between SPT blow count and the unconfined compressive strength are achieved.

Strength and deformation characteristics of carbonated reactive magnesia treated silt soil

A series of unconfined compression tests(UCTs) were conducted to investigate the effects of content of reactive magnesia(Mg O) and carbonation time on the engineering properties including apparent characteristics, stress-strain relation, and deformation and strength characteristics of reactive Mg O treated silt soils. The soils treated with reactive Mg O at various contents were subjected to accelerated carbonation for different periods of time and later, UCTs were performed on them. The results demonstrate that the reactive Mg O content and carbonation time have remarkable influences on the aforementioned engineering properties of the soils. It is found that with the increase in reactive Mg O content, the unconfined compressive strength(qu) increases at a given carbonation time(<10 h), whereas the water content and amounts of crack of the soils decrease. A threshold content of reactive Mg O exists at approximately 25% and a critical carbonation time exists at about 10 h for the development of qu. A simple yet practical strength-prediction model, by taking into account two variables of reactive Mg O content and carbonation time, is proposed to estimate qu of carbonated reactive Mg O treated soils. A comparison of the predicated values of qu with the measured ones indicates that the proposed model has satisfactory accuracy.

Mechanical and electrical properties of coarse-grained soilaffected by cyclic freeze-thaw in high cold regions

To evaluate the geotechnical properties of coarse-grained soil affected by cyclic freeze-thaw,the electrical resistivity and mechanical tests are conducted.The soil specimens are prepared under different water contents,dry densities and exposed to 0?20 freeze-thaw cycles.As a result,the stress?strain behavior of the specimen(w=14.0%andρd=1.90 g/cm^3)changes from strain-hardening into strain-softening due to the freeze-thaw effect.The electrical resistivity of test specimen increases with the freeze-thaw cycles change,but the mechanical parameters(the unconfined compressive strength qu and the deformation modulus E)and brittleness index decrease considerably at the same conditions.All of them tend to be stable after 7?9 cycles.Moreover,both the dry density and the water content have reciprocal effects on the freeze-thaw actions.The failure and pore characteristics of specimens affected by freeze-thaw cycles are discussed by using the image analysis method.Then,an exponential function equation is developed to assess the electrical resistivity of specimens affected by the cyclic freeze-thaw.Linear relations between the mechanical parameters and the electrical resistivity of specimens are established to evaluate the geotechnical properties of the soil exposed to freeze-thaw actions through the corresponding electrical resistivity.