Mineralogy,microstructures and geomechanics of rock salt for underground gas storage

Rock salt has excellent properties for its use as underground leak‐proof containers for the storage of renewable energy.Salt solution mining has long been used for salt mining,and can now be employed in the construction of underground salt caverns for the storage of hydrogen gas.This paper presents a wide range of methods to study the mineralogy,geochemistry,microstructure and geomechanical characteristics of rock salt,which are important in the engineering of safe underground storage rock salt caverns.The mineralogical composition of rock salt varies and is linked to its depositional environment and diagenetic alterations.The microstructure in rock salt is related to cataclastic deformation,diffusive mass transfer and intracrystalline plastic deformation,which can then be associated with the macrostructural geomechanical behavior.Compared to other types of rock,rock salt exhibits creep at lower temperatures.This behavior can be divided into three phases based on the changes in strain with time.However,at very low effective confining pressure and high deviatoric stress,rock salt can exhibit dilatant behavior,where brittle deformation could compromise the safety of underground gas storage in rock salt caverns.The proposed review presents the impact of purity,geochemistry and water content of rock salt on its geomechanical behavior,and thus,on the safety of the caverns.

Exploring the frontiers of deep underground sciences and engineering—China Yunlong Lake Laboratory is striving to be the best

This paper introduces the establishment of deep underground infrastructure for science and engineering research.First,the representative deep underground research laboratories and facilities in the world and their functions were summarized and reviewed.Then,the plan and service target of China Yulong Lake Laboratory were proposed for the storage of resources and energy,as well as the sealing of hazardous waste in deep underground space.On this basis,this paper reveals how the facility addresses its key scientific issue on“The law of fluid matter migration in deep underground space”and engineering significance.Finally,the construction progress of the facility components was demonstrated in details.As is hoped,this paper would provide useful reference to the deep underground research community;meanwhile,international collaboration on deep underground research is highly welcome.

Instability mechanism of mining roadway passing through fault at different angles in kilometre-deep mine and control measures of roof cutting and NPR cables

The angle α between the fault strike and the axial direction of the roadway produces different damage characteristics. In this paper, the research methodology includes theoretical analyses, numerical simulations and field experiments in the context of the Daqiang coal mine located in Shenyang, China. The stability control countermeasure of "pre-splitting cutting roof + NPR anchor cable"(PSCR-NPR) is simultaneously proposed. According to the different deformation characteristics of the roadway, the faults are innovatively classified into three types, with α of type I being 0°-30°, α of type II being 30°-60°, and α of type III being 60°-90°. The full-cycle stress evolution paths during mining roadway traverses across different types of faults are investigated by numerical simulation. Different pinch angles α lead to high stress concentration areas at different locations in the surrounding rock. The non-uniform stress field formed in the shallow surrounding rock is an important reason for the instability of the roadway. The pre-cracked cut top shifted the high stress region to the deep rock mass and formed a low stress region in the shallow rock mass. The high prestressing NPR anchor cable transforms the non-uniform stress field of the shallow surrounding rock into a uniform stress field. PSCR-NPR is applied in the fault-through roadway of Daqiang mine. The low stress area of the surrounding rock was enlarged by 3-7 times, and the cumulative convergence was reduced by 45%-50%. It provides a reference for the stability control of the deep fault-through mining roadway.

Development and application of novel high‐efficiency composite ultrafine cement grouts for roadway in fractured surrounding rocks

The fractured surrounding rocks of roadways pose major challenges to safe mining.Grouting has often been used to reinforce the surrounding rocks to mitigate the safety risks associated with fractured rocks.The aim of this study is to develop highly efficient composite ultrafine cement(CUC)grouts to reinforce the roadway in fractured surrounding rocks.The materials used are ultrafine cement(UC),ultrafine fly ash(UF),ultrafine slag(US),and additives(superplasticizer[SUP],aluminate ultrafine expansion agent[AUA],gypsum,and retarder).The fluidity,bleeding,shrinkage,setting time,chemical composition,microstructure,degree of hydration,and mechanical property of grouting materials were evaluated in this study.Also,a suitable and effective CUC grout mixture was used to reinforce the roadway in the fractured surrounding rock.The results have shown that the addition of UF and US reduces the plastic viscosity of CUC,and the best fluidity can be obtained by adding 40%UF and 10%US.Since UC and UF particles are small,the pozzolanic effect of UF promotes the hydration reaction,which is conductive to the stability of CUC grouts.In addition,fine particles of UC,UF,and US can effectively fill the pores,while the volumetric expansion of AUA and gypsum decreases the pores and thus affects the microstructure of the solidified grout.The compressive test results have shown that the addition of specific amounts of UF and US can ameliorate the mechanical properties of CUC grouts.Finally,the CUC22‐8 grout was used to reinforce the No.20322 belt roadway.The results of numerical simulation and field monitoring have indicated that grouting can efficaciously reinforce the surrounding rock of the roadway.In this research,high‐performance CUC grouts were developed for surrounding rock reinforcement of underground engineering by utilizing UC and some additives.

Stability control measures for roof cutting and NPR supporting of mining roadways in fault areas of kilometre-deep coal mine

The study focuses on the stability control measures for mining roadways in fault zones of deep mines,using Daqiang Coal Mine as a case study.The control system under consideration,referred to as"pre-splitting cutting roof+NPR anchor cable"(PSCR-NPR),is subjected to scrutiny through theoretical analysis,numerical modelling,and field trials.Furthermore,a comprehensive analysis is undertaken to evaluate the stability control mechanism of this particular technology.The study provides evidence that the utilization of deep-hole directional energy-concentrated blasting facilitates the attainment of directional roof cutting in roadways.The aforementioned procedure leads to the formation of a uniform structural surface on the roof of the roadway and causes modifications in the surrounding geological formation.The examination of the lateral abutment pressure and shear stress distribution,both prior to and subsequent to roof cutting,indicates that the implementation of pre-splitting techniques leads to a noteworthy reduction in pressure.The proposition of incorporating the safety factor Q for roof cutting height is suggested as a method to augment comprehension of the pressure relief phenomenon in the field of engineering.The analysis of numerical simulation has indicated that the optimal pressure relief effect of a mining roadway in a fault area is attained when the value of Q is 1.8.The NPR anchor cable exhibits noteworthy characteristics,including a high level of prestress,continuous resistance,and substantial deformation.After the excavation of the roadway,a notable reduction in radial stress occurs,leading to the reinstatement of the three-phase stress state in the surrounding rock.This restoration is attributed to the substantial prestress exerted on the radial stress.The termination point of the NPR anchor cable is strategically positioned within a stable rock formation,allowing for the utilization of the mechanical characteristics of the deep stable rock mass.This positioning serves to improve the load-bearing capacity of the surrounding rock.The mining roadway within the fault region of Daqiang Coal Mine is outfitted with the PSCR-NPR technology.The drop in shear stress experienced by the rock surrounding the roadway is estimated to be around 30%,whilst the low-stress region of the mining roadway extends by a factor of approximately 5.5.The magnitude of surface displacement convergence experiences a decrease of approximately 45%-50%.The study’s findings provide useful insights regarding the stable of mining roadway in characterized by fault zones.

Comparison of large deformation failure control method in a deep gob-side roadway: A theoretical analysis and field investigation

Under the dual influence of the mining disturbance of the previous working face and the advanced mining of the working face,the roadway is prone to large deformation,failure,and rockburst.Roadway stabilization has always significantly influenced deep mining safety.In this article we used the research background of the large deformation failure roadway of Fa-er Coal Mine in Guizhou Province of China to propose two control methods:bolt-cable-mesh+concrete blocks+directional energy-gathering blasting(BCM-CBDE method)and 1st Generation-Negative Poisson’s Ratio(1G NPR)cable+directional energy-gathering blasting+dynamic pressure stage support(πgirder+single hydraulic prop+retractable U steel)(NPR-DEDP method).Meantime,we compared the validity of the large deformation failure control method in a deep gob-side roadway based on theoretical analysis,numerical simulations,and field experiments.The results show that directional energy-gathering blasting can weaken the pressure acting on the concrete blocks.However,the vertical stress of the surrounding rock of the roadway is still concentrated in the entity coal side and the concrete blocks,showing a’bimodal’distribution.BCM-CBDE method cannot effectively control the stability of the roadway.NPR-DEDP method removed the concrete blocks.It shows using the 1G NPR cable with periodic slipping-sticking characteristics can adapt to repeated mining disturbances.The peak value of the vertical stress of the roadway is reduced and transferred to the deep part of the surrounding rock mass,which promotes the collapse of the gangue in the goaf and fills the goaf.The pressure of the roadway roof is reduced,and the gob-side roadway is fundamentally protected.Meantime,the dynamic pressure stage support method withπgirder+single hydraulic prop+retractable U steel as the core effectively protects the roadway from dynamic pressure impact when the main roof is periodically broken.After the on-site implementation of NPR-DEDP method,the deformation of the roadway is reduced by more than 45%,and the deformation rate is reduced by more than 50%.

Experimental research and numerical simulation of the multi-field performance of cemented paste backfill:Review and future perspectives

Cemented paste backfill(CPB)technology is a green mining method used to control underground goaves and tailings ponds.The curing process of CPB in the stope is the product of a thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical multi-field performance interaction.At present,research on the multi-field performance of CPB mainly includes indoor similar simulation experiments,in-situ multi-field performance monitoring experiments,multi-field performance coupling model construction of CPB,and numerical simulation of the multi-field performance of CPB.Because it is hard to study the in-situ multi-field performance of CPB in the real stope,most current research on in-situ multi-field performance adopts the numerical simulation method.By simulating the conditions of CPB in the real stope(e.g.,maintenance environment,stope geometry,drainage conditions,and barricade and backfilling rates),the multi-field performance of CPB is further studied.This paper summarizes the mathematical models employed in the numerical simulation and lists the engineering application cases of numerical simulation in the in-situ multi-field performance of CPB.Finally,it proposes that the multi-field performance of CPB needs to strengthen the theoretical study of multi-field performance,form the strength design criterion based on the multi-field performance of CPB,perform a full-range numerical simulation of the multi-field performance of CPB,develop a pre-warning technology for the CPB safety of CPB,develop automatic and wireless sensors for the multi-field performance monitoring of CPB,and realize the application and popularization of CPB monitoring technology.

Excavation compensation theory and supplementary technology system for large deformation disasters

Given the challenges in managing large deformation disasters in energy engineering,traffic tunnel engineering,and slope engineering,the excavation compensation theory has been proposed for large deformation disasters and the supplementary technology system is developed accordingly.This theory is based on the concept that“all destructive behaviors in tunnel engineering originate from excavation.”This paper summarizes the development of the excavation compensation theory in five aspects:the“theory,”“equipment,”“technology,”the design method with large deformation mechanics,and engineering applications.First,the calculation method for compensation force has been developed based on this theory,and a comprehensive large deformation disaster control theory system is formed.Second,a negative Poisson's ratio anchor cable with high preload,large deformation,and super energy absorption characteristics has been independently developed and applied to large deformation disaster control.An intelligent tunnel monitoring and early warning cloud platform system are established for remote monitoring and early warning system of Newton force in landslide geological hazards.Third,the double gradient advance grouting technology,the two-dimensional blasting technology,and the integrated Newton force monitoring--early warning--control technology are developed for different engineering environments.Finally,some applications of this theory in China's energy,traffic tunnels,landslide,and other field projects have been analyzed,which successfully demonstrates the capability of this theory in large deformation disaster control.

Failure mechanism and control countermeasures of surrounding rock at deep large section chamber intersection in the Wanfu Coal Mine

In order to solve the problem of large deformation at the intersection of deep large section soft rock roadway,this paper takes the intersection of kilometer-deep roadway in the Wanfu Coal Mine as an engineering example and applies Negative Poisson’s Ratio(NPR)steel anchor cable in roadway support for the first time.By combining numerical simulation indoor test,theoretical analysis and field test,the deformation mechanism of surrounding rock at the intersection of deep-buried roadway was analyzed,and the control strategy with micro NPR steel anchor cable as the core was put forward.Through numerical simulation,the numerical analysis model of roadway intersection with different intersection angles and excavation sequence was constructed,and the impact of two key variables of rake angle and excavation sequence on the stability of surrounding rock at roadway intersection was studied.The optimal dip angle is 90°and the optimal excavation sequence was determined as pump house-pump house passage-substation.The mechanical properties of the micro-NPR steel anchor cable were studied through the static tensile test in the laboratory.The results showed that the micro-NPR steel anchor cable showed high constant resistance,uniform tensile,no yield platform,and no obvious necking phenomenon during breaking.Through theoretical derivation,it was calculated that the vertical stress of roadway intersection is 45 MPa,and the bearing capacity of superposed arch composed of micro NPR steel anchor cable is 1257 kN,which is enough to guarantee the overall stability of intersection.Support application test and monitoring were carried out on site,and it was verified that the combined support strategy of short and long micro NPR steel anchor cable has a good control effect on large deformation of surrounding rock at intersection,which provides a new support material and support means for the safety and stabilization control of surrounding rock at intersection.

Deformation characteristics and novel strain criteria of strainbursts induced by low-frequency cyclic disturbance

Strainbursts induced by cyclic disturbance with low frequency(termed as cyclicinduced strainbursts)are major dynamic disasters during deep excavation and mining.There is currently no quantitative criterion available for the prediction of such disastrous events.In this study,based on true triaxial experiments,we analyzed the deformation characteristics,established two novel strain criteria for the cyclic-induced strainbursts,and explained the physical meaning of these criteria.Characteristic strains for the cyclic-induced strainbursts were defined,including the control strain ε_(ctr),the strain caused by the combined dynamic and static loading ε_(sd),and the ultimate strain ε_(u) after strainbursts.As indicated by the results,the deformation evolution of the cyclic-induced strainbursts shows remarkable fatigue characteristics,which resemble that of rock subjected to cyclic loading and unloading.In other words,there are three stages during deformation evolution,namely,initial rapid growth,uniform velocity growth after several periods of disturbance,and sudden sharp growth preceding the burst.The ultimate strain ε_(u) is insensitive to the tangential static stress and disturbance amplitude,but it changes nonlinearly with disturbance frequency.From the perspective of deformation,the occurrence of a cyclic-induced strainburst is controlled by the control strainε_(ctr).Thus,a control strain criterion is proposed;that is,when the stain ε_(sd) is larger than the control strain ε_(ctr),a strainburst will be induced by cyclic disturbance.Moreover,based on the statistical results,a strain ratio criterion is proposed;that is,when the strain ratio ε_(sd)/ε_(u) is greater than 30%,a cyclic-induced strainburst will be induced.

Deformation and failure characteristics of anchorage structure of surrounding rock in deep roadway

This paper investigated the stress evolution,displacement field,local deformation and its overall distribution,and failure characteristics of the anchorage structure of surrounding rock with different rockbolt spacing through the model experiments.The influences of the pre-tightening force and spacing of rockbolt on the support strength of the anchorage structure of surrounding rock were analyzed by the simulation using FLAC3D numerical software.The support scheme of the excavated roadway was then designed,and the effectiveness of this support scheme was further verified by the displacement measurement of the roadway.The results showed that the maximum displacement between the roof and floor of the west wing track roadway in Kouzidong coal mine,China is about 42 mm,and the maximum displacement between its both sides is about 72 mm,indicating that the support scheme proposed in this study can ensure the stability and safety of the excavated roadway.

Failure mechanism and supporting measures for large deformation of Tertiary deep soft rock

The Shenbei mining area in China contains typical soft rock from the Tertiary Period. As mining depths increase, deep soft rock roadways are damaged by large deformations and constantly need to be repaired to meet safety requirements, which is a great security risk. In this study, the characteristics of deformation and failure of typical roadway were analyzed, and the fundamental reason for the roadway deformation was that traditional support methods and materials cannot control the large deformation of deep soft rock. Deep soft rock support technology was developed based on constant resistance energy absorption using constant resistance large deformation bolts. The correlative deformation mechanisms of surrounding rock and bolt were analyzed to understand the principle of constant resistance energy absorption. The new technology works well on-site and provides a new method for the excavation of roadways in Tertiary deep soft rock.

Experimental study on the effect of water absorption level on rockburst occurrence of sandstone

To investigate the mechanism of rockburst prevention by spraying water onto the surrounding rocks,15 experiments are performed considering different water absorption levels on a single face.High-speed photography and acoustic emission(AE)system are used to monitor the rockburst process.The effect of water on sandstone rockburst and the prevention mechanism of water on sandstone rockburst are analyzed from the perspective of energy and failure mode.The results show that the higher the ab-sorption degree,the lower the intensity of the rockburst after absorbing water on single side of sand-stone.This is reflected in the fact that with the increase in the water absorption level,the ejection velocity of rockburst fragments is smaller,the depth of the rockburst pit is shallower,and the AE energy is smaller.Under the water absorption level of 100%,the magnitude of rockburst intensity changes from medium to slight.The prevention mechanism of water on sandstone rockburst is that water reduces the capacity of sandstone to store strain energy and accelerates the expansion of shear cracks,which is not conducive to the occurrence of plate cracking before rockburst,and destroys the conditions for rockburst incubation.

Influence of dynamic pressure on deep underground soft rock roadway support and its application

Due to high ground stress and mining disturbance, the deformation and failure of deep soft rock roadway is serious, and invalidation of the anchor net-anchor cable supporting structure occurs. The failure characteristics of roadways revealed with the help of the ground pressure monitoring. Theoretical analysis was adopted to analyze the influence of mining disturbance on stress distribution in surrounding rock,and the change of stress was also calculated. Considering the change of stress in surrounding rock of bottom extraction roadway, the displacement, plastic zone and distribution law of principal stress difference under different support schemes were studied by means of FLAC3D. The supporting scheme of U-shaped steel was proposed for bottom extraction roadway that underwent mining disturbance. We carried out a similarity model test to verify the effect of support in dynamic pressure. Monitoring results demonstrated the change rules of deformation and stress of surrounding rock in different supporting schemes. The supporting scheme of U-shaped steel had an effective control on deformation of surrounding rock. The scheme was successfully applied in underground engineering practice, and achieved good technical and economic benefits.

Strength prediction model for water-bearing sandstone based on nearinfrared spectroscopy

The strength of water-bearing rock cannot be obtained in real time and by nondestructive experiments,which is an issue at cultural relics protection sites such as grotto temples.To solve this problem,we conducted a near-infrared spectrum acquisition experiment in the field and laboratory uniaxial compression strength tests on sandstone that had different water saturation levels.The correlations between the peak height and peak area of the nearinfrared absorption bands of the water-bearing sandstone and uniaxial compressive strength were analyzed.On this basis,a strength prediction model for water-bearing sandstone was established using the long short-term memory full convolutional network(LSTM-FCN)method.Subsequently,a field engineering test was carried out.The results showed that:(1)The sandstone samples had four distinct characteristic absorption peaks at 1400,1900,2200,and 2325 nm.The peak height and peak area of the absorption bands near 1400 nm and 1900 nm had a negative correlation with uniaxial compressive strength.The peak height and peak area of the absorption bands near 2200 nm and 2325 nm had nonlinear positive correlations with uniaxial compressive strength.(2)The LSTM-FCN method was used to establish a strength prediction model for water-bearing sandstone based on near-infrared spectroscopy,and the model achieved an accuracy of up to 97.52%.(3)The prediction model was used to realize non-destructive,quantitative,and real-time determination of uniaxial compressive strength;this represents a new method for the non-destructive testing of grotto rock mass at sites of cultural relics protection.

Numerical simulation of rockburst disaster and control strategy of constant resistance and large deformation anchor cable in Gaoloushan tunnel

The Gaoloushan Tunnel in Longnan City,Gansu Province,China,frequently experiences rockburst disasters due to high in-situ stress.Managing rockburst in deep-buried tunnels remains a challenging issue.This paper employs RFPA(Rock Failure Process Analysis)software to establish a calculation model of constant resistance and large deformation(CRLD)anchorages and analyzes the effects of different support methods and pre-stress levels on rockburst.We simulate the process of tunnel rockburst disasters and find that ordinary anchor support incurs rockburst on the right arch waist and arch top,forming a V-shaped explosion pit.CRLD anchor support has several advantages in rockburst control,such as more uniform stress distribution in the surrounding rock,a uniform distribution of plastic zones,less noticeable damage to the tunnel,and effective control of the arch top displacement.The effectiveness of the CRLD anchor support under varying pre-stress conditions shows that a higher prestress results in a smaller plastic zone of the surrounding rock and arch top displacement and a lower number of acoustic emission signals,which better explains the excavation compensation effect.Moreover,adding long anchorages in the deep surrounding rock area can better control rockburst and reduce surrounding rock deformation.Based on these findings,we propose a comprehensive control system that combines long and short anchorages and provides the optimal scheme based on calculations.Therefore,by using high-prestress CRLD anchor support and the combination of long and short anchorages at critical positions,we can enhance the integrity of the surrounding rock,effectively absorb the energy released by the surrounding rock deformation,and reduce the incidence of rockburst disasters.

Numerical modeling of large deformation and nonlinear frictional contact of excavation boundary of deep soft rock tunnel

Roadways excavated in soft rocks at great depth are difficult to be maintained due to large deformation of surrounding rocks, which greatly influences the safety and efficiency of deep resources exploitation. During the excavation process of a deep soft rock tunnel, the rock wall may be compacted due to large deformation. In this paper, the technique to address this problem by a two-dimensional (2D) finite element software, large deformation engineering analyses software (LDEAS 1.0), is provided. By using the Lagrange multiplier method, the kinematic constraint of non-penetrating condition and static constraint of Coulomb friction are introduced to the governing equations in the form of incremental displacement. The numerical example demonstrates the efficiency of this technology. Deformations of a transportation tunnel in inclined soft rock strata at the depth of 1 000 m in Qishan coal mine and a tunnel excavated to three different depths are analyzed by two models, i.e. the additive decomposition model and polar decomposition model. It can be found that the deformation of the transportation tunnel is asymmetrical due to the inclination of rock strata. For extremely soft rock, large deformation can converge only for the additive decomposition model. The deformation of surrounding rocks increases with the increase in the tunnel depth for both models. At the same depth, the deformation calculated by the additive decomposition model is smaller than that by the polar decomposition model.

Visualization and early warning analysis of damage degree of surrounding rock mass in underground powerhouse

Based on the underground powerhouse of Shuangjiangkou hydropower station,Octree theory is adopted to define the indices of the microseismic(MS)spatial aggregation degree and the deviation values of MS count and energy.The relationship between the MS multiple parameters and surrounding rock mass instability is established from three aspects:time,space,and strength.Supplemented by the center frequency of the signal evolution characteristics,A fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model and the evolution trend of the MS event center frequency are constructed to quantitatively describe the early warning state of the surrounding rock mass instability.The results show that the multilevel tree structure and voxels generated based on the Octree theory fit relatively well with the set of MS points in threedimensional space.The fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model based on MS spatial aggregation and MS count and energy deviation values enables three-dimensional visualization of the potential damage area and damage extent of the surrounding rock mass.The warning time and potential damage zone quantified are highly consistent with the characteristics of MS precursors,with wide recognition and field investigation results,which fully validate the rationality and applicability of the proposed method.These findings can provide references for the early warning of surrounding rock mass instability in similar underground engineering.

Energy absorption characteristics of novel high-strength and hightoughness steels used for rock support

Nowadays,the development of novel metallic materials for rock support have attracted research interests since they can significantly improve the deformation and energy absorption capacities of rock bolts.Although previous studies proved the importance and mechanical advantages of utilizing high-strength and high-toughness(HSHT)steels in rock support,there is no systematic analysis to reveal the essential energy absorption parameter and the guidelines for further development of metallic rock support materials.This paper analyzes the energy absorption characteristics of novel HSHT steels(negative Poisson’s ratio(NPR)and twinning-induced plasticity(TWIP)steels)in comparison with conventional rock support materials.A physically based crystal plasticity(CP)model was set up and calibrated to study the effect of strain hardening rate(SHR).Meanwhile,the roles of underlying physical mechanisms,i.e.the dislocation density and twin volume fraction,were studied.The results show that the improvement of energy absorption density(EAD)is essential for further development of rock support materials,besides the increase of energy absorption rate(EAR)for previous development of conventional rock support materials.The increase of EAD requires increases of both strength and deformation capacity of materials.For HSHT steels,the decrease of SHR has a positive effect on the improvement of EAD.In addition,the increase of EAD is followed by the increase of twin volume fraction and the decrease of plastic Poisson’s ratio which can promote deformation plasticity of materials.Meanwhile,the increase of EAR is correlated with the accumulation of dislocation density,which can increase the strength of materials.This paper provides the theoretical basis and guidelines for developing rock support materials in deep underground engineering and other related fields.

Effects of confining pressure and temperature on strength and deformation behavior of frozen saline silty clay

Buildings are always affected by frost heave and thaw settlement in cold regions,even where saline soil is present.This paper describes the triaxial testing results of frozen silty clay with high salt content and examines the in-fluence of confining pressure and temperature on its mechanical characteristics.Conventional triaxial compression tests were conducted under different confining pressures(0.5–7.0 MPa)and temperatures(-6℃,-8℃,-10℃,and-12℃).The test results show that when the confining pressure is less than 1 MPa,the frozen saline silty clay is dominated by brittle behavior with the X-shaped dilatancy failure mode.As the confining pressure increases,the sample gradually transitions from brittle to plastic behavior.The strength of frozen saline silty clay rises first and then decreases with increasing confining pressure.The improved Duncan-Chang hyperbolic model can describe the stress-strain relationship of frozen saline silty clay.And the parabolic strength criterion can be used to describe the strength evolution of frozen saline silty clay.The function relation of strength parameters with temperature is obtained by fitting,and the results of the parabolic strength criterion are in good agreement with the experimental results,especially when confining pressure is less than 5 MPa.Therefore,the study has important guiding significance for design and construction when considering high salinity soil as an engineering material in cold regions.