JRMGE / Vol 16 / Issue 12

Article

Revisiting mixing uniformity effect on strength of cement-based stabilized soft clay

Tingting Deng, Yongfeng Deng, Marsheal Fisonga, Songyu Liu, Yunsong Wu, Hao Dai

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Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, School of Transportation, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China


2024, 16(12): 5221-5230. doi:10.1016/j.jrmge.2024.03.040


Received: 2023-09-05 / Revised: 2024-01-10 / Accepted: 2024-03-17 / Available online: 2024-08-11

2024, 16(12): 5221-5230.

doi:10.1016/j.jrmge.2024.03.040


Received: 2023-09-05

Revised: 2024-01-10

Accepted: 2024-03-17

Available online: 2024-08-11


Abstract:

Despite the fact that mixing uniformity (i.e. the consistency of binder distribution) significantly influence the quality of ground improvement during in situ soil mixing projects, its quantitative evaluation was rarely concerned due to the difficulty of measurement from an engineering perspective. A methodology was proposed to quantitatively evaluate the mixing uniformity of stabilized soil using handheld X-fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), which is helpful to elucidate the significance of mixing uniformity on strength. In other words, the calcium content was monitored to ascertain the distribution of cement within the matrix, and a quantitative index was subsequently established. It was observed that an increase in mixing uniformity resulted in a transition in the behavior of the stabilized clay from a plastic to a brittle failure mode, and from a localized failure to a global shear failure under unconfined compression. Subsequent observation of the destruction process revealed that cracks were more readily formed in the low cement zones and then bypass the high cement zones. Furthermore, the effect of mixing uniformity on strength is likely to be amplified with prolonged curing periods. The enhancement of uniformity would increase the volume of the high binder zones, thereby enhancing the overall high-strength performance. The proposed methodology is capable of characterizing the discreteness between the tracked element's measured and theoretical contents, thusing avoiding the uncertainty associated with other indirect indicators. The convenience of the portable handheld XRF apparatus was confirmed, as it can be readily deployed in situ or ex situ to track calcium content within the stabilized mass after borehole sampling.

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Keywords: Cement-based stabilized soft clay (CBSC), Mixing uniformity, Quantitative evaluation method, Unconfined compressive strength (UCS), Internal mechanism

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Tingting Deng, Yongfeng Deng, Marsheal Fisonga, Songyu Liu, Yunsong Wu, Hao Dai, 2024. Revisiting mixing uniformity effect on strength of cement-based stabilized soft clay. J. Rock Mech. Geotech. Eng. 16 (12), 5221-5230.

Author(s) Information

Yongfeng Deng

✉️ noden@seu.edu.cn

Yongfeng Deng obtained his BSc degree from Chongqing Jiaotong University, China, in 1999, and his MSc and PhD degrees from Southeast University, China in 2002 and 2005, respectively. He is currently a professor at the School of Transporation, Southeast University since 2014. His research interests include: (1) Soil behavios under the influence of geological processes; (2) geotechnical testing methods and underground structures; and (3) ground improvement and soil modification. To date, Prof. Deng has led numerous national and provincial research projects, including four National Natural Science Foundations and a National Key R&D Program of China.