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Environmental Earth Sciences

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01-08-2023 | Original Article

Enhancement mechanism of remolding on the swelling behavior of expansive stiff clay: from microstructure perspective

Authors: Qiong Wang, Yihe Xu, Wei Su, Weimin Ye, Yonggui Chen, Huaquan Lai

Published in: Environmental Earth Sciences | Issue 16/2023

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Abstract

Stiff clays in intact and compacted states often exhibit distinct swelling properties, which are highly dependent on the microstructural characteristics of the soil. In this study, one-dimensional swelling tests and microstructure investigations including MIP and μ-CT tests were conducted on intact and compacted Nanning stiff clay samples. The experimental results indicated that the remolding process remarkably enlarges the expansibility of the stiff clay. Moreover, the measured full-scale pore size distribution curves by comprehensive microscopic analysis showed that the intact stiff clay processes a smaller micro-pore family due to the diagenesis effect during its geological formation and larger macro-pores like cracks and fissures that formed during its geological history. The diagenesis bonding has a significant inhibition effect on the expansibility of the intact sample. The remolding process in the laboratory destructs the diagenesis bonding by crushing. The discrete cemented materials in the compacted sample cannot offer bridge connections between clay aggregates, thus enabling the compacted sample present more distinct expansibility when being subjected to hydration.

next article Surface water quality in the rural catchment of the Šlapanka River, Czechia: change over time

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Title: Enhancement mechanism of remolding on the swelling behavior of expansive stiff clay: from microstructure perspective
Authors: Qiong Wang
Yihe Xu
Wei Su
Weimin Ye
Yonggui Chen
Huaquan Lai
Publication date: 01-08-2023
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Environmental Earth Sciences / Issue 16/2023
Print ISSN: 1866-6280
Electronic ISSN: 1866-6299
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-023-11071-2

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