One-Dimensional Compression Creep Characteristics of Light Weight Soil Mixed with Weihe River Mud and EPS Particles

In order to reveal the creep laws of light weight soil, the compression creep characteristics of light weight soil mixed with Weihe River mud and EPS (expanded polystyrene) particles are researched by one-dimensional compression creep tests. The results show that the cementation structure strength of light weight soil becomes larger, and the creep deformation under the same load becomes smaller with the increasing of cement content and the decreasing of EPS particles content. For the same mixed ratio of light weight soil, when the load is larger, the deformation is greater, but the time of the deformation reaches the steady stage is shorter. With the increasing of the time, the deformation is increasing, finally it tends to be a stable value. There is no sharp creep stage, the deformation is attenuated creep. Light weight soil is a kind of structural soil, and it has a certain compression yield stress. When the load acting on the specimen is less than the compression yield stress of light weight soil, its cementation structure may still be intact, but the deformation is mainly due to the discharge of pore water and the movement of solid particles, and therefore deformation is small. When the load is greater than the compression yield stress of light weight soil, the cementation structure might have been collapsed, there is larger deformation for the EPS particles under pressure, the deformation of the samples is mainly the plastic deformation of the EPS particles, and therefore deformation is large. In the practice, the load should be controlled within the compression yield stress of light weight soil. According to the results, a power function empirical creep model is set up. Compared the test data with the model calculation data, it is found that when the axial load is less than the compression yield stress, the model can exactly reflect the creep laws of light weight soil in a certain time scale (e.g. 50 years), and it can provide a theoretical basis for the practical engineering.