Strength Behavior of Slurry-Like Mud Treated with Physicochemical Combination Method
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24, Issue 5
Abstract
The physicochemical combination method (PCCM), improving upon the conventional pure cement solidification method (PCSM), has been developed as an integrated and sustainable approach to treat and recycle slurry-like mud (MS). To facilitate the practical design of the PCCM, it is essential to establish the relationship between the strength of PCCM-treated MS and the governing factors. In this study, a comparison is made between PCCM-treated MS and PCSM-treated MS to clarify the differences in the microstructures and strength behaviors, and the influence of some key parameters (i.e., preloading pressure p, equivalent initial water content wei, and cementitious binder content wc) on the strength behavior of PCCM-treated MS is investigated via unconfined compression tests. The results indicate that flocculants play a crucial role in increasing the ductility of PCCM-treated MS, and the preloading process further enhances the toughness of PCCM-treated MS. Moreover, empirical equations of deformation modulus (E50) and failure strain (ɛf) are formulated based on the results of unconfined compression tests. Additionally, an attempt is made to predict the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) using a simple empirical equation based on the modified water/cement ratio. The main findings are of practical significance for the optimal design and application of PCCM in treatment of MS.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Acknowledgments
The authors appreciate the financial support provided by the Key research and development project of Hubei Province (No. 2022BAA068), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (Nos. 51978303, 52122806, and 52208367), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2042023kfyq03).
Notation
The following symbols are used in this paper:
- E50
- deformation modulus, defined as the slope of the stress–strain curve at 50% of the peak stress value;
- p
- preloading pressure, defined as pressure value of preloading loading;
- t
- curing age;
- wac
- after-curing water content, defined as the mass ratio of water to the solid particles at a target time;
- wc
- cementitious binder content, defined as the mass ratio of cementitious binder to dry soil particles;
- wd
- reduced water content during the preloading process, defined as the mass ratio of reduced water to the solid particles at the end of the preloading process;
- wei
- equivalent initial water content, defined as the mass ratio of total water to dry soil particles in the mixture;
- (wei−wd)/wc
- modified water/cement ratio, defined as the ratio of water content at the end of preloading to cementitious binder content;
- wf
- flocculant dosage, defined as the mass ratio of dry polyacrylamide powder to dry soil particles;
- v
- deformation rate, defined as the decrease in the solid–liquid interface per minute;
- Δwac
- reduction extent of wac;
- α
- parameter used for quantifying the effect of preloading pressure on strength gain behavior; and
- ɛf
- failure strain, defined as the strain value corresponding to the ultimate compressive strength on the stress–strain curve.
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Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 24 • Issue 5 • May 2024
Copyright
© 2024 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Jun 7, 2023
Accepted: Nov 20, 2023
Published online: Mar 4, 2024
Published in print: May 1, 2024
Discussion open until: Aug 4, 2024
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