Engineering Properties and Micropore Structure of Clay-Based Foamed Lightweight Soil
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36, Issue 3
Abstract
Foam lightweight soil (FLS) has been widely used in geotechnical engineering because of their high strength, low density, and thermal insulation. However, few scholars have researched its application to subgrade engineering, especially roadbed widening. In this case, this special artificial soil can significantly reduce the differential settlement of subgrades due to its lightweight and high strength. In the research background, a series of laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of mixing ratio and fibers on the physical, mechanical, and microporous structural properties of clay-based foamed lightweight soils (CFLS), with clay and cement as the main raw materials. The experimental results indicate that preparing CFLS for road widening using clay soils from around highways as raw materials is an alternative treatment method. During the application process, one should select the optimal mixing ratio and fiber content considering the fluidity, stability, and mechanical strength of CFLS. In addition, the dynamic modulus of elasticity and cumulative plastic strain of CFLS samples also indicate that CFLS has superior dynamic properties compared with cohesive soils and can meet the criteria for road construction.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available from the corresponding author by request.
Acknowledgments
The research described in this paper was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 42077262, 42077261, and 41972294), the Sichuan Transportation Science and Technology Project (No. KJFZ-2022Y-022), the 2022 Annual Transportation Industry Science and Technology Project (2022-ZD-017), and the Research Fund Project of Xinjiang Transportation Planning Survey and Design Institute Co., Ltd. (KY2022042504). In addition, the authors would like to express their gratitude to Professor Xianjun Tan for his assistance and support throughout the experiments.
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 36 • Issue 3 • March 2024
Copyright
© 2023 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 13, 2023
Accepted: Aug 10, 2023
Published online: Dec 22, 2023
Published in print: Mar 1, 2024
Discussion open until: May 22, 2024
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