Investigation of Temperature Effect on Strength Properties of Polyurethane-Treated Sand
Publication: Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33, Issue 3
Abstract
This study focuses on the shear-strength properties of polyurethane polymer–treated sand stored at different temperatures. The triaxial test was performed at unconsolidated and undrained conditions on the specimen after 2 days of curing at room temperature and 1 day of curing at various temperatures. The effects of polymer content and dry density on strength properties were also considered. Polymer reinforcement mechanism was analyzed using scanning electron microscope images. Results indicated that the stress-strain relationship exhibited increasing ductility as temperature increased; the shear strength, energy absorption, and cohesion tended to decrease initially and then increase, while the friction angle remained stable at approximately 30°. The strength properties were in proportion to an increment in polymer content, and the trend became more apparent in a warmer environment. The shear strength, energy absorption, and cohesion increased up to about 2.4 MPa, 65 kPa, and 400 kPa, respectively. A higher dry density resulted in significant improvement in strength properties, except for a slight reduction in ductility, no matter the temperature. The presence of a polymer matrix formed a honeycomb and special net structures among sand via coating, bridging, and filling effects; hence, the treated sand turned into a whole system exhibiting favorable strength properties. This reinforcement effectiveness depended on polymer content, dry density, ambient temperature, soil grain, and polymer characteristics.
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Data Availability Statement
All data, models, and code generated or used during the study appear in the published article.
Acknowledgments
This research was financially supported by the Water Conservancy Science and Technology Project of Jiangsu Province, China (Grant No. 2017010), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant Nos. B200202013 and 2019B77514), and Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. KYCX20_0491).
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Published In
Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering
Volume 33 • Issue 3 • March 2021
Copyright
© 2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 12, 2020
Accepted: Jul 20, 2020
Published online: Dec 18, 2020
Published in print: Mar 1, 2021
Discussion open until: May 18, 2021
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