Effect of UFC on the Microscopic Pore Structure of Cemented Soil in Humic Acid Environment

Jing Cao, Fangyi Liu, Siyang Huang (), Hong Liu, Zhigang Song, Jianyun Li and Guoshou Liu
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Jing Cao: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
Fangyi Liu: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
Siyang Huang: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
Hong Liu: Faculty of Art and Communication, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
Zhigang Song: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
Jianyun Li: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
Guoshou Liu: Faculty of Civil Engineering and Mechanics, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-16

Abstract: Peat soil is widely distributed in the Dianchi Lake area of Yunnan, and the effect of the cement deep-mixing method on peat soil foundation is mainly affected by humic acid (HA). In this paper, a composite cement curing agent is formed by adding different proportions of ultra-fine cement (UFC) to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and used to cure the HA-containing cohesive soil. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) are used to study the influence mechanism of UFC on the micropore structure of HA-containing cemented soil. The unconfined compressive strength test (UCS) is used to verify it. MIP, SEM, and XRD results show that UFC can significantly improve the microscopic pore structure of the samples. The hydration reaction rate of cement increases with the increase in the proportion of UFC, and the generated hydration products can fill the pores of the samples. The filling effect of hydration products on macropores is enhanced, and the pores change from fibrous filling to cemented filling. The enhanced cementation of the hydration products improved the loose and overhead structure inside the sample. Enhancing the cementation of hydration products improves the loose and overhead structure inside the sample and the integrity of cemented soil. UCS verified that the increase in the UFC proportion increases the HA-containing cemented soil strength. It achieves the purpose of reducing the amount of cement when curing peat soil foundations and supports reducing carbon emissions in practical projects.

Keywords: ultra-fine cement; cemented soil pore structure; humic acid; MIP; SEM; UCS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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