Basalt Fibers versus Plant Fibers: The Effect of Fiber-Reinforced Red Clay on Shear Strength and Thermophysical Properties under Freeze–Thaw Conditions

Tunasheng Wu, Junhong Yuan (), Feng Wang, Qiansheng He, Baoyu Huang, Linghong Kong and Zhan Huang
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Tunasheng Wu: Transportation Institute, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China
Junhong Yuan: Transportation Institute, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China
Feng Wang: Transportation Institute, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China
Qiansheng He: Tibet Zhengxin Engineering Testing Technology Co., Ltd., Lhasa 851414, China
Baoyu Huang: Tibet Zhengxin Engineering Testing Technology Co., Ltd., Lhasa 851414, China
Linghong Kong: Transportation Institute, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China
Zhan Huang: Transportation Institute, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 15, 1-22

Abstract: Freeze–thaw cycling has a significant impact on the energy utilization and stability of roadbed fill. Given the good performance of basalt fiber (BF) and plant fiber (PF), a series of indoor tests are conducted on fiber-reinforced red clay (RC) specimens to analyze the shear strength, thermophysical, and microstructural changes and damage mechanisms of the RC under the freeze–thaw cycle–BF coupling, meanwhile, comparing the improvement effect of PF. The results indicate that the RC cohesion (c) first increases and then decreases with the increasing fiber content under BF improvement, reaching the maximum value at the content of 2%, and the change in the internal friction angle (φ) is relatively small. As the number of freeze–thaw cycles increases, cohesion (c) first decreases and then gradually stabilizes. The thermal conductivity increases with increasing moisture content, and the thermal effusivity increases and then decreases with increasing moisture content and fiber content. The heat storage capacity reaches the optimum level at a moisture content of 22.5% and a fiber content of 1%. Microanalysis reveals that at 2% fiber content, a fiber network structure is initially formed, and the gripping effect is optimal. The shear strength of PF-improved soil is higher than that of BF at a fiber content of 4–6%, and the thermal conductivity is better than that of BF. At the same fiber content, the heat storage and insulation capacity of BF-improved soil is significantly higher than that of PF.

Keywords: fibers; red clay; freeze–thaw cycles; shear strength; thermophysical properties (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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