Study on the Microstructure and Strength of Expansive Soil at Different Dehydration Temperatures
摘要
To study the effect of temperature on expansive soil microstructure and the change in strength during the dehydration process, expansive soil in Anhui Province, China, was used to conduct dehydration tests under three conditions: high temperature (50°C), normal temperature (25°C), and low temperature (0°C). This study used the mercury intrusion porosimetry test, scanning electron microscopy, and uniaxial compression test to analyze the changes in pore size distribution, pore structure, and expansive soil strength under different temperatures and dehydration times. The results show that temperature has different effects on the micropore structure, pore size distribution, and mechanical strength of expansive soil during dehydration. After the dehydration process reaches a steady state at high temperatures, the expansive soil has a high porosity, and the large and medium pores have relatively large pore volumes. Moreover, the sample surface has connected cracks, and the minerals are densely stacked. The expansive soil strength of the sample first increases then decreases, and finally tends to stabilize over time. When dehydration is stable at room or low temperature, the porosity becomes low, the pore volumes of the large and medium pores in the expansive soil samples are relatively small, the surface cracks are minimal, the microstructure is relatively dense, and the sample strengths first increase and then tend to stabilize with dehydration time.