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Effect of freeze–thaw cycles on volumetric and water retention property of a clay under three compaction conditions

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Abstract

In the cold regions, freeze–thaw (FT) action seriously affects the behaviours of compacted clays widely used in geotechnical engineering as hydraulic barriers. The specimens were compacted in three conditions with different initial water contents and different dry densities, and then experienced different numbers of FT cycles. One-dimensional free swelling tests and shrinkage tests with suction being measured were conducted on the specimens. Results show that the swelling within FT-induced cracks and the hydration facilitated by frequent moisture exchange during the FT process lead to the significant decline of the swelling potential of the tested clay. Shrinkage potential is also markedly decreased by FT action for specimens with high initial water content, while horizontal shrinkage is promoted at the start of shrinkage. During the dryness, the water retention capacity is restrained by cyclic FT at the low suction range, especially for the clay with a small initial dry density. Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests were performed to trace the microstructure evolution. Results indicate that the repressing of swelling after FT cycles results from the rise of the very thin porosity which represents the hydration degree, and the hindered shrinkage potential is down to the irreversible FT-induced cracks after desiccation.

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Acknowledgements

This work is also a part of work in the projects funded by the Open Research Fund of Key Laboratory of Construction and Safety of Water Engineering of the Ministry of Water Resources, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (Grant No.202002) and by the Science and Technology innovation leading project of high-tech industry of Hunan Province, China (Grant No. 2020GK2067). These supports are gratefully acknowledged.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos 51979206, and 51779191).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China

    Jianguo Lin, Weilie Zou, Kewei Fan, Haoze Jia & Guitao Zhao

  2. Key Laboratory of Construction and Safety of Water Engineering of the Ministry of Water Resources, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Beijing, 100048, China

    Kewei Fan

Authors
  1. Jianguo Lin
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  2. Weilie Zou
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  3. Kewei Fan
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  4. Haoze Jia
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  5. Guitao Zhao
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Correspondence to Weilie Zou or Kewei Fan.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Responsible  Editor: Zeynal Abiddin Erguler

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Lin, J., Zou, W., Fan, K. et al. Effect of freeze–thaw cycles on volumetric and water retention property of a clay under three compaction conditions. Arab J Geosci 15, 576 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-09870-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-09870-1

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