Abstract
Coarse-grained saline soil is often used as an embankment fill material for the construction of a subgrade of high-speed railway in coarse-grained saline soil areas. As the soluble salt in saline soil dissolves easily in water, when coarse-grained saline soil is used as embankment fill material, it can readily cause embankment collapse with water around. This study aims to investigate the effects of gradation, salt content, soil density, and other factors of collapsibility properties for coarse-grained saline soil as an embankment fill material, and find the quantitative relationship between particle content and collapsibility coefficient due to different particle shapes. Eighty-nine soil samples of typical natural coarse-grained saline soil were selected from an existing subgrade of a high-speed railway line. By the use of the large-scale sedimentation test instrument for the coarse-grained saline soil, the indoor collapsibility test of the single-line method was carried out, to obtain the collapsibility coefficient of each sample. The test results show that with the increase in P5 ( >5 mm) particle content, the skeleton effect of coarse particles in the soil gradually becomes more apparent, making it difficult for the soil to be compressed and therefore reducing the collapsibility coefficient gradually. The contents of the fine-grained soil and soluble salt content are directly proportional to the collapsibility coefficient of the coarse-grained saline soil. Besides, the sensitivity of the gravel soil indexes on the collapsibility coefficient is analysed and discussed, including the effect of the particle shape of the soil. In particular, the lab test results suggest that for angular sandy gravel, when soluble salt content is less than 0.7%, with the increase in P2 particle content, the collapsibility coefficient decreases linearly. However, for rounded sandy gravel, when soluble salt content is more than 0.7%, natural gravel saline soil presents a low collapsibility coefficient that shows the soil hardly collapses.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abduljauwad SN, Al-Amoudi OSB (1995) Geotechnical behaviour of saline sabkha soils. Geotechnique 45(3):425–445
Al-Amoudi OSB, Abduljauwad SN (1995) Compressibility and collapse characteristics of arid saline sabkha soils. Eng Geol 39(3-4):185–202
ASTM D1557 (2012) Standard test method for laboratory compaction characteristics of soil using modified effort. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA www.astm.org
ASTM D6913 (2009) Standard test methods for particle-size distribution (gradation) of soils using sieve analysis. ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA www.astm.org
Azam S (2000) Collapse and compressibility behaviour of arid calcareous soil formations. Bull Eng Geol Env 59(3):211–217
BSI (2018) BS 1377-4: Methods of test for soils for civil engineering purpose-part 3: Chemical and electrochemical tests. BSI, London
Chen RP, Qi S, Han LW, Cui YJ (2019) Microstructure and hydraulic properties of coarse-grained subgrade soil used in high-speed railway at various compaction degrees. J Mater Civil Eng 31(12):04019301.1–04019301.13
Cheng DX, Liu ZW, Ke X (2013) Field and laboratory tests for influential factors on salt resolving slump of coarse particle saline soil. J Eng Geol 21(01):109–114 (in Chinese)
Chen RP, Wang HL, Hong PY et al (2018) Effects of degree of compaction and fines content of the subgrade bottom layer on moisture migration in the substructure of high-speed railways. Proc Inst Mech Eng F J Rail Rapid Transit 232(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/0954409717710838
Cui YJ (2018) Mechanical behaviour of coarse grains/fines mixture under monotonic and cyclic loadings. Transp Geotech 17(Part A):91–97
Fam MA, Cascante G, Dusseault MB (2002) Large and small strain properties of sands subjected to local void increase. J Geotech Geoenviron 128(12):1018–1025
Han PF, Kong JM, Tian SJ, Fan XY, Hu SW (2016) Research on the effect of rubble shape on the seepage characteristic of gravel soil. J Zhejiang Univ Sci 44(03):316–320 (in Chinese)
Lee JS, Tran MK, Lee C (2012) Evolution of layered physical properties in soluble mixture: experimental and numerical approaches. Eng Geol 143-144:37–42
Li GX (2016) On soil skeleton and seepage force. ChinJ Geotech Eng 38(08):1522–1528 (in Chinese)
Ministry of Railways of the People’s Republic of China (2010) Code for civil engineering experiment of railway project: TB 10102-2010. China Railway Press, Beijing
Mu QY, Zhou C, Ng CWW (2020) Compression and wetting induced volumetric behavior of loess. Macro- and micro-investigations. Transp Geotech 23(2020):100345
National Railway Administration of People’s Republic of China (2014) Code for design of high speed railway: TB 10621-2014. China Railway Press, Beijing
Qiu ZF, Lu XZ, Wu YH (2014) Experimental research on the permeability property of coarse grained soil considering the particle shape. Nanshui Beidiao Yu Shuili Keji (Zhongyingwen) 12(04):102–106 (in Chinese)
Su Y, Cui Y-J, Dupla J-C, Canou J et al (2020) A fatigue model for track-bed materials with consideration of the effect of coarse grain content. Transp Geotech 23:100353
Truong QH, Eom YH, Lee JS (2010) Stiffness characteristics of soluble mixtures. Geotechnique 60(4):293–297
Wang Y, Zhang YF, Dm Z et al (2014) Experimental research on collapsibility characteristics of sulphate saline soil in lop nur area. J Archit Eng 12(03):106–109 (in Chinese)
Wang H-L, Cui Y-J, Lamas-Lopez F et al (2018) Investigation on the mechanical behavior of track-bed materials at various contents of coarse grains. Constr Build Mater 164(10):228–237
Wu QB, Zhu YL (2002) Experimental studies on salt expansion for coarse grain soil under constant temperature. Cold Reg Sci Technol 34(2):59–65
Wu YP, Ling H, Wei MQ, Wang MJ, Pu ZG, Tang KX (2019) Influence of gradation on subsidence characteristic of coarse particle sulphate soil. J Railw Eng Soc 36(01):12–16 (in Chinese)
Xu J, Ren JW, Cheng DX, Liu ZW (2018) Test study on collapsibility characteristics of cement-improved coarse-grained saline soil. J Xian Univ Archit Technol 50(6):794–801 (in Chinese)
Yang XH, Zhang ZP, Zhang SS (2010) Centrifugalize model test on dissolve collapse of saline soil under expressway. Chang'an Daxue Xuebao, Ziran Kexueban 30(02):5–9 (in Chinese)
Yin RJ, Zhang LJ, Cao SJ (2013) Effect of collapsibility of saline soils on subgrade construction and waterproofing and drainage measures in Qarhan saline soil region. Highway 58(12):40–44 (in Chinese)
Yu ZL, Connolly DP, Woodward PK, Laghrouche O, Tutumluer E (2020) Railway ballast anisotropy testing via true triaxial apparatus. Transp Geotech 23(2020):100355
Zhang SS,Xie YL,Yang XH et al (2010) Research on microstructure of crude coarse grain saline soil under freezing and thawing cycles. Rock and Soil Mechanics 2010.31(1):123-127(in Chinese)
Zhang SS, Liu W, Chen WZ (2020c) Collapse test studies on coarse grain sulfite saline soil as an embankment fill material. Arab J Geosci 177(5):103121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-06253-2
Zhang SS, Yang XH, Xie SJ, Yin PJ (2020a) Experimental study on improving the engineering properties of coarse grain sulfate saline soils with inorganic materials. Cold Reg Sci Technol 70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2019.102909
Zhang SS, Zhang JS, Gui YL, Chen WZ, Dai ZR (2020b) Deformation propertiesofcoarse-grained sulfate salinesoil under the freeze-thaw-precipitation cycle. Cold Reg Sci Technol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2020.103121
Funding
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the (1) Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shaan Xi (Grant No. 2019JM-147), (2) China scholarship council (File No.201906565004), and (3) the major scientific research project of the China Railway Group (Grant No. 2017-major-11-04).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Zeynal Abiddin Erguler
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, S., Yu, Z., Zhao, K. et al. A sensitivity study of influencing factors of collapsibility properties for coarse-grained saline soil as an embankment filler. Arab J Geosci 16, 137 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-023-11224-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-023-11224-4