Freezing cycle effects on water stability of soil aggregates

2013 ◽  
Vol 93 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daryl F. Dagesse

Dagesse, D. F. 2013. Freezing cycle effects on water stability of soil aggregates. Can. J. Soil Sci. 93: 473–483. The freezing process is commonly implicated as a key factor in defining the state of soil structural stability following the winter months. Controversy exists, however, regarding the efficacy, and even the net effect, of this process. The objective of the study was to establish the separate effects of the freezing, freeze–thaw and freeze-drying processes in defining soil structural stability following the over-winter period. Aggregates from soils of varying clay content (0.11, 0.33, 0.44 kg kg−1) and initial water content (0.10, 0.20 or 0.30 kg kg−1) were subjected to freeze-only (F), freeze–thaw (FT) and freeze-dry (FD) treatments. Post-treatment aggregate stability determination was via wet aggregate stability (WAS) and dispersible clay (DC). Freezing alone and freeze-dry treatments generally resulted in greater aggregate stability, while the freeze–thaw generally resulted in lower aggregate stability as compared with a control, not frozen treatment (T). These data suggest the freezing-induced desiccation process improves aggregate stability, while the addition of a thaw component following freezing, with the attendant liquid water, is responsible for degradation of aggregate stability. Clay content and initial water content are important factors governing the magnitude of this process.

Materials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chenglong Yin ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Xunli Jiang ◽  
Zhiyi Huang

Initial water content significantly affects the efficiency of soil stabilization. In this study, the effects of initial water content on the compressibility, strength, microstructure, and composition of a lean clay soil stabilized by compound calcium-based stabilizer were investigated by static compaction test, unconfined compression test, optical microscope observations, environment scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The results indicate that as the initial water content increases in the range studied, both the compaction energy and the maximum compaction force decrease linearly and there are less soil aggregates or agglomerations, and a smaller proportion of large pores in the compacted mixture structure. In addition, for specimens cured with or without external water supply and under different compaction degrees, the variation law of the unconfined compressive strength with initial water content is different and the highest strength value is obtained at various initial water contents. With the increase of initial water content, the percentage of the oxygen element tends to increase in the reaction products of the calcium-based stabilizer, whereas the primary mineral composition of the soil-stabilizer mixture did not change notably.


Author(s):  
Chenglong Yin ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Xun-li Jiang ◽  
Zhi-yi Huang

Initial water content significantly affects the efficiency of soil stabilization. In this study, the effects of initial water content on the compressibility, strength, microstructure and composition of a lean clay soil stabilized by compound calcium-based stabilizer were investigated by static compaction test, unconfined compression test, optical microscope observations, environment scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. The results indicate that as the initial water content increases in the range studied, both the compaction energy and the maximum compaction force decrease linearly and there are less soil aggregates or agglomerations, and smaller proportion of large pores in the compacted mixture structure. In addition, for specimens cured with or without external water supply and under different compaction degrees, the variation law of the unconfined compressive strength with initial water content is different and the highest strength value is obtained at various initial water contents. With the increase of initial water content, the percentage of oxygen element tends to increase in the reaction products of the calcium-based stabilizer, whereas the crystalline mineral of the soil did not change obviously.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huayong Chen ◽  
Chunran Cao ◽  
Xiaoqing Chen ◽  
Jiangang Chen

<p>Besides the numerous artificial dams, there are some other kind of dams distribute such as the glacier dams, moraine dams, landslide dams, and the debris flow dams in China. Especially, the landslide dams and debris flow ones widely distribute in southwest of China after the M8.0 Wenchuan earthquake. Much attention has been paid to the formation, stability, breach process, and the peak discharge prediction of a landslide dam. However few achievements are obtained on the debris flow dams even if the failure of a debris flow dam has posed great threat to the property and life of residents downstream. In this paper, based on the main difference between a landslide and debris flow dam, experiments were conducted by considering different clay content, the initial water content, and incoming water flow. It indicated that the failure duration of a debris flow dam was about 1.60 times as long as that than that of a landslide dam. The peak discharge at the debris flow dam breach was 5.38 L/s. However, the peak discharge at the landslide dam was 7.50 L/s, which was 1.39 times as big as that of a debris flow dam. Finally, by modifying the existing critical initialization condition for the landslide dams, the critical initialization condition for a debris flow dam was proposed.</p>


Author(s):  
Xiaobing Li ◽  
Jianpeng Chen ◽  
Xiuqing Hu ◽  
Hongtao Fu ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
...  

Proceedings ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Andrzej Bryś ◽  
Joanna Bryś ◽  
Marko Obranović ◽  
Dubravka Škevin ◽  
Szymon Głowacki ◽  
...  

The olive oil industry represents an important productive sector in the Mediterranean basin countries. Olive stone is an essential by-product generated in the olive oil extraction industries and it represents roughly 10% by weight of the olive fruit. The seeds of pickled olives are also a significant waste product. In the present study, we have investigated the possibility of the use of differential scanning calorimetry for the thermal characterization of seeds from green and black pickled olives from Croatia. The differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) with a normal pressure cell equipped with a cooling system was used to determine the thermal properties of seeds from olives. The following analyses were also performed: the determination of calorific values in a pressure bomb calorimeter, the determination of initial water content, the determination of changes of water content during drying at the temperatures of 30 °C, 50 °C and 80 °C, the determination of a percentage content of seeds mass to the mass of the whole olives, and the determination of ash content. Seeds from olives are characterized by very good parameters as a biomass. The analyzed olive seeds were characterized by low water content, low ash content, and a relatively high caloric value.


Author(s):  
Ke Rui ◽  
Wang Hongxing ◽  
Tan Yunzhi ◽  
Wang Lehua

Based on orthogonal experimental design, the key solidification controlling technology of Solidified/Stabilized (S/S) sludge with high total organic content (TOC) by cement, lime and metakaolin was explored by macroscopic tests, chemical components measurements and microscopic analysis. The macroscopic tests show that, the permeability coefficient is mainly affected by initial water content and lime content, and the unconfined compression strength is mainly affected by cement content and lime content. The chemical components measurements show that, the solidification effect of S/S sludge with high TOC is controlled by organic matter consumption, and organic matter consumption is determined by the alkaline environment from the cement and lime hydration reactions, which is mainly affect by the initial water content and lime-metakaolin content ratio. The microscopic analysis results show that, lime consumes parts of organic matter while excess lime produces weak Ca(OH)2 crystal fluffy sheet structure, matakaolin produces pozzolanic reactions with cement and lime instead of soil particles, and consumes the weak Ca(OH)2 crystal fluffy sheet structure produced by superfluous lime. The research has confirmed key controlling points of S/S sludge in case of high TOC, which will provide theoretical guidance and technical support for S/S sludge promotion with high TOC.


2015 ◽  
Vol 52 (11) ◽  
pp. 1874-1885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bibiana Narvaez ◽  
Michel Aubertin ◽  
Faustin Saleh-Mbemba

Bending tests were conducted on specimens of unsaturated tailings from three hard rock mines to evaluate their tensile strength. Saturated samples were prepared at an initial water content, w0, of 40% and then naturally dried under ambient conditions to pre-selected degrees of saturation, Sr, which can be related to the corresponding suction using the water retention curve. The basic interpretation of the bending tests results is based on an elastic–brittle behavior. The results show how the tensile strength, σt, of unsaturated tailings varies with water content, w (and Sr). The experimental data are also used to evaluate Young’s modulus in tension, Et, and to estimate the apparent cohesion, capp, as a function of Sr. Predictive equations are also applied to estimate the values of σt of unsaturated tailings using the water retention curve.


2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 410-416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Bernardes da Silva Ferreira ◽  
Nayara Alves Fernandes ◽  
Luan Costa de Aquino ◽  
Anderson Rodrigo da Silva ◽  
Warley Marcos Nascimento ◽  
...  

Abstract: Several factors affect the electrical conductivity test efficiency, with emphasis given to the initial water content and the temperature during imbibition. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the initial water content of pea seeds and the temperature on the electrical conductivity test efficiency. Six lots of ‘Mikado’ pea were used, which were previously tested for initial characterization. In the first trial, based on the initial value of the samples, the seed moisture content was adjusted to 9, 11, 13 and 15% and then the seeds were submitted to the electrical conductivity test. In the second trial, the water for seed imbibition was kept for 24 hours at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 ºC, and after that time the seeds were added and soaked for other 24 hours at the temperatures already mentioned. It was observed that initial seed moisture content and water temperature during imbibition influenced the results of the electrical conductivity test. This test should be carried out with distilled water, previously maintained for 24 hours at 25 °C for temperature stabilization. Then, the seeds with seed moisture content between 11 and 15% should be put to soak at 25 °C, and maintained at this temperature for 24 hours.


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