Ceramics composites from iron ore tailings and blast furnace slag

The search for materials and methods capable of reducing human impacts on the environment is of utmost importance nowadays. This study's primary purpose was to analyze the technical feasibility of ceramic composites production utilizing Fundão Dam's Iron Ore Tailings (IOT), Blast Furnace Slag (BFS) from charcoal, and Foundry Sand (FS) as partial substitutes for the traditional raw materials – sand and clay – for application in building industry materials. The composites were molded in rectangular specimens and fired at temperatures of 900, 950, 1000, 1050, and 1200 °C. The developed materials were analyzed and characterized by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), Thermogravimetry (TGA), and Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA). The obtained materials had flexural strength modulus of up to 12.19 MPa, water absorption ranging from 2 to 22%, linear shrinkage ranging from 0.02 to 6.50%, and apparent density ranging from 2.03 to 1.63 g/cm³. The study of the internal structure formation process revealed the formation of amorphous structures in the composites. The results demonstrated that these waste materials may be jointly used in construction materials, contributing to the reduction of natural resource extraction, besides enabling their correct disposal, minimizing environmental impacts, and improving the life quality of the surrounding communities.     

Strength and deformation properties of frozen sand under a true triaxial stress condition

In recent years, the mechanical properties of frozen soils under complex stress states have attracted significant attention; however, limited by the test apparatus, true triaxial tests on frozen soils have rarely been conducted. To study the strength and deformation properties of frozen sand under a true triaxial stress state, a novel frozen soil testing system, i.e., a true triaxial apparatus, was developed. The apparatus is mainly composed of a temperature control system, a servo host system, a hydraulic servo loading system, and a digital control system. Several true triaxial tests were conducted at a constant minor principal stress (σ₃) and constant intermediate principal stress ratio (b) to study the effect of intermediate principal stress (σ₂) on the mechanical properties of frozen sand. The test results showed that the stress–strain curve can be mainly divided into three stages, with evidence of strain hardening characteristics. The strength, elastic modulus, and friction angle increased with the increase in b from 0 to 0.6, but decreased when increasing b from 0.6 to 1, whereas the cohesion varied little with the variation in b. The deformation in the direction of σ₂ changed from dilative to compressive and that in the direction of σ₃ remained dilative throughout.     

Effect of coral sand powders and seawater salinity on the impact mechanical properties of cemented coral sand

Coral sand is one kind of the important building materials in coral reef engineering practice. The use of cement as a stabilizing agent can significantly improve the mechanical properties of coral sands and is widely applied in the subbase engineering construction in coral reef islands. Cement-stabilized coral sand structures may contain high contents of fine coral particles and salinity because of the high crushability of coral sands and the existence of seawater surrounding them. In this study, the effects of coral sand powders and seawater salinity on the dynamic mechanical properties of cemented coral sand (CCS) were investigated through the split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) tests and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis. It was found that the strength (i.e., the peak stress) of CCS specimens increased firstly and then decreased with the increase of powder content. The specimens reached the maximum peak stress when 3% powder content was included. The initial improvement of CCS strength was attributed to the pore-filling effect of coral powders, namely, the micro pores of the CCS specimens could be more effectively filled with higher percentages of coral powders being used in the experiments. However, excessive coral powders resulted in the reduction of specimen strength because these powders could easily be cemented into agglomerates by absorbing water from the specimens. These agglomerates could reduce the cementation strength between the coarse coral particles and the cement. Meanwhile, the peak stress of CCS specimens was found to be negatively correlated with the average strain rate and the ultimate strain. The degree of specimen fracture was found to be correlated with the amount of specific energy absorption during the tests. Furthermore, the “sulfate attack” caused by the inclusion of salinity of water had different influences on the CCS specimens with different coral powder contents. The ettringite and gypsum produced in “sulfate attack” could fill the pores and lead to cracking of the specimens, significantly affecting the specimen strength.     

Role of particle shape on the shear strength of sand-GCL interfaces under dry and wet conditions

Interface shear strength of geosynthetic clay liners (GCL) with the sand particles is predominantly influenced by the surface characteristics of the GCL, size and shape of the sand particles and their interaction mechanisms. This study brings out the quantitative effects of particle shape on the interaction mechanisms and shear strength of GCL-sand interfaces. Interface direct shear tests are conducted on GCL in contact with a natural sand and a manufactured sand of identical gradation, eliminating the particle size effects. Results showed that manufactured sand provides effective particle-fiber interlocking compared to river sand, due to the favorable shape of its grains. Further, the role of particle shape on the hydration of GCL is investigated through interface shear tests on GCL-sand interfaces at different water contents. Bentonite hydration is found to be less in tests with manufactured sand, leading to better interface shear strength. Grain shape parameters of sands, surface changes related to hydration and particle entrapment in GCL are quantified through image analysis on sands and tested GCL surfaces. It is observed that the manufactured sand provides higher interface shear strength and causes lesser hydration related damages to GCL, owing to its angular particles and low permeability.     

Effect of the particle size ratio on macro- and mesoscopic shear characteristics of the geogrid-reinforced rubber and sand mixture interface

As a new type of material for civil engineering projects, the rubber and sand mixture is widely used in roadbed fillers, offering environmental benefits over traditional tyre disposal methods. This study uses a large-scale direct shear apparatus to examine the interface shear properties of the geogrid-reinforced rubber and sand mixture, considering different particle size ratios (r), rubber contents, and normal stresses. Based on indoor tests, direct shear models of the mixture with different values of r are established in PFC^3D, revealing the meso-mechanical mechanism of the mixture in the direct shear process. The results show that when r is greater than 1, incorporating a certain amount of rubber particles can increase the shear strength of the mixture. The r values of 15.78, 7.63, and 3.98 correspond to an optimal rubber content of 30%, 10%, and 20%, respectively. When r is less than 1, mixing rubber particles can only reduce the shear strength of the mixture. When the rubber content is low, the smaller the value of r, the greater is the thickness of the shear band. Furthermore, the normal and tangential contact forces are greater. The fabric anisotropy evolution law of the mixture is consistent with the change in the contact force distribution.     

分析铁路改良粉细砂填料应用性能试验

在设计铁路路基的填料时,最常出现的是在进行铁路建设的地方就地取材。在以粉细砂为主的地区通常会选择用粉细砂作为铁路的填料,在所有的填料中,粉细砂填料属于C组类型填料,但是因为两个方面的原因需要对其进行一定的改良,一方面是因为粉细砂的粒径比较单一、级配不好,K30不能够满足规范标准的要求;另一方面则是因为大型机械不能够进行施工。本文通过掺入不同体积A、B组砾砂填料到粉细砂填料中进行试验,结果显示这种操作可以在不同程度上提高K30的值,从而在达到相关设计要求的同时解决施工方面的难题。     

特高砂砾石面板坝流变效应及面板防裂措施

针对高面板坝后期变形导致的面板破坏问题,采用大型室内试验测定了大石峡筑坝料流变力学特性,重点研究了后期流变效应对坝体、防渗体应力变形的影响。评估了各期面板浇筑前坝体沉降速率,复核了面板浇筑前预沉降时间的合理性。研究结果表明,该坝各期面板浇筑前设置的预沉降期可将坝顶沉降率控制在5mm/月以内。大坝蓄水运行后面板应力,尤其是轴向应力,较初次蓄水增加明显,存在挤压破坏的风险。论证了在面板受压区设置柔性缝的面板应力改善措施,结果表明该工程措施对削减面板轴向压应力效果明显。总体上,250m级的特高砂砾石面板坝坝体和防渗体应力变形能满足安全控制要求,通过合理的工程措施可保证大坝施工与运行安全。     

Effects of light crude oil contamination on the physical and mechanical properties of geopolymer cement mortar

Fly ash and oil contaminated sand are considered as the two waste materials that may affect environment. This paper investigated the suitability of producing geopolymer cement mortar using oil contaminated sand. A comparison between physical and mechanical properties of mortar produced using geopolymer and Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), in terms of porosity, hydration and compressive strength, was conducted. The results showed that heat curing can increase the compressive strength of geopolymer mortar up to 54% compared to ambient curing situation. The geopolymer mortar with 1% of light crude oil contamination yielded a 20% higher compressive strength than OPC mortar containing sand with a saturated surface dry condition. Furthermore, the formation of efflorescence decreased as the level of oil contamination decreased. Moreover, the heat curing method increased the kinetic energy and degree of reaction for geopolymer cement mortar, which cause an increment of the density of the pore system and improving the mechanical properties of the resulting composites. From the results of this study, it was demonstrated that geopolymer mortar has the potential of utilizing oil contaminated sand, and reducing its environmental impacts.     

Microstructural,hydraulic conductivity and geochemical changes of drying mature fine oil sand tailings in column experiments

This study offers new insights into two-lift deposition of mature fine tailings under atmospheric drying. The interaction of newly added lift and former lift(s) was evaluated using column experiments in terms of volumetric water content, electrical conductivity (EC), hydraulic conductivity, geochemistry and microstructure. Water content and EC followed the same trend and decreasing of water content appears to be responsible for significant reduction in EC. Evaporation on top of the column reduced the water content to almost zero. The obtained results support the coupling between the hydraulic and chemical processes that should be considered by active operators.     

Experimental study on the behavior of eccentrically loaded circular footing model resting on reinforced sand

In this study, an experimental investigation has been conducted on a circular footing model subjected to eccentric load resting on the geonet-reinforced sand. To this end, five series of tests were carried out in order to evaluate the effect of reinforcement dimension and eccentricity on the bearing capacity, settlement, and rotation of the footing. Results show that the bearing capacity ratio (BCR) is in direct relationship with eccentricity and the impact of soil reinforcement at low settlements is much more significant in the case of eccentric loading. Additionally, the bearing capacity interaction diagram and variation in the position of rotation line at different load levels for reinforced and unreinforced conditions are presented.