Experimental Study on Strength and Microstructure of Loess Improved by CG-2 Curing Agent and Cement

Abstract

In order to study the improvement effect of the CG-2 curing agent and cement on loess, a series of physical and mechanical property tests and microstructure tests were carried out on loess improved with different dosages of curing agent and cement to study the physical and mechanical properties, durability and microscopic pore characteristics of the CG-2 curing agent and cement-improved loess. The results show that the unconfined compressive strength of improved loess increases gradually with the increase in curing agent and cement dosage, and the higher the compaction degree and the longer the curing age, the higher the unconfined compressive strength. In the case of the same cement content, the higher the dosage of curing agent, the more the unconfined compressive strength of improved loess increases. Under the condition of reaching the same unconfined compressive strength, the addition of curing agent can significantly reduce the amount of cement. The more the content of cement and curing agent, the less the unconfined compressive strength decreases after a certain number of freeze–thaw cycles, and the higher the dry-wet cycles index after a certain number of dry-wet cycles, indicating that the addition of curing agent can significantly improve the ability of the sample to resist freeze–thaw cycles and dry–wet cycles. According to the microscopic test results, it is found that the addition of curing agent can reduce the porosity of soil particles, change the contact and arrangement mode between soil particles, and enhance the agglomeration and cementation characteristics between soil particles, and obviously improve the physical and mechanical properties of soil. The research results can provide new ideas and methods for the improvement technology of loess.

Keywords

• improved loess
• CG-2 curing agent
• cement
• physical and mechanical properties
• microstructure