Abstract: The research subject is silty clay found along the Jilin–Huanggang Expressway. Soil samples mixed with different amounts of lime are subjected to static triaxial test and freeze-thaw cycle tests indoors. The aim is to investigate the effects of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 freeze-thaw cycles on the strength of lime-treated silty clay. The research results indicate that the stress-strain relationship curve of such clay is the strain-softening type; and its peak-value strength increases with confining pressure increase. Compared to lime-treated silty clay, the decrease rate in peak-value strength of silty clay is faster. After four freeze–thaw cycles, the peak-value strength began to stabilize. The decrease rate in sheer strength of lime-treated silty clay after being subjected to the freeze-thaw effect is slower than that of silty clay. Shear strength even increases with confining pressure increase. Under the condition of same confining pressure, the elastic modulus of lime-treated silty clay gradually decreases with increase of number of freeze-thaw cycles; and basically stabilized after four freeze-thaw cycles.

Key words: freeze-thaw cycles, lime treatment, silty clay, static strength