Abstract:

At present, improving the engineering properties of soft soil by developing and using solidification materials is a worldwide pop topic. A new cement material (ALOFIX-MC) is used to solidify the soft soil; and the mechanism of soil reinforcement is researched based on indoor tests. Different percentages of MC, i.e. 0 %, 1 % , 2 %, 3 %, 4 % and 5 % by weight of cement were randomly put into the soil samples which included 15 % cement content and 2 % gypsum content. Six samples were prepared and subjected to unconfined compressive strength test. The results show that a low MC content can significantly improve the strength and stability of cement soil with 15 % cement content. The microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows that MC can provide new cementations, and MC improves the hydration of cement, pore filling, and water sorption, which contribute to significant improvement on solidification effect. The results have provided a new way for cement soil engineering property improvement and reduction of cement content in conventional cement soil.

Key words: ALOFIX-MC, soft soil, cement soil, strength, scanning electron microscopy