Abstract: To investigate the mechanical properties of frozen peat soil derived from Dianchi Lake's lacustrine deposits, a low-temperature triaxial shear test was conducted under various influencing factors, utilizing an improved TSZ-2 fully automatic strain control instrument. This study aimed to examine the mechanical behavior of frozen peat soil at different temperatures, confining pressures and moisture levels. Additionally, the binary medium model theory was introduced to analyze the deviatoric stress-strain relationship in frozen soil. The test results indicate that as strain increases, the deviatoric stress-strain curve divides into three stages: linear-elastic, elastic-plastic and stable stages. The volume deformation primarily involves bulk expansion, and the deformation characteristics of frozen peat soil can be explained using a binary medium model. The peak strength of frozen peat soil is positively correlated with confining pressure and moisture content, but negatively correlated with temperature. In the experimental setup, the impact of confining pressure on strength initially rises and then declines, while moisture content exhibits higher sensitivity to strength. Cohesion increases as temperature decreases, and the internal friction angle fluctuates between 20.56° and 24.89°. Based on the simplified binary medium model, the equations suitable for frozen peat soil are constructed and the results are verified with good applicability.

Key words: frozen peat soil, low temperature triaxial shear test, simplified binary medium model