Study on the durability and long-term behavior of cement-stabilized soil in post-grouted piles embedded in sand

Abstract

This paper investigates the durability and long-term bearing behavior of post-grouted piles in sand. Laboratory tests were conducted on cement-stabilized sand exposed to seawater erosion environments to investigate the effects of curing times and cement ratios on soil strength using micro-cone penetration (MCPT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) tests. The strength distribution, microstructure, and phase composition of cement-stabilized soil were analyzed to determine the characteristics of strength changes. Furthermore, long-term field static load tests were performed on the Yinchuan Beijing Road extension and Binhe Yellow River Bridge project to investigate the relationship between the change in strength of cement-stabilized soil under erosion environments and the time effect of post-grouting at the pile tip. The results indicated that erosion damage to the cement-stabilized soil occurs from shallow to deep as the curing time increases, resulting in a reduction in its strength due to the formation of hydration products and products with poor gelation and low strength. Conversely, an increase in cement ratios resulted in heightened hydration products, which subsequently increased strength and significantly reduced the depth of erosion damage. The change in strength of cement-stabilized soil under seawater erosion environment is a combined result of the strengthening effect of hydration reaction and the weakening effect of erosion reaction. This change is the main reason for the time effect of post-grouting at the pile tip, allowing for effective control of pile foundation settlement with increasing time. The research findings provide valuable insights for evaluating the durability and long-term bearing behavior of post-grouted piles in sand.