Information Science & Engineering
LI Wei, BAO Wenbo, HUANG Zhiqiang, GUO Yuxuan
[Objective] Due to small scale and large specific surface area, nanomaterials have attracted increasing attention in the field of repair materials for earthen sites. Given the severe degradation of earthen sites in Liaoning that urgently require restoration, this study focuses on nano-titanium dioxide (TiO2) and graphene oxide (GO), and investigates how TiO2 and GO affect the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), triaxial shear properties, and microstructures of soil repair materials. It further clarifies the synergistic enhancement mechanism of the two nanomaterials. [Methods] Silicon-composite modified original soil (S-GLS) was used to prepare nano-TiO2-GO-modified soil with different TiO2 mass fractions (i.e., 1%, 3% and 5%) and different GO mass fractions (i.e., 0.02%, 0.025%, and 0.03%), and the physical properties of nano-TiO2-GO modified soil (SN-GLS) were studied. The mechanical behavior and full stress-strain curves of SN-GLS were investigated by UCS and triaxial shear tests. The microscopic morphology, pore characteristics, and pore-size distribution of SN-GLS were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) tests. [Results] With the addition of TiO2-GO, the compressive strength and shear strength of SN-GLS are significantly improved. Triaxial shear tests reveal a transition in the macroscopic failure mode of the specimen from oblique shear failure to a complex form that includes both swelling and multiple shear failures. The transition is characterized by lateral swelling in the central region of the specimen and the formation of cracks consisting of various shear bands, including vertical and transverse orientations. With 3% nano-TiO2 and 0.025% GO at 28 days, the strain of SN-GLS peaks at the range from 2.5% to 4%, and the residual strength retention rate is from 75% to 90%. The incorporation of nano-TiO2-GO increases the ductility of the original soil. SN-GLS has superior shear strength and deformation characteristics. Compared with S-GLS, cohesion increases by 61.8% and 42.7% at 7 and 28 days, respectively. The internal friction angle at 28 day increases by 1°. SEM and MIP results indicate that, compared with S-GLS, the optimization of microstructures and the enhancement of mechanical properties in SN-GLS arise from the synergistic action between GO and TiO2. Specifically, the incorporation of GO produces a rough and wrinkled layered structure that increases the interlayer spacing of the original soil. Its oxygen-containing functional groups provide nucleation sites for hydration reactions and act as a “template”, thus promoting the formation of more hydration products (e.g., C-S-H) and markedly improving the mechanical properties. Nano-TiO2 contributes through its nanoscale effect and filling effect, filling internal pores, strengthening the bonding between soil particles, and altering the arrangement of the soil skeleton to improve its orientation, which consequently increases the fractal dimension of SN-GLS by 0.045 9. These combined effects significantly optimize the pore-size distribution of SN-GLS, with the proportion of medium pores decreased by 18%, small pores increased by 16%, and micropores increased by 2%, indicating a transformation of medium pores into small and micropores, a denser microstructure, and an overall reduction of total porosity by 10.09%. [Conclusions] This study provides a new idea for the research and improvement of repair materials used in earthen sites. Nano-TiO2 and GO have potential application value for the protection and reinforcement of earthen sites.