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This study addresses the challenges posed by dispersive soil in various engineering fields, including hydraulic and agricultural engineering, by exploring the effects of physical adsorption on soil modification. The primary objective is to identify an environmentally friendly stabilizer that can alleviate cracking and erosion resulting from soil dispersivity. Activated carbon (AC), known for its porous nature, was examined for its potential to enhance soil strength and erosion resistance. The charge neutralization process was evaluated by monitoring pH and conductivity, in addition to a comprehensive analysis of microscopic and mineral properties. The results show that high sodium levels or low clay contents result in the dispersive nature of soil in water. However, the incorporation of AC can transform such soil into a non-dispersive state. Moreover, both soil strength and erosion resistance exhibited enhancements with increasing AC content and curing duration. The incorporation of AC resulted in a maximum 5.6-fold increase in unconfined compressive strength and a 1.8-fold increase in tensile strength for dispersive soil. Notably, a significant correlation was observed during the curing phase among soil dispersivity, mechanical properties, and pH values. Microscopic analyses revealed that the porous structure of AC facilitated a filling effect and enhanced adsorption capacity, which contributed to improved soil characteristics and reduced dispersivity. The release of hydrogen ions and the formation of aggregates promote water stability. Validation tests conducted on dispersive soil from northern Shaanxi demonstrated the efficacy of physical adsorption using AC as a viable method for modifying dispersive soil in the water conservancy hub. (c) 2025 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/ 4.0/).

来源平台：JOURNAL OF ROCK MECHANICS AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING