Improving the engineering and mechanical properties of marine clay (MC) by modifying it with soda residue (SR) and fly ash (FA), and stabilising with cement and /or lime to create Soda residue-Fly ash stabilised soil (SRFSS). Using the orthogonal design, the mechanical properties of SRFSS were analyzed, recommending a basic proportion of 70% SR + 20% FA + 10% MC. Results showed SR significantly impacted optimum water content (OWC), unconfined compressive strength (UCS), and water absorption quality. FA influenced the maximum dry density (MDD), while cohesion (c) was mainly affected by lime and cement. Cement had a higher unit contribution rate to mechanical indices than lime, except for MDD and OWC. The excellent properties of SRFSS were derived from good gradation and the cementation action of the materials. This research provides a solution for improving MC properties and promoting solid waste reutilisation.

In order to identify the upper and lower boundary cement content for modified marine soft soil (i. e., semi-solidified soils), physical, compaction, and unconfined compressive strength tests of cement-treated soils with a wide range of cement content were carried out to study their variation law of physical-compaction-mechanical properties. The test results show that cement-treated soil can be divided into uselessly treated soil, semi-solidified soil, and solidified soil with the increase of cement content. For uselessly treated soil, the treated soil cannot be compacted even after compaction delay. Cement hydration in semi-solidified soil significantly improved its physical and compaction properties. However, compaction destroyed the skeleton structure of solidified soil, resulting in lower strength than compacted semi-solidified soil. Based on the cement-soil particles-water relationship, soil particles-water transfer mechanism, cement hydration mechanism and the state of soil particles-water before and after treated, the bound method of semi-solidified soils based on cement content and moisture content ratio of untreated soil was established. The test parameters of bound method are simple, easily obtained and have small dispersion, which provides design basis and theoretical support for resource utilization of marine soft soil.

Large quantities of abandoned marine soft soil are generated from coastal engineering which cannot be directly utilized for construction without modification. The utilization of traditional binders to modify abandoned marine soft soil yields materials with favorable mechanical properties and cost efficiency. However, the production of traditional binders like cement leads to environmental pollution. This study uses a CGF all-solid-waste binder (abbreviated as CGF) composed of industrial solid waste materials such as calcium carbide residue (CCR), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), and fly ash (FA), developed by our research team, for the modification of abandoned marine soft soil (referred to as modified soil). It is noteworthy that the marine soft soil utilized in this study was obtained from the coastal area of Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, China. Physical property tests, compaction tests, and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests were conducted on the modified soil. The investigation analyzed the effects of binder content, compaction delay time, and curing time on the physical, compaction, and mechanical properties of CGF-modified soil and cement-modified soil. Additionally, microscopic experimental results were integrated to elucidate the mechanical improvement mechanisms of CGF on abandoned marine soft soil. The results show that after modification with binders, the water content of abandoned marine soft soil significantly decreases due to both physical mixing and chemical reactions. With an increase in compaction delay time, the impact of chemical reactions on reducing water content gradually surpasses that of physical mixing, and the plasticity of the modified soil notably modifies. The addition of binders results in an increase in the optimum moisture content and a decrease in the maximum dry density of CGF-modified soil, while the optimum moisture content decreases and the maximum dry density increases for cement-modified soil. Moreover, with an increase in binder content, the compaction curve of CGF-modified soil gradually shifts downward and to the right, while for cement-modified soil, it shifts upward and to the left. Additionally, the maximum dry density of both CGF-modified and cement-modified soils shows a declining trend with the increase in compaction delay time, while the optimum moisture content of CGF-modified soil increases and that of cement-modified soil exhibits a slight decrease. The strength of compacted modified soil is determined by the initial moisture ratio, binder content, compaction delay time, and curing time. The process of CGF modification of marine soft soil in Jiaozhou Bay can be delineated into stages of modified soil formation, formation of compacted modified soil, and curing of compacted modified soil. The modification mechanisms primarily involve the alkali excitation reaction of CGF itself, pozzolanic reaction, ion-exchange reaction, and carbonization reaction. Through quantitative calculations, the carbon footprint and unit strength cost of CGF are both significantly lower than those of cement.

This study was focused on the correlations between the physical and mechanical properties and geostatistical analysis of the clay of high plasticity (CH) soil based on the experimental data and the data collected from various research studies. Four types of CH soil with liquid limit (LL) of 50, 62, 76 and 88% were collected from the field, tested, compared with the data from literature and qualified using hyperbolic model. X-ray diffraction analyses showed the major constituents of the CH soil with LL of 50% were calcium silicate (Ca2SiO4), aluminum silicate (Al2SiO5) and quartz (SiO2) and the major constituents of the CH soil with LL of 88% were montmorillonite (Na, Ca)0.33(Al, Mg)2(Si4O10)(OH)2 center dot nH2O, kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4 and quartz (SiO2). The index properties, compacted properties, free swelling and compressive strength of the CH soils were investigated and quantified with over 1000 data collected from the literature. Using the mean (mu), standard deviation (sigma), variation (sigma 2) and coefficient of variation parameters of CH soils properties such as density (gamma), index properties (LL and PL), compaction properties (OMC and gamma dmax), swelling index (FS), initial void ratio (eo), compression index (Cc) and undrained shear strength (Su) properties were also studied. Liquid limit (LL) of CH soils varied between 50 and 110% and plasticity index (PI) varied between 26 and 72%. The wet unit weight (gamma wet) for the CH soils varied from 1.30 to 2.19 gm/cm3. Undrained shear strength (Su) of CH soils were varied from 10 to 184 kPa and quantified very well as a function of liquid limit, plasticity index, moisture content and dry density using the experimental data and data collected from the literature.