Welcome to Journal of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Today is
Mathematics & Physics

Thermal insulation performance and mechanical characteristics of clay-based foamed polymeric soil subgrade materials

  • Yang ZHAO ,
  • Zheng LU ,
  • Jie LIU ,
  • Rong ZHANG ,
  • Tingzhou YAN ,
  • Chuxuan TANG ,
  • Jian LI
Expand
  • 1.State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering,Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Wuhan 430071,China
    2.Hubei Key Laboratory of Geo-Environmental Engineering,Wuhan 430071,China
    3.Xinjiang Transportation Planning Survey and Design Institute Co. ,Ltd. ,Urumqi 830006,China
    4.Hubei Communications Planning and Design Institute Co. ,Ltd. ,Wuhan 430051,China

Received date: 2024-01-04

  Revised date: 2024-06-04

  Online published: 2024-06-24

Abstract

The use of excavated soil from highway construction sites to produce foamed polymeric soil, employed as a thermal insulation layer for seasonally frozen subgrades, not only achieves comprehensive resource utilization but also mitigates frost damage to the subgrades. Based on the excavated soil along the Urumqi Ring Expressway, combined with cement and foam, the foamed polymeric soil with porous insulation properties was developed. The influences of wet density, soil admixture, and water-cement ratio on the thermal conductivity, unconfined compressive strength, and stiffness of foamed polymeric soil were systematically investigated, establishing an intrinsic connection between pore structure and macroscopic performance. The research findings indicate that when the density of foamed polymeric soil increases from 600 kg/m³ to 1 200 kg/m³, its thermal conductivity approximately doubles, strength increases by about 3.95 times, and modulus increases by approximately 10.5 times. Compared to traditional subgrade soil, the thermal conductivity of foamed polymeric soil is significantly reduced by 52%-96.4%. Further analysis of the pore structure reveals that as the pore size of foamed polymeric soil within a unit volume decreases, the proportion of the skeleton increases correspondingly, while the volume of air pores decreases. This microstructural change manifests as improved thermal insulation performance (i.e., reduced thermal conductivity) and significant enhancement in mechanical properties (including strength and stiffness) at the macroscopic level. Foamed polymeric soil not only demonstrates better thermal insulation performance but also exhibits strong mechanical characteristics, providing a suitable solution for the thermal insulation layer of seasonally frozen subgrades.

Cite this article

Yang ZHAO , Zheng LU , Jie LIU , Rong ZHANG , Tingzhou YAN , Chuxuan TANG , Jian LI . Thermal insulation performance and mechanical characteristics of clay-based foamed polymeric soil subgrade materials[J]. Journal of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2026 , 43(1) : 51 -60 . DOI: 10.7523/j.ucas.2024.062

References

[1] Lu Z, Xian S H, Yao H L, et al. Influence of freeze-thaw cycles in the presence of a supplementary water supply on mechanical properties of compacted soil[J]. Cold Regions Science and Technology2019157: 42-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.coldregions.2018.09.009 .
[2] Lu Z, She J B, Wu X W, et al. Cumulative strain characteristics of compacted soil under effect of freeze-thaw cycles with water supply[J]. Transportation Geotechnics201921: 100291. DOI: 10.1016/j.trgeo.2019.100291 .
[3] Zhao Y, Lu Z, Yao H L, et al. Experimental study of dynamic resilient modulus of subgrade soils under coupling of freeze-thaw cycles and dynamic load[J]. Journal of Central South University202027(7): 2043-2053. DOI: 10.1007/s11771-020-4429-4 .
[4] 杨正宏, 李婷婷, 于龙. 低密度泡沫混凝土导热系数模型研究[J]. 建筑材料学报202023(2): 322-327. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1007-9629.2020.02.013 .
[5] Zhang J F, Yan Y, Hu Z H. Preparation and characterization of foamed concrete with Ti-extracted residues and red gypsum[J]. Construction and Building Materials2018171: 109-119. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.03.072 .
[6] Samson G, Phelipot-Mardelé A, Lanos C. Thermal and mechanical properties of gypsum-cement foam concrete: effects of surfactant[J]. European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering201621: 1502-1521. DOI: 10.1080/19648189.2016.1177601 .
[7] Ouyang X P, Guo Y X, Qiu X Q. The feasibility of synthetic surfactant as an air entraining agent for the cement matrix[J]. Construction and Building Materials200822(8): 1774-1779. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2007.05.002 .
[8] Xiong Y L, Zhu Y, Chen C, et al. Effect of nano-alumina modified foaming agents on properties of foamed concrete[J]. Construction and Building Materials2021267: 121045. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2020.121045 .
[9] Ranjani G S, Ramamurthy K. Behaviour of foam concrete under sulphate environments[J]. Cement and Concrete Composites201234(7): 825-834. DOI: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2012.03.007 .
[10] Kim Y T, Ahn J, Han W J, et al. Experimental evaluation of strength characteristics of stabilized dredged soil[J]. Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering201022(5): 539-544. DOI: /10.1061/(ASCE)MT.1943-5533.0000052 .
[11] Lim S K, Tan C S, Zhao X, et al. Strength and toughness of lightweight foamed concrete with different sand grading[J]. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering201519(7): 2191-2197. DOI: 10.1007/s12205-014-0097-y .
[12] 彭远胜, 欧孝夺, 姬凤玲. 铝土尾矿泡沫轻质土单轴抗压力学特性及唯象本构模型[J]. 应用基础与工程科学学报202331(3): 675-689. DOI: 10.16058/j.issn.1005-0930.2023.03.012 .
[13] 欧孝夺, 彭远胜, 莫鹏, 等. 掺铝土尾矿泡沫轻质土的物理力学及水力特性研究[J]. 材料导报202034(S1): 241-245.
[14] 彭远胜, 欧孝夺, 姬凤玲. 铝土尾矿泡沫轻质土的物理力学性能及细观特征[J]. 材料导报202236(17): 124-129. DOI: 10.11896/cldb.21030274 .
[15] Kearsley E P, Wainwright P J. The effect of high fly ash content on the compressive strength of foamed concrete[J]. Cement and Concrete Research200131(1): 105-112. DOI: 10.1016/S0008-8846(00)00430-0 .
[16] Jones M R, McCarthy A. Heat of hydration in foamed concrete: effect of mix constituents and plastic density[J]. Cement and Concrete Research200636(6): 1032-1041. DOI: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2006.01.011 .
[17] Lim S K, Tan C S, Li B, et al. Utilizing high volumes quarry wastes in the production of lightweight foamed concrete[J]. Construction and Building Materials2017151: 441-448. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2017.06.091 .
[18] Jones M R, Ozlutas K, Zheng L. Stability and instability of foamed concrete[J]. Magazine of Concrete Research201668: 542-549. DOI: 10.1680/MACR.15.00097 .
[19] Kunhanandan Nambiar E K, Ramamurthy K. Influence of filler type on the properties of foam concrete[J]. Cement and Concrete Composites200628(5): 475-480. DOI: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2005.12.001 .
[20] Spyridopoulos M T, Simons S J R. Effect of natural organic matter on the stability of a liquid film between two colliding bubbles[J]. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects2004235(1/2/3): 25-34. DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2003.01.001 .
[21] Raj A, Sathyan D, Mini K M. Physical and functional characteristics of foam concrete: a review[J]. Construction and Building Materials2019221: 787-799. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.06.052 .
[22] Ramamurthy K, Kunhanandan Nambiar E K, Ranjani G S. A classification of studies on properties of foam concrete[J]. Cement and Concrete Composites200931(6): 388-396. DOI: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2009.04.006 .
[23] Kunhanandan Nambiar E K, Ramamurthy K. Models relating mixture composition to the density and strength of foam concrete using response surface methodology[J]. Cement and Concrete Composites200628(9): 752-760. DOI: 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2006.06.001 .
[24] Horpibulsuk S, Suddeepong A, Chinkulkijniwat A, et al. Strength and compressibility of lightweight cemented clays[J]. Applied Clay Science201269: 11-21. DOI: 10.1016/j.clay.2012.08.006 .
[25] Cong M, Bing C. Properties of a foamed concrete with soil as filler[J]. Construction and Building Materials201576: 61-69. DOI: 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2014.11.066 .
[26] 赵文辉. 高速铁路泡沫轻质混凝土路基结构性能及施工技术研究[D]. 成都: 西南交通大学, 2018.
[27] 王才进, 蔡国军, 武猛, 等. 基于人工智能算法预测土体导热系数[J]. 岩土工程学报202244(10): 1899-1907. DOI: 10.11779/CJGE202210016 .
[28] 张涛, 杨玉玲, 张家铭, 等. 基于相似性原则的橡胶颗粒-砂混合物热导率理论模型[J]. 岩土工程学报202446(2): 436-444. DOI: 10.11779/CJGE20221333 .
[29] 徐洁, 胡海涛, 郑植. 压实度和含水率对非饱和土导热系数的影响[J]. 岩土工程学报202042(S1): 244-248. DOI: 10.11779/CJGE2020S1048 .
[30] 李猛, 黄寅生, 张少波, 等. 泡沫混凝土的研究进展及展望[J]. 材料导报201630(S1): 402-405.
[31] 陈兵, 胡华洁, 刘宁. 生土泡沫混凝土试验研究[J]. 建筑材料学报201518(1): 1-6. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1007-9629.2015.01.001 .
Outlines

/