Experimental Study on the Modification of Loess by Montmorillonite: Insights From Electrical, Thermal, and Mechanical Properties.
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| Title: | Experimental Study on the Modification of Loess by Montmorillonite: Insights From Electrical, Thermal, and Mechanical Properties. |
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| Authors: | Duan, Zhao1,2 (AUTHOR) duanzhao@xust.edu.cn, He, Xinyu1,2 (AUTHOR), Yan, Xusheng3 (AUTHOR), Chen, Xiaoyun4 (AUTHOR), Song, Kun1,2 (AUTHOR), Zhu, Kun4 (AUTHOR), Liu, Kuan1,2 (AUTHOR), Han, Jianyong (AUTHOR) hanlwb@163.com |
| Source: | Advances in Civil Engineering. 6/23/2026, Vol. 2026, p1-15. 15p. |
| Subjects: | Loess, Montmorillonite, Electrical resistivity, Soil structure, Shear strength, Geotechnical engineering, Thermal conductivity |
| Geographic Terms: | China |
| Abstract: | The large pore structure of loess is a key factor governing the geotechnical environment in northwestern China. It not only dominates the mechanical strength of geotechnical bodies in this region but also significantly regulates their thermoelectric response characteristics. However, collaborative testing studies on the correlations among these three properties remain scarce in the academic community, creating an urgent need for targeted research. To address loess's inherent defects of large pores and high‐water sensitivity, montmorillonite (Mt) was added to loess to evaluate its potential for environmental geotechnical applications. Electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, and shear strength were used to evaluate the geotechnical properties of the modified loess with different Mt contents. The results demonstrated that as Mt content increased from 4% to 50%, the electrical resistivity of the modified loess significantly increased by 182%, the thermal conductivity correspondingly decreased by 54%, and the shear strength increased by 174.73 kPa, showing an obvious changing trend. Mechanistically, Mt partially blocks the solid–liquid conductive pathways in loess, thereby increasing its electrical resistivity. In addition, the reduced proportion of high‐thermal‐conductivity components in the modified loess leads to a decrease in high‐thermal‐conductivity heat transfer pathways, resulting in a gradual reduction in thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the intergranular voids of the loess are gradually filled with fine Mt particles, increasing the effective dry density and densifying the soil structure, thereby enhancing its shear strength. These findings provide actionable insights into the loess modification methods and the underlying mechanisms, offering valuable technical support for the design of environmental geotechnical barriers and practical geotechnical engineering in the loess region of northwestern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Engineering Source |
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