Mechanical properties and stabilizing mechanism of stabilized saline soils with four stabilizers

Saline soil used in embankment construction causes dissolution falling and salt swelling, which results in embankment cracking. Therefore, saline soils should be stabilized in engineering. The unconfined compressive strength test, triaxial compressive test, splitting tensile test, and fatigue test were conducted on six types of stabilized soils. Subsequently, scanning electron microscopy test, X-ray diffraction test, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy test, and thermogravimetric analysis were performed to discover the stabilizing mechanism. Test results indicated that the mechanical properties of saline soil were improved by adding lime, cement, fly ash, and SH agent (SH). In particular, after soaking, the strength of the stabilized soil with SH was significantly enhanced, the deviatoric stress-strain curves transformed from strain softening to strain hardening, and the tensile property and fatigue resistance were improved as well. The SH generated a film and silk-like web, wrapped the soil particles, and filled the soil pores, which improved the strength and anti-deformation abilities of the stabilized soils.