The interface between geotextile and geomaterials plays a crucial role in the performance of various geotechnical structures. Soil-geotextile interfaces often suffer reduced performance under environmental stressors such as rainfall and cyclic loading, limiting the reliability of geotechnical structures. This study examines the influence of gravel content (Gc), compaction degree (Cd), and rainfall duration (Rd) on the mobilized shear strength at the silty clay-gravel mixture (SCGM)- geotextile interface through a comprehensive series of direct shear tests under both static and cyclic loadings. A novel approach using Polyurethane Foam Adhesive (PFA) injection is introduced to enhance the interface behavior. The results reveal that increasing Gc from 0 % to 70 % leads to a 35-70 % improvement in mobilized shear strength and friction angle, while cohesion decreases by 15 %-60 %, depending on Cd. A higher Cd further boosts shear strength by 6 %- 70 %, influenced by Gc and normal stress levels. Under cyclic loading, increasing displacement amplitude reduces shear stiffness (K), while having minimal impact on the damping ratio (D); K and D appear unaffected by the number of cycles in non-injected samples. Rainfall reduces mobilized shear strength by 8 %-25 %, depending on the normal stress, with a 47 % drop in friction angle and a 24 % increase in cohesion after 120 minutes of rainfall exposure. In contrast, PFA-injected samples exhibit a marked increase in mobilized shear strength under both dry and wet conditions, primarily attributed to enhanced cohesion. Notably, PFA treatment proves particularly effective in maintaining higher shear strength and stiffness in rainfall-affected interfaces, demonstrating its potential in improving geotextile-soil interaction under challenging environmental conditions.

A novel approach to enhance wellbore stability was put forth, based on the wellbore rock properties and instability mechanism of the hydrate reservoir, given the issue of wellbore instability when using water-based drilling fluids (WBDFs) in drilling operations, in weakly cemented muddy fine silt reservoirs of natural gas hydrates in the South China Sea. Three main strategies were used to increase the stability of reservoirs: enhancing the underwater connection between sandstone particles and clay minerals, preventing clay hydration from spreading and expanding, and strengthening the stability of hydration skeleton structure. An appropriate drilling fluid system was built with soil phase containing wellbore stabilizer. Sulfonic acid groups and electrostatic interaction were introduced based on the characteristics of underwater adhesion of mussels. Through the process of free radical polymerization, a zwitterionic polymer containing catechol groups named DAAT was prepared for application in natural gas hydrate reservoir drilling. DAAT is composed of tannic acid (TA), dimethyl diallyl chloride ammonium chloride (DMDAAC), 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) and acrylamide (AM). Experimental results from mechanical property testing reveal an adhesion force of up to 4206 nN between SiO2 and 5 wt % DAAT, demonstrating its ability to bind quartz sand particles effectively. The compressive strength and cohesion of the cores treated with DAAT increased by 58.33 wt % and 53.26 wt %, respectively, at -10 degrees C, compared with pure ice particle cores. This demonstrates DAAT can significantly enhance the compressive strength and cohesion of the core. Furthermore, the adhesion force between DAAT and hydrate particles reaches up to 344.4 mN/m, significantly improving the structural stability between hydrate particles. It demonstrates excellent adhesive properties to hydrate particles. In addition to adsorbing clay minerals, rocks, and hydrate particles, DAAT also forms hydrogen bonds with argillaceous fine silt particles with its low temperature cohesiveness characteristic. As a result, it improves the cohesion between core particles, and enhances the adhesion between hydrates and rocks, thereby enhancing the stability of hydrate reservoirs. In summary, DAAT is characterized by a simple preparation process, cost-effectiveness, and environmental friendliness. It is an innovative and practical material for enhancing wellbore stability in WBDFs for natural gas hydrate exploration in the South China Sea.

Underground structures are subject to deterioration conditions in which water leakage occurs through cracks due to the long-term influence of soil and groundwater. Therefore, composite waterproofing sheets can play an important role in securing the leakage stability of structures by combining them with concrete structures. In this study, a total of eight composite waterproofing sheets were used according to the thickness of the compound and the properties of the material attached to the concrete, and the deformation characteristics at the bonding surface were identified through repeated tensile tests. Types A, B, and C, with a compound thickness of 1.35 to 1.85 mm and a single layer, had strong bonding performance, with a deformation rate of 0.5 to 2 x 10-4 and a DE/RE ratio of 0.3 to 1.3; tensile deformation progressed while maintaining integrity with the concrete at the bonding surface. Types D and E were viscoelastic and non-hardening compounds with a compound thickness of 1.35 to 3.5 mm, where the strain rate due to tensile deformation was the lowest, at 0.1 x 10-4 or less, and the DE/RE ratio was -5 to 3; therefore, when internal stress occurs, the high-viscosity compound absorbs it, and the material is judged to have low deformation characteristics. Types F, G, and H, which were 2 to 2.9 mm thick and had two layers using a core material, were found to have characteristics corresponding to tensile deformation, as the strain rate increased continuously from 0.2 to 0.5 x 10-4, and the DE/RE ratio increased up to 8 mm of tensile deformation.

Alkali-activated materials have gained increasing popularity in the field of soil barrier materials due to their high strength and low environmental impact. However, barrier materials made from alkali-activated materials still suffer from long setting times and poor barrier performance in acidic, alkaline, and saline environments, which hinders the sustainable development of green alkali-activated materials. Herein, coconut shell biochar, sodium silicate-based adhesives, and polyether polyol/polypropylene polymers were used for multi-stage material modification. The modified materials were evaluated for barrier performance, rapid formation, and resistance to acidic, alkaline, and saline environments, using metrics such as compressive strength, permeability, mass loss, and VOC diffusion efficiency. The results indicated that adhesive modification reduced the material's setting time from 72 to 12 h. Polymer modification improved resistance to corrosion by 15-20%. The biochar-containing multi-stage modified materials achieved VOC diffusion barrier efficiency of over 99% in both normal and corrosive conditions. These improvements are attributed to the adhesive accelerating calcium silicate hydration and forming strength-enhancing compounds, the polymer providing corrosion resistance, and biochar enhancing the volatile organic compounds (VOC) barrier properties. The combined modification yielded a highly effective multi-stage green barrier material suitable for rapid barrier formation and corrosion protection. These findings contribute to evaluating multi-level modified barrier materials' effectiveness and potential benefits in this field and provide new insights for the development of modified, green, and efficient alkali-activated barrier materials, promoting the green and sustainable development of soil pollution control technologies.

Significant quantities of bark are generated during wood processing, with the majority being utilized for energy production and soil enhancement. This study investigated the influence of bark particle size and resin type (urea-formaldehyde (UF) and melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF)) on the properties of particleboards made from spruce and pine bark. Board samples were fabricated using different bark particle sizes (2 to 5 mm and 5 to 8 mm) and varying adhesive contents (5% and 7%) for both UF and MUF adhesives. Reference particleboards were manufactured using industrial wood particles with the same UF and MUF adhesive contents. The spruce bark consistently outperformed pine bark across most investigated properties. Board samples fabricated from spruce bark particles exhibited higher internal bond (IB) strength and modulus of rupture (MOR), as well as enhanced resistance to water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS), particularly when bonded with urea-formaldehyde (UF) adhesive. Specifically, boards composed of spruce bark, using a combination of bark particle sizes, UF adhesive, and 7% adhesive content, exhibited superior performance in IB strength, water resistance, and modulus of elasticity.

The widespread distribution of saline soil in the severe cold regions of northwest China has caused dual damage to concrete structures, including freeze-thaw cycles and sulfate erosion, seriously threatening the adhesive performance of interface agents. To solve the problem, the evolution law of the interface adhesive performance of the interface agent in standard curing, natural exposure, freeze-thaw cycle and sulfate attack environment was studied by modified acrylate lotion. The results indicated that environmental factors have a significant impact on interface strength, with the destructive effect of freeze-thaw cycles being the most prominent. The modified acrylate lotion improved the interface performance through a triple action mechanism: (1) penetrated the matrix to form a pore bolt structure, enhancing the mechanical anchoring effect; (2) The complexation of carboxylic acid carbonyl groups with Ca2+ enhanced the chemical adhesive strength; (3) Its flexibility and filling effect reduced freezing pressure, refined pores, and effectively inhibited water migration and ion erosion. The study further revealed the key mechanisms of interface pore coarsening, and pore plug structure degradation in freezethaw environments, providing new solutions and theoretical support for concrete repair in cold regions.

The mechanical properties and envelope curve predictions of polyurethane-improved calcareous sand are significantly influenced by the magnitude and direction of principal stress. This study conducted a series of directional shearing tests with varying polyurethane contents (c = 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5%), stress Lode angles (theta sigma = -19.1 degrees, 0 degrees, 19.1 degrees, and 30 degrees), and major principal stress angles (alpha = 0 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, and 90 degrees) to investigate the strength and non-coaxial characteristics of calcareous sand improved by polyurethane foam adhesive (PFA). Key findings revealed that failure strength varied significantly with the major principal stress axis direction, initially decreasing to a minimum at alpha = 45 degrees before increasing, with a 30% decrease and 25% increase observed at c = 5%. Non-coaxial characteristics between strain increment and stress directions became more pronounced, with angles varying up to 15 degrees. Increasing polyurethane content from 2.5% to 7.5% enhanced sample strength by 20% at theta sigma = -19.1 degrees and alpha = 60 degrees. A generalized linear strength theory in the pi-plane accurately described strength envelope variations, while a modified Lade criterion, incorporating polymer content, effectively predicted multiaxial strength characteristics with less than 10% deviation from experimental results. These contributions provide quantitative insights into failure strength and non-coaxial behavior, introduce a robust strength prediction framework, and enhance multiaxial strength prediction accuracy, advancing the understanding of polyurethane-improved calcareous sand for engineering applications.

The adhesion property of soil on the metal surface was tested by the orthogonal experiment with 4 factors and 3 levels based on piston pull out method. A regression model of adhesion stress and the factors including moisture content(X-1), pressing time(X-2), settling time(X-3) and separation velocity (X-4) was established. The experiment results show that the influence of each factor on adhesion stress is ranked as X- 1 approximate to X (2) approximate to X (3) > X (4) > X- 3 X- 4 , and the adhesion stress shows an 'S' curve with the increase of separation velocity. The DEM parameters of the soil were calibrated based on the test results, and the contact and disturbance state of soil particles during the test were studied by discrete element method (DEM) using JKR model. The simulation tests show that the maximum adhesion stress occurs when the particles are about to separate from the probe surface, and the soil disturbance state is hierarchical.

Strong soil-tool adhesion on soil-engaging components is a key factor leading to the energy consumption and agricultural tool damage in agriculture tillage. A number of chemical and physical strategies have been widely proposed to eliminate soil-tool adhesion, but subjecting to limited anti-soil capabilities. In this work, we present an earthworm-inspired matter-repellent surface by stably grafting dimethyl dimethoxy silicane and infusing silicone oil, allowing for a superior resistance to soil-steel adhesion in an eco-friendly mode. The presence of such coating enables a theoretical adhesion work reduction by 10 times, thereby resulting in robust repellency to stick soil. Furthermore, the influence of water fraction in soil, adhesion velocity, and adhesion angle on the anti-soil performance of matter-repellent surfaces are fully revealed to guide its potential application in agricultural tools. It is anticipated that incorporating our matter-repellent coating into soil-engaging components is beneficial to the development of agricultural machinery.

The sharp morphological features of lunar dust particles generate significant elastic-plastic contact forces and deformations upon contact with material surfaces, which considerably affect the mechanical properties of lunar dust particles, including their contact, collision, adhesion, transport, and wear characteristics. Despite these severe effects, valid models considering the contact characteristics of typical sharp-featured lunar dust particles are currently lacking. This study proposes an elastic-plastic contact model for nonrotationally symmetric lunar dust particles showing typical sharp features. Detailed derivations of the expressions for various physical responses observed when lunar dust particles establish normal contacts with elastic and elastic-plastic half-spaces under adhesive conditions are also provided. These include derivations for elastic forces, elastic-plastic forces, contact areas, pull-off forces, residual displacements, and plastic deformation areas. Furthermore, the tangential pull-off force during the tangential loading of lunar dust particles is derived, and the tangential contact characteristics are explored. Comparisons of the results of the proposed model with those of previous experiments reveal that the proposed model shows errors of only 6.06 % and 1.03 % in the maximum indentation depth and residual displacement, respectively. These errors are substantially lower than those of conventional spherical models (60.30 % and 60.13 %, respectively), confirming the superior accuracy of the proposed model. Furthermore, the discrete element method is employed to analyze the effects of normal and tangential contacts, dynamic characteristics, and plastic deformations on the considered lunar dust particles. The results are then compared with those of existing contact models. They reveal that maximum elastic-plastic forces under normal contact conditions are positively correlated with the initial velocity but negatively correlated with the lateral angle. Furthermore, the tangential pull-off force is positively correlated with the normal force and surface energy. In addition, the contact duration of lunar dust particles is positively correlated with their initial velocities, while the residual displacement is negatively correlation. For instance, as the initial velocity increases from 10 to 50 m/s, the maximum elastic-plastic force increases from 37.64 to 321.72 mN. Comparisons of the proposed model with other contact models reveal that the maximum elastic-plastic force of the elastic-plastic triangular pyramid model is only 14.93 % that of the cylindrical model, 34.23 % that of the spherical model, and 76.27 % that of the conical model, indicating significant reductions in the maximum elastic-plastic force owing to the plastic deformations of particles with typical sharp features. Overall, the results of this study offer crucial insights into the mechanical characteristics of nonspherical lunar dust particles under various contact conditions, such as elastic-plastic and adhesive contacts, and can guide in situ resource utilization on the lunar surface and for craft landings.