The mechanical behavior of structured soils is influenced by both inter-particle bonding and fabric arrangements. Existing constitutive models primarily account for soil structure through fabric arrangements. In this study, we first present experimental investigations on intact loess samples, including isotropic compression (IC), conventional consolidation undrained (CU), and consolidation drained (CD) triaxial tests, which reveal the complex structural properties of the soil. Next, we employ the work done by strain energy to comprehensively account for soil structure, incorporating both inter-particle bonding and fabric arrangements. Subsequently, a new strain work constitutive model for structured soils is presented within the critical state framework. Specifically, a linear decreasing function between strain power and mean effective stress is introduced to capture structural degradation, and a new hardening rule is derived from the relationship between strain work and mean effective stress. Compared to traditional structured soil models, the proposed model offers clear physical meaning, and its parameters are easily obtainable. The model's simulation results are validated against experimental data, demonstrating its ability to capture key mechanical and deformation characteristics, such as strain softening under CU conditions and strain hardening under CD conditions. Finally, we compare our model with the structured cam clay (SCC) model, and the results show that our model provides a better fit to the experimental data, further confirming its accuracy and effectiveness.

The enzyme-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (EICP) method has been utilized for curing low-permeability clay by directly mixing the reaction solution with soil. The added reaction solution quantity is limited by the optimal water content, producing insufficient calcium carbonate. Herein, the high-activity urease and high-concentration cementation solution efficacy in treating dispersive soils was evaluated. Phase transitions and structural modifications in EICP-cured soils were investigated through oscillatory amplitude scanning. The soil gradation influence on the EICP treatment effectiveness was assessed. The fluidized EICP-cured soil cementation and rupture mechanisms were investigated by viscosity measurements, electron microscopy, and zeta potential evaluations. A 3 M cementation solution, coupled with 500g/L of soybean urease, significantly enhanced the soil shear resistance, increasing it by 339% to 1807%. The EICP-cured soil gradually transitioned from a fluid to a paste and eventually to a solid within 168 h. High-clay-particle-content soils exhibited pronounced increases in shear resistance after EICP treatment. Under dynamic loading, three shear crack types emerged in EICP-cured soils, emphasizing the importance of soybean protein viscosity and calcium carbonate crystal filling-bonding capability in enhancing soil structural stability. The fluid solidification effectiveness in treating fine-grained soils utilizing EICP was validated through erosion trenches in fluid-solidified check dams, validating its potential.

This study investigates the mechanisms controlling multiphase landslide reactivation at red soil-sandstone interfaces in subtropical climates, focusing on the Eastern Pearl River Estuary. A significant landslide in September 2022, triggered by intense rainfall and human activities, was analyzed through field investigations, UAV photogrammetry, and geotechnical monitoring. Our results demonstrate that landslide evolution is governed by the interplay of geological, hydrological, and anthropogenic factors. Key findings reveal that landslide boundaries are constrained by fractures at the northern trailing edge and granite outcrops in the south, with deformation progressing from trailing to leading edges, indicative of a creep-traction failure mode. Although the landslide is stabilizing, ongoing deformations suggest disrupted stress equilibrium, emphasizing the risks of future reactivation. This work advances the understanding of progressive landslide dynamics at soil-rock interfaces and provides critical insights for risk mitigation in subtropical regions.

Resonance can significantly amplify a structure's response to seismic loads, leading to extended damage, especially in critical infrastructure like nuclear power plants. Thus, this study focuses on the resonance effects of the dynamic interaction between layered soil, pile foundations, and nuclear island structures, which is particularly important given the limited availability of bedrock sites for such facilities. Specifically, this study explores the resonance behavior of nuclear islands under various seismic conditions through large-scale shaking table tests by developing a dynamic interaction model for layered soil-pile-nuclear island systems. The proposed model comprises a 3 x 3 pile group supporting the upper structure of a nuclear island embedded within a three-layer soil profile. Sinusoidal waves of varying frequencies identify the factors influencing the system's resonance response. Besides, the resonance effects are validated by inputting seismic motions based on compressed acceleration time histories. Furthermore, the impact of non-primary frequency components on structural resonance is assessed by comparing sinusoidal wave components. The findings reveal that resonance effects increase as the amplitude of the input seismic motion increases to a certain threshold, after which the effect stabilizes. This trend is particularly pronounced in the bending moment response at the pile head. Additionally, an independent resonance phenomenon is observed in the superstructure, suggesting that its resonance effects should be considered separately in nuclear island design. Similar resonance effects are observed when the predominant frequency of sinusoidal waves closely matches the compressed seismic motions, suggesting that sinusoidal inputs effectively simulate structural resonance during seismic design testing.

In order to study the strength characteristics of organic-matter-contaminated red soil and the improvement effects of different modifiers, the red soil in the Yulin area was taken as the research object, and triaxial compression tests were carried out to study the effects of different mass fractions (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%) of organic matter (sodium humate) on the strength characteristics of red soil. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were carried out to study the improvement effects of different amounts of lignin, fly ash, and xanthan gum on organic-matter-contaminated red soil (organic matter content of 8%). The results of the tests showed that the cohesion and internal friction angle of red soil both tended to decrease with the increase in organic matter content. When the organic matter content increased from 0% to 8%, the cohesion of the red soil decreased from 60.98 kPa to 40.07 kPa, a decrease of 34.29%; and the internal friction angle decreased from 17.42 degrees to 7.28 degrees, a decrease of 58.21%. The stress-strain relationship curves of organic-matter-contaminated red soil all show a hardening type. Under different confining pressures, as the organic matter content increased, the shear strength of the red soil decreased continuously. The unconfined compressive strength of organic-matter-contaminated red soil increased with the increase in lignin content, and increased first and then decreased with the increase in fly ash content and xanthan gum content. Through comparative analysis, it was found that the fly ash with a content of 15% had the best improvement effect. The lignin-amended red soil enhanced the connection of soil particles through reinforcement, reduced pores, and improved soil strength. Fly ash improved the acidification reaction, and the hydrates filled the pores and enhanced the soil strength. Xanthan gum improved the red soil by absorbing water and promoting microbial growth, further enhancing the bonding force between soil particles. This study can provide a reference for engineering construction and red soil improvement in red soil areas.

Traditional bricks are still the most widely used building material in Madagascar. Bricks are made from clay that is fired for weeks in open-air kilns (600-750 degrees C) by using rice husks, peat, charcoal, coal, and wood as fuels. This process contributes significantly to environmental pollution by emitting CO2 and particles. In addition, the intensive use of wood and charcoal is partly responsible for the deforestation that still taking place on the Red Island. The development of sustainable building materials is therefore of global interest. This research provided a solution by implementing the oxyacetic acid derivative of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) as a binder to reduce energy consumption in the preparation of earthen materials. This product was obtained from cashew nut waste and was used in a proportion of 5 to 15% with the red soil of Madagascar. The materials were formulated at a much lower temperature (60 degrees C) compared to the traditional process for 24 to 48 hours in a custom-designed mold. The material with 10% oxyacetic binder from CNSL was a compact, hard solid with higher mechanical properties, including a twice higher compressive strength (5.6 MPa compared to 2.2 MPa) and a higher tensile strength (2.2 MPa compared to 1.6 MPa). This material also had better water resistance after 2 months of immersion; traditional clay bricks absorbed 36.65% of the water, and the material with binder only absorbed 12.62%. This research demonstrates that the utilization of local agricultural waste as a binder is a viable strategy for reducing the carbon footprint of traditional building materials while significantly improving their physico-mechanical properties.

The creep behavior of net-like red soils mainly depends on the micromechanical behavior of clay mineral atoms at the nanoscale. The 1M-tv configuration of illite determined by the experiments of XRD and SEM-EDS, was utilized to address the mechanical properties along various loading directions using the conventional molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method. Furthermore, a novel MD simulation method based on transition state theory was proposed to discuss temperature effects. Simulated results indicate that the ultimate stress value under tensile perpendicular to the illite layer is minimal relative to the transverse direction, the in-plane shear has more resistance to overcome than the transverse shear. Amounts of the tensile, compressive, and shear strengths of illite decrease with increasing temperature, while the strain of steady-state creep at the same loading applied time increases with the temperature. An energy barrier to enter the accelerated creep destruction phase is about 18 kcal/mol. Moreover, the improved MD simulation method can extend the time scale from 200 ps to 186 days. These results may conclude that the proposed MD simulation method may provide a powerful tool to investigate the creep behaviors of clay minerals at experimentally relevant timescales at the nanoscale.

Karst collapse as a unique environmental geological hazard in karst areas, easily causes changes in surrounding water and soil environments. Train-induced vibration is a significant inducement for shallow karst ground collapse. Previous studies on the dynamic properties of surrounding soil under train vibration loads often neglected the impact of time intermittent effects. Taking the red soil covering a typical potential karst collapse area along a high-speed railway in China as the research object, field monitoring of the vibration characteristics of the surrounding environment was conducted. A series of continuous loading and continuous-stop-continuous dynamic triaxial tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were designed considering factors such as loading frequency, intermittent duration, and dynamic stress amplitude. The effects of loading intermittence on the dynamic response and microstructure of red soil were compared and analyzed. The experimental results show that the drainage and unloading of red soil samples during the intermittent phase dissipate the accumulated excess pore water pressure and adjust the internal particle and structure of the soil, reducing the accumulation of plastic deformation during subsequent loading stages. The residual strain under vibration loading conditions considering the time intermittent effect is significantly reduced, and the residual strain decreases significantly with the increase of time intervals. The weakening effects of both macro and micro characteristics of red soil in karst-prone areas are significantly enhanced with the increase of intermittent time. The research results are of great significance for the prevention and control of karst ground collapse in karst areas.

The geotechnical characterization of residual soils is a complex matter and is not always successful because current interpretation methodologies dedicated to sedimentary soils do not adequately respond to the behavior of this type of soils. The problem has been under scope by several Portuguese and international institutions. The work carried out in the experimental Site of the Polytechnic Institute of Guarda (IPG) since 2003, constituted by residual soils and decomposed rocks of the local granite massif, is highlighted herein. The work was strongly supported by MOTA-ENGIL (Portuguese construction company) and the Laboratory of Math Engineering (LEMA, Polytechnic Institute of Porto). The characterization of the test site and the respective research work is presented. The research work involved interpretation of in situ tests (SDMT, SCPTu, PMT, SPT, DPSH, and geophysical tests), tests in controlled chambers (DMT, geophysical, and suction tests), and laboratory tests (oedometric tests, direct shear tests, and triaxial tests with several stress paths). The tests were performed on natural structured soils, artificially cemented mixtures, and unstructured soils. Advanced math and statistical analysis were applied in the development of new correlations to obtain geotechnical parameters representative of these soils. Furthermore, the work also allowed to recognize the physical characteristics of the materials and better understand their mechanical behavior.

Research has been carried out to study the effects of new tunnelling on an existing adjacent tunnel to ensure the safety and serviceability of tunnels. Prior studies on twin-tunnel interaction have mostly centred on simplifying perpendicularly crossing tunnelling in a single-layered soil stratum. New tunnel excavation beneath an existing tunnel at different skew angles in two-layered strata can lead to different patterns of stress redistribution and adverse impacts on the existing tunnel. In this paper, results of three-dimensional centrifuge and numerical modelling carried out to study the twin-tunnel interaction with varying advancing orientations and layered soils will be reported. The influence of new tunnel excavation on an existing tunnel was simulated in-flight by controlling both the tunnel weight and volume losses. An advanced hypoplastic constitutive model that can capture stress-, path, and strain-dependency of soil behaviour is utilised for numerical back-analyses and parametric studies. Cases investigated include twin-tunnel interaction at three different skew angles (30 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 degrees) in a uniform sand layer and at skew angle of 90 degrees in two-layered sand with different relative densities and thicknesses. Distinct load redistribution patterns will be presented to explain deformation mechanisms of the existing tunnel at different tunnel advancing skew angles to highlight the effects of tunnelling orientation. The results of perpendicularly crossing tunnelling in twolayered sand will also be reported and compared to reveal the influence of layered soil. The findings and new insights can help engineers better estimate advancing tunnelling effects on existing tunnels and enhance the safety of tunnel construction.