Influences of arrangement and cementation of soil particles on structure of artificial structural soil

In order to obtain the predetermined arrangement and cementation of soil particles, the additives such as expanded polystyrene (EPS) and cement are usually added into the soil for the preparation of artificial structural soil, which can form the artificial structure of soil. However, there are few studies on the influences of arrangement and cementation of soil particles on the structure of artificial structural soil. A series of tests are carried out to investigate the influence law and mechanism of arrangement and cementation of soil particles on the initial structure and structural evolution of soil. The results show that the initial structure of soil decreases with the increase of EPS content and particle size, and increases with the increase of cement content. It is because that larger EPS content and particle size cause more pores and larger pore volumes in the soil, which weakens the cementation between soil particles to reduce the initial structure of the soil. In contrary, larger cement content causes more hydration products, smaller pore volumes and stronger cementations, which improves the initial structure of soil. In the process of structural evolution, large EPS content, particle size and cement content increase the soil structure when the stress is small, which is mainly related to the enhancement of the energy absorption and reduction of EPS particles and cementation of cement hydration products. The research results help to enhance the understanding of arrangement and cementation of soil particles in structural soil and provide a significant technical guide for the preparation of artificial structural soil.