Application of fractal theory to characterize desiccation cracks in contaminated clayey soils
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Application of fractal theory to characterize desiccation cracks in contaminated clayey soils Binbin Yang 1 & Junhong Yuan 1,2 Received: 24 January 2018 / Accepted: 17 January 2019 / Published online: 26 January 2019 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2019
Abstract The formation and development of desiccation cracks in contaminated clayey soils is a complex process that affects the strength, stability, and permeability of these soils. To investigate the relationship between different concentrations of pollutants and the characteristics of the desiccation cracks in contaminated clayey soils, soil samples are prepared with different concentrations of acetic acid as the pollutant in this study. Free desiccation tests are carried out to examine the cracks in the contaminated clayey soil samples in the laboratory setting. The rate of water loss and the development of surface desiccation cracks in the soil samples with different concentrations of acetic acid are monitored. The characteristics of the structure of the surface cracks are then described and quantitatively analyzed by using a geographic information system, which involves calculating the fractal dimension with ArcGIS. The results indicate that the characteristics of the development of the surface cracks are different due to the influence of different concentrations of acetic acid. The most rapid development of cracks takes place in the soil sample with 0.4 mol/L of acetic acid, as the influence of the concentration of acetic acid on the rate of water loss is minimal. Three stages are found in the development of cracks in the soil samples: the early, intermediate, and final stages of cracking. The fractal dimension increases rapidly with increased concentration of acetic acid in the early and intermediate stages of cracking. The results therefore have significance for dealing with acid-contaminated foundation and soils. Keywords Fractal dimension . Geographic information system . Contaminated clayey soils . Acetic acid . Desiccation cracks
Introduction The properties of soils change due to erosion by pollutants (Kooper and Mangnus 1986). The migration and transformation of pollutants in soil will cause changes to the soil microstructure, such as its porosity, pore distribution, and surface morphology. The engineering properties of soils are therefore greatly affected by acidic and alkaline pollutants (Sridharan et al. 1981). The formation and development of desiccation cracks of contaminated soils is a complex process, which affect the strength and stability of the soils, loosening the soil
* Junhong Yuan [email protected] Binbin Yang [email protected] 1
School of Resources and Geosciences, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
2
Transportation Institute, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China
and affecting the deformation of the foundation(Yuan et al. 2015). The diffusion and transport paths of water, microorganisms, and pollutants are also controlled by the distribution and connectivity of desi
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