A strength model for cement-stabilized mud subjected to various curing temperatures and its early-stage quality control

Abstract

The influence of curing temperature on the strength development of cement-stabilized mud has been well documented in terms of strength-increase rate and ultimate strength. However, the strength development model is not mature for the extremely early stages. In addition, there is a lack of studies on quality control methods based on early-stage strength development. This paper presents a strength model for cement-stabilized mud to address these gaps, considering various curing temperatures and early-stage behaviors. In this study, a series of laboratory experiments was conducted on two types of muds treated with Portland blast furnace cement and ordinary Portland cement under four different temperatures. The results indicate that elevated temperatures expedite strength development and lead to higher long-term strength. The proposed model, which combines a three-step conversion process and a hyperbolic model at the reference temperature, enables accurate estimate of the strength development for cement-treated mud with any proportions cured under various temperatures. With this model, a practical early quality control method is introduced for applying cement-stabilized mud in field projects. The back-analysis parameters obtained from a 36-h investigation at temperature of 60 °C demonstrated a sufficient accuracy in predicting strength levels in practical applications.