A study on the evolution of microstructure of soil-rock mixtures based on the electrochemical conductive paths model under different rock and moisture content conditions

Abstract

ABSTRACT To further improve the understanding of the evolution law of the microstructure of SRM in road engineering under moisture and rock content, the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy test under different moisture and rock conditions was carried out. This paper proposed an electrochemical model of different conductive paths based on different cementation states. The impact of rock and moisture content on the characteristic parameters of the conductive path model was analyzed. The results indicated the impedance spectrum curves became more pronounced with the continuous decrease in moisture content and increase in rock content. There was a well-defined exponential relationship between total impedance and both moisture and rock content. The total impedance decreased continuously with increasing moisture content and increased with increasing rock content. The characteristic parameters had practical significance in representing the microscopic structure. The moisture content primarily influenced the variation trends of the representation parameters by altering the channel width, length, and quantity of the continuous pore water solution pathways and the discontinuous rock-soil bonded bodies. The rock content affected the changes by compressing the external and internal pore water solution and soil particles, altering the compression and support between the continuous pore water solution pathways and the block rock framework.