Examining Freeze/Thaw Cycling and Its Impact on the Hydraulic Performance of Cement-Treated Silty Sand

Abstract

AbstractCement-based solidification/stabilization (s/s) is a remediation technology that has been widely used for treatment of a range of contaminants. Currently, there is limited published data on changes in hydraulic performance of cement-treated materials subjected to cycles of freezing/thawing (f/t). Fourteen sets of tests were performed to examine the influence of factors such as number of f/t cycles, freezing temperature, curing time, and mix design on changes in hydraulic conductivity and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of cement-treated silty sand. Results showed an increase of up to three orders of magnitude in hydraulic conductivity as well as decreases in UCS values after exposure to 4 and 12 f/t cycles. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) performed on the results of a factorial experiment considering the effect of freezing temperature, curing time, and number of f/t cycles showed that all of these factors are significant in affecting the measured changes in the hydraulic conductivity and UCS v...