Abstract
In this study, the mechanical properties of composite foundations in red mud ground were examined, and the reinforcement effect of composite foundation dams with mixed geopolymer piles of fly ash and red mud were determined. The feasibility of red mud geopolymers as pile materials for composite foundations was verified by laboratory and field tests. The static load test of the red mud geopolymer foundation showed that the effective length of the pile body in the red mud foundation is approximately 8 m, and the stress of the soil layer is generally limited within 2 m below the ground surface. The results also showed that the principal load is supported by the pile body, while the bearing capacity of this kind of foundation is mainly provided by the side friction of the pile. The bearing mechanism of the new foundation is similar to that of conventional mixed composite ground. This is of great significance to optimize the red mud geopolymer foundation design and maximize the use of the pile bearing properties. Overall, there is a positive role in promoting the development of red mud dam reinforcement technology.
Highlights
Red mud is an insoluble industrial solid waste from aluminum production plants (Luo et al, 2017)
The unconfined compressive strength of the geopolymer derived from red mud and fly ash mixed with NaOH alkali solution as the activating agent under normal temperature curing conditions can reach 2–3 MPa, and its long-term strength is relatively high
It can be used as pile material in composite foundations
Summary
Red mud is an insoluble industrial solid waste from aluminum production plants (Luo et al, 2017). With an increasing number of red mud waste, new storage sites need to be constructed for stockpiles, which occupy the existing land resources (Sahu et al, 2010; Kong et al, 2017; Taherdangkoo et al, 2020a). To make full use of the existing land resources, it is a significant way to reduce the occupation of cultivated land by continuously increasing the height of the red mud dam and enhancing the capacity of the red mud reservoir. The average height of dry mud yards in China is less than 40 m, which limits the storage reserves of red mud due to the poor properties of the red mud. Certain reinforcement measurements are adopted for the red mud storage yard to satisfy the increasing height requirements, which has a significant role in improving the height and storage capacity of the red mud storage yard (Walshe et al, 2010; Yuan et al, 2021a)
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