Experimental study on dynamic and static mechanical properties of polyvinyl alcohol fiber cement soil under salt freezing cycle

Abstract

A universal testing machine and a 50 mm split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) were used to conduct salt erosion and freeze-thaw (F-T) cycle coupling tests on cement soil specimens with 0.5% polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fiber and without fiber in order to study the effects of salt solution and F-T cycles on the dynamic and static mechanical properties of cement soil. In four distinct solution settings (clear water, 9 g/L sodium sulphate solution, 9 g/L sodium chloride solution, and 9 g/L sodium sulphate and sodium chloride mixed solution). After F-T cycles, the cement soil specimens underwent the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test, SHPB test, and SEM test. The findings indicate that as the number of F-T cycles increases, the dynamic and static mechanical properties of cement soil specimens decrease, and the rate of decline is rapid followed by slow. After five F-T cycles, the combined solution's unconfined compressive strength dropped to 15.91% (without fiber) and 29.41% (with fiber), respectively. After five F-T cycles, the dynamic compressive strength in sodium sulphate solution fell by 95.17% (without fiber) and 93.86% (with fiber). Fibers help to some degree by preventing salt erosion and F-T cycles. With more F-T cycles, the absorbed energy declines exponentially, and the order of the solutions' effects on the absorbed energy is: mixed sodium chloride and sodium sulphate solution > sodium chloride solution > sodium sulphate solution > clear water.