Macroscopic Mechanical Properties and Microscopic Bonding Mechanisms of Glass Fiber-Modified Loess

Abstract

Focusing on the performance improvement of glass fiber-modified loess, a series of laboratory tests were carried out, and the macroscopic mechanical properties of glass fiber-modified loess were studied by conventional triaxial shear tests. With the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the pores and cracks image analysis system (PCAS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tests, the microscopic properties of the improved loess were studied qualitatively and quantitatively from three aspects: mode of structural contact, pore morphological characteristics and pore structure arrangement characteristics. Finally, the interface zone bond-slip model was used to analyze the internal mechanism of glass fiber and loess interface zone slip. The macroscopic test results show with the same glass fiber length, the shear strength, cohesion and internal friction angle of the modified loess all increased first and then decreased with increasing incorporation of glass fibers. And the optimal ratio of glass fibers is 0.6%. Under the same fiber ratio, the shear strength and cohesion of the improved loess continued to increase with increasing fiber length. The optimal fiber length used in the project was 9 mm. Qualitative analysis of the SEM images show that with the increase in the glass fiber incorporation ratio, the fiber increasingly sutures the cracks in the soil and tightens the soil at both ends of the cracks. Quantitative analysis shows that the proportion of pore area is the largest at the 0.8% mixing ratio, followed by the 0% mixing ratio, and the smallest at the 0.6% mixing ratio. It can be seen from the NMR test results that the T2 spectral distribution curve under the fiber ratios of 0.2%–0.6% is shifted to the left compared with the ratios of 0% and 0.8%. The peak-top signal intensity of the main spectrum peak when the fiber ratio is 0.6% is the weakest.