Infrastructure Construction Research Articles

Decoding China's urban agglomerations policies: A scientific evaluation and exploration of economic benefits

Urban agglomerations planning policies are a critical driver for sustainable urban development. The Chinese central and local governments have implemented a series of policies to guide the development of urban agglomerations. However, the scientific soundness of these policies and their impact on promoting high-quality urban economic development have received limited attention. This study addresses this research gap by examining the scientific rationale of China's urban agglomerations policy formulation through the policy modeling consistency (PMC) index model. Then, it empirically assesses the economic effects of policy implementation using a difference-in-differences (DID) model based on statistical data from 182 cities spanning 2000 to 2021. The results show that: (1)while the overall level of urban agglomerations policies is excellent, there are areas for improvement, such as policy objectives, implementation, and financial support; (2) Urban agglomerations policies contribute to a 1.8% increase in high-quality economic development; (3) Mechanisms underlying policy effect include the scale effect of industrial agglomerations, the radiation effect of infrastructure construction, and the spillover benefits of advanced industrial structure. Moreover, the effects of policy vary across urban agglomerations of different scales, with larger urban agglomerations demonstrating more substantial benefits. The research outcomes provide valuable insights for policymakers in formulating scientifically and economically beneficial urban agglomerations policies.

Solute transport in stochastic discrete fracture-matrix systems: Impact of network structure

Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of solute transport in fractured rocks is crucial for various geoengineering applications, including waste disposal and construction of geo-energy infrastructure. It was realized that solute transport in fractured rocks is controlled by stochastic discrete fracture-matrix systems. However, the impacts and specific uncertainty caused by fracture network structures on solute transport in discrete fracture-matrix systems have yet not been fully understood. In this article, we aim to investigate the influence of fracture network structure on solute transport in stochastic discrete fracture-matrix systems. The fluid flow and solute transport are simulated using a three-dimensional discrete fracture matrix model with considering various values of fracture density and size (i.e., radius). The obtained results reveal that as the fracture density or minimum fracture radius increases, the corresponding fluid flow and solute transport channels increase, and the solute concentration distribution range expands in the matrix. This phenomenon, attributed to the enhanced connectivity of the fracture network, leads to a rise in the effluent solute concentration mean value from 0.422 to 0.704, or from 0.496 to 0.689. Furthermore, when solute transport reached a steady state, the coefficient of variation of effluent concentration decreases with the increasing fracture density or minimum fracture radius in different scenarios, indicating an improvement in the homogeneity of solute transport results. The presented analysis results of solute transport in stochastic discrete fracture-matrix systems can be helpful for uncertainty management in the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste.

Research on food security issues considering changes in rainfall

Ensuring food security is not only vital to the adequate supply of food in the world, but also the key to the economic development and social stability of various countries. Based on the panel data of 29 provinces in China from 2016 to 2020, this paper selects the number of foodborne diseases patients and iodine deficiency disease patients as reference objects, uses stunting rate of children under 5 years old, malnutrition rate of children under 5 years old, obesity rate of children under 5 years old, and newborn visit rate to measure improving nutrition, proposes Meta Entropy Two-Stage Dynamic Direction Distance Function (DDF) Under an exogenous Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to measure the efficiency of hunger eradication, food security, and improving nutrition under the influence of exogenous variable rainfall. The research results indicate that the sustainability of China’s agricultural economy is insufficient, and the focus of attention should be different in different stages. In addition, the average efficiency of the three regions generally shows a decreasing level in the eastern, western, and central regions. In order to improve China's ability to guarantee food security, we must continue to strengthen the construction of agricultural infrastructure, increase policy support for green agricultural production, promote the diversification of agricultural production, and enrich people’s agricultural product consumption varieties.

Evaluation of the Development Level of Green Transportation in National Central Cities

Green transportation is the core embodiment of ecological civilization and the concept of green development within the field of transportation, and it is an important strategic choice for sustainable urban development. National central cities represent the highest level in China’s urban system planning. This paper aims to evaluate the level of green transportation development in national central cities. It established a set of 29 specific evaluation indicators from five dimensions: basic indicators, green transportation infrastructure, traffic environmental protection, traffic travel, and traffic safety. It constructed an evaluation index system for the development level of green transportation. The entropy weight TOPSIS method was utilized to evaluate the development levels of green transportation in nine national central cities from 2020 to 2022. An obstacle degree model was constructed to identify key obstacle factors at both the criterion and indicator layers of the green transportation development level evaluation index system for national central cities. Suggestions were proposed from five aspects: establishing a comprehensive policy framework, promoting regional collaborative development, accelerating infrastructure construction, improving transportation service quality, and fostering the green upgrading of industries. The results showed that the comprehensive ranking of green transportation development levels among the national central cities from high to low for the years 2020–2022 was as follows: Shanghai, Chongqing, Chengdu, Beijing, Guangzhou, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xi’an, Zhengzhou. In terms of the regional spatial layout, the green transportation development levels of the nine national central cities generally exhibited a “high on the periphery, low in the center” distribution characteristic. The comprehensive ranking of the obstacle degree in the criterion layer was as follows: basic indicators, traffic travel, green transportation infrastructure, traffic environmental protection, traffic safety. After screening the criteria level where the obstacle degree calculation results are above 15%, traffic safety is eliminated. The nine cities, which were located in different regions, generally maintained consistent internal obstacle factors and their order. The top five indicators with the highest frequency of obstacle degrees at the indicator layer were as follows: total passenger transport volume, number of taxis, new energy vehicle production, expenditure for transportation, and total freight transport volume. The specific key obstacle factors at the indicator level were different in the nine cities.

Rural human settlement environment, non-agricultural transfer of labour and arable land abandonment in China

The arable land abandonment caused by the large-scale non-agricultural transfer of labour has attracted substantial attention from all walks of life in China. Promoting improvement in human settlement environment can accelerate the construction of infrastructure, ameliorate grassroots organization and enhance management capacities while simultaneously decelerating agricultural production costs. High level of human settlement environment can also attract the labour force to return, stimulate the vitality of rural elements and endogenous powers. Then, can improving rural human settlement environment alleviate the phenomenon of arable land abandonment caused by non-agricultural labour transfer? In order to answer this question, based on the micro-survey data of 1325 households in 5 provinces of China, this paper uses the Tobit model to empirically test the effects of rural human settlement environment and non-agricultural transfer of labour on arable land abandoned. The results revealed that rural human settlement can alleviate the arable land abandonment caused by non-agricultural transfer of labour to a certain extent. In particular, the improvement of rural human settlement environment that mainly based on the infrastructure construction and organizational management level, has significantly alleviated the arable land abandonment caused by the non-agricultural transfer of labour. Heterogeneity analysis disclosed that, compared with mountainous and hilly areas, the improvement of rural human settlement environment had a more obvious mitigation effect on arable land abandonment in plain areas. Promoting infrastructure construction and strengthening organizational management ability were effective ways to alleviate arable land abandonment in plain areas. Farmer households with high place attachment level were more likely to be attracted by the improvement of rural human settlement environment to return to their hometown, so as to make use of arable land resources. Improving infrastructure, strengthening organizational management level, and promoting cultural and community development were the main measures for farmer households with high place attachment level to reduce arable land abandonment. In addition, there were significant differences in arable land abandonment and its driving factors in different regions. In the central and eastern regions or major grain-producing areas, improving human settlement environment had a significant mitigation effect on arable land abandonment. Therefore, improving the rural human settlement environment according to local conditions, promoting the supportive policy will be inclined to mountainous and hilly areas, enhancing the attractiveness of rural areas, encouraging farmers with high place attachment level to return to their hometowns for employment and entrepreneurship, and accelerating the cultivation of new types of agricultural operators, which will help alleviate the arable land abandonment caused by non-agricultural transfer of labour.

Mechanical and hydraulic characteristics of unvegetated or vegetated loess soils amended with xanthan gum

With the development of western and central China, the increasing construction of transportation infrastructures (e.g., roads, railways, etc.) has been producing a large number of man-made slopes in loess regions. Biopolymer as an eco-friendly stabilizing material, has a great potential to amend soils for the purpose of ground improvement and slope stabilization, with its application in vegetated soils particularly at the initial growing stage to support vegetation growth as well as offer reinforcement to unprotected soils being reported recently. In the current study, the contribution of xanthan gum (XG) to both mechanical and hydraulic behaviors of the unvegetated and vegetated loess soils subjected to climatic wetting–drying cycles under the impacts of degree of compaction and biopolymer content are explored, whilst the effectiveness of the two XG-based soil reinforcing methods (with and without vegetation) are compared. Results indicate that XG treatment improved the water-retention capacity of loess soils to an extent that even the degradation of water retention upon initial wetting–drying cycles could be mitigated particularly at higher degrees of compaction. The strengthened shear resistance of loess soils was observed, mainly attributed to the increased soil cohesion, whilst the friction angle remained almost constant. The unvegetated loess soils basically had an increased cohesion proportional to the XG content up to 1.00% of the dry soil mass, whilst the vegetated soils had the highest soil cohesion at a fixed XG content of 0.50% which corresponded to the mostly promoted vegetation growth. Although a dense soil structure inhibited the seed germination and growth of sprouts and roots, it contributed to the overall shear strength of the vegetated soils similar to its effect on the unvegetated soils. XG amendment outperformed planting vegetation at enhancing soil shear strength at a degree of compaction of 95% (comparable to those adopted for design of highway subgrade), whilst providing XG in combination with vegetation was able to result in a more sizable strength increment over the summation of gains in strength by utilizing XG and vegetation separately, suggesting the considerable potential of XG in assisting vegetated soils for ecological slope stabilization. The results obtained from the current research support the broader usage of biopolymers (either used alone or in combination with vegetation) as reliable geotechnical engineering materials in practical implementations.

Sino-Russian energy cooperation in the post-Cold War (2000-2021)

This article aims to analyze Sino-Russian energy cooperation. Energy cooperation is the cornerstone in the relations between Russia and China. The Russian interest in this cooperation is to assure demand for the country’s energy exports, to acquire investment capital, and to benefit from Chinese labour. On the Chinese side, the aim has been to obtain access to Russian natural resources and to invest surplus capital. Despite the overlap in supply and demand, as well as the geographical proximity, the Russian energy market is directed towards Europe, while Chinese energy demand primarily is covered by the Middle East and Central Asia. The need for energy diversification has changed this situation and spurred Sino-Russian cooperation. The article is structured in three parts: it first presents Sino-Russian energy trade, secondly, it treats the agreements signed between both countries, and finally, it analyses energy cooperation. We concluded that this cooperation tends to endure due to the energy-related ties formed as part of the long-term agreements and construction of infrastructure. Also, that this cooperation is of a strategic nature for both countries, as it offers an alternative to other energy relations and provides the necessary room of maneuver to defend central political and security-related interests.

Impact of Industrial Intelligence on China’s Urban Land Green Utilization Efficiency

Against the backdrop of the fourth technological revolution, industrial intelligence (INDI) represented by industrial robots has rapidly developed. This evolution provides favorable opportunities for precise decision-making in pollution control and achieving China’s “dual carbon” goals. Previous studies have mainly discussed the economic effects of INDI from the perspective of the labor market. This study shifts its focus to examining the impact of INDI on the land green utilization efficiency (LGUE) in cities. Using the panel data of Chinese cities spanning 2009–2021, this study empirically tests the effect and transmission mechanism of INDI on LGUE. We find that urban INDI significantly enhances LGUE. In terms of its transmission mechanism, INDI drives improvements in urban LGUE through technological progress, energy structure optimization, and industrial structure upgrading. Urban infrastructure construction and financial agglomeration level can further strengthen the positive impact of INDI on LGUE. In addition, the improvement in LGUE due to INDI is more significant in non-resource-based and large-sized cities than resource-based and small and medium-sized cities. Therefore, each region should enhance the integration of intelligent technology with traditional industrial manufacturing. Doing so is essential to establish comprehensive assessment indicators that balance environmental protection and economic growth, strengthen regional information infrastructure construction, ensure steady financial flow, and support green development initiatives across regions.

The Effect Of Stock Price, Earning Per Share, Current Year Profit, Inflation, Interest And Exchange Rate On Construction Investment In Pt. Total Bangun Persada Tbk During 2013-2022

Indonesia is vigorously promoting progress in the construction sector, a key aspect of infrastructure development aimed at achieving equitable distribution across the country and preventing economic disparities (Willar, Waney, Pangemanan, & Mait, 2019). Infrastructure development is an essential program that continues to be advanced to enhance infrastructure and ensure economic equality throughout Indonesia. One of the primary infrastructure sectors targeted for development is construction (Pridayanti, 2014). Construction plays a vital role in supporting economic growth and improving the quality of life by providing necessary facilities and amenities. The construction of roads, bridges, buildings, and other infrastructures not only enhances connectivity and logistics efficiency but creates jobs and attracts investment. Therefore, the construction sector is a priority in the government's efforts to strengthen national competitiveness and catch up with other countries. One solution to support infrastructure development, particularly in construction, is through investment. Investment in the construction sector is crucial as it provides the necessary funds to build and improve existing and new infrastructures (Tambunan, Sabijono, & Lambey, 2019). Moreover, investment can attract reputable and competent construction companies, such as PT Total Bangun Persada Tbk, a private company engaged in construction. Investment also plays a role in creating new jobs, enhancing local workforce skills, and fostering economic growth (Mara, 2022). In making investment decisions, several factors need to be considered, such as the impact of stock prices, Earnings Per Share (EPS), current profit, inflation, interest rates, and exchange rates. Stock prices reflect the company's performance and market perception of prospects, while EPS indicates the profit earned per share, providing insight into the company's financial health. Current profit shows the profitability generated from daily operations. Inflation and interest rates are macroeconomic indicators that affect purchasing power and capital costs. Exchange rates, on the other hand, influence the cost of importing raw materials and the company's exposure to international markets. All these factors must be comprehensively considered to make wise and beneficial investment decisions.

A preliminary exploration of waste red-bed as a supplementary cementitious material

A red-bed is a type of continental clastic sedimentary stratum, with red serving as the main color. This type of stratum accounts for 20% of the land area in China. In the process of infrastructure construction, a large amount of waste red-bed is generated. Waste red-bed exacerbates the shortage of land resources and is a misuse of resources. In this study, a preliminary exploration of the recycling of waste red-bed in central Yunnan Province was conducted. The studied red-bed contains approximately 30% clay minerals and was used as supplementary cementitious material (SCM) instead of clay after calcination. Through laboratory characterization, environmental impact assessment, and cost analyses, the feasibility of using the red-bed as a type of SCM was demonstrated. The results show that the dehydroxylation reaction of clay minerals in the red-bed was almost complete after calcination at 800 °C. A pozzolanic reaction occurred, and additional heat was released after the addition of the calcined red-bed (CRB) to the cement mortar. When the cement replacement ratio increased from 10% to 30%, the strength activity index decreased from 98.2% to 82.2%, which met the relevant requirements. However, compared with the control samples, the samples with replacement ratios of 40% and 50% had lower mortar fluidities by 57.3% and 75.5% and higher porosities by 33.3% and 20.0%, respectively. Owing to the dilution effect of the cement and the decrease in the mortar fluidity, the internal structure of the sample porosity increased, and the strength decreased dramatically. In addition, the environmental impacts, energy consumption, and cost of using waste red-bed as a SCM were quantitatively analyzed via a carbon emission index and a cost index.

Rural Industry Revitalization Can Be Energized by Land Transfer: A Case Study in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, 2013–2022

The Chinese government has vigorously promoted the transfer of land use rights, aiming to promote the scale, intensification, and efficiency of agricultural operations and achieve rural industry revitalization (RIR). However, whether and how land transfer energizes RIR remains unclear. Taking five representative cities (Nanning, Guigang, Baise, Fangchenggang, and Guilin) in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region as a case study, we quantificationally characterized RIR during 2013–2022 using eleven variables and land transfer using three difference indices. We evaluated the contribution of land transfer to RIR and compared it among cities. Results showed that all five cities in Guangxi displayed an increasing trend of land transfer and RIR over the last decade. The increase in RIR was largely contributed by the improvement in infrastructure construction and industry convergence, and, to a lesser extent, by the enhancement in agricultural production efficiency. There was a strong city-specific correlation between RIR and the land transfer indices, indicating a beneficial role of land transfer in RIR. Structural equation modeling further indicated that land transfer promoted RIR, likely through facilitating infrastructure construction, enhancing industry convergence, and improving agricultural production efficiency. These results provide strong evidence that the transfer of land use rights can promote RIR and practical reference for advancing farmers’ well-being and the overall goal of rural revitalization in the future. The framework and the methodology proposed here are applicable elsewhere in China and other countries where scattering allocation of land resources represents a key limitation to agricultural production and economic development.

Bridging the Urban-Rural Gap: The Influence Mechanism of Digital Platform Development on the Urban-Rural Income Gap

Studying the impact of digital platform development on the urban-rural income gap can further clarify the pro-poor and inclusive nature of the digital economy, which is of great significance for bridging the urban-rural divide and promoting common prosperity. This paper uses the panel data of 274 prefecture-level cities from 2015 to 2021 to construct a two-way fixed-effect model to explore the impact and internal mechanism of digital platform development on the urban-rural income gap. The results show that the development of digital platforms can significantly reduce the income gap between urban and rural areas, and the results are robust. The mechanism analysis shows that digital platforms can narrow the income gap between urban and rural areas by promoting the upgrading of industrial structure and narrowing the gap between urban and rural capabilities. Heterogeneity analysis shows that there are still obvious regional differences in the impact of digital platform development on the reduction of urban-rural income gap, and the economically developed regions can give full play to the positive effects of digital platforms. It is proposed that the government should accelerate the construction of rural platform infrastructure and data element market, promote the upgrading of industrial structure, stimulate the supply of internal and external factors, and improve farmers' digital skills to improve farmers' income, thereby narrowing the income gap between urban and rural areas, and formulate differentiated policies to support regional cooperation and achieve high-quality development.

The Impact of Digital Economy on China's Employment Structure and Its Countermeasures

In the context of the prominent contradiction between digital economy and structural employment, it is of great practical significance to explore the impact of digital economy on employment structure. Through the analysis of the current situation of employment in China, this paper further clarifies the prominent problems faced by employment at the present stage, and draws the conclusion that digital economy is conducive to improving the overall quality of employment and optimizing the employment structure. Therefore, colleges and universities should speed up the pace of educational system reform and further strengthen the market-oriented training mode. The government should formulate digital economy policies in line with the current employment structure, give play to the role of digital economy in driving and optimizing the labor employment industry, improve the construction of digital infrastructure in various regions, and develop a series of social security systems. Enterprises should carry out vocational skills training for employees to meet the needs of enterprise development and market orientation.

Characteristics of the Evolution of Resource and Environmental Carrying Capacity in Shaanxi Province

This paper constructs a resource and environmental carrying capacity index system based on the DPSIR model, and adopts the entropy weight TOPSIS method to analyze the resource and environmental carrying capacity of Shaanxi Province in terms of time series and spatial distribution. The results show that from 2010 to 2020, the resource environmental carrying capacity of Shaanxi Province in general shows a fluctuating upward trend, and on the whole there is a small decrease in 2017 compared with 2016 and 2020 compared with 2019, and an increase in 2019 compared with 2018; in terms of the characterization value of the resource environmental carrying capacity of each city, Yan'an City is in the first place for a long period of time, and it is stable in the top three with Yulin and Xi'an; each The resource environmental carrying capacity of each city shows a gradual convergence state, indicating that the difference between their carrying capacity gradually decreases. Finally, this paper makes corresponding suggestions for the improvement of the resource and environmental carrying capacity of Shaanxi Province from five aspects: economic development, low-carbon development, resource and environmental load reduction, population growth, and environmental infrastructure construction.

Status and Market Evaluation for New Energy and Conventional Vehicles of China

Contemporarily, China’s automobile market has expanded rapidly and become one of the world’s largest automobile producers and consumers. However, facing the environmental pressure and the demand of energy structure transformation, the automobile industry is experiencing a profound change from traditional fuel vehicles to new energy vehicles. This study analyzes the development status and market assessment of traditional fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles in China, and explores the changes and differences between the two. The sales of new energy vehicles show significant growth, and the market share is also rising year by year, while the sales of fuel vehicles show a downward trend. Despite the rapid expansion of the new energy vehicle market, it is still facing problems such as profitability issues, uneven investment in R&D, regulatory mechanisms to be improved and lagging infrastructure construction. In contrast, the fuel vehicle industry is gradually contracting amidst policy restrictions and changes in market demand, and companies need to accelerate their transformation and upgrading, and improve their research capabilities. China’s automobile industry is in a key stage of transformation and upgrading. The traditional fuel vehicle industry needs to shift towards new energy, strengthen collaborative innovation, optimize industrial structure, and focus on the expansion of after-market services. Overall, China is expected to lead the global automotive industry in the direction of green, intelligent and low-carbon development, and realize the historic leap from a large automotive country to a strong automotive country.

English Translation of New Vocabulary for Text Analysis of New Energy Industry and International Evaluation of Power Quality

With the advancement of global energy transformation, the rapid rise of the new energy industry has become a strategic highland that countries are eager to seize. The inherent instability and unpredictability of renewable energy production pose significant obstacles to the seamless operation of the power system. To address these challenges, this article employs text analysis, data-driven methods, and artificial intelligence technology in neologisms to conduct an in-depth international evaluation and comparative research on the power quality of the new energy industry. Using text mining techniques to conduct an in-depth analysis of new energy policy texts in various countries, revealing their policy characteristics and trends. At the same time, the combination of data-driven and artificial intelligence technology enables more accurate prediction and decision analysis. Based on the findings of this study, the United States has achieved a significant 35% enhancement in the quality of new energy electricity over the past decade, attributed to its consistent monitoring and improvement initiatives. Meanwhile, Germany, owing to its robust monitoring system, has witnessed a 25% improvement in electricity quality in the last five years. However, in developing nations like India and Brazil, approximately 60% of new energy projects encounter challenges related to grid connectivity and scheduling, resulting in a deterioration of electricity quality. In contrast, only 20% of developed countries have issues with grid access and scheduling. This phenomenon reflects that developing countries still need to increase investment and improve the layout of new energy industries and the construction of power grid infrastructure. Developing countries should actively learn from the successful experiences of developed countries in the new energy industry and power grid construction, formulate appropriate policy measures based on their national conditions, improve the quality of new energy electricity, and promote energy transformation and sustainable development.

Reinforcement of Concrete Structures with High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (HPFRC)

The incorporation of high quality fibers into very high strength concrete matrices leads to materials that are especially suitable to withstand extreme loads. For this reason, these materials are adequate for reinforcement and durability improvement of buildings and infrastructure constructions. The general objective of this work is to numerically study the flexural behavior of concrete structural elements reinforced with HPFRC. This general goal includes the analysis of the effect of the different variables, including the content and type of fibers, as well as the thickness of the reinforcement. The results of this analysis can contribute to improving the efficiency of the intervention techniques. For this purpose, numerical models are calibrated to reproduce the behavior observed in experimental tests carried out on HPFRC elements. Then the models are used to reproduce reinforced concrete beams reinforced with HPFRC under flexural loading. Finally, the effect of the aforementioned design variables on the behavior of reinforced beams is studied using the calibrated models. The results show the efficiency of the intervention increases with the fiber content and thickness of the reinforcement layer. However, the definition of the optimal design should also consider other criteria, such as constructional limitations and cost analysis.

New Infrastructure Construction and High-quality Urban Development

New Infrastructure Construction and High-quality Urban Development

Effects of Cement Dosage, Curing Time, and Water Dosage on the Strength of Cement-Stabilized Aeolian Sand Based on Macroscopic and Microscopic Tests.

Aeolian sand is distributed worldwide, exhibiting poor grading, low cohesion, and loose structure. Infrastructure construction in desert areas sometimes requires stabilization of the sand, with cement as the primary curing agent. This study first employed orthogonal experiments to evaluate critical factors, e.g., curing time, cement dosage, and water dosage, affecting the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of the aeolian sand stabilized with cement (ASC). Each of the aforementioned factors were set at five levels, namely curing time (7, 14, 28, 60, and 90 days), cement dosage (3%, 5%, 7%, 9%, and 11%), and water dosage (3%, 6%, 9%, 12%, and 15%), respectively. The water and cement dosages were percentages of the mass of the natural aeolian sand. The results indicated that the sensitivity of the influencing factors on the UCS of ASC was cement dosage, curing time, and water dosage in descending order. The UCS of ASC positively correlated with curing time and cement dosage, while it first increased and then decreased with the water dosage increase. The optimal conditions were 90 days' curing time, 11% cement dosage, and 9% water dosage. The microscopic analyses of ASC using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that hydration products enhanced strength by bonding loose particles and filling pores, thereby improving compaction. The quantity and compactness of hydration products in the aeolian-cement reaction system increased with the increases in cement dosage and curing time, and low water dosage inhibited the hydration reaction. This study can provide insights into the stabilization mechanism of aeolian sand, aiding infrastructure development in desert regions.

Digital infrastructure construction and regional mineral resource dependence in China: Heterogeneous characteristics and transmission mechanisms from mining industry

The emergence of the digital economy has challenged many of the theories of traditional environmental resource economics. As an emerging production factor, data have a significant impact and substitutability with digital technology on fossil energy utilization, which also makes the impact of digital infrastructure construction (DIG) on the allocation of mineral resources easily underestimated. This study is based on China's DIG and explores its impact on regional mineral resource dependence (NRD) in 30 provinces of China. We find that, with a 1% increase in DIG, NRD declines by 7.6%, with a lag effect between the two. The analysis of heterogeneous characteristics revealed the heterogeneous effects and dissimilation roles of DIG's effect on NRD. In terms of heterogeneous effects, in regions with high levels of resource endowment and low digital-economy contributions, DIG's empowering effects were more obvious. In terms of dissimilation roles, the facility foundation has played a more prominent role than digital access. We also find that, enhancing resource allocation efficiency, innovation output efficiency, and energy utilization efficiency can mediate the effects of DIG on NRD. Our findings can offer policy insights for reducing NRD to promote high-quality DIG, achieving differentiated digital empowerment patterns, and building multichannel resource reduction paths. This work also has reference value for green transformation in other developing countries and resource-based industries under the 2030 sustainable development goals.