Abstract
The porosity and permeability characteristics of loess are crucial in studying the soil stability of loess strata. In this paper, porosity and permeability were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tests using soils from different depths of loess strata in the same section in the Fugu area. The results show a range in the soil porosity of 15.092~5.190%, with an overall decreasing trend with the increase in depth. The change trend of soil permeability is similar to that of soil porosity. The permeability changes from 0.612 to 0.011 md, and gradually decreases with the increase of depth. The change in porosity is also prominent in the layer with significant permeability changes. Micropores predominate in the loess layer’s pore structure during the loess layer’s compaction process, and the permeability falls as the number of micropores rises. Calcareous nodules are more likely to form in layers with significant permeability changes. The findings of this study have significance in the engineering construction of loess strata in the Loess Plateau area.
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This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41972288).
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All authors contributed to the study concept and design. The first draft of the manuscript and the drawing of the diagrams were done by Ziyu Wang to guide the manuscript writing; the first draft revision was done by Professor Qiang Sun; and Nianqin Wang, Hong Ao, and Yuan Xin could help to complete the experiments of this study.
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Wang, Z., Sun, Q., Wang, N. et al. Study of pore space variation characteristics of soil samples at different depths in loess strata. Bull Eng Geol Environ 83, 144 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-024-03640-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-024-03640-x