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Microstructural Characterization of Alluvial Sand Containing Cohesive Soil Lumps During Loading and Inundating

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Abstract

Cohesive soil, as soil lumps within the sand matrix of the Gangetic alluvial plain, exerts a significant influence on the dynamic properties of sand deposits, as extensively documented in prior research. This study aimed to describe the intricacies of microstructural changes and re-distribution of pore sizes resulting from the effects of loading and wetting. To gain a comprehensive understanding, microstructural characterization of Indo-Gangetic alluvial soil was performed using two advanced analytical techniques, mercury intrusion porosimetry and scanning electron microscopy. The collapse behavior of Sone river sand samples mixed with varying proportions of soil lumps was studied using a series of oedometer test. A decrease in the collapse potential (CP) trend was observed with each increase in the sand percentage. The CPs were estimated as 16.39% and 10.07% for alluvial sand containing 70% and 40% collapsible lumps, respectively. The micrographs and differentiation in pore morphology were used to describe the microstructural evolution of lump-sand mixture due to saturation and loading. This study highlights the pivotal role played by the collapsible soil lumps within the sand matrix. Initially, these lumps possess an open structure, characterized by cementation bonds that interconnect clay-coated silts and sand aggregates. However, these cemented bonds are susceptible to disintegration under the influences of loading and wetting, ultimately triggering collapse in the soil matrix. After the collapse, soil particle re-arrangement occurs, and the initial open structure in soil lumps transforms into a dense structure. Microstructural change is dependent on stress levels. With increasing stress levels, higher inter-aggregate pores or macro-pores evolve into small sized intra-aggregate pores or micro-pores. This study contributes to the literature by providing both qualitative and quantitative insights into soil collapse and valuable guidelines for comprehending the intricate microstructural alterations that occur within alluvial sand containing these unique lumps.

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Data Availability

All data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Code Availability

No code was generated or used during the study.

Abbreviations

CL:

Low-plasticity clay

CP:

Collapse potential

d :

Entrance pore diameter

\(d_{macro}\) :

Macro-pore diameter

\(d_{micro}\) :

Micro-pore diameter

\(e\) :

Void ratio

\(e_0\) :

Initial void ratio

\(e_{in}\) :

Cumulative intrusion void ratio

\(e^L\) :

Inter aggregate void ratio

\(e^s\) :

Intra aggregate void ratio

EDS:

Energy dispersive spectroscopy

\(H\) :

Initial height of the specimen

IGP:

Indo-Gangetic plain

MGP:

Middle Ganga plain

MIP:

Mercury intrusion porosimetry

\(m_v\) :

Coefficient of volume compressibility

PSD:

Pore size distribution

p :

Penetration pressure

\(S\) :

Sand percentage in lump-sand mixture

SEM:

Scanning electron microscopy

SP:

Poorly graded sand

SPT:

Standard penetration test

\(t_{90}\) :

90% Consolidation time

USCS:

Unified soil classification system

\(\sigma_{Hg}\) :

Surface tension of mercury

\(\Delta e_0\) :

Change in void ratio

\(\Delta H\) :

Change in specimen height

\(\theta_{nw}\) :

Contact angle between the pore wall and mercury

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Funding

The authors acknowledge the Department of Higher Education (Govt. of India) for providing the funding for the present research work to carry out the doctoral research study for which no specific grant number is allotted. The authors also acknowledge the Department of Atomic Energy, Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences for providing funding (No: 51/14/04/2022-BRNS) for doing research in this area. The authors also express gratitude to the Editor-in-chief, Editors, and anonymous reviewers for their suggestions.

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  1. DCEE, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Bihta, Patna, 801106, India

    Abhik Paul & Pradipta Chakrabortty

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Contributions

Dr. Pradipta Chakrabortty contributed to the study's conception and design. Sample preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Mr. Abhik Paul. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Mr. Abhik Paul and all authors commented on modified versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Pradipta Chakrabortty.

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Paul, A., Chakrabortty, P. Microstructural Characterization of Alluvial Sand Containing Cohesive Soil Lumps During Loading and Inundating. Int J Civ Eng (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40999-024-00974-1

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