Mechanical Properties and Micro-Structure of Expansive Soil Stabilized by Graphene Oxide Modified Cement

It is essential to improve the swelling-shrinkage properties and mechanical strength of expansive soil in engineering. A series of unconsolidated-undrained triaxial tests were conducted to investigate the stabilization of graphene oxide (GO) modified cement in expansive soil, the GO contents were 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.15% and 0.2%, respectively. Results showed that (1) With the addition of GO, the deviatoric stress-strain curve of cement-stabilized expansive soil (CSS) change from weak softening to strong softening. (2) The compressive strength, shear strength, toughness and stiffness of GOCS were significantly better than CSS. (3) Microscopic tests showed that GO as a template promoted the hydration of cement and filled the pores of soil sample, making the internal structure of CSS more compact. Consequently, GO modified cement can better improve the mechanical properties and micro-structure of expansive soil, and it is feasible to apply GOCS to the engineering construction.