Exploring the influence and predictive role of waste acidic calcium on the water stability and mechanical behavior of strongly alkaline dispersive subsoil

Abstract

Strongly alkaline dispersive soils pose a significant global challenge to both engineering applications and agricultural production, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Conventional soil modifiers used to address this issue not only present environmental and economic concerns but also fail to effectively improve soil alkalinity. This study investigates the potential application of acidic desulfurization gypsum (DG) as a soil modifier for dispersive soils, aiming to achieve high-value utilization of industrial solid waste. The dispersibility of soil under hydrostatic and dynamic conditions are studied using the mud ball test and pinhole test. The engineering properties and modification mechanism of DG consolidated soils were revealed by combining the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), Brazilian split tensile strength (BTS), microstructure, and mineral evolution. Results show that 3% DG significantly reduces soil dispersibility and improves disintegration and erosion resistance, with UCS and BTS increases of 210% and 94%, respectively. The mechanism involves DG releasing hydrogen ions to reduce soil alkalinity, which in turn activates cation activity of DG, replacing sodium ions on the soil surface and forming a binding hydrate within 7 days. Tests on natural dispersive soil from check dams confirmed effectiveness of DG. Advanced machine learning techniques quantitatively analyzed the impact of DG on soil dispersibility, highlighting the relationship between soil dispersibility and chemical/mechanical properties. This study establishes a novel link between hydraulic erosion parameters, mechanical parameters, and soil stress-strain relationships, providing valuable insights for future soil stabilization. The results show potential of waste acidic DG in practical engineering applications and contribute to the sustainable advancement of dispersive soil stabilization technology. Alkaline dispersive soils also aid in regulating the acidity and alkalinity of DG and controlling toxic emissions.