X-ray Microtomography Study on the Cemented Structure of Cemented Granular Materials

Abstract

The cemented structure has a great impact on the behavior and stability of cemented granular materials (CGMs). Therefore, modeling realistic cemented structure is important to capture the macroscopic performance of CGMs. In this study, X-ray microtomography is leveraged to probe the microstructure of 3D CGMs formed by cement grouting. The effect of flowability of self-compacting cement (SCC) on the microstructure of CGMs is investigated. To describe the anisotropy of the intergranular cementation, the cementation tensor is established. The results show that the distribution of cross-sectional area of intergranular bonding follows a log-normal distribution. The SCC flowability has a great influence on the microstructure of CGMs. The average cross-sectional area and average number of all intergranular bonds both increase linearly with the yield stress of SCC. The influence of cementing ratio on the anisotropy degree of various ce-mented structures is also illustrated, providing a viable means to understand the reinforcement effect of cementation.