Study of durability performance of low-carbon soil cement concrete

Abstract

Deep soil mixing is a soil mixing technique with a binder, which has numerous applications and is constantly evolving. The study focuses on the influence of different low-carbon binders on the soil composition. Despite their significance, our understanding of soil-binder interactions remains relatively limited. Several binders, ranging from clinker-rich cements to ternary binders, are used at various dosages and with different soils. The impact of binder composition is assessed through physical properties (porosity, density, permeability), mechanical properties (compressive strength, dynamic elastic modulus), and durability tests. This study primarily focuses on the durability aspect of soil-cement mixtures with tests for carbonation and resistance to sulfate attack. The study indicates a partial incompatibility between clinker-rich binders and the clay present in the soil. Binders with latent hydraulicity exhibit better performance, as demonstrated by their mechanical properties. The distribution of pore sizes and the formation of different bonds during hydration also appear to vary depending on the different components of our binder. The results demonstrate that using clinker is not the optimal choice for our application, and the development of binders based on pozzolanic products seems promising.