Jiang Ping, Wu Xinghan, Chen Lejie, Li Na, Wu Erlu
Shaoxing Key Laboratory of Interaction Between Soft Soil Foundation and Building Structure, School of Civil Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, China.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 Mar 10;17(6):730. doi: 10.3390/polym17060730.
This study investigated the small-strain dynamic properties of expanded polystyrene (EPS) lightweight soil (ELS), a low-density geosynthetic material used to stabilize slopes and alleviate the subgrade settlement of soft soil. Resonant column tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of EPS's granule content (20-60%), confining pressures (50 kPa, 100 kPa, and 200 kPa), and curing ages (3 days, 7 days, and 28 days) on the dynamic shear modulus () of ELS within a small strain range (10-10). The results indicate that ELS exhibits a high dynamic shear modulus under small strains, which increases with higher confining pressure and longer curing age but decreases with an increasing EPS granule content and dynamic shear strain, leading to mechanical property deterioration and structural degradation. The maximum shear modulus () ranges from 64 MPa to 280 MPa, with a 60% reduction in observed as the EPS granule content increases and increases by 11% and 55% with higher confining pressure and longer curing ages, respectively. A damage model incorporating the EPS granule content () and confining pressure () was established, effectively describing the attenuation behavior of in ELS under small strains with higher accuracy than the Hardin-Drnevich model. This study also developed an engineering testing experiment that integrates materials science, soil mechanics, and environmental protection principles, enhancing students' interdisciplinary knowledge, innovation, and practical skills with implications for engineering construction, environmental protection, and experimental education.
