Strength Properties of Cement-Solidified Dredged Sludge Affected by Curing Temperature

oleh: Yupeng Cao, Jing Zhang, Zengfeng Zhao, Junxia Liu, Hui Lin

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-11-01

Deskripsi

In this study, unconfined compressive strength (<i>q</i><sub>u</sub>) tests were conducted to explore the coupling effect of organic matter content (3.7%, 7.7%, 10.7%, and 13.7%) and curing temperature (18 °C, 36 °C, 46 °C) on the development of early and mid-late strength of cement-solidified dredged sludge (cement-stabilized clay, or CSC). The microstructure of the CSC containing organic matter at different curing temperatures was also analyzed. The results show that <i>q</i><sub>u</sub> of CSC decreases with the increase in organic matter content (<i>C</i><sub>o</sub>). The strength growth rate of CSC in the mid-late stage (≥14 days) is small when <i>C</i><sub>o</sub> ≥ 7.7%, and it is difficult to increase this strength growth rate even if the curing temperature is increased up to 46 °C. There is a cement incorporation ratio threshold of 15% for <i>q</i><sub>u</sub> of CSC containing organic matter (<i>C</i><sub>o</sub> = 7.7%), which is not affected by curing temperature; increasing the cement incorporation ratio (to 20%) cannot increase <i>q</i><sub>u</sub> significantly. The CSC with high curing temperature has more hydration products and higher structural compactness, and it can obtain higher <i>q</i><sub>u</sub> in the early and mid-late stages. A high curing temperature can increase the early strength growth rate and shorten the curing age for CSC containing organic matter.