Study on Deformation Characteristics of Kaolin Under Dry-Wet and Freeze-Thaw Cycles

Authors

• YANG Shang, China Railway 14th Bureau Group Second Engineering Corporation Limited , Taian , Shandong 271000 , China ;Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , Shantou University , Shantou , Guangdong 515063 , ChinaFollow
• XIAO Dingyuan, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering , Shantou University , Shantou , Guangdong 515063 , China

Abstract

In seasonally frozen areas, surface soil is subjected to prolonged and drastic fluctuations in temperature and humidity, causing excessive deformation and resulting in engineering issues such as subgrade settlement and building deformation. The deformation characteristics of kaolin in seasonally frozen areas under the combined influence of freeze-thaw and dry-wet cycles were studied. Through a self-designed experimental setup, experiments with interleaved dry-wet and freeze-thaw cycles were conducted on compacted specimens, and wetting-freezing-thawing-drying cycle experiments were performed to explore the swelling-shrinkage deformation characteristics of kaolin under the combined action of different freeze-thaw and dry-wet cycles. The results indicate that intermittent freeze-thaw cycles destroy the stable strain previously achieved by kaolin specimens during dry-wet cycles, and the new stable strain achieved by the specimens during subsequent dry-wet cycles decreases; furthermore, the longitudinal strain of kaolin specimens gradually tends to a stable state after three wetting-freezing-thawing-drying cycles.

Publication Date

6-27-2026

DOI

10.14048/j.issn.1671-2579.2026.03.001

First Page

1

Last Page

8

Submission Date

June 2026

Recommended Citation

Shang, YANG and Dingyuan, XIAO (2026) "Study on Deformation Characteristics of Kaolin Under Dry-Wet and Freeze-Thaw Cycles," Journal of China & Foreign Highway: Vol. 46: Iss. 3, Article 1.
DOI: 10.14048/j.issn.1671-2579.2026.03.001
Available at: https://zwgl1980.csust.edu.cn/journal/vol46/iss3/1

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