Abstract
Loess is prone to collapse upon wetting due to its open metastable structure, which poses a considerable threat to the environment, construction processes and human life. In this study, double oedometer tests and scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry analyses were conducted on loess from Yan’an to study the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of loess wetting deformation and the underlying mechanism. The wetting collapse of loess under loading depends on the changes in different microstructure levels and elements. This collapse chain reaction is manifested by the dissipation, scattering and recombination of the cementation, deformation and reorganization of the particles, blocking of the pore channels, decrease in the dominant size and volume of unstable macropores (>14 µm) and abundant mesopores (2.5–14 µm), increase in the volume of small pores (0.05–2.5 µm), and volume contraction at the macroscale. This process is dependent on the initial water content, stress level and wetting degree. These findings can facilitate collapsible loess hazard prevention and geological engineering construction.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alfi AAS (1984) Mechanical and Electron Optical Properties of a Stabilized Collapsible Soil in Tucson, Arizona. PhD thesis, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
Assallay AM, Rogers CDF, Smalley IJ (1997) Formation and collapse of meta-stable particle packings and open structures in loess deposits. Eng Geol 48(1): 101–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-7952(97)81916-3
Barden L, McGown A, Collins K (1973) The collapse mechanism in partly saturated soil. Eng Geol 7: 49–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-7952(73)90006-9
Chen CL, Gao P, Hu ZQ (2006) Moistening deformation characteristic of loess and its relation to structure. Chin J Rock Mech Eng 25(7): 1352–1360. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.3321/j.issn:1000-6915.2006.07.009
Cheng Q, Zhou C, Ng CWW, et al. (2020) Effects of soil structure on thermal softening of yield stress. Eng Geol 269: 105544. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2020.105544
Cui SH, Pei XJ, Wu HY, et al. (2018) Centrifuge model test of an irrigation-induced loess landslide in the Heifangtai loess platform, Northwest China. J Mt Sci 15(1): 130–143. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-017-4490-0
Derbyshire E, Mellors TW (1988) Geological and geotechnical characteristic of some loess and loessic soil from China and Britain: a comparison. Eng Geol 25: 135–175. https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-7952(88)90024-5
Gao GR, Gao GY (1980) Microstructures of loess soils in China. Kexue Tongbao 25(7): 597–601.
Giménez RG, de la Villa RV, Martin JAG (2012) Characterization of loess in Central Spain: a microstructural study. Environ Earth Sci 65: 2125–2137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-011-1193-7
Gu TF, Wang JD, Wang CX, et al. (2019) Experimental study of the shear strength of soil from the Heifangtai Platform of the Loess Plateau of China. J Soils Sediments 19: 3463–3475. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-019-02303-9
Houston SL, Houston WN, Spadola DJ (1988) Prediction of field collapse of soils due to wetting. J Geotech Eng 114(1): 40–58. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9410(1988)114:1(40)
Jiang MJ, Hu HJ, Liu F (2012) Summary of collapsible behaviour of artificially structured loess in oedometer and triaxial wetting tests. Can Geotech J 49: 1147–1157. https://doi.org/10.1139/t2012-075
Jiang MJ, Li T, Hu HJ, et al. (2014a) DEM analyses of one-dimensional compression and collapse behaviour of unsaturated structural loess. Comput Geotech 60: 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2014.04.002
Jiang MJ, Zhang FG, Hu HJ, et al. (2014b) Structural characterization of natural loess and remolded loess under triaxial tests. Eng Geol 181: 249–260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2014.07.021
Lei XY (1988) The types of loess pores in China and their relationship with collapsibility. Sci China Chem 31(11): 1398–1411.
Li H, Li TL, Li P, et al. (2020) Prediction of loess soil-water characteristic curve by mercury intrusion porosimetry. J Mt Sci 17(9): 2203–2213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-019-5929-2
Li P, Vanapalli S, Li TL (2016) Review of collapse triggering mechanism of collapsible soils due to wetting. J Rock Mech Geotech Eng 8: 256–274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2015.12.002
Li P, **e WL, Pak RYS, et al. (2019a) Microstructural evolution of loess soils from the Loess Plateau of China. Catena 173: 276–288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2018.10.006
Li XA, Li LC, Song YX, et al. (2019b) Characterization of the mechanisms underlying loess collapsibility for land-creation project in Shaanxi Province, China-a study from a micro perspective. Eng Geol 249: 77–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2018.12.024
Li YR, He SD, Deng XH, et al. (2018) Characterization of macropore structure of Malan loess in NW China based on 3D pipe models constructed by using computed tomography technology. J Asian Earth Sci 154: 271–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2017.12.028
Lin ZG (1995) Variation in collapsibility and strength of loess with age. In: Derbyshire E et al. (eds.), Genesis and Properties of Collapsible Soils. Springer Netherlands. pp 247–265. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-0097-7_13
Liu Z, Liu FY, Ma FL et al. (2016) Collapsibility, composition, and microstructure of loess in China. Can Geotech J 53(4): 673–686. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2015-0285
Ma Y (2017) Multi Scale Research of Loess Structural Behavior. PhD thesis, Northwest University, **’an, China. p 19–20. (In Chinese)
Mandelbrot BB (1982) The Fractal Geometry of Nature. W. H. Freeman and Company. pp 95–190.
Milodowski AE, Northmore KJ, Kemp SJ, et al. (2015) The mineralogy and fabric of ‘Brickearths’ (loess) in Kent, UK and their relationship to engineering behaviour. Bull Eng Geol Environ 74: 1187. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-014-0694-5
Monroy R, Zdravkovic L, Ridley A (2010) Microstructural evolution in compacted London Clay during wetting and loading. Géotechnique 60(2): 105–119. https://doi.org/10.1680/geot.8.P.125
Mu QY, Ng CWW, Zhou C, et al. (2018). A new model for capturing void ratio-dependent unfrozen water characteristics curves. Comput Geotech 101: 95–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compgeo.2018.04.019
Mu QY, Zhou C, Ng CWW (2020) Compression and wetting induced volumetric behavior of loess: Macro- and micro-investigations. Transp Geotech 23: 100345. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trgeo.2020.100345
Muñoz-Castelblanco JA, Delage P, Pereira JM, et al. (2011) Some aspects of the compression and collapse behavior of an unsaturated natural loess. Géotech Lett 1(2): 17–22. https://doi.org/10.1680/geolett.11.00003
Ng CWW, Mu QY, Zhou C (2017) Effects of soil structure on the shear behaviour of an unsaturated loess at different suctions and temperatures. Can Geotech J 54(2): 270–9. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2016-0272
Nouaouria MS, Guenfoud M, Lafifi B (2008) Engineering properties of loess in Algeria. Eng Geol 99: 85–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2008.01.013
Peng JB, Lin HZ, Wang QY, et al. (2014) The critical issues and creative concepts in mitigation research of loess geological hazards. J Eng Geol 22(4): 684–691. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.13544/j.cnki.jeg.2014.04.014
Peng JB, Wang SK, Wang QY, et al. (2019) Distribution and genetic types of loess landslides in China. J Asian Earth Sci 170: 329–350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2018.11.015
Rogers CDF, Dijkstra TA, Smalley IJ (1994) Hydro-consolidation and subsidence of loess: studies from China, Russia, North America and Europe. Eng Geol 37(2): 83–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-7952(94)90045-0
Romero E, Simms PH (2008) Microstructure investigation in unsaturated soils: a review with special attention to contribution of mercury intrusion porosimetry and environmental scanning electron microscopy. J Geotech Geol Eng 26(6): 705–727. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-008-9204-5
Shao XX, Zhang HY, Tan Y (2018) Collapse behavior and microstructural alteration of remolded loess under graded wetting tests. Eng Geol 233: 11–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2017.11.025
Standardization Administration of China, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction (2018) China National Standards GB50025-2018: Standard for building construction in collapsible loess regions. China Building Industry Press. pp 19. (In Chinese)
Tadepalli R, Fredlund DG (1991) The collapse behaviour of a compacted soil during inundation. Can Geotech J 28(4): 477–488. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-9062(92)93849-F
Wang JD, Li P, Ma Y, et al. (2020a) Change in pore-size distribution of collapsible loess due to loading and inundating. Acta Geotech 15(5): 1081–1094. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11440-019-00815-9
Wang Q, Wang JP (2000) A Study on fractal of porosity in the soils. Chin J Geotech Eng 22(4): 496–498. (In Chinese) CNKI:SUN:YTGC.0.2000-04-024
Wang XG, Wang JD, Zhan HB, et al. (2020b) Moisture content effect on the creep behavior of loess for the catastrophic Baqiao landslide. Catena 187: 104371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2019.104371
Washburn EW (1921) The dynamics of capillary flow. Phys Rev 17(3): 273. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.17.273
Wei TT, Fan W, Yuan WN et al. (2019) Three-dimensional pore network characterization of loess and paleosol stratigraphy from South **gyang Plateau, China. Environ Earth Sci 78(11): 333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-019-8331-z
Wei YN, Fan W, Yu B et al. (2020) Characterization and evolution of three-dimensional microstructure of Malan loess. Catena 192: 104585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2020.104585
**e WL, Li P, Zhang MS, et al. (2018) Collapse behavior and microstructural evolution of loess soils from the Loess Plateau of China. J Mt Sci 15(8): 1642–1657. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-018-5006-2
**ng YC, Gao DH, ** SL, et al. (2019) Study on Mechanical Behaviors of Unsaturated Loess in terms of Moistening Level. KSCE J Civ Eng 23(3): 1055–1063. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-019-0848-x
Xu L, Dai FC, Gong QM, et al. (2012) Irrigation-induced loess flow failure in Heifangtai Platform, North-West China. Eng Geol 66(6): 1707–1713. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-011-0950-y
Yan RX, Peng JB, Huang QB, et al. (2019) Triggering Influence of Seasonal Agricultural Irrigation on Shallow Loess Landslides on the South **gyang Plateau, China. Water 11: 1474. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11071474
Yang YL (1989) Study of the mechanism of loess collapse. Sci China, Ser B 32: 604–617. CNKI:SUN:JBXG.0.1989-05-009
Yang YS, Li J, **ng YC, et al. (2017) Experimental study on moistening deformation characteristics of compacted loess and their influencing factors. Chin J Geotech Eng 39(4): 626–635. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/10.11779/CJGE201704006
Zhang FY, Yan BB, Feng XM, et al. (2019a) A rapid loess mudflow triggered by the check dam failure in a bulldoze mountain area, Lanzhou, China. Landslides 16(10): 1981–1992. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-019-01219-2
Zhang XZ, Lu YD, Li X, et al. (2019b) Microscopic structure changes of Malan loess after humidification in South **gyang Plateau, China. Environ Earth Sci 78: 287. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-019-8290-4
Zhao M, Guo W, Chen LY, et al. (2019) Experiment on the frost resistance of Modified Phospho Gypsum: A case used to Improve Baozhong Railway Subgrade loess. J Mt Sci 16(12): 2920–2930. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-018-5014-2
Zhu XH, Peng JB, Tong X, et al. (2017) Preliminary research on geological disaster chains in loess area. J Eng Geol 25(1): 117–122. (In Chinese) https://doi.org/1004-9665(2017)25:1<117:HTDQDZ>2.0.TX;2-L
Zhuang JQ, Peng JB, Zhu Y, et al. (2020) The internal erosion process and effects of undisturbed loess due to water infiltration. Landslides 18: 629–638. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-020-01518-z
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Major Program of National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41790441), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41807234, 41907235), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, CHD (300102269203).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nan, Jj., Peng, Jb., Zhu, Fj. et al. Multiscale characteristics of the wetting deformation of Malan loess in the Yan’an area, China. J. Mt. Sci. 18, 1112–1130 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-020-6490-8
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-020-6490-8