NMR-based study of the hydration process and its influence on the unconfined compressive strength of Shanghai silty soil
Source abstract
Abstract
The strength of cement-treated soil (CTS) is influenced by various factors, including the curing conditions and the cement content. To investigate the mechanisms underlying these influences, unconfined compressive strength tests and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses were performed on CTS samples cured under four different conditions, with assessments made at 7, 14 and 28 days. The results showed that, with an increase in both cement content and curing age, the internal compactness improved, the gel pore water content decreased and the crystallisation water content (CWC) increased, thereby enhancing compressive strength. Under water curing, the CTS demonstrated more complete hydration, resulting in a denser pore structure and the highest strength. In contrast, natural curing slowed hydration due to pore water evaporation, necessitating the consideration of suction and carbonation effects. Based on the experimental data, a linear model was developed to characterise the relationship between CWC and strength. This model elucidates the correlation between the degree of hydration and strength, providing a valuable reference for predicting trends in strength development.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Grouting, Rheology, and Soil Mechanics · Soil and Unsaturated Flow · Geotechnical Engineering and Soil Mechanics
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Beijing Jiaotong University School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, , Beijing,
China Academy of Railway Sciences Corporation Railway Construction Research Institute , Beijing,
Funding
Science and Technology Research and Development Program of China National Railway Group Co., Ltd · Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
References (49)
Show source-provided references
1. Microstructure determination of cement pastes by NMR and conventional techniques10.1016/1065-7355(93)90011-C ↗
2. Chen · 2016
3. Mechanical properties of cemented clay under environmental effect of water-temperature-stress
4. Nuclear magnetic resonance study on concrete pore structure evolution under different curing environments10.1007/s11837-022-05221-3 ↗
5. Performance and microscopic analysis of the Greater Bay Area organic soils treated with different cement ratios
6. Influence of different retarders on setting time of cement
7. Physicochemical and engineering behavior of cement treated clays10.1061/(ASCE)1090-0241(2004)130:7(696) ↗
8. Prediction of unconfined compressive strength of cemented soils with quasi-water-cement ratio
9. Drying effect on cement paste porosity at early age observed by NMR methods10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2011.07.012 ↗
10. Estimation of the degree of hydration of blended cement pastes by a scanning electron microscope point-counting procedure10.1016/j.cemconres.2004.01.014 ↗
11. Gong · 2008
12. Solidification of Nansha soft clay using cement-based composite curing agents10.1680/jadcr.18.00040 ↗
13. Determining the water content and void ratio of cement-treated dredged soil from the hydration degree of cement10.1016/j.enggeo.2020.105892 ↗
14. Analysis of strength development in cement-treated soils under different curing conditions through microstructural and chemical investigations10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2018.01.112 ↗
15. Low plasticity clay stabilized with cement and zeolite: an experimental and environmental impact study10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106408 ↗
16. Study on strength characteristics and micropores of cement soil from iron ore tailing
17. Hardening mechanism of cement-stabilized soil
18. A conceptual model of the cement hydration process10.1016/S0008-8846(00)00231-3 ↗
19. Impact of soil type, cement dosage, and water content on the mechanical properties and porosity of cement – treated materials
20. Li X (2014) Theoretical Study on Stabilization of Marine Soft Clay in Hangzhou. Doctoral thesis, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
21. Hydration investigation of negative temperature concrete at early age based on low-field nuclear magnetic resonance10.1016/j.coldregions.2021.103449 ↗
22. Experimental analysis of cement-treated red sandstone coarse-grained soil and its microstructural evolution10.1016/j.cscm.2022.e01535 ↗
23. Li · 2023
24. Exploration of rapid testing methods for unsaturated soils10.1016/j.enggeo.2025.108106 ↗
25. Application of low-field NMR to the pore structure of concrete10.1007/s00723-020-01229-7 ↗
26. A novel method for semi-quantitative analysis of hydration degree of cement by 1H low-field NMR10.1016/j.cemconres.2020.106329 ↗
27. Pore structure and dynamic mechanical properties of geopolymer cement soil based on nuclear magnetic resonance technique
28. Strength, deformation, and environmental impact assessment of cement stabilized mine overburden soil10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141475 ↗
29. Mohurd (Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People's Republic of China) · 2011
30. Effect of carbonation on strength development of cement-treated Toyoura silica sand10.1016/j.sandf.2015.06.016 ↗
31. Unconfined compressive strength of sedimentary soil stabilized with Portland cement with varying curing time10.31963/intek.v9i2.4234 ↗
32. Simulation of cement paste microstructure hydration, pore space characterization and permeability determination10.1007/BF02482142 ↗
33. Experimental study on mucky clay strengthened by cement-soil mixed method
34. Basic parameters governing the behaviour of cement-treated clays10.1016/j.sandf.2014.02.011 ↗
35. NMR analysis of capillary water absorption characteristics and mechanical properties of concrete after high-temperature
36. Moisture transport in heated concrete, as studied by NMR, and its consequences for fire spalling10.1016/j.cemconres.2007.03.004 ↗
37. Quantitative evaluation of microstructure features of soil contained some cement
38. Experimental study on the thixotropic strength of the marine soft clay from the Yangtze River estuary10.3389/fmars.2024.1462550 ↗
39. Influence of the wide range cement content on the properties of cement–treated marine soft soil and bound method of semi–solidified soil10.1016/j.cscm.2024.e03180 ↗
40. Influences of different parent soils on microstructure and strength of cemented soil
41. Kinetics model for the hydration mechanism of cementitious materials
42. 1H-NMR relaxation and state evolvement of evaporable water in cement pastes
43. Efficient machine learning method for evaluating compressive strength of cement stabilized soft soil10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2023.131887 ↗
44. Multifractal characteristics on pore structure of Longmaxi shale using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)10.1016/j.geoen.2024.213176 ↗
45. Experimental analysis on the relationship between pore structure and capillary water absorption characteristics of cement-based materials10.1002/suco.201900184 ↗
46. NMR-based pore water distribution characteristics of silty clay during the soil compaction, saturation, and drying processes10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131240 ↗
47. Derivation of site-specific soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) from extremely sparse experimental data by hierarchical Bayesian method with consideration of geotechnical sites similarity10.1016/j.enggeo.2024.107752 ↗
48. Quantitative characterization of soil micropore structure and pore water content using nuclear magnetic resonance: challenges and calibration methods10.1007/s11709-025-1137-z ↗
49. Uniaxial compression simulation of cemented soil based on microstructural hydration units