Improvement in geotechnical properties of soft filter cake stabilized with autoclaved aerated concrete powder: Experimental evidence and micro-mechanism

Filter cake is a type of engineering waste soil composed of fine-grained particles, typically characterized by its high initial saturation and poor engineering performance. In this study, autoclaved aerated concrete powder (AACP) was used as an admixture to improve the mechanical properties of filter cake. The effects of AACP content and curing time on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and volume change behavior of com-pacted specimens were investigated. The test results showed that the UCS of compacted AACP/filter cake mix-tures initially increased with increasing AACP content, reaching a peak value at 40 % AACP content, and subsequently decreased. The sample containing 40 % AACP (cured for 28 days) exhibited a constrained modulus comparable to that of conventional embankment filling materials, but with the added advantage of a lower dry density. Expansion of the parent soil, when exposed to water, occurred through interparticle expansion. The addition of AACP resulted in a reduction in the thickness of the diffuse double layer (DDL) of clay particles, as well as a decrease in the interparticle repulsive force. This allowed soil particles to approach each other more closely and facilitated the formation of aggregated soil particles. AACP incorporation further altered the particle size distribution and soil structure, thereby contributing to the improvement in mechanical properties of the filter cake. The physicochemical and microstructural observations, such as SEM, XRD, and MIP analyses, and zeta potential tests, were in good agreement with the changes in the geotechnical properties of the samples. These experimental results provide technical references for the utilization of AACP and filter cake in embankment engineering.