Effects and Mechanisms of Ionic Soil Stabilizers on Warm Frozen Soil

Ionic soil stabilizers (ISS: acidic and alkaline) were adopted for the stabilization treatment of warm frozen soil from the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. To evaluate the effects and analysis mechanisms of the ISS on warm frozen soil, laboratory tests were conducted to measure the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of frozen soil treated with ISS. The results indicate that the cohesion of soil treated with Toogood and Roadbond stabilizers increased by 67.6 and 53.8%, respectively, and the coefficient of volume compression decreased by 72.7 and 50.0%, respectively. The optimal proportion of ISS was determined according to the resulting mechanical strength of the frozen soil. The freezing temperature of treated frozen soil was the same as that of untreated soil. However, the cation exchange capacity and plasticity index of the unfrozen water content were significantly reduced in treated soil. The reinforcing mechanism of ISS on warm frozen soil was analyzed; alkaline ISS is more suitable than acidic ISS to reinforce the foundation of warm frozen soil.