Weathering-induced deformation of crushed weak rocks and its countermeasure

Abstract

Geotechnical issues such as differential settlements have been reported usually in embankments made of materials derived from weak rocks such as mudstones, siltstones, and shales. The primary cause of the issue is a gradual weakening due to weathering. Crushed weak rocks tend to turn into smaller particles under repeated wetting and drying processes. This phenomenon is a mechanical-hydraulic process known as “slaking”. The present paper discusses the deformation of crushed weak rocks due to slaking and its countermeasure. We performed a series of one-dimensional slaking tests on several weak rocks. We first performed one-dimensional compression tests on dried samples, and applied wetting and drying cycles to the samples while keeping the compression stress constant. The test results revealed that particle size distribution of the samples was broadened due to cyclic wetting and drying processes and that significant compression was exhibited. Moreover, we explored possible countermeasures for reducing the slaking-induced deformation and revealed that compacting the soil to a denser state is the most effective way in reducing the slaking-induced deformation of the crushed mudstone.