Experimental Study on Acrylate-Modified Earthen Soil

The acrylate hydrogel was prepared using the chemical method, and the related properties of the acrylate hydrogel were explored. The acrylate hydrogel was added to the site soil by two reinforcement methods: drip infiltration from top to bottom and capillary action from bottom to top. The mechanical properties and hydraulics of the site soil modified by magnesium acrylate hydrogel were studied through permeability, capillary water absorption, and compressive strength tests. The results show that the curing time of the acrylate hydrogel is controllable, and the curing time could be shortened by reasonably increasing the amount of initiator and accelerator. Among them, the 25% concentration of magnesium acrylate hydrogel had better performance. After the acrylate hydrogel modifies the soil, the permeability coefficient of the sample can reach 10−8 orders of magnitude, and it has good anti-permeability properties. When the acrylate hydrogel fills the pores of the soil, the water absorption coefficient K of the sample is reduced by 51–77%, which effectively reduces the erosion of capillary water. After the acrylate hydrogel strengthens the soil, the compressive strength of the sample is increased by 16.1–43.7%. The top-down reinforcement method by dripping is better than the bottom-up reinforcement method by capillary action. When the content of the crosslinking agent and the initiator is 1 and 0.2%, respectively, the sample impermeability and compressive strength are the best.