Mechanical Characteristics of Solidified Chromium Contaminated Soil on the Basis of Resistivity Representations

Purposes This study is conducted to explore the indirect measurement method of mechanical properties of solidified heavy metal contaminated soil. Methods The combined resistivity-unconfined compression test method was carried out to investigate the strength and electrical properties of solid waste solidified contaminated soil. Findings The results show that the red mud-carbide slag-phosphogypsum solidified contaminated soil has higher strength, in which, both peak stress and failure strain increase with the increase of curing age. The solidified soil also exhibits a stable change law between its strength and resistivity. There is a stable variation law between the strength and resistivity of the solidified soil, which shows a good linear relationship. A power function relationship between strain and dynamic resistivity is also observed through stress-strain-dynamic resistivity curve analysis. An electrical characterization model of mechanics is established by replacing the strain with dynamic resistivity in the strain softening model. Coincidence degree of the model is high according to comparison and verification, indicating that the dynamic resistivity change value has high reliability to represent the stress and deformation performances of the solidified soil.