Durability of soil mix material subjected to wetting/drying cycles and external sulfate attacks

Abstract There is a growing interest and technically demanding for Deep Soil Mixing methods. Therefore, new issues have emerged and it has become crucial to ensure the service life of the material, notably for permanent structural works. In this context, the durability potential of different soil-cement mixes was studied in the laboratory by using accelerated aging tests, i.e. wetting/drying (W/D) cycles and external sulphates attacks. The experimental design proposes to follow the evolution of mass, P-wave velocity, permeability and mechanical properties according to the exposure duration. Critical thresholds relative to clay and cement content were defined. The mechanical damage was the result of micro cracking and ettringite expansion.