Disintegration characteristics in granite residual soil and their relationship with the collapsing gully in South China

Abstract

Abstract The climate is a significant factor affecting the collapsing gully in weathered granite areas, and most of the surface layers of the collapsed area comprise granite residual soil. Granite residual soil has complex disintegration characteristics under different initial water content conditions. Besides, its disintegration characteristic is an essential factor for collapsing gully. Therefore, disintegration tests, triaxial shear tests, nuclear magnetic resonance tests, and hydraulic conductivity tests are conducted under torridity and rainstorm conditions in order to study the disintegration characteristics of granite residual soil. The results of disintegration test showed that the initial disintegration rate of granite residual soil increased rapidly with the decrease in water content, while the relationship between disintegration rate and water content in the later stage of disintegration is unclear. When soaked, the maximum decrease in cohesion was 44.48%, the hydraulic conductivity became six times larger, and the amplitude of the T 2 curve increased by about 40%, which reduced the strength of the soil and provided better access for rainwater infiltration to deeper stratum. The results show that the microstructure of granite residual soil would be damaged and the disintegration would occur after a rainstorm at low water content. Micropores would be formed inside the sample after soaking, resulting in destroying the continuity of the material.