Study of soil expansion characteristics in rainfall-induced red-bed shallow landslides: Microscopic and macroscopic perspectives

Abstract

The main cause of rainfall-induced red-bed shallow landslides is the tendency of red-bed weathered soil to expand when it meets water. However, studies on the expansion mechanism of expansive soil have not considered the effects of hydration and particle orientation. In this study, the hydration force of soil was determined according to the electric double-layer theory, the particle direction of soil was determined by analyzing images of soil obtained by scanning electron microscopy, and, finally, a microscopic model of the electrical double layer of red-bed weathered expansive soil was established in which the hydration force and soil-particle orientation were taken into account. The results showed that the expansion of red-bed weathered expansive soil is the result of hydration forces and repulsive forces in the electric double layer. The grain orientation of the soil strongly influenced the microscopic model. The unloading expansion rate of red-bed weathered expansive soil decreased with an increase in cation concentration and a decrease in pH value. It increased with an increase in the hydration cation radius. These experiments indicate the reliability of the microscopic model and provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of rainfall-induced red-bed shallow landslides.