Experimental Study on Electrical Resistivity of Cement-Stabilized Lead-Contaminated Soils

Abstract

Geotechnical applications based on soil resistivity measurement are becoming more popular in recent years. In order to explore the potential application of the electrical resistivity method in stabilization/solidification of contaminated soils, two kinds of lead-contaminated soils stabilized with cement were prepared, and the electrical resistivity and unconfined compressive strength of specimens after curing for various periods were measured. The test results show that a high lead content leads to a low value of electrical resistivity of cement-stabilized soils, and increasing cement content and curing time result in a significant increase in electrical resistivity. The reduction in porosity and degree of saturation, as a result of the cement hydration process, leads to an increase in electrical resistivity. The ratio of porosity-lead content/cement content-curing time, combining together the effect of lead content, cement content, curing time, and porosity on electrical resistivity of stabilized soils, can be used as a fundamental parameter to assess electrical resistivity of cement-stabilized lead-contaminated soils. Archie’s law can be extended to apply to cement-stabilized lead-contaminated soils by using this ratio, replacing the porosity. The new resistivity formula obtained in this paper is just empirical. There is a power function correlation between unconfined compressive strength and electrical resistivity of lead-contaminated soils stabilized with cement. Electrical resistivity measurement can be used as an economical and time-effective method to assess the quality of cement-stabilized lead-contaminated soils in practice.