Experimental Study on Pore Pressure Variation and Erosion Stability of Sandy Slope Model under Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation

Abstract

With the development of a free trade port on Hainan Island, the construction of tourist roads around the island is currently underway. However, the weather conditions on Hainan Island, which include strong typhoons and rainstorms, pose challenges for the construction of highway-cutting slopes on the coastal weak sandy terraces. These slopes are susceptible to sand loss and erosion from rainfall. To address this issue, MICP green spray irrigation solidification technology is used to strengthen the sandy cutting, and pore water pressure monitoring is carried out on the slope model during MICP solidification and rainfall scour. Combined with the model pore water pressure and flow slip failure pattern, a dynamic analysis was conducted. The results show that MICP sprinkler irrigation technology can solidify the surface of the slope model in a short time, and after three sets of rotation reinforcement, the model achieved a cementation depth of 4 cm, with a well-reinforced surface and closely connected sand samples. Under the erosion effect of simulated rainfall intensity, the sand loss of the slope was weakened, without damage to the sand binding, and the integrity was enhanced. The cementation between the sand grains facilitated the conversion of most of the rainfall into runoff. However, despite these efforts, the slope eventually slid after 150 s. During the sliding process, the leading edge of the slope model lost sand and became unloaded, and the failure mode was graded a creep slip failure. Finally, the slope was divided into several blocks due to the continuous expansion of cracks following the slope failure. The erosion stability of the sandy slope under heavy rains was optimized and the sand loss was prevented effectively. This study proposes a new method of MICP remediation techniques that serve as a new test basis for the practical application of MICP technology in engineering projects.