Mechanical and disintegration properties of solidified loess mixed with gellan gum and guar gum

Loess slopes in cold and arid regions are susceptible to shallow soil degradation, which may trigger severe environmental problems related to soil erosion. To address this environmental challenge, this study selected a compound ecological curing agent composed of gellan gum and guar gum for stabilizing shallow loess slopes. Triaxial compression and disintegration tests were employed to comparatively analyze the effects of compound gum content, mass mix ratio, and curing age on the mechanical and disintegration properties of solidified loess. The curing mechanism was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the ecological protection effect was monitored for a 60-day period. The results indicate that gellan gum, guar gum, and the compound gum can enhance the mechanical and disintegration properties of loess, promote plant growth, and optimize the ecological environment. However, the combination of gellan gum and guar gum proves more effective than using either gellan gum or guar gum alone. Considering the effects on mechanical properties, disintegration performance, and material economy, the disintegration rate of loess decreases by 75.72% compared to plain loess when the compound glue content is 0.5%, the mixing ratio of gellan gum to guar gum is 3:7 and the curing age is 7 days. Meanwhile, the cohesion and internal friction angle increase by 118.06% and 10.97%, respectively. Moreover, the disintegration performance and mechanical properties of the samples first increase and then decrease with the increase in compound glue and the mix ratio and are basically stabilized after the curing age reaches 7d.