Influence of wetting-drying cycles on the shear strength behavior of electroosmotically treated soft clay

Electroosmotic drainage has been proposed as a method for reducing moisture content and simultaneously increasing shear strength, thereby enhancing the stability of soft clays. Understanding electroosmotic consolidated soil behavior under wet-dry cycles is vital for assessing long-term stability and performance in a changing environment. In this investigation, electroosmosis-treated soft clay specimens were prepared and subjected to different wetting-drying cycles. The experimental results emphasized that in the case of soft clay which has been treated under identical electroosmosis conditions and subsequently subjected to varying numbers of wetting-drying cycles, it was determined that with an increment in the number of wetting-drying cycles, the crack ratio exhibits an increasing trend. However, the extent of the crack ratio exerts a minimal and almost negligible effect on the average moisture content of the soil mass. Specifically, five wetting-drying cycles can induce a pronounced reduction in the coefficient of variation (COV) of the soil moisture content distribution. Moreover, it was observed that a relatively smaller crack ratio is associated with a relatively greater average shear strength. Simultaneously, the corresponding COV will be larger. Conversely, a larger crack ratio gives rise to a smaller average shear strength, and the corresponding COV will be smaller.