LAUSR

Abstract The root permeated copper slag mixed soil is a effective way to reinforce soft soil and dispose the copper slag. In order to better investigate the strength rule of it, firstly, a new shear test apparatus is developed for the purpose of measuring the root reinforcement for copper slag mixed soil. The utilized apparatus has a much larger measurement range compared to the traditional apparatus. Secondly, based on the developed measurement equipment, the formulas for calculating the shear strength of the mixed soil is derived by taking a full consideration on the dynamic changes of the effective shear area. Thirdly, 4 different kinds of soil samples are chosen and tested in a case study to demonstrate the use of the apparatus. The calculation of the shear strength between the traditional formula and the newly proposed method is compared in the measurement results. Finally, the reinforcement effect of Bermuda grass roots on copper slag-soil mixture is studied. The influence of weight percentage of copper slag, roots content, and moisture content on the shear strength of mixed soil are investigated. The authenticates results showed that the soft clay in combination with copper slag and root of grass has promising mechanical properties over the original soil in geotechnical engineering applications.