The massive accumulation of coal gangue not only causes a waste of resources but also brings serious environmental pollution problems. To promote the utilization of coal gangue resources, mitigate environmental pollution from coal gangue, and address the shortage of natural aggregates, this study investigates the use of coal gangue to replace coarse aggregate at a 40% replacement rate to prepare coal gangue concrete (CGC). The current research on the modification of gangue concrete by BF has been less often compared with the research on the effect of basalt fiber (BF) on the properties of ordinary concrete, so in this study, BF with different admixtures and lengths were added into CGC. Additionally, basalt fibers (BFs) of varying amounts and lengths were incorporated into CGC. The study explored the effects of BF on the tensile strength, splitting tensile strength, and flexural strength of CGC. It was found that the mechanical properties of CGC improved significantly when the BF dosage was 0.10–0.15% and the length was 18 mm. This is evidenced by an increase in the compressive strength of 3.94–5.11%, split tensile strength of 11.20–16.18%, and flexural strength of 8.23–12.97%. BF was able to refine pore space, prevent crack development, and bridge cracks in CGC. To further investigate the effect of BF on the long-term service performance of CGC, the effects of BF on the appearance, quality, and compressive strength of CGC in sulfate and freeze–thaw environments were examined. The results indicated that a BF dosage of 0.10–0.15% significantly enhanced the sulfate erosion resistance and freeze–thaw resistance of CGC. This is shown by a 36.76–46.90% reduction in the rate of loss of compressive strength of CGC under the freeze–thaw cycling and a 6.21–8.50% increase in the corrosion resistance factor of CGC under a sulfate attack. BF improved the pore structure and reduced seepage channels, thereby enhancing the durability of CGC.

It is important to account for the poor ecological environment of weak seasonal permafrost regions while developing a suitable ground improvement technique. As an organic non-polluting material, glutinous rice slurry improves the unconfined compressive strength of the soil through induction and synergy with lime. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has cold weather, large temperature differences between day and night, and a fragile ecological environment. Once damaged, it is extremely difficult to recover. This study investigates the effects of glutinous rice slurry on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), failure mode, and microstructure of lime-treated seasonally frozen soil subjected to freeze-thaw cycles. Organic glutinous rice slurry with concentrations of 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8% was added to soil specimens that were treated with 10% lime and subjected to 0, 1, 3, 6, and 10 freeze-thaw cycles. In tests, the addition of glutinous rice pulp could increase the UCS of the soil by up to 40%. The first freeze-thaw cycle has the greatest impact on the UCS of the soil sample, with a decrease of 6–15%. Glutinous rice slurry can reduce the degradation effects of freeze-thaw cycles by increasing the contact area between soil particles. In a comprehensive evaluation under test conditions, a glutinous rice slurry concentration of 4% led to optimal results. It revealed the change characteristics of the microstructure under the action of freeze-thaw cycles, which has a good corresponding relationship with the macroscopic mechanical properties. The results can provide reference value for the application of glutinous rice slurry in the modification of subgrade soil in seasonal permafrost areas.

The main objective of this study is to clarify the effect of bottom ash (BA) powder replacement rate, water-cement ratio, and sand-cement ratio on alkali-activated slag mortar (AASM) by comprehensively investigating the following parameters: fluidity, consistency, setting time, pH, compressive strength, and flexural strength, as well as observing the microstructure by XRD and SEM. Finally, the relationship between the parameters was explored by means of correlation coefficient heatmaps in concert with scatter plots (including quadratic polynomial linear fitting). The results show that it is feasible to use up to 60% of BA powder to replace slag for AASM. Meanwhile, it is suggested that the AASM with a water-cement ratio of 0.44 and a sand-cement ratio of 2.6 can obtain better workability, mechanical properties, and a denser microstructure. The incorporation of BA powder produces the unique hydration product Magadiite. In addition, the mechanical models of compressive strength and flexural strength of AASM were proposed \(y = 0.23 \cdot x^{{0.82}} ,\) \(\:{R}^{2}=0.86\). This study provides a reference for the application of BA powder in the alkali-activated system, which is beneficial for resource recycling.