Expansive soil is prone to rapid strength degradation caused by repeated volume swelling and shrinkage under alternating dry–wet conditions. Basalt fiber (BF) and cement are utilized to stabilize expansive soil, aiming to curb its swelling and shrinkage, enhance its strength, and ensure its durability in dry–wet cycles. This study examines the impact of varying content (0–1%) of BF on the physical and mechanical characteristics of expansive soil stabilized with a 6% cement content. We investigated these effects through a series of experiments including compaction, swelling and shrinkage, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), undrained and consolidation shear, dry–wet cycles, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses. The experiments yielded the following conclusions: Combining cement and BF to stabilize expansive soil leverages cement’s chemical curing ability and BF’s reinforcing effect. Incorporating 0.4% BFs significantly improves the swelling and shrinkage characteristics of cement-stabilized expansive soils, reducing expansion by 36.17% and contraction by 28.4%. Furthermore, it enhances both the initial strength and durability of these soils under dry–wet cycles. Without dry–wet cycles, the addition of 0.4% BFs increased UCS by 24.8% and shear strength by 24.6% to 40%. After 16 dry–wet cycles, the UCS improved by 38.87% compared to cement-stabilized expansive soil alone. Both the content of BF and the number of dry–wet cycles significantly influenced the UCS of cement-stabilized expansive soils. Multivariate nonlinear equations were used to model the UCS, offering a predictive framework for assessing the strength of these soils under varying BF contents and dry–wet cycles. The cement hydrate adheres to the fiber surface, increasing adhesion and friction between the fibers and soil particles. Additionally, the fibers form a network structure within the soil. These factors collectively enhance the strength, deformation resistance, and durability of cement-stabilized expansive soils. These findings offer valuable insights into combining traditional cementitious materials with basalt fiber to manage expansive soil hazards, reduce resource consumption, and mitigate environmental impacts, thereby contributing to sustainable development.

Rail fasteners are among the key components of ballasted track of high-speed railway due to their functionality of fixing rails to sleepers. The failure of rail fastening system hinders the transmission of train loads to underlying track substructure and therefore endangers the operation safety and longevity of ballasted track. This paper first established a three-dimensional (3D) numerical model of the train-ballasted track-subgrade coupling system by integrating multibody dynamics (MBD) and finite element method (FEM). Numerical simulations were then performed to investigate the effects of different patterns of rail fastener failure (i.e., consecutive single-side, alternate single-side, and consecutive double-side) on critical dynamic responses of track structures, train running stability, and operation safety. The results show that the resulting influences of different patterns of rail fastener failure descend in the order of consecutive double-side failure, consecutive single-side failure, and alternate single-side failure. As the number of failed fasteners increases, the range where dynamic responses of track structures are influenced extends, and the failure of two consecutive single-side fasteners exerts a similar influence as that of four alternate single-side fasteners. The failure of single-side fasteners affects dynamic responses of the intact side of track structures relatively insignificantly. The influence of rail fastener failure on track structures exhibits hysteresis, thus indicating that special attention needs to be paid to locations behind failed fasteners during track inspection and maintenance. The occurrence of the failure of two or more consecutive fasteners demands timely maintenance work in order to prevent aggravated deterioration of track structures. The findings of this study could provide useful reference and guidance to smart track condition assessment and condition-based track maintenance.

A damage strain softening model for predicting the shear behavior of soil–structure interfaces is presented. The damage model, which contains only four parameters (i.e., undamaged shear modulus G′, damage evolution parameters n and m, and the residual shear stress τ_r), is developed based on Weibull distribution statistical damage theory. By fitting curves, the model parameters are obtained from director simple shear tests. As the shear thickness is usually considered an important factor on soil–structure interface constitutive relations, the shear thickness ratio (η) is introduced to the model to compensate for the influence of the shear thickness. The relationships between the model parameters and the shear thickness ratio η are also analyzed under different levels of normal stress based on data from both direct and simple shear tests. The results show that the undamaged shear modulus G′ increases with increasing normal stress and increasing shear thickness. The shear thickness has a significant effect on the damage evolution parameter n, but the normal stress does not. Neither normal stress nor shear thickness have significant effects on the damage evolution parameter m. The residual shear stress τ_r increases with increasing normal stress.

Halloysite nanotubes, a naturally occurring nanomaterial with a unique tubular morphology, have shown considerable potential for heavy metal remediation. However, significant inconsistencies in the reported maximum adsorption capacities (q_max) for heavy metal ions—such as Pb²⁺, which ranges from 7.5 to 84.0 mg/g with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 68%—have severely hindered both scientific understanding and practical application of this promising material. To address this critical knowledge gap, we conducted a reassessment using carefully selected halloysite specimens from three geologically distinct deposits (Utah, USA; Henan and Yunnan, China). Under rigorously controlled experimental conditions, we precisely quantified the adsorption capacities of halloysite for Cd²⁺, Zn²⁺, and Pb²⁺. Through an integrated multi-technique characterization approach involving XRF, XRD, FTIR, TEM, and BET analyses, we identified two fundamental crystallochemical parameters that govern the adsorption performance of halloysite: the degree of lattice substitution and the density of surface hydroxyl groups. Our findings reveal that optimal heavy metal adsorption occurs in halloysite with lower lattice substitution and higher surface hydroxyl density. This work not only provides a reliable range of adsorption capacities for halloysite but, more importantly, establishes a scientific foundation for optimizing the application of halloysite in heavy metal remediation.

A novel particle breakage model for granular soils was developed based on population evolution theory. The relationship between population evolution and particle breakage was first established, introducing key parameters such as the migration rate, comprehensive environmental impact coefficient, energy dissipation ratio, and effective constraint coefficient, with detailed explanations of their physical significance and calculation methods. The model's characteristics were analyzed, highlighting its ability to account for monodispersity, the equilibrium of extreme grain groups, and the inclusivity of over-limit particle groups. Parameters including fractal dimension and crushing coefficient were derived to further quantify the breakage process. Validation was conducted using experimental data from single-particle and multi-particle size group tests under varying soil conditions and stress states, demonstrating the model's capability to accurately describe the evolution of particle breakage across diverse scenarios.