Using a single mean collapse strain can misrepresent settlement in spatially variable loess foundations, potentially leading to unsafe hydraulic-structure design and settlement-induced damage. This study examines an archival empirical correction classified by ground and structural conditions. Engineering-geological records from 12 sites informed the factor classification, and monitored settlements of seven irrigation structures were used for validation. The resulting composite factors range from 1.30 to 1.44 across the specified ground and structural classes. For the seven field cases, the corrected predictions achieved a mean absolute percentage error of 12.7%, compared with 35.2% and 32.4% for the two conventional calculation sets. Archival physical-model observations independently supported the proposed load-redistribution mechanism. The correction provides a transparent way to account for ground variability and structural response in preliminary and design-stage settlement assessments, provided that representative collapse-strain data and a defined wetting scenario are available.

Wetting-induced collapse of loess can produce large differential movements beneath irrigation structures even under modest nominal foundation pressure. This study investigates the coupled response of a segmented reinforced-concrete chute and its loess-based model foundation in a single 1:50 physical model explicitly interpreted as a 1 g kinematic mechanism test, with simultaneous wetting from the upstream and downstream pools. At corresponding scaled depths, the model-to-prototype geostatic stress ratio is (γm/γp)/50, approximately 1/50 for comparable soil unit weights; applied contact loading does not restore the prototype self-weight stress profile. Vertical movement records from eight markers, including an incomplete early Zh record, were evaluated together with contact and embedded pressure-cell measurements. In this test, contact stress at a softened support decreased from 154 to 30 kPa (80.5% unloading), while stress at the adjacent initially dry support increased from 150 to 220 kPa (46.7% amplification). The flume-end stress decrease of approximately 39% is interpreted as being consistent with beam action on a shrinking temporary central support. This support configuration is a proposed explanation of the observations; its pressure and contact area were not measured. Final settlements at the eight markers had a spatial coefficient of variation of 40.2%, describing within-test settlement nonuniformity rather than repeat-test variability or measurement uncertainty. Model settlements of 1.8 and 2.0 cm have geometric equivalents of 0.90 and 1.00 m at a scale factor of 50. Compared with field settlements of 0.76 and 0.93 m, the absolute differences are 0.14 and 0.07 m, respectively, corresponding to point-wise absolute percentage differences of 18.42% and 7.53%. These two comparisons are descriptive and do not validate prototype predictions. The indicator-grid deformation suggests a localized punching pattern, but one with unquantified boundary-location uncertainty. All quantitative findings are specific to this single test. The observed stress redistribution motivates a qualitative staged assessment framework; replication at different initial densities and water contents and independent verification are required before quantitative design application.

This study evaluates a sintered lightweight aggregate produced from a 70:30 mass ratio of loess-like loam to hydraulic ash from the Kyzylorda thermal power plant (TPP), with an external 50:50 TPP-ash–ground-rice-husk dusting mixture. Four dusting regimes (C0–C3) were examined at 1000, 1030, 1060, and 1100 °C using 15 test specimens or portions per condition. C0 was the undusted control; the dusting-mixture-to-raw-granule mass ratios for C1, C2, and C3 were 1:2.5, 1:3.5, and 1:4.9, respectively. Dusting regime and firing temperature affected density, strength, water absorption, pore structure, and thermal conductivity. The selected C2 regime, corresponding to a dusting-mixture-to-granule ratio of 1:3.5, produced at 1060 °C an aggregate with a bulk density of 324 ± 18 kg/m³, cylinder crushing strength of 1.42 ± 0.08 MPa, water absorption of 15.8 ± 0.6%, and effective packed-bed thermal conductivity of 0.078 W/(m·K). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed porous and consolidated regions; local energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) indicated higher Ca, Al, and Fe in the examined shell region than in the examined core region. Lightweight concrete containing the developed aggregate achieved a dry density of 920 ± 5 kg/m³, 28-day compressive strength of 3.87 ± 0.22 MPa, water absorption of 19.4 ± 0.3%, and thermal conductivity of 0.215 ± 0.010 W/(m·K). The results identify 1060 °C and the C2 dusting regime as a preferred compromise among the tested conditions, based on a comparative assessment of density, cylinder crushing strength, water absorption, and thermal conductivity rather than a weighted numerical optimization.