Impact of plasticity and stress history on thermal volume changes in clays

Abstract This endeavor explores fine-grained soils’ thermally induced volumetric behavior through a series of temperature-controlled oedometer experiments under drained conditions. Undisturbed clay samples were subjected to incremental heating and cooling to evaluate the effects of over-consolidatio...

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Main Authors: Hamed Hoseini Mighani, Saeed Tourchi, Arash Alimardani Lavasan, Fatemehsadat Hosseini, Janos Szendefy
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03083-8
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author Hamed Hoseini Mighani
Saeed Tourchi
Arash Alimardani Lavasan
Fatemehsadat Hosseini
Janos Szendefy
author_facet Hamed Hoseini Mighani
Saeed Tourchi
Arash Alimardani Lavasan
Fatemehsadat Hosseini
Janos Szendefy
author_sort Hamed Hoseini Mighani
collection DOAJ
description Abstract This endeavor explores fine-grained soils’ thermally induced volumetric behavior through a series of temperature-controlled oedometer experiments under drained conditions. Undisturbed clay samples were subjected to incremental heating and cooling to evaluate the effects of over-consolidation ratio (OCR), stress history, and soil plasticity. Results revealed that normally consolidated clays undergo significant plastic contraction during heating. Over-consolidated samples showed contraction-dominated responses, highlighting the limitations of OCR as a standalone predictor of thermal behavior, with stress history emerging as a key factor. Furthermore, the influence of soil plasticity was pronounced, with high-plasticity clays experiencing greater thermal contraction due to enhanced microstructural rearrangement and mineralogical effects. The heating and cooling cycle further highlighted the irreversibility of volumetric changes in normally consolidated states, while over-consolidated samples exhibited reduced thermal hysteresis. These findings offer a detailed understanding of thermally induced volume changes in fine-grained soils, revealing the interplay between stress state, consolidation history, and intrinsic soil properties. The insights gained are foundational for advancing predictive models, optimizing the design of thermally loaded geo-energy systems, and addressing climate-driven challenges such as soil-atmosphere interactions and landslide susceptibility.
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spelling doaj-art-246d4bf5e2984502b8825dc4de93f0a82025-08-20T02:03:30ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-05-011511710.1038/s41598-025-03083-8Impact of plasticity and stress history on thermal volume changes in claysHamed Hoseini Mighani0Saeed Tourchi1Arash Alimardani Lavasan2Fatemehsadat Hosseini3Janos Szendefy4Department of Engineering Geology and Geotechnics, Budapest University of Technology and EconomicsComputational Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (COMPSOIL), Faculty of Science Technology and Medicine, University of LuxembourgComputational Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (COMPSOIL), Faculty of Science Technology and Medicine, University of LuxembourgDepartment of Mineralogy and Geology, University of DebrecenDepartment of Engineering Geology and Geotechnics, Budapest University of Technology and EconomicsAbstract This endeavor explores fine-grained soils’ thermally induced volumetric behavior through a series of temperature-controlled oedometer experiments under drained conditions. Undisturbed clay samples were subjected to incremental heating and cooling to evaluate the effects of over-consolidation ratio (OCR), stress history, and soil plasticity. Results revealed that normally consolidated clays undergo significant plastic contraction during heating. Over-consolidated samples showed contraction-dominated responses, highlighting the limitations of OCR as a standalone predictor of thermal behavior, with stress history emerging as a key factor. Furthermore, the influence of soil plasticity was pronounced, with high-plasticity clays experiencing greater thermal contraction due to enhanced microstructural rearrangement and mineralogical effects. The heating and cooling cycle further highlighted the irreversibility of volumetric changes in normally consolidated states, while over-consolidated samples exhibited reduced thermal hysteresis. These findings offer a detailed understanding of thermally induced volume changes in fine-grained soils, revealing the interplay between stress state, consolidation history, and intrinsic soil properties. The insights gained are foundational for advancing predictive models, optimizing the design of thermally loaded geo-energy systems, and addressing climate-driven challenges such as soil-atmosphere interactions and landslide susceptibility.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03083-8
spellingShingle Hamed Hoseini Mighani
Saeed Tourchi
Arash Alimardani Lavasan
Fatemehsadat Hosseini
Janos Szendefy
Impact of plasticity and stress history on thermal volume changes in clays
Scientific Reports
title Impact of plasticity and stress history on thermal volume changes in clays
title_full Impact of plasticity and stress history on thermal volume changes in clays
title_fullStr Impact of plasticity and stress history on thermal volume changes in clays
title_full_unstemmed Impact of plasticity and stress history on thermal volume changes in clays
title_short Impact of plasticity and stress history on thermal volume changes in clays
title_sort impact of plasticity and stress history on thermal volume changes in clays
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-03083-8
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