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Abstract For further study on the physicochemical mechanism of the inferior feature of tiny-particle clay such as coastal saline soil，and research on the influence of surface micro-electric field on the strength of tiny-particle clay，and shear strength，the liquid and plastic-limit tests were conducted on artificial soft soil including bentonite，kaolinite-bentonite mixed soil and quartz under a series of salt contents namely different ion concentrations of pore water. The cation exchange capacity and specific surface area were tested to obtain the surface potential of particle，and the relationship between shear strength and surface potential was proposed. The test results show that the surface potential of particle is changed with soluble salt ions through diffused double layer，and due to the variable thickness of bound water，the deformation resistance among particles changes. As a result，the strength of soil is influenced in macroscopic viewpoint. Based on the seaport saline soil foundation improvement project on Bubiyan island，Kuwait，tests were conducted on the strength and Atterberg limit of the local coastal saline soil. The research confirmed that the mechanism and rule of the influence of ion concentration of pore water on the strength of artificial soil are applicable to natural tiny-particle clay，providing theoretical explanation and experimental basis for the inferior features of saline soil in microscopic view.
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Received: 28 June 2009
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