Experimental and Numerical Analyses on the Frost Heave Deformation of Reclaimed Gravel from a Tunnel Excavation as a Structural Fill in Cold Mountainous Regions
Tuo Chen
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
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This article focuses on the Frost damage to weak subgrade and the difficulty in processing waste materials from tunnel construction, which are important obstacles for highway development in China's freezing mountainous regions. To address these issues, they proposed a new approach of using coarse gravel reclaimed from tunnel excavation as an anti-frost structural fill replacing the top layer of frost-susceptible subgrade soils, and they investigated the effect of this method by field test based on the highway between Tanchang county and Diebu county (the TDH) in south Gansu Province, northwest China, but only studied the first year's results. This technique, as an environmental and sustainable ground treatment measure, merits further exploration and wider deployment. As a result, several comments are pointed as follows in order to improve the visualisation of this page. 1. To make the problem clear to the reader, the article should include a problem statement. 2. The main aim of this study should be specified at the end of the introduction section. 3. In page 2, line 133, Figure 1. Different layers used in a typical road structure. Is this general case for road design in Chaina. 4. Why didn't discuss the effect of climate change on the materials used in the stabilising process, such as gravel? 5. The journal format should be followed on page 4, lines 136-142. 6. Mention the duration of the climatic impact that occurred to the infrastructure during their contact timeframe to these characteristics. 7. Page 9, line 318, this study established and measured from 2013-2015? its long time from measure to publish, is these results stable or more settlement and more deformation.
8. It is very good to add the compare between this study and another study with same condition
9. should add specific number or percentage. 10. Check all points as mentioned with comments in the PDF file. Regards |
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Reviewer 2 Report
The paper analyzed an environmentally friendly and sustainable ground treatment method,by using gravels from tunnel excavation as anti-frost filling layer to solve frost damage of weak subgrade in cold mountain regions, and field experimentswere constructed to test the effect of the method, and a frost heave model in PCHeave is applied to accomplish the quantitative prediction of frost heave. In general, it is an important work in North-west China.I agree with the acceptance of the paper.The following problems should be firstly solved.
1. The logic of the ground treatment method should be change: A-no filling, B-filling with one type, C-filling with another type, and then the comparison of A, B and C, then the effect can be got. Authors should explain the design of test field.
2.The paper also has some typos issue which needs to be checked and corrected in the revision.
3.The ideas in the paper are interesting and the experimental results obtained have some potential in applications. However, why chosen the filling materials in this study should be explained?
The quality of English need to be improved.
Author Response
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Round 2
Reviewer 1 Report
Thanks for your efforts to follow up all comments.
I appreciate you inviting me to review this paper.
Author Response
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