Study on Mechanical Properties of Cement-Improved Frozen Soil under Uniaxial Compression Based on Discrete Element Method

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The work is good and it is a new point and I recommend accepting it, but there are some points that must be taken into consideration first to improve the paper.

in Abstract:

• Only proportions 6% and 18% are mentioned. Where is the other 12%?
• The number of curing age was only 14- Where are the curing age of days 7-day and 28-day?

In Introduction:

• When the number of authors in references exceeds 2, only the first name is written, and the others are written only (et al.).
• It must be the (el al.) that italic word.
• In reference No. 12. The two types of cement that were used, the proportions and the result should be mentioned.

In Experimental:

• It has not been explained how to cement-improved in the frozen soil.
• In Tables No. 3, 4, and 5, a symbol should be placed for each number of the sample nomenclature next to the word sample, such as: (W%-T-I%-day).
• Fixed numbers can be removed from the sample nomenclature, such as (40 and 10), and only the mixing percentages and days (6%-7day) remain.
• In line 112, set the space between the table and the text.
• In line 113 there is an error writing the name of the image (duplicate).
• In Figure 1, what do the names of curves 2, 1, and 7 mean, is not understood. The curve name must be written clearly.
• In Figure 2, the word “day” should be written next to the number.
• In line 136, you must add “and” between the two numbers (12% and 6%).
• In line 139, what does (1.2) mean, as for the word Figure 2, and also in line 144 (3.4).
• In Figures 2 and 3, how were the equations deduced? What type of relationship was used and why was this type of relationship chosen? You need to write about it in the paper.
• In line 153, you must add “and” between the two numbers (7-day and 14-day).
• In line 186 the names of figures 4 and 5 are mentioned even though the arrangement of the figures will be 5 and 6. Reorder the names of the figures correctly.
• In line 202 put “- “between the soil and the number (soil-1, and soil-2) and also others in the table.
• In line 203 the table number in the order is 6, not 3. Rearrange the table numbers correctly throughout the paper.
• In line 206, remove the comma between the numbers to become (22836).
• In lines 210, 211, 217, and 218: Table 7, not 6.
• In line 227, writing the author's name, the reference is wrong, where is (Utili [26]), not (S. Uili [26]).
• In line 256 the number of figure is an error where it is (8), not (3-4).
• Every arrangement of figure numbers is wrong, whether it is below the figure or in the text. Rearrange the numbers of the figures correctly.
• From the beginning of line 380, the style of writing the word figure has been changed from (Figure to Fig.). One style should be used in writing.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

1. What is the most influencing thing for the generation of initial crack, needs to be explained in detail with sufficient evidence.
2. It is recommended to quantify the amount of plastic and shear failure of the 6% and 18% samples of tensile fractures.
3. What is the difference in height/diameter of the samples at different strains.
4. The quality of figure 7, should be improved.
5. Discussion and validation of the results need to be improved.

Author Response

Please see the attachment.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx