Influence of an Early-Strength Agent on the Frost Resistance of a Cement-Stabilized Material

Abstract

The influence of an early-strength agent on the frost resistance of a cement-stabilized macadam material used in road engineering was explored by mixing 5% cement into the cement mixture in accordance with the engineering design ratio. Subsequently, the cement was replaced by the early-strength agent with dosages of 0, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16% according to the cement dosage. All the freeze-thaw test specimens were then prepared and used in the experiment. The water absorption rate and its change trend, mass loss rate after several freeze-thaw cycles, and unconfined compressive strength before and after the freeze-thaw cycle were analyzed based on the experimental data. The frost resistance coefficient of the cement-stabilized macadam material with different early-strength agent dosages was calculated according to the experimental data. Experimental results show that the early-strength agent can reduce the water absorption rate and mass loss rate of the material and improve the unconfined compressive strength and the frost resistance coefficient before and after freezing-thawing of the material. Furthermore, the frost resistance coefficient increases as the early-strength agent dosage increases. Therefore, the early-strength agent can both enhance the construction speed in road engineering and impede the damage caused by freezing-thawing on the cement-stabilized macadam material effectively.