Abstract:Solidification is a major treatment method for the dredged sludge from rivers and lakes. In order to investigate the wetting/drying stability of the solidified materials, a series of tests measuring the shear strengths of solidified dredged sludge during drying/wetting process were performed. Besides, the variation pattens of the shear strength were revealed and the influential factors are analyzed quantitatively. The test results show that the shear strength of solidified dredged sludge changes gradually with the increasing number of drying/wetting cycles, and finally tends to be stable. The shear strength of solidified dredged sludge with a cement content of 100 kg/m3 decreases after drying/wetting, while the shear strengths of solidified dredged sludge with cement contents of 150 and 200 kg/m3 increase after drying/wetting, which indicates that the influence of drying/wetting on the mechanical behaviors of sludge relates to the cement content. A higher drying temperature promotes the hydration reaction of cement during the drying/wetting process. Therefore, it resulted in the increase of hydration products and the increase in shear strength. However, the development of crack inside the material during drying/wetting leads to the decrease of its shear strength. The overall influence of drying/wetting on the shear strength of solidified sludge depends on the compromises of the two factors.