Application of Polymer Curing Agent in Ecological Protection Engineering of Weak Rock Slopes

Abstract

Under the action of water, weak rock slopes easily expand and the strength and stiffness decrease, which results in slope instability. The styrene–acrylic emulsion cement-matrix composite, a new type of polymer curing agent, was developed for the curing and treatment of weak rock slopes. The strength-reduction factor method and ANSYS finite element software were used to calculate and analyze the stability of slopes before and after protection. The stability safety factor of weak rock after protection increased by 30% from 2.0 to 2.6. In order to evaluate the performance of the polymer curing agent, the mixture test was carried out in the laboratory. It was found that the waterproofness, hydrophobicity, and microstructure of weak rock slopes with the polymer curing agent can be significantly improved. Finally, the polymer curing agent was adopted and the external-soil spray-seeding technique was used in physical engineering. From test results, it was indicated that the polymer curing agent for weak slopes is beneficial in improving the water-damage resistance of a slope surface and prevent or reduce the softening of weak rock so that plants can grow for a long time. The treatment for weak rock slopes was successfully combined with plant protection, achieving the dual effect of weak rock slope protection and ecological protection.