The mechanical properties of the subgrade have a significant impact on the service life and pavement performance of the superstructure of pavement. By adding admixtures and via other means to strengthen the adhesion between soil particles, the strength and stiffness of the soil can be improved to ensure the long-term stability of pavement structures. In this study, a mixture of polymer particles and nanomaterials was used as a curing agent to examine the curing mechanism and mechanical properties of subgrade soil. Using microscopic experiments, the strengthening mechanism of solidified soil was analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XDR). The results showed that with the addition of the curing agent, small cementing substances on the surface of soil minerals filled the pores between minerals. At the same time, with an increase in the curing age, the colloidal particles in the soil increased, and some of them formed large aggregate structures that gradually covered the surface of the soil particles and minerals. By enhancing the cohesiveness and integrity between different particles, the overall structure of the soil became denser. Through pH tests, it was found that the age had a certain effect on the pH of solidified soil, but the effect was not obvious. Through the comparative analysis of elements in plain soil and solidified soil, it was found that no new chemical elements were produced in the solidified soil, indicating that the curing agent does not have negative impacts on the environment.
Keywords: curing mechanism; mechanical properties; polymeric nano-copolymer; subgrade soil.