Material composition and constitutive model development of red mud-based filler for highway tunnel invert filling applications: A comprehensive study

To address the global environmental challenges posed by red mud waste, this paper proposes utilizing red mud as a filling material for highway tunnel inverts. It is imperative to thoroughly investigate the theoretical foundation of red mud-based filling (RMBF) materials for this application. This study explores the optimal ratio of RMBF and, drawing on the results of triaxial compression tests in conjunction with soil structural parameters and Duncan-Chang theory, proposes and defines for the first time the strengthening parameter (Sp) of RMBF to derive its constitutive model. The test data were systematically compared and analyzed with the results of theoretical calculations. The findings indicate that RMBF, which is composed of red mud, cement, steel slag, slaked lime, EDTA-2Na, water and curing agent mixed in a specific proportion, can meet the strength requirements. When used for filling the invert of a highway tunnel, 1.068 tons of red mud can be recycled from 1 cubic meter of RMBF. The stress-strain curve of the RMBF exhibits an evident peak, indicating strain softening characteristics, while the strengthening stress-strain curve clearly demonstrates strain hardening characteristics. The discrepancy between the stress-strain curve predicted by the RMBF model considering Sp and the actual test curve is within 10%, confirming the model’s rationality and applicability.