This study experimentally investigates the coupled effects of initial water content and swelling history (i.e., free swelling, no swelling, and confined swelling) on compression behaviors of bentonite via two suites of swelling tests and four sets of one-dimensional compression tests. The initial water content has an influence on the swelling behavior of bentonite in both free swelling and confined swelling conditions. Additional insight and numerical models were provided on the prediction of bentonite swelling under different conditions. The swelling history was found to have significant effect on the compression behavior of bentonite. Results showed that the compression curves of bentonite exhibited differently under different swelling histories at the same initial water content. The effect was observed less significant as the consolidation pressure increased to the pre-consolidation stress. The yielding stress of remolded bentonite decreases with increasing initial water content regardless of swelling history; however, that of bentonite specimen with free swelling was lower than that with confined swelling at given initial water content. The difference of void ratio caused by the swelling history is the primary factor that results the different compression behaviors. It was found to related with the change in bonded water that developed during the swelling process. These results demonstrate that it is essential to consider the coupled effects of initial water content and swelling history on the compression behaviors of bentonites upon engineering application.

这项研究通过两组膨胀试验和四组一维压缩试验，研究了初始含水量和溶胀历史（即，自由溶胀，无溶胀和局限溶胀）对膨润土压缩行为的耦合影响。初始含水量对膨润土在自由溶胀和受限溶胀条件下的溶胀行为都有影响。还提供了有关在不同条件下膨润土膨胀预测的其他见解和数值模型。发现溶胀历史对膨润土的压缩行为具有显着影响。结果表明，在相同的初始含水量下，膨润土的压缩曲线在不同的膨胀历史下表现出不同的特征。当固结压力增加到预固结应力时，观察到的效果不太明显。重塑膨润土的屈服应力随初始含水量的增加而减小，而与溶胀历史无关。然而，在给定的初始含水量下，具有自由溶胀的膨润土试样比具有有限溶胀的膨润土试样要低。由膨胀历史引起的空隙率的差异是导致不同压缩行为的主要因素。发现与溶胀过程中结合水的变化有关。这些结果表明，在工程应用中，必须考虑初始含水量和溶胀历史对膨润土压缩行为的耦合影响。重塑膨润土的屈服应力随初始含水量的增加而减小，而与溶胀历史无关。然而，在给定的初始含水量下，具有自由溶胀的膨润土试样比具有有限溶胀的膨润土试样要低。由膨胀历史引起的空隙率的差异是导致不同压缩行为的主要因素。发现与溶胀过程中结合水的变化有关。这些结果表明，在工程应用中，必须考虑初始含水量和溶胀历史对膨润土压缩行为的耦合影响。重塑膨润土的屈服应力随初始含水量的增加而减小，而与溶胀历史无关。然而，在给定的初始含水量下，具有自由溶胀的膨润土试样比具有有限溶胀的膨润土试样要低。由膨胀历史引起的空隙率的差异是导致不同压缩行为的主要因素。发现与溶胀过程中结合水的变化有关。这些结果表明，在工程应用中，必须考虑初始含水量和溶胀历史对膨润土压缩行为的耦合影响。在给定的初始含水量下，膨润土试样的自由溶胀率低于约束溶胀。由膨胀历史引起的空隙率的差异是导致不同压缩行为的主要因素。发现与溶胀过程中结合水的变化有关。这些结果表明，在工程应用中，必须考虑初始含水量和溶胀历史对膨润土压缩行为的耦合影响。在给定的初始含水量下，膨润土试样的自由溶胀率低于约束溶胀。由膨胀历史引起的空隙率的差异是导致不同压缩行为的主要因素。发现与溶胀过程中结合水的变化有关。这些结果表明，在工程应用中，必须考虑初始含水量和溶胀历史对膨润土压缩行为的耦合影响。