Next Article in Journal
High Light Output Power Density AlGaN-Based Deep Ultraviolet Micro-Light-Emitting Diodes
Previous Article in Journal
Research on Chemical Agglomeration Technology of Wet Electrostatic Precipitator for Deep Purification of Blast Furnace Gas
Previous Article in Special Issue
Multiscale Rheological Properties of Pavement Asphalt: A State-of-the-Art Review
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Coatings
Volume 16
Issue 4
10.3390/coatings16040406
Due to scheduled maintenance work on our servers, there may be short service disruptions on this website between 11:00 and 12:00 CEST on March 28th.
coatings-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Utilization of Water-Based Drill Cuttings Stabilized by a Novel Composite Stabilizer for Pavement Base Applications

by
Shucheng Tan
1,2,
Hua Wen
3,*,
Hua Tang
1,2,
Wentao Fu
1,2,
Xiaoyan Guo
1,2,
Biaotian Bai
1,2,
Jiujiang Wu
3,4 and
Xiaoyu Tan
3
1
CNPC Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Company Limited, Chengdu 610051, China
2
CCDC SHUYU Engineering Construction Co., Ltd., Chengdu 610084, China
3
School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China
4
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B9, Canada
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Coatings 2026, 16(4), 406; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16040406
Submission received: 24 February 2026 / Revised: 23 March 2026 / Accepted: 24 March 2026 / Published: 27 March 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Pavement Materials and Civil Engineering)
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Abstract

Water-based drill cuttings generated during onshore natural gas development are complex solid wastes that may pose environmental risks if improperly managed. This study evaluates the feasibility of reutilizing water-based drill cuttings as pavement base materials after stabilization using a novel composite stabilizer composed of cement, stabilizer liquid agent, and water-reducing powder (CLP stabilizer). Mix proportion optimization was conducted through compaction and 7-day unconfined compressive strength tests, followed by evaluation of road performance, including strength, compressive rebound modulus, water stability, and temperature shrinkage, with stabilized powder stabilized soil as a control. Microstructural characteristics were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, and environmental safety was assessed through heavy metal leaching tests and background soil investigation. The results show that the optimal mixture ratio of curing agent (5% cement + 2% liquid stabilizer + 8% superplasticizer powder) satisfies the strength requirement for pre-drilling road bases, exhibiting superior performance compared to the control group. When the stabilizer dosage reaches 9%, the 7-day unconfined compressive strength achieves a maximum of 3.38 MPa, representing a 51% increase over the control group. At a stabilizer dosage of 12%, the splitting tensile strength reaches a peak value of 0.901 MPa, showing a 60.3% improvement. These results indicate enhanced deformation resistance, water stability, and reduced temperature shrinkage rates. Microstructural analysis indicates that the formation of calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel and ettringite (AFt phase) leads to a denser structure and enhanced durability. Heavy metal concentrations comply with relevant standards, demonstrating controllable environmental risks and supporting sustainable pavement base application.

1. Introduction

Large quantities of water-based drill cuttings are generated during natural gas exploration and development. These cuttings are typically complex in composition and may contain heavy metals and residual chemical additives. If improperly managed, they can contaminate soil and groundwater, posing risks to surrounding ecosystems and public health [1]. Therefore, the resource utilization of water-based drill cuttings after harmless treatment, particularly in pavement base engineering, represents a promising approach to mitigating environmental pressure while alleviating shortages of conventional construction materials, such as sand and gravel [2].
Driven by infrastructure demands (roads, foundations) and material shortages, soil solidification technology has rapidly developed and been widely adopted. Qin et al. [3] used three components, namely, cement clinker, sodium bisulfate, and Na2SiF6, as the main materials of the stabilizer to chemically reinforce the coastal silt. The 28-day strength of the consolidated soil was verified by the unconfined compressive strength test. The test results show that the activity of the slag in the stabilizer is fully stimulated, and the consolidation effect on the silt is very significant. In the study, Babatunde et al. [4] used gum Arabic as a sustainable soil stabilizer and employed three different contents of biopolymers to investigate the effects of gum Arabic on the rheological behavior, strength, and stiffness characteristics of treated sand. The compressive strength of the treated specimens was significantly enhanced after 28 days of curing. Li et al. [5] used the method of ionic soil stabilizer (ISS)—cement synergistic solidification in the study to solidify coastal pickled dispersed soil. The results showed that the solidification effect was the best when the ISS content was 5%. Zhong et al. [6] use high-content slag soil to prepare controllable low-strength filling materials to treat and effectively utilize the engineering sludge generated by urban development projects, achieving engineering performance reconstruction and resource utilization.
Scholars have conducted extensive research on the harmless disposal and resource utilization of water-based drill cuttings, providing crucial insights for their high-value applications in the fields of building materials and cementitious materials, such as Hu et al. [7]. In this paper, the feasibility of water-based drilling cuttings as building materials additives after treatment is discussed, and the reuse path of water-based drilling cuttings in specific industrial processes is studied, which provides a solid scientific theoretical support for the sustainable management of drilling cuttings. Xie et al. and Liuyang et al. [8,9] successfully achieved the secondary pyrolysis resource utilization of oil-based drilling waste ash by mixing drilling cuttings containing Cr(VI) pollutants with bauxite in different ratios to prepare proppants, providing an effective solution for the disposal of heavy metal-contaminated drilling cuttings. The study by Liu et al. [1] demonstrated that processed water-based drilling cuttings exhibit high calcium content properties, enabling partial substitution for conventional Portland cement. They proposed the preparation of highly reactive supplementary cementitious materials through mechanical activation methods, effectively achieving high-value resource recovery from water-based drilling cuttings. Liu et al. [10] demonstrated that combining calcined drilling cuttings with waste glass not only compensates for the low silicon content in water-based drilling cuttings but also significantly accelerates cement hydration, thereby expanding the application prospects of drilling cuttings in the cementitious materials field.
The application of solid waste materials as stabilizing agents in road engineering has also been extensively explored. Tanyıldızı et al. [11] evaluated the stabilizing effect of waste hazelnut shell ash (WHSA) on expansive soil. The experiments showed that a WHSA content of 2% to 10% could significantly reduce the plasticity, expansion, and contraction of soil. The environmentally friendly and low-cost characteristics could effectively improve the engineering properties of expansive soil and are suitable for road subgrade reinforcement. Qiu et al. [12] replaced cement with calcium carbide residue, blast furnace slag, and fly ash, and combined polypropylene fiber to reinforce the silt powder soil in Dongying City, significantly improving the mechanical properties of the stabilized soil. Sun et al. [13] mixed fly ash (FA) and granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) in a certain proportion as the basic building material for low-carbon pavement, which can effectively replace traditional materials and promote the utilization of waste materials in pavement applications.
Despite these advances, road base materials remain predominantly reliant on conventional cementitious systems such as Portland cement, quicklime, industrial slags, and natural aggregates. Developing new soil stabilizer systems with improved soil compatibility and environmental performance has become critical for addressing resource constraints and ecological pressures in road engineering. Jia et al. [14] prepared subgrade materials from iron tailings containing fly ash and lime and improved their mechanical strength and frost resistance and reduced the dry shrinkage rate through ionic soil stabilizers (ISS). The results show that when the ISS is 0.67%, the 7-day unconfined compressive strength increases by 195.5%. Pushpakumara and Mendis [15] treated highly plastic clayey soil with different ratios of rice husk ash (RHA) and lime. The results show that when the ratio is 10% rice husk ash + 20% lime, the unconfined compressive strength of the stabilized soil increases by 54.05%, and the friction angle value in the shear strength parameter increases by 60.48%. Lei et al. [16] and Hou et al. [17] successfully synthesized a multifunctional polymer soil stabilizer (MPSS) by copolymerizing modified nano-zinc oxide with acrylic acid and used it as an effective additive to prevent soil erosion. The results showed that the stabilizer exhibited excellent water retention and plant compatibility.
Although substantial progress has been made in soil stabilization and solid waste utilization, significant technical challenges remain in treating high-water-content water-based drilling cuttings associated with oil and gas extraction. Conventional stabilizers often fail to achieve efficient and economical solidification due to the high moisture content, complex chemical composition, and potential heavy metal contamination of these materials. To address these limitations, this study evaluates the feasibility of reutilizing water-based drill cuttings as pavement base materials through stabilization with a novel composite system composed of cement, stabilizer liquid agent, and water-reducing powder (CLP stabilizer). At first, water-based drill cuttings collected from an engineering site were first characterized in terms of their fundamental physical properties. The optimal stabilizer proportion was determined through mix design, compaction tests, and 7-day unconfined compressive strength tests, followed by stabilization treatment of the drill cuttings. Subsequently, the road performance of the stabilized materials under different curing ages and stabilizer dosages was evaluated through unconfined compressive strength tests, splitting tensile strength tests, compressive resilient modulus tests, temperature shrinkage tests, and water stability tests, thereby identifying the optimal solidifying agent content. Finally, microstructural evolution, pore morphology, and mineral composition of both stabilized drill cuttings and powder-stabilized soil were analyzed. Heavy metal concentrations in leachate and surrounding soil were examined to assess the environmental compatibility and practical applicability of the stabilized material.

2. Material Analysis and Mix Design

2.1. Analysis of Basic Properties of Raw Materials

2.1.1. Water-Based Drill Cuttings

The water-based drill cuttings are taken from the engineering cuttings of a drilling well with a depth of 500 m to 2000 m in Suining, Sichuan Province. Their lithology is grayish-brown, in a moist state, with an unpleasant smell, and formed unevenly sized blocky bodies after absorbing water. In the early stage of the experiment, the moisture content of the on-site soil samples was analyzed first to clarify the composition of the soil samples in this area. The phase analysis of soil samples was conducted by X-ray diffraction (XRD) detection [18], and the detection results are shown in Figure 1.
It can be seen that the mineral composition of water-based drill cuttings mainly includes quartz, barite, calcite, etc., and it also contains a certain proportion of cuttings particles. The composition of water-based drill cuttings was detected by an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The chemical composition and content are shown in Table 1. The heavy metal detection results of water-based drill cuttings samples are shown in Table 2. The samples mainly contain mercury, arsenic, copper, petroleum, chlorides, and other substances, and the content of each substance is far below the standard limit, which meets the relevant requirements of the “Integrated wastewater discharge standard” (GB 8978-1996) [19] and “Environmental quality standards for surface water” (GB 3838-2002) [20].
According to the “Highway geotechnical test code” (JTG 3430-2020) [21], the basic physical property indicators of water-based drill cuttings were determined, and the results are shown in Table 3 and Figure 2. The particle analysis results show that the soil sample is a fine-grained soil with uniform particle distribution but poor gradation. It is determined to be a low liquid limit clay through plasticity diagram analysis.

2.1.2. Stabilizing Agent Materials

Cement
This experiment selected P.O42.5R ordinary Portland cement produced by Hongshi Cement Co., Ltd. in Jiangyou City, Sichuan Province. Its chemical composition and main physical property indicators are as Table 4.
Basic Properties of Stabilizers
This experiment employed a novel soil stabilizer independently developed by Southwest University of Science and Technology. The stabilizer consists of stabilizing liquid, water-reducing powder, and cement (as shown in Figure 3), abbreviated as CLP stabilizer, which is mixed with cement in a specified proportion. The stabilizing liquid agent comprises 20–35% aqueous epoxy resin, 4–8% isocyanates, 0.1–2% lignin fibers, 15–23% neutral water glass, 10–18% acrylamide, 0.8–3% sodium polycarboxylate, 1–2% anionic fibers, 0.2–0.4% magnesium oxide, and 150–200% water. The water-reducing powder is a gray powdery solid made up of 20–41% potassium chloride, 4–10% sodium sulfide, 3–7% magnesium chloride, 16–26% calcium chloride, 3–5% polyanionic cellulose, and 0.3–2% desulfurized ash. Its core function lies in enhancing the density of the compacted soil, reducing the soil’s water permeability and simultaneously strengthening the soil’s compressive strength and water resistance.

2.2. Mix Proportion Design of Water-Based Drill Cuttings Stabilized Soil

2.2.1. Preliminary Selection of Mix Proportion

Taking the optimal moisture content, maximum dry density, and 7-day unconfined compressive strength of the specimens as evaluation indicators, 9 sets of stabilizer mix ratio schemes, as shown in Table 5, were designed according to relevant test specifications [22], aiming to explore the influence law of cement, stabilizer, and water-reducing powder dosage on the performance of stabilized soil.

2.2.2. Determine the Maximum Dry Density and the Optimal Moisture Content

The maximum dry density and the optimal moisture content of the stabilized soil are determined using the heavy compaction (Class II-2) method. After the curing of the specimens was completed, a 7-day unconfined compressive strength test was conducted to evaluate the maximum ability of the material to resist axial compressive stress.
Three test samples are prepared for each experimental configuration, with the final test results analyzed using the average of valid data [23]. The experimental results are shown in Figure 4. When only cement is added, the maximum dry density of stabilized soil is relatively low, while the optimal moisture content is relatively high. The 7-day unconfined compressive strength of GH1, GH2, and GH3 groups is 1.12 MPa, 1.18 MPa, and 1.27 MPa, respectively. Under constant cement dosage, as the CLP stabilizer dosage increases, the optimal moisture content shows a downward trend, whereas the maximum dry density first increases and then decreases. However, the 7-day unconfined compressive strength increases in all cases (comparisons between GH4 and GH7, GH5 and GH8, GH6 and GH9). When the cement dosage is 5%, stabilizer dosage is 2%, and superplasticizer dosage is 8%, the maximum dry density reaches 1.919 g/cm3, the optimal moisture content is 17.6%, and the 7-day unconfined compressive strength reaches its maximum value of 2.60 MPa. The compressive strength of stabilized soil with the addition of stabilizer is significantly higher than that of pure cement-stabilized soil, indicating a linear relationship between the stabilizer dosage and the 7-day unconfined compressive strength. The strength growth rate of stabilized soil is the fastest when the stabilizer dosage is increased from 0% to 1% stabilizer liquid agent plus 6% water reducing powder. As the stabilizer dosage continues to increase, the strength growth rate gradually slows down. This phenomenon suggests that a critical dosage of CLP stabilizer exists in the modification process of water-based drilling cuttings. Once this critical value is exceeded, the strength of the stabilized soil becomes difficult to further improve.

2.2.3. Optimized Design of Mix Proportion

Based on the analysis of the mix proportion test, compaction test, and 7-day unconfined compressive strength test results, it can be known that the stabilizer liquid agent and water-reducing powder agent have the most significant impact on the strength of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil, while excessive cement content will have an adverse effect on the stability of the stabilized soil. According to the technical requirements of “Application standard of soil stabilizer” (CJJ/T 286-2018) [24] and “Technical guidelines for construction of highway roadbases” (JTG/T F20-2015) [25], the 7-day unconfined compressive strength of the road base in the pre-drilling project should reach 2.5 MPa to 3.0 MPa. Taking into account factors such as strength performance, economy, and construction requirements comprehensively, the final optimal mix ratio was determined to be 5% cement + 2% stabilizer liquid agent + 8% water-reducing powder.

3. Experimental Study on the Performance of Water-Based Drill Cuttings Stabilized Soil Roads

Using the powdery soil from the rear hill of Southwest University of Science and Technology as the control group, this study compared the road performance differences between powdery stabilized soil and water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil, with 10 test groups designed as shown in Table 6. The CLP stabilizer dosage ratio is 5% cement + 2% stabilizer + 8% water-reducing powder, where the percentages represent the proportion of each component relative to the total soil sample volume.

3.1. Unconfined Compressive Strength Test

To study the variation law of the unconfined compressive strength of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil under different factors, the soil sample ratio was determined based on the optimal mix ratio in the previous text. According to the specification requirements [26], four standard curing ages of 7 days, 14 days, 28 days, and 90 days are set. On the last day of each curing age, the specimens are immersed in water for 24 h, and then the unconfined compressive strength test is carried out.
The final failure mode of stabilized soil is shown in Figure 5a. During the test, the failure process of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil presented typical brittle failure characteristics, which are specifically divided into the integrity stage, the crack propagation stage, and the fracture failure stage. The test results are shown in Figure 5b. Under the same curing age and dosage of stabilizer, the strength of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil is much higher than that of powdery stabilized soil. When the dosage of stabilizer is 9%, the strength reaches the maximum value. After that, with the increase in the dosage of stabilizer, the strength of the stabilized soil decreases. With the extension of the curing period, the strength of the stabilized soil continues to increase. This occurs because when water-based drilling cuttings fully interact with CLP stabilizer, the hydration reaction of the mixture produces increasing amounts of substances such as alunite, hydrated calcium aluminate, and hydrated calcium silicate as the stabilizer dosage increases. Consequently, the unconfined compressive strength of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil improves, while its cementation effect, filling capacity, and soil particle compaction capability become more pronounced.
Among them, the growth rate is the fastest from 7 days to 14 days. At 90 days, the strength of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil reaches 3.38 MPa, with an increase rate of 51%. In addition, the strength increase in water-based drill cuttings during the curing period is significantly higher than that of powdery stabilized soil. It can be seen from this that a high dosage of stabilizer can more effectively enhance the compressive performance of stabilized soil, and its enhancing effect is more prominent compared to that of a low dosage of stabilizer. Therefore, effectively controlling the dosage of stabilizer and optimizing the curing process to promote the full progress of hydration reaction are of great significance for further enhancing the compressive strength of the stabilized soil.

3.2. Splitting Tensile Strength Test

This test prepared samples in accordance with relevant regulations and conducted splitting tensile strength tests at different ages [27]. A 6.35 mm pressure strip was used to load at a rate of 1 mm/min until the specimen reached the ultimate stress and failed. The maximum pressure value at the time of specimen failure was recorded, and then the splitting strength was calculated. The failure mode of the specimen is shown in Figure 6a.
The variation laws of splitting tensile strength of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil and powdery stabilized soil at different curing ages are shown in Figure 6b. Based on the variation law of the unconfined compressive strength of different specimens with age in the previous text, it can be known that the development trend of the splitting tensile strength is similar to that of the unconfined compressive strength. Whether it is water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil or powdery stabilized soil, with the increase in age, within the period of 7 days to 28 days, the strength growth curve is relatively steep, and the splitting strength increases significantly. During the period of 28 days to 90 days, the growth trend of the curve gradually slows down, but it still maintains growth. For the powdering stabilized soil without stabilizer, the splitting strengths at the ages of 7 days, 14 days, 28 days, and 90 days were 0.124 MPa, 0.146 MPa, 0.149 MPa, and 0.153 MPa, respectively. The splitting strengths of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil without stabilizer reached 0.253 MPa, 0.268 MPa, 0.269 MPa, and 0.271 MPa, respectively, during the corresponding curing time. This indicates that when the CLP stabilizer is not added, the overall splitting tensile strength of the stabilized soil is relatively low with the increase in age. However, after the addition of stabilizers, although the splitting strength of powdery stabilized soil has increased, it is still far lower than that of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil. It can be seen that the curing age has a very significant effect on the improvement of splitting strength.
As can be seen from Figure 7, the splitting tensile strength gradually increases with the increase in stabilizer dosage and then tends to stabilize. Under the condition that the filler is water-based drill cuttings, when the curing age was extended from 7 days to 90 days, and the dosage of CLP stabilizer was 3%, the splitting strength increased from 0.478 MPa to 0.641 MPa, with an increase of 34.1%. When the dosage was 6%, the splitting strength increased from 0.541 MPa to 0.795 MPa, with an increase of 47.0%. When the dosage was 9%, the splitting strength increased from 0.553 MPa to 0.852 MPa, with an increase of 54.1%. When the dosage was 12%, the splitting strength increased from 0.572 MPa to 0.901 MPa, with an increase of 60.3%. This indicates that the dosage of the stabilizer has a significant impact on the improvement of the splitting strength.
Based on the above data analysis, it can be known that after the water-based drill cuttings filler is added with a stabilizer, a series of physical and chemical reactions will occur inside the stabilized soil during the mixing and compaction process, promoting the formation of cementing substances between the mixtures. These cementing substances enhance the agglomeration of stabilized soil, making the soil structure more compact. Meanwhile, the ettringite crystals produced by the cement in the CLP stabilizer exert a mechanical interlocking effect [28]. However, excessive stabilizers will generate a considerable amount of heat, causing local expansion or cracking of the soil and reducing the toughness of the soil particles. Therefore, the selection of an appropriate amount of stabilizer plays a significant role in enhancing the splitting strength of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil, and it plays a dominant role in the later strength improvement.

3.3. Compressive Rebound Modulus Test

The test results obtained by the method shown in Figure 8a are presented in Figure 8b. When subjected to external forces, the anti-deformation ability of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil is significantly better than that of powdery stabilized soil [29]. During the curing process, the internal restraint effect of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil is enhanced, specifically manifested as a reduction in elastic deformation and an increase in the rebound modulus. At the 7-day curing age, there is no significant difference in the rebound modulus between the stabilized soil without the addition of stabilizer and that with the addition of stabilizer. This might be due to the fact that the early hydration reaction had not been fully carried out, the internal framework structure of the material had not been fully formed, and the strengthening effect of the stabilizer had not been fully manifested. However, as the curing period extends, especially after 28 days or longer, the role of the stabilizer gradually becomes prominent, making the internal structure of the stabilized soil denser and the cementing firmer, and the gap in the rebound modulus between the two gradually widens. This result fully demonstrates that the addition of stabilizers can effectively increase the compressive rebound modulus of stabilized soil and enhance its ability to resist deformation.
Figure 9 presents the relationship curves between unit pressure and rebound deformation of four groups of stabilized soil when no stabilizer is added and when the stabilizer content is 12%, as well as the relationship graph of the rebound modulus of stabilized soil with age. Under the action of vertical loads, as the curing time increases, the rebound deformation of the specimens gradually decreases. This indicates that the water-based drill cuttings cured subgrade structure with the addition of stabilizer has a stronger elastic deformation capacity and a higher compressive strength of the subgrade.

3.4. Water Stability Test

To study the water stability of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil and powdery stabilized soil under different ratios [30], and to verify the curing effect of the stabilizer at the same time, two groups of specimens were prepared according to the test scheme shown in Table 7. A group of specimens was cured under standard curing conditions (temperature 20 °C ± 2 °C, humidity ≥ 95%), and then unconfined compressive strength tests were carried out. Another group of specimens was cured under the same standard curing conditions until the last day and then taken out and immersed in water for 24 h before undergoing an unconfined compressive strength test.
The test results are calculated as shown in Figure 10. Under different curing ages, the CLP stabilizer reacts with water-based drill cuttings, generating insoluble hydration products such as calcium silicate hydrate with “hydrophobicity”. These reaction products keep increasing, filling the pores of the stabilized soil, reducing the influence of water on the stabilized soil, enhancing the compactness of the stabilized soil, and preventing it from collapsing when exposed to water. The water stability of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil continuously improves with the increase in stabilizer dosage and age. The water stability coefficient shows an upward trend and gradually stabilizes, ultimately meeting the relevant specification requirements in the “Application standard of soil stabilizer” (CJJ/T 286-2018) [24]. However, the test results of powdery stabilized soil are exactly the opposite. The electrostatic effect carried by water molecules replaces the adsorption force on the surface layer of powder-stabilized soil particles, resulting in a decrease in the compactness between particles, making the soil loose and weak, with poor water stability, and failing to meet the performance requirements for road use.

3.5. Temperature Shrinkage Performance Test

In order to evaluate the crack resistance capacity of subgrade fill materials, small beam specimens with a density of 96% and dimensions of 50 mm × 50 mm × 200 mm are prepared in accordance with relevant test procedures. After drying the specimens to a constant weight, they were standard-cured for 7 days. The temperature shrinkage performance test was carried out in a high- and low-temperature alternating test chamber with a gradient of 10 °C within the temperature range of 40 °C to −30 °C [31], as shown in Figure 11.
The curve of the temperature shrinkage coefficient varying with the temperature range drawn from the test results of the temperature shrinkage test is shown in Figure 12.
During the process, when the temperature drops from 40 °C to −20 °C, the temperature shrinkage performance of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil is superior to that of powdery stabilized soil. Specifically, it is characterized by a lower temperature shrinkage coefficient, smaller shrinkage deformation, stronger resistance to temperature shrinkage, and the ability to effectively reduce volume shrinkage caused by temperature changes.
The temperature shrinkage coefficients of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil and powdery stabilized soil show a similar pattern with temperature variation: when the temperature drops from 40 °C to 0 °C, the temperature shrinkage coefficients fluctuate within a certain range, and the overall variation amplitude is relatively small. When the temperature further drops to −30 °C, the coefficient of temperature shrinkage rises rapidly. This is mainly because when the temperature drops below freezing point, water freezes into ice and expands in volume, and the coefficient of temperature contraction of ice is relatively large. In addition, the effect of the stabilizer weakens the influence of temperature changes on water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil. Its active groups form a randomly distributed grid structure through chemical reactions, effectively inhibiting the severe shrinkage caused by the drop in temperature.
Under the same temperature conditions, the temperature shrinkage coefficient of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil is significantly lower than that of powdery stabilized soil, indicating that it has a stronger resistance to temperature shrinkage deformation and can more effectively resist the shrinkage effect caused by temperature changes. This is mainly because the smaller the coefficient of temperature shrinkage, the smaller the shrinkage deformation of the material when the temperature changes, thereby reducing the structural stress concentration caused by temperature differences and lowering the risk of cracks and damage.

4. Microscopic Mechanism and Environmental Impact Analysis

4.1. Microscopic Mechanism Analysis

4.1.1. XRD Analysis

The DMAX-1400 X-ray diffractometer (Rigaku, Tokyo, Japan) was employed to analyze the phase composition and relative crystalline content of both powdery stabilized soil and water-based drilling cuttings stabilized soil [18]. Using MDI Jade 6.0 software to interpret the diffraction patterns, the phase identification was performed by cross-referencing peak positions and relative intensities against the ICDD/PDF standard diffraction database, ultimately yielding the phase composition and relative content results of the specimens.
The mineral composition and relative content of powdery stabilized soil are shown in Figure 13a. The primary mineral component is quartz (SiO2), along with feldspar and calcite (CaCO3). After adding the stabilizer, the characteristic diffraction peaks of these minerals did not disappear. In a strongly alkaline environment, the hydration reactions in the stabilizer break, generating amorphous calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H) gel. However, no characteristic peaks of ettringite (AFt phase) and Ca(OH)2 were detected in the XRD pattern, indicating minimal formation of hydration reaction products such as C-S-H gel, ettringite (AFt phase), and Ca(OH)2. This resulted in a loose structure and insufficient cementation of the cured soil, ultimately leading to adverse effects, including low strength, poor hydraulic stability, and susceptibility to shrinkage and cracking. This phenomenon is attributed to the fact that SiO2 and CaO in the powdery stabilized soil fail to fully dissociate during the hydration process of the solidifying agent, resulting in insufficient OH− concentration and the inability to effectively release Ca2+ and silicate ions, thereby inhibiting the formation of calcium silicate hydrate, calcium aluminate hydrate, and Ca(OH)2 crystals.
The XRD analysis of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil (ZGH) is shown in Figure 13b. The addition of the solidifying agent triggered a series of physical and chemical changes, including hydration reaction, filling effect, carbonization, micro-expansion phenomenon, and ion exchange. In CLP stabilizer, cement clinker rapidly hydrates upon contact with water, forming Ca(OH)2 and C-S-H gel while releasing high concentrations of Ca2+, OH−, and AlO2− ions. These ions react with water to form needle-like calcite crystals. In water-based drilling cuttings, active Al2O3 and SiO2 are activated under high alkaline conditions, releasing Al3+ ions that serve as an aluminum source for calcite formation, thereby further promoting extensive calcite precipitation [32]. The gel encapsulates internal particles within the structure, forming an interlocking network that enhances the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and deformation resistance of the structure. The ettringite (AFt phase) fills the pores, increasing structural density, reducing structural shrinkage, and improving water stability.
With increased curing agent dosage, the hydration products increase, leading to enhanced diffraction peak intensities for CaCO3, ettringite (AFt phase), hydrated calcium silicate (C-S-H), and hydrated calcium aluminate (C-A-H). The resulting structure demonstrates superior mechanical properties and durability.
The increase in the dosage of stabilizer is positively correlated with the characteristic peak intensity of gelling products and swelling products. The main expansive substance, ettringite (AFt phase), forms stable calcium hydroxide by adsorbing calcium ions in the aqueous phase. This process not only provides an alkaline environment for the continuous formation of C-A-H and C-S-H gels but also its volume expansion effect, which can bridge the particle gaps and promote the formation of a dense structure within the material. This dual mechanism, through the synergistic effect of pore filling and volume micro-expansion, enhances the mechanical and durability performance indicators of the curing system.

4.1.2. Microscopic Scanning Electron Microscopy Analysis

To explore the mechanism of action and microstructure changes of CLP stabilizer on water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil and powdery stabilized soil, referring to relevant research methods [33,34], the morphology, distribution density, and growth status of the products were qualitatively assessed using a TM-4000 Zeiss scanning electron microscope (Hitachi, Tokyo, Japan) at magnification levels of 1000 times, 2500 times, and 5000 times.
As shown in Figure 14, at 1000 times magnification, the particles of powder stabilized soil are in a discrete accumulation state with clear boundaries between particles. A large number of connected large pores exist, and no continuous cementing structure is formed, resulting in a loose and porous structure overall. This is the main reason for the low strength, poor water stability, and insufficient bearing capacity of the stabilized powder soil. At 2500 times magnification, only a small amount of flaky Ca(OH)2 crystals and trace flocculent C-S-H gel can be observed. The cementing products are sparsely distributed and fail to form effective wrapping and overlapping between particles. At 5000 times magnification, there is no obvious interwoven network structure at the particle interface. The hydration products are extremely scarce and unevenly distributed, which cannot achieve effective cementation between particles and pore filling. On the whole, the powder stabilized soil group has a single type of hydration products, an extremely low yield, and poor structural compactness.
At 1000 times magnification, the surface of soil particles in the water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil is completely covered by a large amount of flocculent C-S-H gel. The gel bonds discrete particles tightly into an integral whole, the number and size of pores are significantly reduced, and the structural integrity is greatly improved. At 2500 times magnification, abundant punctate C-A-H gel and rod-like ettringite (AFt phase) are generated in the system. The gel and acicular crystals interpenetrate and overlap with each other, initially forming a three-dimensional framework structure with a remarkable pore-filling effect. At 5000 times magnification, C-S-H gel, C-A-H gel, and ettringite (AFt phase) crystals coexist densely and interweave sufficiently, filling micropores and microcracks completely with no obvious connected pores, resulting in a dense and continuous microstructure.
Based on the above analysis results, the amount of hydration products in the ZGH group is much higher than that in the FGH group. The main reasons are as follows: the flocculent C-S-H gel, as the dominant cementing phase, is produced in a large quantity, which provides bonding force and structural strength for particles inside the system; a great number of rod-like ettringite (AFt phase) crystals are formed, which exert the effects of pore filling and micro-expansion, thus improving the compactness and deformation resistance of the structure; the punctate C-A-H gel assists in cementation and enhances the toughness of the matrix; and the generated CaCO3 crystals fill the pores and strengthen the chemical stability of the structure. The products of different reactions act synergistically, transforming the structure of stabilized soil from loose to dense and significantly improving the mechanical properties and road performance of the material.

4.2. Environmental Impact Analysis

To evaluate whether water-based cuttings resource utilization meets environmental requirements, the pH levels of leachate from drilling cuttings and surrounding soil were measured, and metal content was analyzed in accordance with the “Leaching Method for Toxicity of Solid Wastes-Sulfuric Acid and Nitric Acid Method” (HJ/T299-2007) [35]. Comparative analysis was conducted against the basic water quality requirements for surface water subcategories specified in the national standard “Surface Water Environmental Quality Standards” (GB3838-2002) [20] to assess compliance with environmental protection standards for water-based cuttings leachate.
The test samples were dried at 105 °C, ground, and sieved through a 200-mesh sieve. Pre-treatment was performed according to the microwave digestion method specified in Table 8. After microwave digestion, the digestion solution was diluted with ultrapure water to a final volume of 50 mL for testing.

4.2.1. Analysis of Water-Based Cuttings Leachate

The test results are shown in Table 9. The pH value of the water-based drill cuttings leachate was measured to be 8.64. This is because the main curing component in the stabilizer is an alkaline substance. No heavy metals, Co, V, or Pb, were detected in the leachate. The contents of As, Ba, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn, Cr, Cu, Cd, Ag, and Be all comply with the first-level standards in Table 3 of the “Technical specification for co-processing of solid waste in cement kiln” (GN30760-2024) [36], the “Integrated wastewater discharge standard” (GB 8978-1996) [19], and the “Technical specifications of water-based drilling waste treatment and resource utilization for onshore oil & natural gas exploitation” (SY/T 7466-2020) [37].
Therefore, the structural layer materials containing rock cuttings can withstand the infiltration and erosion of rainwater for a long time. After the leachate seeps into the soil, it will not cause the accumulation of heavy metals or the adsorption of organic toxins, nor will it inhibit the activity of microorganisms or damage soil fertility. It has no significant impact on the heavy metal content in groundwater or surface water quality.

4.2.2. Background Soil Heavy Metal Analysis

Most well sites are surrounded by farmland, and the background soil around the well sites is also one of the raw materials for structural layer materials. To assess the environmental pollution risks during the utilization of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil structural layer materials, it is necessary to conduct detection and analysis of the background soil around the well site [38]. The detection results of heavy metal content in the background soil around the well site are shown in Table 10.
According to Table 10, in terms of the total amount of heavy metals, no heavy metals, Cd, Se, T1, or Ti, were detected in the surface and middle layers of the background soil around the well site. Among them, the detection results of As, Hg, Ba, Fe, Mn, Co, Ni, Zn, V, Cr, Cu, Sb, Pb, Cd, Ag, and Be were all relatively low. The test results do not exceed the “Soil environmental quality risk control standard for soil contamination of agricultural land” (GB15618-2018) [39] or the “Risk control standard for soil contamination of development land in Sichuan Province” (DB51 2978-2023) [40]. The limit values were stipulated. This indicates that under extreme conditions, the content of heavy metals in the background soil around the field remains at a relatively low level. When the concentration of heavy metals in the soil is equal to or lower than the standard limit, the impact on human health can be ignored. If the limit is exceeded, it may pose health risks. Further detailed investigations and risk assessments are required to clarify the extent of pollution and the degree of risk [41].
The research finds that the content of heavy metals in the soil structure layer of the well site area has significant spatial heterogeneity, and the distribution varies greatly in different regions. After treating water-based drill cuttings with improved curing technology and using them as pavement base materials, during the curing process, heavy metals are fixed in a stable matrix, and their migration ability is significantly reduced, making them less likely to seep into groundwater or spread to the surrounding background soil due to precipitation under long-term environmental effects. Therefore, this treatment method effectively reduces the risk of heavy metal pollution, and the environmental risk is within a controllable range. Meanwhile, the application of solidified fillers has enhanced the resource utilization rate of drilling waste, achieving the reduction, harmless treatment, and resource utilization of waste.

5. Conclusions

This study systematically investigated the engineering feasibility of utilizing water-based drill cuttings from Suining, Sichuan Province, as pavement base materials through mix design optimization, performance evaluation, microstructural analysis, and environmental assessment. The main conclusions are summarized as follows:
(1)
The water-based drill cuttings exhibit an optimum moisture content of 20.2%, a maximum dry density of 1.91 g/cm3, a liquid limit of 34.8%, a plastic limit of 15.5%, a plasticity index of 19.3%, and a specific gravity of 2.96, classifying them as low liquid limit soil suitable for subgrade filling. The optimal mix proportion determined by orthogonal design is 5% cement + 2% CLP stabilizer + 8% water-reducing powder. Under this condition, the 7-day unconfined compressive strength of specimens increased by 51%; when the stabilizer dosage is 12%, the splitting tensile strength increased by 60.3%. Excellent mechanical properties, deformation resistance, and hydraulic stability all meet the technical requirements for pre-drilling engineering pavement base layers.
(2)
Microstructural analyses using XRD and SEM revealed that hydration of the CLP-stabilized drill cuttings produces cementitious gels (C-A-H and C-S-H) and expansive ettringite (AFt). The flocculent gels interwoven with needle-like AFt form a dense three-dimensional network structure, enhancing particle bonding, reducing pore space, and improving overall compactness and mechanical strength. The rational properties of stabilized soil are, therefore, significantly improved.
(3)
The heavy metal concentrations in the surrounding background soil meet the soil pollution risk control standards for agricultural and construction land. Stabilization treatment effectively immobilized heavy metals within the matrix, reducing their leaching potential and controlling environmental risks, thereby achieving the reduction, harmless treatment, and resource utilization of drilling waste.
This study focused on evaluating the road performance of water-based drill cuttings stabilized soil for application in pre-drilling engineering pavement bases and medium- to light-traffic highways. Long-term durability performance under freeze–thaw and wet–dry cycles was not investigated, and its applicability to heavy-traffic highway base courses was not further assessed. Future research should, therefore, examine long-term durability and optimize mix design to verify its suitability for higher-grade pavement structures.

Author Contributions

S.T.: project administration and conceptualization. H.W.: writing—original draft and supervision. H.T.: resources and data curation. W.F.: visualization; X.G.: investigation and formal analysis. B.B.: methodology. J.W.: writing—review and editing. X.T.: writing—original draft and visualization. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This study was funded by the CNPC Key Core Technology Research Project: Research on Key Technologies and Equipment for the Resource Utilization of Drilling waste. (No. 2025ZG73).

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

The data presented in this study is available upon request from the corresponding author.

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their constructive comments and valuable suggestions, which have significantly improved the quality and clarity of this manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest

Authors Shucheng Tan, Hua Tang, Wentao Fu, Xiaoyan Guo, Biaotian Bai were employed by the company CNPC Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Company Limited and CCDC SHUYU Engineering Construction Co., Ltd. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

References

  1. Liu, Y.C.; Yang, J.; Chen, M.Y.; Yan, X.; Wang, Z.M. Water-based drill cuttings, a shale gas extraction waste as supplementary cementitious material and optimization. Constr. Build. Mater. 2022, 346, 128419. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  2. Zhou, X.; Wang, G.; Tang, G.; Jia, C.; Zhang, H. Microbial Synergistic Active Magnesium Oxide Solidification of Water-Based Drilling Cuttings and Analysis of Its Durability Strength Loss Mechanism. ACS Sustain. Chem. Eng. 2024, 12, 11968–11979. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  3. Qin, P.F. Experimental study on reinforcement treatment of coastal silty soft soil. Sci. Rep. 2026, 16, 7688. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  4. Babatunde, Q.O.; Byun, Y.H. Soil Stabilization Using Gum Arabic Biopolymer. Biopolymers 2026, 117, e70077. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  5. Li, G.; Ren, Z.F.; Liu, J.K.; Chen, H.; Wen, Z.; Fu, C.Q. Enhancing coastal saline dispersive soil with ionic stabilizer-cement synergy: Mechanisms and performance. Case Stud. Constr. Mater. 2025, 23, e05519. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  6. Zhong, H.J.; Zhao, J.H.; Li, H.D.; Wang, N.N.; Zhao, X.; Zhang, L.; Fei, Y.L.; Quan, J. Eco-friendly controlled low strength material by construction muck: A systematic study from rheological properties, mechanical performance and microstructure. J. Build. Eng. 2025, 112, 113981. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  7. Hu, Y.S.; Mu, S.Q.; Zhang, J.J.; Li, Q.B. Regional Distribution, Properties, Treatment Technologies, and Resource Utilization of Oil-Based Drilling Cuttings: A Review. Chemosphere 2022, 308, 136145. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  8. Xie, P.; Wu, H.Y.; Yang, H.; Zhang, Y.; Xia, S.B. Utilization of Cr-Contaminated Oil-Based Drilling-Cuttings Ash in Preparation of Bauxite-Based Proppants. Environ. Eng. Sci. 2022, 39, 73–80. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  9. Liuyang, X.Y.; Yang, H.; Huang, S.Y.; Zhang, Y.; Xia, S.B. Resource Utilization of Secondary Pyrolysis Oil-Based Drilling Cuttings Ash for Removing Cr (VI) contaminants: Adsorption properties, kinetics and mechanism. J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 2020, 8, 104474. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  10. Liu, Y.C.; Ma, E.R.; Chen, M.Y.; Wu, J.W.; Yang, J.; Wang, Z.M.; Yang, L.; Li, H. Efficient mechanical activation for preparing highly active supplementary cementitious materials: High-value resource recovery of water-based drilling cuttings. Process Saf. Environ. Prot. 2026, 208, 108436. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  11. Tanyıldızı, M.; Nasıroğlu, S.; Zeybek, A.; Gökalp, İ. Sustainable use of waste hazelnut shell ash in road construction to stabilize expansive subgrad. Constr. Build. Mater. 2024, 432, 136663. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  12. Qiu, X.; Yang, J.; Wu, Y.; Liu, Q. Effect of Fiber Content on Mechanical Properties of Fiber-Reinforced CGF All-Solid-Waste Binder-stabilized soil. Materials 2024, 17, 388. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  13. Sun, Y.F.; Yang, Y.; Niu, X.; Yang, J.; Deng, K.; Song, S.; Shi, X.; Wen, Z.; Wang, Y. Pavement Performance of Fine-Grained Soil Stabilized by Fly Ash and Granulated Blast Furnace Slag-Based Geopolymer as Road Base Course Material. J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 2024, 36, 04024167. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  14. Jia, J.; Lu, X.; Zhu, J.; Wang, J.; Zhang, L.; Cheng, X. Effect of ionic soil stabilizer on the properties of lime and fly ash stabilized iron tailings as pavement base. Constr. Build. Mater. 2024, 450, 138558. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  15. Pushpakumara, J.H.B.; Mendis, W.S.W. Suitability of Rice Husk Ash (RHA) with lime as a soil stabilizer in geotechnical applications. Int. J. Geo-Eng. 2022, 13, 4. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  16. Lei, B.F.; Zhang, X.C.; Fan, H.H.; Wu, S.J.; Zhao, C.Z.; Ni, W.B.; Liu, C.H. A Strategy to Optimize the Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Loess by Nano-Modified Soil Stabilizer. Materials 2025, 18, 4435. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  17. Hou, J.J.; Chen, Z.X.; Wang, W.Q.; Guo, H.N.; Liu, M.Q.; Guo, T.T.; Wang, J.L.; Mi, J.L.; Lei, Z.Q. Preparation of modified nano-zinc oxide-based multifunctional polymer soil stabilizer materials for controlling soil erosion and environmental remediation. Surf. Interfaces 2025, 73, 107630. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  18. Tabet, W.E.; Cerato, A.B.; Elwood Madden, A.S.; Jentoft, R.E. Characterization of Hydration Products’ Formation and Strength Development in Cement-Stabilized Kaolinite Using TG and XRD. J. Mater. Civ. Eng. 2018, 30, 04018261. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  19. GB 8978-1996; Integrated Wastewater Discharge Standard. Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China: Beijing, China, 1996.
  20. GB 3838-2002; Environmental Quality Standards for Surface Water. Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China: Beijing, China, 2002.
  21. JTG 3430-2020; Highway Geotechnical Test Code. Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China: Beijing, China, 2020.
  22. Wang, Z.; Li, H.; Ye, X.; Luo, W.; Zhang, B.; Hu, A.; Wu, L. Research on layered steel fiber reinforced concrete mix ratio design based on orthogonal test. Coatings 2024, 14, 697. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  23. Xiao, Z.A.; Guo, M.L.; Liang, J.R.; Yin, Z.Y.; Chen, X.Y.; Du, Z.H.; Xu, X.Y. Mechanical Behavior and Microscopic Mechanism of Solidified Sulfate Saline Soil under the Synergistic Effect of Temperature and Salt Content. J. Cold Reg. Eng. 2026, 40, 04026011. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  24. CJJ/T 286-2018; Application Standard of Soil Stabilizer. Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction of the People’s Republic of China: Beijing, China, 2018.
  25. JTG/T F20-2015; Technical Guidelines for Construction of Highway Roadbases. Ministry of Transport of the People’s Republic of China: Beijing, China, 2015.
  26. Feng, M.J.; Wang, D.Q.; Zhang, H.B.; Ma, H.F.; Huang, X.M.; Gao, W.B.; Jiang, Q.Q. Volume stability evaluation and life prediction of steel slag water-stabilised materials. Road Mater. Pavement Des. 2026, 27, 345–365. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  27. Wang, H.W.; Zhang, J.H.; Dong, L.J.; Zentar, R.; Shi, Y.; Sun, D.Y. Enhancing tensile strength and microstructural properties of solidified high-moisture dredged sediment through solid waste-based binder stabilization and basalt fiber reinforcement. Case Stud. Constr. Mater. 2026, 24, e05752. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  28. Wang, C.Q.; Liu, K.; Huang, D.M. Property of concrete made of recycled shale gas drilling cuttings. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. Int. 2021, 29, 2098–2106. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  29. Cheng, Y.H.; Zhu, B.L.; Yang, S.H.; Tong, B.Q. Design of concrete mix proportion based on particle packing voidage and test research on compressive strength and elastic modulus of concrete. Materials 2021, 14, 623. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  30. Wu, D.Z.; Chen, M.L.; Chen, K.Y.; Zhang, Z.L.; Cai, Q.M. An Experimental Study on the Effect of Desulfurized Gypsum on Geopolymer-stabilized soil. Int. J. Geomech. 2025, 25, 04025091. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  31. Hu, J.F.; Huang, Y.Y.; Ge, R.Y.; Wang, J.M.; Lu, W.L. Out-of-plane compression performance of unidirectionally arrayed short fiber reinforced honeycomb structures: Experimental and numerical analysis. Compos. Struct. 2026, 378, 119935. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  32. Wang, C.Q.; Mei, X.D.; Zhang, C.; Liu, D.S.; Xu, F.L. Mechanism study on co-processing of water-based drilling cuttings and phosphogypsum in non-autoclaved aerated concrete. Environ. Sci. Pollut. Res. Int. 2020, 27, 23364–23368. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  33. Aboutabikh, M.; Soliman, A.M.; El Naggar, M.H. Properties of cementitious material incorporating treated oil sands drill cuttings waste. Constr. Build. Mater. 2016, 111, 751–757. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  34. Liu, D.; Wang, C.; Mei, X.; Zhang, C. Environmental performance, mechanical and microstructure analysis of non-fired bricks containing water-based drilling cuttings of shale gas. Constr. Build. Mater. 2018, 183, 215–225. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
  35. HJ/T299-2007; Leaching Method for Toxicity of Solid Wastes-Sulfuric Acid and Nitric Acid Method. Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China: Beijing, China, 2007.
  36. GB/T 30760-2024; Technical Specification for Co-Processing of Solid Waste in Cement Kiln. National Market Supervision Administration, National Standardization Administration Committee: Beijing, China, 2024.
  37. SY/T 7466-2020; Technical Specifications of Water-Based Drilling Waste Treatment and Resource Utilization for Onshore Oil & Natural Gas Exploitation. Industry Standard of Petroleum and Natural Gas of the People’s Republic of China: Beijing, China, 2020.
  38. Zuo, W.P.; Gu, H.L.; Liao, Q.P.; Chao, J.; Qi, C.C.; Liu, J.Q.; Lv, Y.C.; Tian, C.; Lin, Z. Predicting heavy metal distribution coefficient in global soil via machine learning: The effect of mineral heterogeneity. Environ. Res. 2026, 295, 123957. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
  39. GB 15618-2018; Soil Environmental Quality Risk Control Standard for Soil Contamination of Agricultural Land. Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China: Beijing, China, 2018.
  40. DB51 2978-2023; Risk Control Standard for Soil Contamination of Development Land in Sichuan Province. Sichuan Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment, Sichuan Provincial Market Supervision Administration: Chengdu, China, 2023.
  41. Mkhonza, N.P.; Zondo, S.; Vilakazi, S. Toxic heavy metals distribution in urban soils of Africa: A systematic review. Environ. Monit. Assess. 2026, 198, 205. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Coatings 16 00406 g001
Figure 1. XRD pattern of water-based drill cuttings.
Figure 1. XRD pattern of water-based drill cuttings.
Coatings 16 00406 g001
Coatings 16 00406 g002
Figure 2. Particle size curve.
Figure 2. Particle size curve.
Coatings 16 00406 g002
Coatings 16 00406 g003
Figure 3. CLP stabilizer.
Figure 3. CLP stabilizer.
Coatings 16 00406 g003
Coatings 16 00406 g004
Figure 4. Test results of samples with different mix ratios.
Figure 4. Test results of samples with different mix ratios.
Coatings 16 00406 g004
Coatings 16 00406 g005
Figure 5. The final failure mode and test results of stabilized soil.
Figure 5. The final failure mode and test results of stabilized soil.
Coatings 16 00406 g005
Coatings 16 00406 g006
Figure 6. The final failure mode and test results of stabilized soil.
Figure 6. The final failure mode and test results of stabilized soil.
Coatings 16 00406 g006
Coatings 16 00406 g007
Figure 7. Relationship between stabilizer content and splitting tensile strength.
Figure 7. Relationship between stabilizer content and splitting tensile strength.
Coatings 16 00406 g007
Coatings 16 00406 g008
Figure 8. Test and result of compression and rebound.
Figure 8. Test and result of compression and rebound.
Coatings 16 00406 g008
Coatings 16 00406 g009
Figure 9. Relationship between unit pressure and rebound deformation.
Figure 9. Relationship between unit pressure and rebound deformation.
Coatings 16 00406 g009
Coatings 16 00406 g010
Figure 10. Water stability coefficient of stabilized soil at different curing ages.
Figure 10. Water stability coefficient of stabilized soil at different curing ages.
Coatings 16 00406 g010
Coatings 16 00406 g011
Figure 11. Temperature shrink test specimen.
Figure 11. Temperature shrink test specimen.
Coatings 16 00406 g011
Coatings 16 00406 g012
Figure 12. Comparison of the temperature shrinkage performance of the two stabilized soils.
Figure 12. Comparison of the temperature shrinkage performance of the two stabilized soils.
Coatings 16 00406 g012
Coatings 16 00406 g013
Figure 13. XRD results of different stabilized soils.
Figure 13. XRD results of different stabilized soils.
Coatings 16 00406 g013
Coatings 16 00406 g014
Figure 14. SEM morphology comparison of powder-stabilized soil and water-based drill bit-stabilized soil.
Figure 14. SEM morphology comparison of powder-stabilized soil and water-based drill bit-stabilized soil.
Coatings 16 00406 g014
Table 1. Chemical components and contents of water-based drilling cuttings (%).
Table 1. Chemical components and contents of water-based drilling cuttings (%).
Material NameSiO2BaOSO3Al2O3CaOFe2O3K2OClNa2OMgOOther
Content39.620.3313.8110.554.433.282.741.911.411.140.8
Table 2. Heavy metal content detected in water-based drill cuttings (mg/L).
Table 2. Heavy metal content detected in water-based drill cuttings (mg/L).
Surveillance ProjectDetection ValueStandard LimitSurveillance ProjectDetection ValueStandard Limit
PH8.226~9PbND 11.0
Hg0.000260.05ZnND 12.0
As0.007100.5COD53.8100
CdND 10.1Petroleum products0.065.0
Cu0.010.5Chloride0.6410
NiND 11.0---
1 “ND” indicates a test result below the detection limit.
Table 3. Basic physical properties of soil samples.
Table 3. Basic physical properties of soil samples.
Material NameNatural Water Content (%)Optimum Moisture Content (%)Maximum Dry Density (g/cm3)Liquid Limit (%)Plastic Limit (%)Plasticity IndexSpecific Gravity
Water-based drill cuttings39.620.3313.8110.554.433.282.74
Table 4. Chemical components of P.O42.5R cement (%).
Table 4. Chemical components of P.O42.5R cement (%).
Material NameCaOSiO2Al2O3Fe2O3MgOSO3Na2OK2O
C ontent 61.3423.616.453.761.922.170.330.42
Table 5. Mix ratio design.
Table 5. Mix ratio design.
Test NumberCement Content (%)Stabilizer Liquid Agent (%)Water Reducing Powder (%)
GH1400
GH2500
GH3600
GH4416
GH5516
GH6616
GH7428
GH8528
GH9628
Table 6. The dosage scheme of the soil sample solidification test.
Table 6. The dosage scheme of the soil sample solidification test.
Soil Sample ClassificationTest NumberSoil Sample Dosage (%)Stabilizer Dosage (%)
Powdery soilFGH11000
FGH21003
FGH31006
FGH41009
FGH510012
Water-based drill cuttingsZGH11000
ZGH21003
ZGH31006
ZGH41009
ZGH510012
Table 7. Water stability test scheme.
Table 7. Water stability test scheme.
Maintenance Days71428
R07 days standard curing14 days standard curing28 days standard curing
RW6 days standard curing + 1 day soaking13 days standard curing + 1 day soaking27 days standard curing + 1 day soaking
Table 8. Pre-treatment methods of microwave digestion (unit: mL).
Table 8. Pre-treatment methods of microwave digestion (unit: mL).
Pre-Treatment with HNO3Pre-Treatment ConditionsHNO3HCIHFH2O2Conditions for Acid Reflux
5Heated at 165 °C for 20 min6331Acid removal at 175 °C for 35 min
Table 9. Test results of heavy metals and petroleum leaching solution in water-based drilling cuttings.
Table 9. Test results of heavy metals and petroleum leaching solution in water-based drilling cuttings.
Surveillance ProjectWater-Based CuttingsGB30760-2024 Table 3GB8978 Level 1 StandardSY/T7466-2020 Table 1
pH8.64-6~96~9
As0.050.10.50.5
Ba0.85--10.0
Mn<0.011.02.0-
Fe0.22---
CoND 1---
Ni<0.020.21.01.0
Zn<0.011.02.02.0
VND 1---
Cr0.070.21.51.5
Cu0.031.00.50.5
PbND 10.31.01.0
Cd<0.010.030.10.1
Ag<0.01-0.50.5
Be<0.004-0.005-
Petroleum0.07-55
1 “ND” indicates a test result below the detection limit.
Table 10. Test results of heavy metals and petroleum leaching solution in water-based drilling cuttings.
Table 10. Test results of heavy metals and petroleum leaching solution in water-based drilling cuttings.
Surveillance ProjectBackground Soil SurfaceBackground Soil LayerGB15618-2018 Stricter Value in FilterGB36600-2018 Stricter Value in FilterDB51/2978-2023 Stricter Value in Filter
As10.246.75202020
Hg0.1080.0381.088
Ba508636--2766
Fe35,67428,013---
Mn822788--3593
Co16.015.6-2020
Ni51.939.2190150150
Zn126.483.3300--
V93.477.2-165-
Cr75.656.82501501202
Cu26.922.810020002000
Sb1.201.06-2020
Pb30.625.8170400-
CdND 1ND 10.62020
Ag0.90.9---
SeND 1ND 1--243
Be1.571.46-1515
TlND 1ND 1--1.0
TiND 1ND 1---
1 “ND” indicates a test result below the detection limit.
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content.

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Tan, S.; Wen, H.; Tang, H.; Fu, W.; Guo, X.; Bai, B.; Wu, J.; Tan, X. Utilization of Water-Based Drill Cuttings Stabilized by a Novel Composite Stabilizer for Pavement Base Applications. Coatings 2026, 16, 406. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16040406

AMA Style

Tan S, Wen H, Tang H, Fu W, Guo X, Bai B, Wu J, Tan X. Utilization of Water-Based Drill Cuttings Stabilized by a Novel Composite Stabilizer for Pavement Base Applications. Coatings. 2026; 16(4):406. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16040406

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tan, Shucheng, Hua Wen, Hua Tang, Wentao Fu, Xiaoyan Guo, Biaotian Bai, Jiujiang Wu, and Xiaoyu Tan. 2026. "Utilization of Water-Based Drill Cuttings Stabilized by a Novel Composite Stabilizer for Pavement Base Applications" Coatings 16, no. 4: 406. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16040406

APA Style

Tan, S., Wen, H., Tang, H., Fu, W., Guo, X., Bai, B., Wu, J., & Tan, X. (2026). Utilization of Water-Based Drill Cuttings Stabilized by a Novel Composite Stabilizer for Pavement Base Applications. Coatings, 16(4), 406. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16040406

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop