Mechanical Performance of Compacted Cement-Stabilized Loess: A Porosity-Based Multi-Property Modeling Framework

Compacted cement-stabilized loess is widely used in civil infrastructure, yet existing strength models are often based on water-related variables and are difficult to transfer across different mechanical properties of unsaturated loess. This study develops a porosity-based modeling framework linking cement dosage, initial void state, and curing time to the mechanical response of compacted cement-stabilized loess. Three representative strength models were reformulated using cement volumetric content, void volumetric content, and their derived variables. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS), triaxial shear, California bearing ratio (CBR), static resilient modulus (MR), and uniaxial consolidation tests were used to assess the formulations. The dual-power volumetric model provided the most consistent multi-property representation by separately accounting for cement volume and void volume. A normalized hyperbolic function effectively described curing-time evolution and was more physically consistent with long-term stabilization than the logarithmic form. UCS-derived parameters were directly transferable to cohesion (c), whereas internal friction angle (φ) and MR required recalibration or baseline correction; CBR transferability was promising under fixed standard compaction. A literature-based generalized hyperbolic relationship further captured normalized UCS development across different loess sources. The proposed framework links material composition, compacted void state, and curing history to mechanical performance, providing a basis for performance-oriented assessment of cement-stabilized loess. The present results are based primarily on laboratory-prepared specimens, and further validation using independent field data is required before broader engineering application.