Influence of particle size on particle breakage and shear strength of weak rockfill

Strong rockfill was originally thought to be best for the construction of dams and roads, but economic and environmental issues have increased the use of soft and weak rockfill in such projects. Much research has been done on the mechanical properties of strong rockfill materials, but little has bee...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bulletin of engineering geology and the environment 2021, Vol.80 (1), p.473-489
Main Authors: Rahmani, Hamidreza, Panah, Ali Komak
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Foundations
Geoecology/Natural Processes
Geoengineering
Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences
Hydraulics
Nature Conservation
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Summary:Strong rockfill was originally thought to be best for the construction of dams and roads, but economic and environmental issues have increased the use of soft and weak rockfill in such projects. Much research has been done on the mechanical properties of strong rockfill materials, but little has been done on weak rockfill despite its increased use. Such materials have weak mechanical properties, including low strength, high compressibility, and material degradation over time. Limitations in the testing of large particles of rockfill in the lab make it necessary to consider appropriate scaling relations and expansion of the results for real infrastructures. The current study experimentally investigated the behavior of weak rockfill materials with a change in the maximum size of the particles. Water was added at specific moisture contents and the samples were tested using oedometer, direct shear, and Los Angeles tests. The results showed that an increase in the maximum particle size (MPS) of the weak rockfill increased particle breakage (PB) in all case studies, as has been observed in previous studies on strong rockfill material. Furthermore, an increase in moisture content resulted in an increase in PB. The internal friction angle was found to correlate directly with the MPS, but the ratio of vertical strain to PB was nearly constant and independent of MPS. These results have been used to determine a relation for PB in oedometer and direct shear tests and from the Los Angeles tests.
ISSN:1435-9529
1435-9537
DOI:10.1007/s10064-020-01889-6