Experimental Studies of Scale Effect on the Shear Strength of Coarse-Grained Soil

Shear strength is an essential index for the evaluation of soil stability. Test results of the shear strength of scaled coarse-grained soil (CGS for short) are usually not able to accurately reflect the actual properties and behaviors of in situ CGS due to the scale effect. Therefore, this study focuses on the influence of the scale effect on the shear strength of scaled CGS, which has an important theoretical significance and application for the strength estimation of CGS in high earth-rock dam engineering. According to previous studies, the main cause of the scale effect for scaled CGS is the variation of the gradation structure as well as the maximum particle size (dmax), in which the gradation structure as a characteristic parameter can be expressed by the gradation area (S). A total of 24 groups of test soil samples with different gradations were designed by changing the maximum particle size dmax and gradation area S. Direct shear tests were conducted in this study to quantitatively explore the effect of the gradation structure and the maximum particle size on the shear strength of CGS. Test results suggest that the shear strength indexes (i.e., the cohesion and internal friction angle) of CGS present an increasing trend with the improvement of the maximum particle size dmax, and thus a logarithmic function relationship among c, φ, and dmax is presented. Both cohesion (c) and internal friction angle (φ) are negatively related to the gradation area (S) in most cases. As a result, an empirical relationship between c, φ, and S is established based on the test results. Furthermore, a new prediction model of shear strength of CGS considering the scale effect is proposed, and the accuracy of this model is verified through the test results provided by relevant literature. Finally, the applicability of this model to different types of CGS is discussed.

Characterization of Properties of Soil–Rock Mixture Prepared by the Laboratory Vibration Compaction Method

This paper presents a study of the properties of soil–rock mixtures (SRM) prepared by the vibration compaction method. First, the results of laboratory experiments and field tests are compared to determine the reasonable parameters of the vibration compaction method (VCM) for soil–rock mixtures. The compaction characteristics, CBR, and resilient modulus of the laboratory-prepared soil–rock mixtures by the static pressure compaction method (SPCM) and vibration compaction method are compared. The effects of the soil to rock ratio and the maximum particle size and gradation on the compaction characteristic, resilient modulus and CBR of soil–rock mixtures prepared by the vibration compaction method are investigated. Finally, field measurements are subsequently conducted to validate the laboratory investigations. The results show that the reasonable vibration frequency, exciting force, and static surface pressure of the vibration compactor for soil–rock mixtures are recommended as 25 Hz, 5.3 kN, and 154.0~163.2 kPa, respectively. Soil–rock mixtures prepared by vibration compaction method has smaller optimum water content and gradation variation and larger density than specimens prepared by the static pressure compaction method, and the CBR and resilient modulus are 1.46 ± 0.02 and 1.16 ± 0.03 times those of specimens prepared by the static pressure compaction method, respectively. The ratio of soil to rock, followed by the maximum particle size, lead obvious influences on the properties of soil–rock mixtures. Moreover, the results show that the CBR and resilient modulus of soil–rock mixtures prepared by vibration compaction method have a correlation of 86.9% and 89.1% with the field tests, respectively, which is higher than the static pressure compaction method.

Effects of maximum particle size of coarse aggregates and steel fiber contents on the mechanical properties and impact resistance of recycled aggregate concrete

Fiber reinforced recycled aggregate concrete has become a new type of green concrete material. The maximum particle size of coarse aggregates and steel fiber contents affect the mechanical properties and impact resistance of recycled aggregate concrete. However, such studies are rare in literature. The present paper shortens the gap through experimental study. A total of 144 specimens of 12 kinds of concrete mixtures were tested, which adopted different steel fiber volume admixtures (0%, 0.8%, 1.0%, 1.2%) and recycled coarse aggregates in different maximum particle sizes (9.5, 19, 31.5 mm) replacing 30% natural coarse aggregate. The compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and impact resistance of the 12 concrete mixtures were tested. The results showed that the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and impact resistance of recycled aggregate concrete increased first and then decreased with the increase of the maximum particle size. The recycled aggregate concrete with the maximum particle size of 19 mm had the highest mechanical properties and impact resistance. Besides, with the increase of steel fiber content, the compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, and impact resistance of recycled aggregate concrete showed an increasing trend. Considering a large amount of experimental data and the coupling effect of steel fiber contents and the maximum particle size of coarse aggregates, the Weibull distribution function was introduced to analyze the impact test results and predict the number of resistance to impact under different failure probabilities. The results showed that the number of blows of the recycled aggregate concrete followed a two-parameter Weibull distribution, and the estimated value of the number of resistance to impact for failure increased with the increase of the failure probability.

Characterizing the dust content of disk substructures in TW Hydrae

Context. A key piece of information to understand the origin and role of protoplanetary disk substructures is their dust content. In particular, disk substructures associated with gas pressure bumps can work as dust traps, accumulating grains and reaching the necessary conditions to trigger the streaming instability. Aims. In order to shed some light on the origin and role that disk substructures play in planet formation, we aim to characterize the dust content of substructures in the disk of TW Hya. Methods. We present Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) observations of TW Hya at 3.1 mm with ~50 milliarcsecond resolution. These new data were combined with archival high angular resolution ALMA observations at 0.87, 1.3, and 2.1 mm. We analyze these multiwavelength data to infer a disk radial profile of the dust surface density, maximum particle size, and slope of the particle size distribution. Results. Most previously known annular substructures in the disk of TW Hya are resolved at the four wavelengths. Inside the inner 3 au cavity, the 2.1 and 3.1 mm images show a compact source of free–free emission, likely associated with an ionized jet. Our multiwavelength analysis of the dust emission shows that the maximum particle size in the disk of TW Hya is >1 mm. The inner 20 au are completely optically thick at all four bands, which results in the data tracing different disk heights at different wavelengths. Coupled with the effects of dust settling, this prevents the derivation of accurate density and grain size estimates in these regions. At r > 20 au, we find evidence of the accumulation of large dust particles at the position of the bright rings, indicating that these are working as dust traps. The total dust mass in the disk is between 250 and 330 M⊕, which represents a gas-to-dust mass ratio between 50 and 70. Our mass measurement is a factor of 4.5–5.9 higher than the mass that one would estimate using the typical assumptions of large demographic surveys. Conclusions. Our results indicate that the ring substructures in TW Hya are ideal locations to trigger the streaming instability and form new generations of planetesimals.

Preparation schemes of crushed coal for combustion in fluidized bed boilers using a gravity separator

The low concentration of nitrogen oxide during coal combustion in fluidized bed furnaces is due to the limited proportion of primary air in the combustion zone. The schemes applied for the preparation of crushed coal are mostly for the use of coal breakage screens with a fixed maximum particle size in the mixture. The primary air flow is limited to the conditions of the fluidization of the bed and can be reduced only by reducing the size of the particles fed into the furnace. With a constant particle size and lower boiler loads, the proportion of primary air and thus the concentration of nitrogen oxides in the flue gas increase. The use of separators to change the particle size has never been considered, since it is a priori assumed that the separators cannot provide the required disperse composition of crushed coal. To assess the possibility of using separators in the schemes of preparing crushed coal for combustion in a fluidized bed and to determine the necessary separation boundaries, variants calculations were carried out in respect to the coal preparation scheme for boiler No. 9 of the Novocherkasskaya hydro-power plant. It is shown that the disperse composition of the fine separation product in the gravity separator with overturning shelves along the 5 mm boundary is identical to the disperse composition of crushed coal obtained in the scheme with a screen and crusher. The dependence of the maximum particle size of crushed coal on the separation boundary of the separator is given. It is shown that in the scheme of preparation of crushed coal for combustion in a fluidized bed, replacement of screens with gravity separators will not lead to violation of the requirements for the dispersed composition of crushed coal. At the same time, the proposed replacement allows you to quickly change the maximum particle size of crushed coal during operational activity and thereby to maintain the optimal fraction of primary air when the boiler load changes.

Effect of the Particle Size on TDA Shear Strength Parameters in Triaxial Tests

Tire recycling and reuse in North America and worldwide have increased considerably, intending to reduce the harmful effects of scrap tires on the environment. Accordingly, the use of tire derived aggregates (TDA) as backfill material in civil engineering applications is on the rise at an unprecedented rate. However, to use TDA in the construction industry, its strength and stiffness parameters properties must be evaluated. One key factor that is known to influence the strength and stiffness of backfill material is the particle size of the used material. Hence, in this paper, a series of large-scale triaxial tests on five TDA samples with different maximum particle size, Dmax, of 19.05, 25.4, 38.1, 50.8 and 76.2 mm were conducted to investigate the effect of the particle size on the obtained results. The tests were done under consolidated drained conditions using three confining pressures of 50, 100, and 200 kPa. The results showed that the shear strength of TDA increase by increasing the maximum particle size while the cohesion did not show a specific trend. Moreover, the samples exhibited an increase in the secant elastic modulus by increasing the particle size.

Effect of the Particle Size on the TDA Shear Strength and Stiffness Parameters in Large-Scale Direct Shear Tests

The increase in the number of discarded tires every year is becoming a major issue all over the world. Tires stockpiles and landfills have become a critical issue as they are considered a fertile environment for the breeding of rats and insects, a real fire hazard that may take up to months to extinguish and occupy a valuable, large area of land. One of the safest effective ways of recycling tires is that to use them as backfilling material, among different usages, in civil engineering projects due to their low unit weight and specific gravity. However, to use any material in the construction industry, several material properties must be evaluated, including the shear strength and stiffness parameters. Many factors control the measured parameters. One main factor that is known to have a significant effect is the particle size. This paper focuses on evaluating the effect of the particle size on the shear strength and stiffness parameters of six tire-derived aggregate (TDA) samples having particle sizes range between (9.5–101.6 mm) using a large-scale direct shear machine. The tests were conducted under three normal stresses: 50.1, 98.8 and 196.4 kPa using a constant shearing rate of 0.5 mm/min. The results of this study showed an increasing angle of internal friction as the maximum particle size increases. Moreover, the secant shear modulus also exhibited an increase by increasing the maximum particle size. Furthermore, equations to estimate the stress-strain curves of Type A-TDA for different confidence levels were developed, and their predictions were compared with experimental results to assess their suitability.

A Prediction Method for the California Bearing Ratio of Soil-Rock Mixture Based on the Discrete Element Method and CT Scanning

Because of the large amount of gravel with particle sizes over 40 mm in the soil-rock mixture (SRM), it is impossible to determine its California Bearing Ratio (CBR) via the indoor test method, which is a key parameter for designing the backfill in underground mined cavities or the road subgrade constructed with SRM. In this paper, X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanning and 3D reconstruction technology were used to construct the 3D structure of SRM particles with a particle size greater than 5 mm. Based on the vertical vibration test method (VVTM) and PFC3D, the numerical simulation method (NSM-CBR) of SRM was established. The CBR of the SRM with a maximum particle size over 40 mm (SRM-G) was studied by NSM-CBR, and the effects of factors such as maximum particle size, soil content, and large-size particle content (d ≥ 40 mm) on the CBR were investigated via NSM-CBR. Based on the laboratory tests and NSM-CBR, the prediction model and the determining method of CBR of SRM-G were established and verified. The results show that the maximum deviation between the CBR obtained from NSM-CBR and laboratory tests was 7.4%. The CBR of SRM-G decreases linearly with the increase in soil content and increases with the increase in maximum particle size and large-size particle content. The practical project shows that the maximum deviation between the predictive and measured values of the CBR of SRM-G was less than 1.5%, indicating that the prediction model and the method established in this paper have high reliability.

Oblique shear method for determining strength performance of pre-compacted very coarse soils

The relevance of the work. Crushed stone, crushed rock and very coarse (mostly crushed plant) soils are the most widely used in the construction of open pit haul roads. However, the strength performance of these media has been studied insufficiently, due, inter alia, to the fact that there are no reliable methods for their determination. The purpose of the work is to develop a reliable method for determining the strength performance of pre-compacted crushed stone, crushed rock and very coarse soils. Research methods. To achieve the purpose, an analysis of the design features of the existing oblique shear apparatus was carried out, elements and nodes were identified that needed refinement to ensure test media pre-compaction, a statistical analysis of the data obtained on the improved oblique shear apparatus, as well as their comparison with the results obtained by testing according to standard methods, were performed. Research results. A design of an improved oblique shear apparatus has been developed, which allows determining the strength performance of statically and dynamically pre-compacted crushed stone, crushed rock and very coarse soils. The required geometric parameters of its individual elements are determined depending on the maximum particle size of the test media, and the order of preparation for the experiment and its conduct is given. Conclusions. The proposed design of an improved oblique shear apparatus allows determining the strength performance of pre-compacted crushed stone, crushed rock and very coarse soils with a particle size of up to 20–30 mm. In order to avoid the occurrence of a keyway effect and to obtain chaotic results, the optimal clearance between the upper and lower holders should be 0.3 of the maximum particle size. To obtain the confidence interval of the measured breaking load value ±10% of the weighted average value with a confidence level of 90% when implementing the oblique shear method, taking into account possible misses, it is necessary to repeat the experiment with the same factors at least 5 times.