AUTHOR=Zhao Xiaolong , Zhu Jungao , Wu Yunlong , Jia Yun , Bur Nicolas , Colliat Jean-Baptiste , Bian Hanbing 

TITLE=Experimental Study and DEM Simulation of Size Effects on the Dry Density of Rockfill Material

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physics

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physics/articles/10.3389/fphy.2022.837727

DOI=10.3389/fphy.2022.837727

ISSN=2296-424X

ABSTRACT=<p>The initial dry density has a significant effect on the mechanical behavior of rockfill material (RFM). The size effects on the minimum/maximum dry density (referred to as dry density, <italic>ρ</italic><sub><italic>d</italic></sub>) of RFM still need further study. To investigate the relationship between <italic>ρ</italic><sub><italic>d</italic></sub> and <italic>d</italic><sub><italic>M</italic></sub>, a series of surface vibration compaction tests and DEM simulations are performed on the samples with different maximum particle sizes <italic>d</italic><sub><italic>M</italic></sub>. Both the physical and numerical results exhibit that <italic>ρ</italic><sub><italic>d</italic></sub> increases fast when <italic>d</italic><sub><italic>M</italic></sub> ranges from 10 to 40 mm. When <italic>d</italic><sub><italic>M</italic></sub> exceeds 40 mm, <italic>ρ</italic><sub><italic>d</italic></sub> increases slowly and tends to be a constant. Results indicate that <italic>ρ</italic><sub><italic>d</italic></sub> is affected by the gradation. To consider the gradation effect, a normalized parameter <italic>λ</italic> is introduced, and the relation between <italic>ρ</italic><sub><italic>d</italic></sub> and <italic>d</italic><sub><italic>M</italic></sub> can be characterized by an empirical equation.</p>