Determination of Minimum Void Ratio of Crushed Rock Sand Using a Vibrating Table Test

Abstract

The use of crushed rock sand in construction projects has recently increased. Because the crushed rock sand has not undergone any weathering processes, it has a higher breakage potential than that of natural sand. This experimental investigation aims at developing a reliable method for the determination of the minimum void ratio (emin) of crushed rock sand using a vibrating table test. The minimum void ratios of one natural sand (Toyoura sand) and five commercially available crushed sands were measured using both vibrating table and pluviation tests. Additionally, the vibrating table tests were repeatedly conducted on the same soil specimen to measure both the emin and relative breakage as a function of the number of retests. The results of this study demonstrate that a vibrating table test induces noticeable breakage of the tested crushed sands, regardless of the initial relative densities and operating frequencies of a vibrating table. Therefore, the extrapolating method, which determines the emin of the artificial sand as the y-intercept in the relation between emin and relative breakage, is suggested in this study, and the determined emin values using the suggested method are compared with the measured emin using pluviation tests.