Experimental study on shear characteristics of reef coral sand

Abstract

Coral sand is an important raw material for the construction of ocean infrastructure. Due to its special chemical composition, loose granular structure and great difference in physical and mechanical properties between coral sand and land-based silica sand, it is of great significance to conduct in-depth research on it. The shear characteristics of coral sand from the south China sea were studied by setting different relative compactness and vertical loads. The results show that both the relative compactness and the vertical load affect the shear stress-shear displacement curve of coral sand. With the increase of vertical load, the curve gradually changes from strain hardening to strain softening. With the increase of relative compactness, coral sand showed strain softening characteristics gradually. The increase of relative compactness can enhance the shear strength of coral sand, and the internal friction angle and cohesion increase linearly with the increase of relative compactness level. Therefore, the bearing capacity of coral sand foundation can be effectively enhanced by continuously increasing the relative compactness of soil in engineering.