Mechanical Properties and Crack Resistances of Cement-Stabilized Crushed Pebbles Produced via Vibration Compaction Method

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study is to investigate the mechanical behavior and shrinkage resistance of cement-stabilized crushed pebble (CSCP) produced via vibration compaction method (VCM). Ten kinds of CSCPs with two different gradations and five cement contents were produced via VCM. The mechanical properties of the CSCPs, including unconfined compressive strength (UCS), splitting strength (SPS), and resilient modulus (RM), were evaluated. Subsequently, the effects of cement contents, curing time, gradation types, and degrees of compaction on the mechanical behavior were investigated. The dry shrinkage and temperature shrinkage and their influencing factors were also studied. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of CSCPs were compared with those of cement-stabilized limestone and granite. The results show that the mechanical properties of the CSCPs increased linearly with the increase in cement contents and nonlinearly with the increase in the curing period and could be improved by using skeleton-dense gradation and increasing the degree of compaction. A good linear relationship was observed between the UCS and SPS and between the UCS and RM. The dry shrinkage and temperature shrinkage resistance of CSCPs could also be improved by using skeleton-dense gradation. The mechanical properties of the CSCPs were lower than those of cement-stabilized limestone, but slightly higher than those of cement-stabilized granite.