The comparative analysis of methods for determining the mechanical performance of macrofragmental soils

Abstract

Many researchers, including Marachi, Frost, Varadarajan, Mojtaba, Gupta, Kuznetsov and others, have investigated the mechanical properties of coarse clastic soils. In this work, two methods were considered to determine the strength and deformation characteristics of coarse clastic soil.The first method is based on the determination of normative values for the mechanical properties of coarse clastic soils based on their physical characteristics (developed by the Far Eastern Research Institute for Structural Design and Technology (FERISDT)), and the second method is based on consolidated-drained (CD) tests in a triaxial compression device at five different values of hydrostatic pressure. According to the results of the study carried out in accordance with the two methods, a significant difference in the values of specific cohesion and deformation modulus of the coarse clastic soil was obtained.The values of specific adhesion obtained by FERISDT method are nearly two times lower than those obtained by triaxial tests. While the specific cohesion has been largely influenced by aggregate percentage, the values of in-ternal friction angle and the modulus of deformation changed only slightly.