The effect of the particle size distribution curve on the abrasivity of non-cohesive soils in LCPC test

Abstract

Despite the widespread use of soil excavating tools, including soft ground shield TBMs, there is not any universally accepted method for soil abrasivity assessments. However, different experimental models have recently developed to study the abrasivity of soil materials. LCPC test, developed in Laboratoire Central des Ponts et Chaussées, is one of the most common, simplest, and most available approaches, which has wide use in the prognosis of wear on soil and hard rock cutting tools. In the present study, the effect of the distribution curve of soil particle size on its abrasive behavior was investigated. Synthetic abrasive samples were made with mixing crushed silica grains and fine silica particles in different ratios. LCPC tests were performed on the samples under different water contents and stress levels. The obtained LCPC abrasive coefficient values revealed the effect of the distribution curve of soil particle size on its abrasive behavior. Based on the results, fine particles alone do not result in high wear rates. However, their presence, especially in wet conditions, has a considerable effect on the recorded wear amounts. Moreover, increasing the share of fine particles in the composition of the abrasive sample decreases the effect of applied stress levels on wear rates.