Study of shear properties and shear model of soil-rock mixture

PLoS One. 2023 Dec 13;18(12):e0292384. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292384. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

This study investigates the shear characteristics of soil-rock mixtures, a critical factor influencing slope stability in engineering construction. Soil-rock mixtures, often exhibit poor integrity and can easily soften in water due to geological influences. The YT1200 direct shear drawing friction system was employed to conduct shear tests, analyzing the effect of varying water content and fine particle mass fraction under different normal stresses. Utilizing fractional derivatives, we formulated a fractional derivative shear model. Test results illustrated a softening phenomenon post achieving peak shear stress in the soil-rock mixture. It was found that peak shear stress is directly proportional to the normal stress, and inversely proportional to both water content and fine particle mass fraction. Additionally, the cohesion and internal friction angle decrease according to a power function with increasing water content, and non-linearly decrease with the rise of fine particle mass fraction. The proposed shear model aptly simulates the entire shear failure process of the soil-rock mixture, effectively analyzing the influence of key factors on shear characteristics. These findings contribute to the strength prediction and numerical simulation of soil-rock mixtures, thereby aiding in the design of reinforcement schemes and slope stability analysis.

MeSH terms

  • Soil*
  • Water*

Substances

  • Soil
  • Water

Grants and funding

The research was supported by the youth fund of Liaoning Provincial Department of Education (LJKQZ2021153), Liaoning Provincial Department of Education Scientific Research General Project (LJ2020JCL037) and the discipline innovation team of Liaoning Technical University (LNTU20TD-12)..The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.