The foundation treatment method of dynamic compaction (DC) is widely used to densify and strengthen coarse-grained fills. Particle breakage inevitably occurs during DC impact, significantly influencing densification mechanisms and reinforcement efficiency. However, few DC studies explicitly consider particle breakage effects. This study employs PFC3D (Particle Flow Code in 3 Dimensions) to simulate particle breakage in coarse-grained fills under impact loading. Comparative DC tests were conducted on breakable and unbreakable fills to analyze their cross-scale responses: Macro-scale (crater depth) and Meso-scale (porosity distribution, displacement field, particle contact characteristics). Results indicate that particle breakage initially reduces crater depth and compactness. However, with repeated tamping, breakage promotes compaction and enhances DC reinforcement efficiency. Early-stage breakage consumes tamping energy, reducing its immediate densification effect. As tamping progresses, breakage diminishes, and the resulting finer particles fill voids between larger particles, facilitating compaction under subsequent impacts. These findings provide novel insights into the physical and mechanical behavior of breakage-driven compaction in coarse-grained fills under impact loading, supporting optimization of DC technology.
Xi Li, Kun Liu, Guoping Qian,Wenli Hou, Junfeng Qian Zhao — School of Transportation, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Changsha 410114, China
Shuaituan Tian, Xinyan Ma — Civil Aviation Research Base (Beijing) Co., Ltd., China
Huangting Zheng — Radiation Environment Supervision and Management Station of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China Zhao Qian: The Second Veteran Hospital of Shandong Province, Taian, 271000, China
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