Evaluation of Properties of Rockfill Materials

A modeling technique has been used to determine the properties of rockfill materials. The results indicate that the mechanical properties of the field rockfill materials can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy by a series of tests with modeled rockfill materials in the laboratory. Modeling of the rockfill materials did not materially affect the isotropic consolidation characteristics of specimens. The angle of internal friction is affected to some extent by the size of the particles in the test specimen. The volume changes during drained triaxial compression tests were at least compressive for the small specimens. The strength and deformation characteristics for all of the rockfill materials were affected by the confining pressures used in tests. A comparison of the rockfill materials of various types supports Casagrande's conclusion that materials composed of well-graded and well-rounded particles are superior in their mechanical properties to uniformly-graded angular rockfill materials.