Computer vision-aided DEM study on the compaction characteristics of graded subgrade filler considering realistic coarse particle shapes

The compaction quality of subgrade filler strongly affects subgrade settlement.The main objective of this research is to analyze the macro-and micro-mechanical compaction characteristics of subgrade filler based on the real shape of coarse particles.First,an improved Viola-Jones algorithm is employed to establish a digitalized 2D particle database for coarse particle shape evaluation and discrete modeling purposes of subgrade filler.Shape indexes of 2D subgrade filler are then computed and statistically analyzed.Finally,numerical simulations are performed to quantitatively investigate the effects of the aspect ratio(AR)and interparticle friction coefficient(μ)on the macro-and micro-mechanical compaction characteristics of subgrade filler based on the discrete element method(DEM).The results show that with the increasing AR,the coarse particles are narrower,leading to the increasing movement of fine particles during compaction,which indicates that it is difficult for slender coarse particles to inhibit the migration of fine particles.Moreover,the average displacement of particles is strongly influenced by the AR,indicating that their occlusion under power relies on particle shapes.The dis-placement and velocity of fine particles are much greater than those of the coarse particles,which shows that compaction is primarily a migration of fine particles.Under the cyclic load,the interparticle friction coefficientμhas little effect on the internal structure of the sample;under the quasi-static loads,however,the increase inμwill lead to a significant increase in the porosity of the sample.This study could not only provide a novel approach to investigate the compaction mechanism but also establish a new theoretical basis for the evaluation of intelligent subgrade compaction.

Gravel hardness effect on compaction characteristics of gravelly soil

The compaction characteristics of gravelly soil are affected by gravel hardness.To investigate the evolution and influencing mechanism of different gravel hardness on the compaction characteristics of gravelly soil,heavy compaction tests and crushing tests were conducted on gravelly soils with gravels originated from hard,soft and extremely soft rocks.According to orthogonal experiments and variance analysis,it was found that hardness has a significant impact on the maximum dry density of gravelly soil,followed by gravel content,and lastly,moisture content.For gravel compositions with an average saturated uniaxial compressive strength less than 60 MPa,the order of compacted maximum dry density is soft gravels>hard gravels>extremely soft gravels.Each type of gravelly soil has a threshold for gravel content,with 60%for hard and soft gravels and 50%for extremely soft gravels.Beyond these thresholds,the compacted dry density decreases significantly.There is a certain interaction between hardness,gravel content,and moisture content.Higher hardness increases the influence of gravel content,whereas lower hardness increases the influence of moisture content.Gravelly soils with the coarse aggregate(CA)between 0.7 and 0.8 typically achieve higher dry densities after compaction.In addition,the prediction equations for the particle breakage rate and CA ratio in the Bailey method were proposed to estimate the compaction performance of gravelly soil preliminarily.The results further revealed the compaction mechanism of different gravelly soils and can provide reference for subgrade filling construction.

Clogging caused by coupled grain migration and compaction effect during groundwater recharge for unconsolidated sandstone reservoir in groundwater-source heat pump

In unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs,presence of numerous movable grains and a complex grain size composition necessitates a clear understanding of the physical clogging process for effective groundwater recharge in groundwater-source heat pump systems.To investigate this,a series of seepage experiments was conducted under in situ stress conditions using unconsolidated sandstone samples with varying grain compositions.The clogging phenomenon arises from the combined effects of grain migration and compaction,wherein the migration of both original and secondary crushed fine-grain particles blocks the seepage channels.Notably,grain composition influences the migration and transport properties of the grains.For samples composed of smaller grains,the apparent permeability demonstrates a transition from stability to decrease.In contrast,samples with larger grains experience a skip at the stability stage and directly enter the decrease stage,with a minor exception of a slight increase observed.Furthermore,a unique failure mode characterized by diameter shrinkage in the upper part of the sample is observed due to the combined effects of grain migration and in situ stress-induced compaction.These testing results contribute to a better understanding of the clogging mechanism caused by the coupled effects of grain migration and compaction during groundwater recharge in unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs used in groundwater-source heat pump systems.

Overview on Soil Compaction and Sugar Beet Growth

With the advancement of agricultural mechanization,soil compaction has become a serious environmental problem.Soil compaction can increase soil bulk density and firmness,reduce porosity and permeability,and deteriorate soil structure,ultimately inhibit sugar beet growth and reduce both root yield and sugar content.However,few farmers recognize the link between soil compaction and these adverse effects.Soil compaction has a cumulative effect,with significant differences observed in the vertical range of compaction accumulation.The most significant soil compaction occurs in the topsoil of 0-10 cm,and the influence depth can reach 70 cm,but it is small in deep soil,and the inflection point is at a soil depth of 10 cm.The degree of soil compaction is related to soil type,water content,tractor shaft load,tyre type,tyre pressure and operation speed,etc.Therefore,in the production process of sugar beet,it is advisable to avoid high-humidity operations,use low pressure tyres,reduce the number of tractor-units passes over the farmland,and implement agricultural and agronomic measures to minimize soil compaction.These practices will help protect the soil environment and ensure sustainable production of sugar beets.

Urban Soil Compaction Remediation by Shallow Tillage and Compost in Hydroseeded Lawn

Construction activities often involve removal of topsoil and compaction of the exposed soil by heavy equipments. Such compacted soils with low organic matter can lead to low infiltration and poor vegetation establishment. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of tillage (shallow till) and compost on soil physical and biological properties in a hydroseeded lawn as a post-construction best management practice for soil compaction remediation. The experimental site received a total of four land treatments in five replicated trials and it was hydroseeded with common Bermuda grass: 1) No Tillage + Compost (NT-C), 2) No Tillage + No Compost (NT-NC;control), 3) Tillage + Compost (T-C), and 4) Tillage + No Compost (T-NC). Bulk density (BD), infiltration rate (IR), and wet aggregate stability (WAS) in each plot were measured to assess soil physical properties while soil organic matter (SOM) and enzyme activity (β-glucosidase, acid-phosphatase, and alkaline-phosphatase) were measured for soil biological properties. Over a 15-months of monitoring period, the shallow tillage loosened the soil initially, but its effect on BD without compost was diminished to control plot level (NT-NC) within 4 months after hydroseeding. Both tillage and compost led to an increase in IR, and it remained higher than control by 2 - 3 times throughout the observation period. The WAS and β-glucosidase activity decreased in tilled plot unless there was compost application. Turfgrass showed greener leaves and aggregated roots in the compost-amended plots (NT-C and T-C). Our results suggest that compost application plays a key role in improving soil physical and biological properties in hydroseeded lawns from construction sites.

A Revisit to the Swedish Wet Compaction Method—A Case Study of the Burvattnet Dam Reconstruction

The Swedish Wet compaction method allows soil compaction at higher water content than conventional Dry compaction methods and can be used to advantage when difficulties arise in keeping to a certain Dry compaction water content. Wet compaction was frequently applied for dam core soils of glacial till (moraine) up until late 1970s, and despite several advantages it is since no longer used in engineering practice. During the reconstruction of Burvattnet Main Dam in Sweden, the lack of dry core soil together with severe weather conditions made Dry compaction almost impossible. On the basis of laboratory compaction tests performed in compliance with the standard from the 1950s, and field compaction trials on site, this paper describes the steps taken to revisit the Wet compaction method, which made it possible to continue the filling works in keeping with the timeline of the project.

Prediction of compaction parameters for fine-grained soil: Critical comparison of the deep learning and standalone models

A comparison between deep learning and standalone models in predicting the compaction parameters of soil is presented in this research.One hundred and ninety and fifty-three soil samples were randomly picked up from two hundred and forty-three soil samples to create training and validation datasets,respectively.The performance and accuracy of the models were measured by root mean square error(RMSE),coefficient of determination(R2),Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient(r),mean absolute error(MAE),variance accounted for(VAF),mean absolute percentage error(MAPE),weighted mean absolute percentage error(WMAPE),a20-index,index of scatter(IOS),and index of agreement(IOA).Comparisons between standalone models demonstrate that the model MD 29 in Gaussian process regression(GPR)and model MD 101 in support vector machine(SVM)can achieve over 96%of accuracy in predicting the optimum moisture content(OMC)and maximum dry density(MDD)of soil,and outperformed other standalone models.The comparison between deep learning models shows that the models MD 46 and MD 146 in long short-term memory(LSTM)predict OMC and MDD with higher accuracy than ANN models.However,the LSTM models outperformed the GPR models in predicting the compaction parameters.The sensitivity analysis illustrates that fine content(FC),specific gravity(SG),and liquid limit(LL)highly influence the prediction of compaction parameters.

Rapid testing and prediction of soil–water characteristic curve of subgrade soils considering stress state and degree of compaction

The subgrade soil is generally in saturated or unsaturated condition. To analyze complex thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) behaviors of subgrade, it is essential to determine the soil–water characteristic curve (SWCC) that represents the relationship between matric suction and moisture content. In this study, a full-automatic rapid stress-dependent SWCC pressure-plate extractor was developed. Then, the influences of overburden stress and degree of compaction on the SWCC of subgrade soil such as high liquid limit silt (MH) and low liquid limit clay (CL) were analyzed. Accordingly, a new model taking into account the influences of overburden stress and degree of compaction based on the well-known Van Genuchten (VG) SWCC fitting model was presented and validated. The results show that with the increase of the degree of compaction and overburden stress, the saturated moisture content of subgrade soil decreases, while the air-entry value increases and the transition section curve becomes flat. The influences of the degree of compaction and overburden stress on the SWCC of MH is greater than that of CL. Meanwhile, there was a satisfactory agreement between the prediction and measurement, indicating a good performance of the new model for predicting the SWCC.

Clastic compaction unit classification based on clay content and integrated compaction recovery using well and seismic data

Compaction correction is a key part of paleogeomorphic recovery methods. Yet, the influence of lithology on the porosity evolution is not usually taken into account. Present methods merely classify the lithologies as sandstone and mudstone to undertake separate porositydepth compaction modeling. However, using just two lithologies is an oversimplification that cannot represent the compaction history. In such schemes, the precision of the compaction recovery is inadequate. To improve the precision of compaction recovery, a depth compaction model has been proposed that involves both porosity and clay content. A clastic lithological compaction unit classification method, based on clay content, has been designed to identify lithological boundaries and establish sets of compaction units. Also, on the basis of the clastic compaction unit classification, two methods of compaction recovery that integrate well and seismic data are employed to extrapolate well-based compaction information outward along seismic lines and recover the paleo-topography of the clastic strata in the region. The examples presented here show that a better understanding of paleo-geomorphology can be gained by applying the proposed compaction recovery technology.

Influence of relative compaction and degree of saturation on the deformation characteristics of bentonite under freeze-thaw cycles

Bentonite,consisting of clay minerals of the montmorillonite group,has been widely used as an adsorbent and backfill material in nuclear waste disposal and groundwater remediation.It is challenging to use bentonite as a filling material in cold regions since bentonite is highly sensitive to thermal environmental changes,during which its bulk volume and microstructure change significantly.In this study,a series of one-dimensional and three-dimensional freeze-thaw tests were carried out within a closed system to investigate the influencing factors of the deformation of bentonite under freeze-thaw cycles.Results show that the initial soil water content greatly impacts bentonite's deformation during freeze-thaw cycles.For an initial higher degree of saturation(Sr),the expansion caused by the formation of ice lenses has a greater impact than the shrinkage induced by dehydration,ice-cementation,and so on.Conversely,bentonite tends to shrink at a lower degree of saturation during freezing.And the critical degree of saturation that determines bentonite's behavior of frost heave or frost shrinkage seems to be roughly 0.8.As the number of freeze-thaw cycles rises,initially uncompacted bentonite clay becomes more compacted,and initially compacted bentonite clay remains unchanged.

Densification of Reclaimed Soils with the Utilization of the Vibro Compaction Technique—A Case Study

This paper presents a case study of the extensive soil improvement work carried out on a reclamation project on the shores of United Arab Emirates. The project consisted an area of approximately 480,000 m2 for recreation purposes. Following the dredging work, approximately 6.8 million cubic meters underwent densification using the vibrocompaction method. The general aims of such analysis are to investigate the effectiveness of vibrocompaction as a method of soil improvement and appraise the selection of this method as the most appropriate soil treatment technique necessary for the adequate densification of the overall loose soil masses. The efficiency of the vibrocompaction technique to densify thick granular-based soil formations of considerable thickness and the benefits obtained, equated to other soil treatment methods, was assessed through a comprehensive post quality control program including field and laboratory post-compaction testing. Based on the analysis conducted it is concluded that soil strength of the reclaimed materials achieved a noteworthy improvement reaching comfortably the required degrees of densification.

Summary and Improvement Measures for Soil Compaction Caused by Machinery

As agricultural mechanization is becoming more and more popular, soil compaction, on basis of agricultural machinery, has become a serious problem that can not be ignored. Soil compaction, which is caused by frequent til age and large load in the field, may have different effects on various properties of soil. Soil com-paction may result in different conditions, such as increased soil density and the mechanical resistance, and decreased soil ventilation and the capacity of water holding and storage, but uptaking capacity of chemical elements is restricted. There-fore, soil compaction has some negative impacts on soil properties, physical y, chemical y, or biological y, as wel as plant growth. This research analyzed the cause and the harm of soil compaction in recent years, and some effective mea-sures were proposed to improve soil compaction, in order to reduce the extent of soil compaction caused by agricultural machinery.

Application of Continuous Compaction Technology in the Quality Control and Acceptance of High-Speed Railway Subgrade

On the basis of the theory of continuous compaction technology, we put forward the vibratory compaction value （VCV） index measured by a roller compactor, in order to evaluate the quality of continuously compacted subgrade. The relationships between the VCV index and the currently used indexes K30, Evd, Ev1 and Ev2, were explored by analyzing the experimental data collected from two test sections on the Beijing - Shanghai High-Speed Railway. The result shows that the VCV index has a linear relationship with the currently used indexes.

A Case Study on Soil Improvement with Rapid Impact Compaction (RIC)

Soil treatment was utilized on numerous production sites to compact cohesion less formations, having the objective to increase earth characteristics and decrease probable subsidence. Within the last few years, Rapid Impact Compaction (RIC) has increased its attractiveness as a soil treatment method. RIC is an innovative dynamic compaction technique primarily used to compact sandy soils where silt and clay contents are low. This work presents a case study of ground improvement using RIC and its suitability for site preparation earthworks. The RIC technique has been performed in an early site preparation which consists of a cut and fill contract for a mega project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. RIC is a process where loose subsurface soils are improved through compaction with the utilization of successive impact blows from the top surface. This project involves the compaction of the fill materials (with an average thickness of 4 m) and loose natural formations (averaging 4 m in depth). The objective of the soil treatment scheme is to increase the relative density of the soils (both fill and natural) to 85%. The usage of the RIC within the site preparation earthwork applications is possible provided the presence of certain elements—specifically, granular materials and particles finer than number 200 sieve—do not exceed 15%. The RIC method proved to be cost- and time-effective when utilized for filling compaction activities since it compacts considerable soil thicknesses with a single action from the top surface, and can be used as an alternative to the traditional method of compacting fill formations in pre-determined lift thicknesses.

Influence of particle size on property of Ti-6Al-4V alloy prepared by high-velocity compaction

Three Ti-6Al-4V alloy powders with median diameters of 103, 66 and 44 pm, respectively, were pressed by high-velocity compaction （HVC） technology and then sintered in vacuum. The effects of particle sizes on forming as well as properties of sintered samples were investigated. The results show that fine powders are more difficult to press than coarse powders and its compact density is lower too. But the sintered density of fine powders is obviously higher than that of coarse powders. Compared with the powders with 103 and 66 ~un in diameter, the green density with 44 ~rn diameter powders is lower, which is 85.1% of theoretical density （TD） at an impact energy of 913 J. After sintering at 1300 ~C for 2,5 h, the sintered density of the compacts with 44 pm diameter powders is the highest, and reaches 98.2% of TD. Moreover, the sintered sample with 44 pan in diameter has the highest hardness and compressive strength, which are HV 354 and 1265 MPa, respectively.

Assessment of rapid impact compaction in ground improvement from in-situ testing

Ground improvement has been used on many construction sites to densify granular materials, in other word, to improve soil properties and reduce potential settlement. This work presents a case study of ground improvement using rapid impact compaction （RIC）. The research site comprises the construction of workshop and depots as part of railway development project at Batu Gajah-Ipoh, Malaysia. In-situ testing results show that the subsurface soil comprises mainly of sand and silty sand through the investigated depth extended to 10 m. Groundwater is approximately 0.5 m below the ground surface. Evaluation of improvement was based on the results of pre- and post-improvement cone penetration test （CPT）. Interpretation software has been used to infer soil properties. Load test was conducted to estimate soil settlement. It is found that the technique succeeds in improving soil properties namely the relative density increases from 45% to 70%, the friction angle of soil is increased by an average of 3°, and the soil settlement is reduced by 50%： The technique succeeds in improving soil properties to approximately 5.0 m in depth depending on soil uniformity with depth.

Effects of temperature on the mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V powder compacts prepared by magnetic pulse compaction

The effects of temperature （0-500°C） on the compressive strength,hardness,average relative density,and microstructure of Ti6Al4V powder green compacts prepared by magnetic pulse compaction were investigated.The results show that with increasing heating temperature,the compressive strength first increases and then decreases with the maximum value of 976.74 MPa at 400°C.The average relative density and hardness constantly increase,and their values reach 96.11% and HRA 69.8 at 500°C,respectively.The increase of partial welding is found among the junctions of particles inside the compacts; there is no obvious grain growth inside the compacts within the temperature range.

DYNAMIC COMPACTION OF PURE COPPER POWDER USING PULSED MAGNETIC FORCE

The compaction of pure Cu powder was carried out through a series of experiments using dynamic magnetic pulse compaction, and the effects of process parameters, such as discharge energy and compacting direction, on the homogeneity and the compaction density of compacted specimens were presented and discussed. The results indicated that the compaction density of specimens increased with the augment of discharge voltage and time. During unidirectional compaction, there was a density gradient along the loading direction in the compacted specimen, and the minimum compaction density was localized to the center of the bottom of the specimen. The larger the aspect ratio of a powder body, the higher the compaction density of the compacted specimen. And high conductivity drivers were beneficial to the increase of the compaction density. The iterative and the double direction compaction were efficient means to manufacture the homogeneous and high-density powder parts.

The Compaction Characteristics of Hot Mixed Asphalt Mixtures

The quality of compaction is important to the performance of hot mixed asphalt （HMA） pavement. Most premature failures of asphalt pavement are concerned with poor compaction. Compaction characteristic of lIMA mixtures were studied. Compaction tests were done with typical widely used HMA mixtures, including dense gradation asphalt mixtures with different nominal maximum aggregate size （AC13,AC20,AC25）, and mixtures with different gradation （AC13, SMA13,Supl3 and OGFC13）. HMA mixtures were sampled at different compaction temperature and Marshall blow numbers, varying between 60 and 175 ~C and between 15 and 75 lows, respectively. The compaction characteristics of these mixtures were evaluated. The results showed that the Marshall stability and volumetric properties were significantly affected by the compaction temperature. Mixtures with the same NMAS but different type of gradation need different compaction energy to get the designed density.

Visualization and quantification of soil laboratory impact compaction

As important methods to guide the field soil compaction,the standard and modified Proctor tests for laboratory compaction have remained unchanged for decades,which should be improved to better understand the compaction process and the properties of soils.In this study,an accelerometer was installed on a Marshall impact compactor to capture the dynamic response of three types of soils during compaction.The experimental test results indicated that the acceleration curve for each blow gradually evolved to a stable pattern following the progress of compaction,and the impact and gyratory locking points were linearly related with coefficient of determination R2equal to 0.59.The impact compaction curve could be further constructed by filtering the structural resonance,which can be used to quantify the compactability of soil materials.Although each type of soil had a unique set of compaction curves,the slope and value of compaction curve altered accordingly as the moisture content changed for the same soil.In addition,the average acceleration value at the final compaction stage could serve as the target value of soil stiffness.