Analysis of the geomechanical characterization of coarse granular materials using the parallel gradation method

Abstract

The geotechnical characterization of coarse granular materials such as very coarse-grained soils, rockfills, mining waste rocks and  related materials is one of the key themes in geotechnical engineering but least studied and Developed. Although there are some geotechnical  standards and  accepted  geotechnical practice, there  is  not a standard for size-scaling, which is a critical step in advanced stage engineering (i.e. detailed design) on large structures involving this kind of materials. Several size-scaling  techniques  are  available for use,  with advantages and disadvantages.  Among these, the parallel  gradation   method  PGM ( also  known as  homothetic grain size distribution), is one of the current practices and used for more than 50 years, but surprisingly just a few  studies have corroborated its capability, and under specific material types. This work assesses a detailed database covering the  evelopment of this method from its first uses up to now. The application of this method is analysed based mainly on the material maximum internal friction angle and the Marsal’s particle breakage index (Bg).