A study on internal fabric and frequency characteristics of gap-graded granular materials

Abstract

Vulnerability of geotechnical structure due to heavy rainfall, for example migration of fines from soil skeleton (suffusion), has been reported in recent years. Fine particles that contribute to the main fabric are relatively stable against seepage action; however, it is difficult to quantify the particle-scale stress transfer of soil fabric. This study investigated the relationship between soil fabric and characteristics of frequency response of gap-graded materials, mixtures of small and large particles, and found that there is a strong correlation between the stress transfer via fines and the lowpass frequency measured using elastic wave propagation simulations and laboratory experiments.