Geomechanics and Engineering

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Effect of particle breakage on densification of coarse fillers under dynamic compaction using PFC3D

  • Xi Li (School of Transportation, Changsha University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Kun Liu (School of Transportation, Changsha University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Guoping Qian (School of Transportation, Changsha University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Shuaituan Tian (Civil Aviation Research Base (Beijing) Co., Ltd.) ;
  • Xinyan Ma (Civil Aviation Research Base (Beijing) Co., Ltd.) ;
  • Huangting Zheng (Radiation Environment Supervision and Management Station of Guangxi Zhuang) ;
  • Wenli Hou (School of Transportation, Changsha University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Junfeng Qian (School of Transportation, Changsha University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Zhao Qian (The Second Veteran Hospital of Shandong Province)
  • Received : 2025.07.26
  • Accepted : 2026.04.23
  • Published : 2026.05.10
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Abstract

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.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 52278435, 52227815), the Science and Technology Talent Promotion Program of Hunan Province (No. 2023TJ-N12) and Guangxi Science and Technology Plan Project (2024AC44007).

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