Simulation of Rockfill Materials Using Aggregates of Cement Ellipsoids

Particles of natural rockfill materials come in various sizes and shapes, resulting from natural processes, and their mechanical properties are affected by a multitude of interdependent factors. As a result, it is very difficult to investigate an individual factor. Therefore, most studies are conducted by using substitute materials such as glass beads, gypsum rods, wooden rods, steel balls, and metal rods. However, these commonly used materials have properties that are often quite different from natural rockfill materials, e.g., in particle shape, particle strength, modulus, and grading. This paper suggests a more suitable substitute to simulate rockfill materials by using cement ellipsoids in different sizes cast with cement paste. Results from triaxial compression tests show that this kind of proxy material can reproduce the basic behavior of natural rockfill materials.