Scale effect of rockfill and multiple-scale triaxial test platform

The scale effect of rockfill material is one of the main problems in structural analysis for large civil engineering. Due to the lack of super large-scale apparatus, the rockfill commonly used in large civil engineering must be scaled in laboratory tests, and the mechanism of scale effect has not been yet clear. In this study, the previous researches related to scale effect are summarized and discussed. It is recommended that the evaluation system of scale effect of rockfill should consider the influences of sample sizes, modeling techniques and single-particle characteristics on the particle-group behaviors. In order to solve the scale effect of rockfill, the first super large triaxial apparatus (specimen diameter: 800 mm, 1000 mm) in China is developed in Dalian University of Technology. Combining with a series of the triaxial devices (specimen diameter: 100, 200 and 300 mm), a multiple-scale triaxial test platform is constructed. The platform may provide significant technical support for the deep and systematical researches on the scale effect of rockfill under both static and dynamic conditions.