Advancing Physical Modeling with Aluminum-Rod Model Ground: Confining Pressure Effects on Deformation Characteristics
Advancing Physical Modeling with Aluminum-Rod Model Ground: Confining Pressure Effects on Deformation Characteristics
Studies investigating the effects of soilstructure interactions on foundations and underground structures often conduct model ground tests using aluminum rod assemblies. This arrangement reproduces the characteristics of granular materials, ensures two-dimensional conditions, provides intuitive visualization, and enables straightforward evaluation through image analysis. To accurately evaluate results and apply them to the understanding of actual ground behavior, it is necessary to further elucidate the inherent properties of the aluminum-rod model ground. Although properties such as the internal friction angle and dilatancy have previously been investigated, detailed deformation characteristicsparticularly the confining pressure dependency and strain-level dependency of the deformation modulusremain insufficiently understood. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify these deformation characteristics of the aluminum-rod model ground by conducting plane strain compression tests, a physical modeling method corresponding to laboratory tests on sand. The aluminium-rod specimens measuring 200 × 200 mm were prepared by stacking aluminum rods of different diameters. While maintaining the confining pressure exerted by the side walls at a constant value, the top plate was lowered to increase vertical stress. The vertical stress and displacements of the side walls and top plate were then measured, focusing on the effect of confining pressure on the deformation characteristics of the aluminum-rod model ground. The secantmodulus exhibited an approximately first-order dependence on confining pressure, indicating higher sensitivity to confining pressure than that of sand(three-dimensional granular materials).
Yuri Egoshi; Moe Yagawa; Hidetoshi Nishioka
11th International Conference on Physical Modelling in Geotechnics (ICPMG2026)
Session 1: New facilities, new equipment, and measuring techniques
https://doi.org/10.53243/ICPMG2026-359