Study on the influence of load direction on the breakage strength of calcareous sand particles with different shapes

The loading direction has significant effects on the breakage strength of calcareous sand particles with different shapes. However, the quantitative relationship between these two quantities remains unclear. First, the shape parameters of the calcareous sand particles were calculated using the results obtained from three-dimensional scanning. Then, uniaxial compression tests were conducted to obtain the breakage strength of the calcareous sand. Finally, the influence of the loading direction on the breakage strength of particles with different shapes was determined. The results indicate that, within the same range of shape parameters, the breakage strength of particles subjected to horizontal loading was significantly higher than that under vertical loading. Under the same loading direction, flatness ( FI ) showed negligible influence on breakage strength, while under horizontal loading conditions, the breakage strength decreased with increasing sphericity ( SP ) or decreasing aspect ratio ( AR ). In contrast, under vertical loading, the breakage strength increases as SP increases or the AR decreases. The trend observed in breakage energy aligns with the trend of breakage strength. The breakage strength of calcareous sand follows a Weibull distribution, with the Weibull modulus ( m ) of the breakage strength generally ranging between 0.71 and 1.87. These findings provide valuable insights for related theoretical research, engineering practices, and numerical simulations.