Experimental and DEM Investigation of Shear Behaviors of a Loess and Rough Concrete Interface

A series of shear interface experiments on a type of loess and rough concrete interface under conditions of different initial water contents (16%, 21%, and 26%), dry densities (1.30 g/cm3, 1.52 g/cm3, 1.70 g/cm3) and normal stresses (50 kPa, 100 kPa, 200 kPa) were conducted to further understand shear deformation and strength characteristics of a loess and rough concrete interface combined with loess deformation monitoring method of gypsum powder line method. A discrete element method (DEM) model was then established, calibrated against the experimentally obtained shear stress–displacement curves, and run to investigate the shear deformation, contact force chain and fabric evolution processes at the microscopic level. The results show the following: (1) The shear deformation and strength behaviors of the loess and rough concrete interface were significantly impacted by the initial moisture content, dry density and normal stress. (2) The shear deformation of the loess increased with the increase in initial moisture content, and decreased with dry density and normal stress. (3) The shear strength of the loess and rough concrete interface increased with the increase in dry density and normal stress, and decreased with the increase in initial moisture content. (4) The evolution of the shear deformation, contact force chain and fabric of the loess-concrete rough interface were explored and analyzed from a microstructural perspective. This study contributes insights critical to construction of the pile-loess systems in Chinese Loess Plateau regions.