Experimental Study on the Mutually Embedded Settlement Model of Different Sizes and Materials Miscellaneous Fill

ABSTRACT With the overlying load, the soft soil particles with high moisture content are easily embedded into the miscellaneous fill with large pores, resulting in mutually embedded settlement. Based on the self-developed mutually embedded instrument, this article studied the influence of particle size and material on the mutually embedded settlement and analyzed the stress characteristics of miscellaneous fill particles during the process of mutually embedded settlement. The research results indicate that the total settlement of miscellaneous fill soil foundation can be divided into mutually embedded settlement and consolidation settlement. Both the particle size of the miscellaneous fill and the overlying load significantly affect the magnitude of mutually embedded settlement. When the applied load is 25 and 50 kPa, the settlements of glass and cement particles are approximately the same. However, under a load of 100 kPa, the settlement of glass particles is notably greater than that of cement particles. From the statics perspective, the forces exerted by the soft soil on the miscellaneous fill particles can be divided into two components: the support force acting on the top of the miscellaneous fill particles and the frictional force along the sides. These findings offer valuable guidance for analyzing and predicting the settlement behavior of composite foundations consisting of miscellaneous fill and soft soil.