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Experience has indicated that the engineering properties of a graded sand with fines are significantly different from those of a uniform sand. Under a given relative density , a uniform sand could be dilatant while a graded sand with fines could be contractive. Fines can influence the results of in-situ tests such as the cone penetration tests. Numerical simulations , show that finer particles tend to experience higher stress induced by the penetration of a cone. There is a lack of fundamental understanding as to how the fines affect the behavior of a granular material. A series of research activities were initiated to enhance our understanding related to the effects of fines on the behavior of sands. These activities include numerical simulations using Discontinuous Deformation Analysis (DDA) method ,and laboratory experiments on sands. The objectives of the research are :development of a multiple purpose soil testing apparatus to meet the need of future research work , establish basic engineering properties , testing method and procedures for the sand to be used in the future , and evaluate the feasibility and repeatability of the testing procedure. The thesis describes details of the multiple purpose soil testing apparatus , and results of preliminary experiments.
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