Bearing properties of TJ-M1 Mars soil simulant

The mechanical and engineering behaviors of Mars soils play an important role in Mars exploration, which is one of the main objects in Mars exploration. The plate loading tests (PLT) on Mars soil simulants can be used to investigate the engineering properties of real Mars soils, which can serve for the safe loading of Mars probe. For this aim, the TJ-M1 Mars soil simulant is developed, on which a series of cone penetration tests (CPT) and plate loading tests are carried out. The experimental data are further analyzed with the existing empirical formula which relate the data of cone penetration tests and plate loading tests on sands in order to choose a suitable empirical formulas for Mars soils. Firstly, a 6 m×6 m×1.25 m (length × width × height) testbed is constructed, and paved in five layers. Then 8 cone penetration tests and 2 plate load tests are performed symmetrically on this testbed. Finally, the bearing capacity data are compared with those predicted by the Terzaghi classical correction formula and 11 empirical formulas relating CPT and PLT results for medium-dense sand. The results show that the bearing capacity from the Terzaghi classical correction formula is obviously smaller than the experimental value, while the empirical formula (R=80P_s+31.8) can be used to predict the bearing capacity of Mars soils from CPT data approximately.