Particle breakage of gravel-structure interface under cyclic shear

The particle breakage of gravel-structure interface is obviously observed during cyclic shearing, which significantly influences the mechanical response of the interface. The particle breakage mesoscopically leads to the increasing content of relatively small particles and the decrease and even disappearance of large void, statistically causes uplift of grain size distribution curve and reduction of grain size, and is exhibited and can be measured macroscopically by irreversible volumetric change of the interface. The relative breakage ratio of the interface mainly depends on and behaves in hyperbola manner with shear distance and is hardly influenced by shear path. The hyperbola model is also fit for the relationship between irreversible volumetric change and relative breakage ratio of the interface, and the relation between the relative breakage ratio and the normal stress obeys the power function. The type and roughness of the structural plate have effects on the relative breakage ratio of the interface.