Abstract:
To investigate the influence of fine aggregates on the deformation characteristics of graded crushed stone, a modified prediction model was established based on revealing the effects of fines content (
Fc), fines-to-sand ratio (
Dr), and plasticity index (
PI) on the resilient modulus. Taking limestone and basalt chips as research objects, repeated load triaxial tests were carried out to analyze the influence laws of
Fc,
Dr and
PI on the resilient modulus. Five classical prediction models were compared, and the optimal one was selected via statistical indicators. Then
Fc,
Dr and
PI were introduced as new variables to modify the optimal model, and the modified model was verified with measured data. Results show that when
Fc is in the range of 1.5%~3%, the mixture exhibits optimal deformation resistance. The influence of
Dr is strongly dependent on
Fc: a lower
Dr under low
Fc or a higher
Dr under high
Fc both help increase the resilient modulus. The resilient modulus decreases linearly with increasing
PI. The recommended thresholds for fine aggregate design parameters are
Fc = 1.5%~3%,
Dr = 0.18~0.28, and
PI ≤ 8. The modified model achieves a prediction accuracy
R2 > 0.8 under various fine aggregate conditions. This study demonstrates that the proposed model can accurately characterize the influence of fine aggregate parameters on resilient modulus, providing a theoretical basis and technical support for the design optimization of graded crushed stone materials.