The Effect of Clay on Soil Abrasivity in the results of LCPC Test

LCPC test is one of the most common methods to assess the abrasivity of rock particles and soil samples. Regarding the lack of a standard testing procedure to determine the abrasivity of soils, the test has become very popular in recent decades. The effect of clay on soil abrasivity was investigated with LCPC tests. Different mixtures of crushed silica grains and clay particles were used in the testing program. Moreover, measuring the consumed power of the electric motor of the testing device, the consumed energy of each LCPC test was calculated. Different moisture contents and stress levels were also applied in the tests. The results showed that the LCPC abrasivity coefficient decreases with increasing moisture content. However, after a certain water content level, abrasivity shows an increasing trend with moisture. abrasivity is nearly zero in pure clay samples. The results showed that minimum abrasivity values are obtained when the moisture content is in the range between plastic limit and liquid limit. Applied stress on the soil samples, increases the soil abrasivity. However, increasing the clay content of the tested samples decreases the rate of LAC increasing trends with the applied stress levels. In the pure clay samples, no correlation was obtained between the applied stress levels and LAC values. The results showed that the clay part alone does not have a sensible abrasivity. However, its mixtures with coarse grains have a considerable effect on the abrasive behavior of tested samples especially when the applied water contents and stress levels change.