Performance testing and preparation methods of similitude materials for explosion modeling in gravelly soil

Hypergravity centrifuge model testing serves as an effective method for simulating prototype explosion effects, whose successful application relies on soil simulants capable of replicating the dynamic response of in-situ soil. To address the challenges of particle size effects and material similarity in centrifuge modeling of explosions in sandy gravel, this study aims to establish a systematic methodology for the preparation and validation of such simulants. Through theoretical analysis, the soil key parameters governing ground shock effects under explosions were identified as density and wave velocity (wave impedance), which are fundamentally controlled by the soil’s gradation characteristics. Based on this premise, twelve types of simulants with varying maximum particle sizes were systematically prepared using four scaling methods: the removal method, equal quantity replacement method, similar gradation method, and hybrid method. Through void ratio tests and bender element testing under effective confining pressure, quantitative relationships were revealed between the extreme void ratios of sandy gravel and its fines content and mean particle size. Based on this, an empirical predictive model for the small strain elastic modulus was established. Comparison of the model-predicted wave velocities with in-situ measured data indicates that the coefficient of uniformity, fines content, and mean particle size are the key controlling indices for achieving dynamic similarity in sandy gravel under explosion loading. Among these, the simulant prepared by the equal quantity replacement method, with a maximum particle size of 10 mm, demonstrated the closest equivalence to the in-situ soil in terms of the aforementioned indices. Hypergravity centrifuge explosion tests using this equivalent simulant further verified that the attenuation law of normalized peak accelerations within the source plane corresponds highly consistently with the in-situ data. This research confirms that by controlling key gradation indices and employing the equal quantity replacement method, it is possible to successfully prepare simulants that are equivalent to in-situ sandy gravel in their dynamic response to explosions. This provides a practical and effective technical pathway for centrifuge model testing in related fields.