Abstract: Gravel cushion has been widely applied to various fields of civil engineering; but its strength and deformation characteristics is still not very clear; so it is needed to further study. Through the laboratory model test and finite element analysis of the gravel cushions with 5 different thicknesses in high stress, the strength and deformation characteristics of gravel cushions with different thicknesses are revealed. Comparing the finite element analysis and test result, the variation characteristics are obtained that the load and deformation, the vertical stress and lateral pressure of gravel cushions with different thicknesses are approximately linear. The thickness of gravel cushion has some effect on the settlement. All else being equal, the settlement increases with the thickness of gravel cushion increasing. Under certain loads, the compressive deformation of gravel cushion approximately trends to be stable within a short period of time; and then the variation of compressive deformation is less as time increases. A test determination method is proposed to measure the lateral pressure coefficient, Poisson’s ratio and deformation modulus of gravel soil, so as to provide references for other soils.

Key words: gravel cushion, model test, finite element analysis, deformation