ABSTRACT
This study investigates the strength development and micromechanical behaviour of cement-stabilized quarry dust through unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests and discrete element method (DEM). Experimental results demonstrate that 28-day cured specimens with 5, 10, and 15% Portland cement exhibit significant increase in strength, showing 2.73-times increase from 5% to 10% cement content and 40.7% enhancement at 15% cement, attributed to hydration forming stable force-chain networks. However, laboratory tests alone cannot fully capture micromechanical interactions, prompting the use of DEM. In current DEM study, cementation is represented by small particles bonded at Quarry Dust grain contacts using parallel bonds, which replicate the stiffness and strength of real cementation as observed at micro level. The simulations accurately reproduce UCS, allowing detailed tracking of bond breakage, force-chain evolution, and localised failure mechanisms. The numerical results show excellent agreement with experimental UCS data, validating the DEM approach as a reliable tool for micromechanical analysis.
