An asphalt concrete core wall is placed between transition layers of asphalt concrete core rockfill dam. The interface between the core wall and the transition layer is subjected to shear action due to lateral soil pressure, water load and varying material properties, which threaten the safety of the core wall. In this paper, the influence of the fine particle content in the transition layer on the shear behaviour of the interface is investigated. A series of shear tests is conducted on the interface between the asphalt concrete and the transition layer of coarse-grained soil under conditions of three fines contents, three shear rates and five normal stress levels. The shear behaviour and shear mechanism of the interface are analysed. The influence of fine particle content on the shear behaviour is discussed. A nuclear magnetic resonance imaging system is used to detect the pore distribution of an asphalt concrete sample after the shear action. Furthermore, a high-pressure permeability test is conducted to study the impact of shear action on asphalt concrete impermeability. The results indicate that shear stress and normal displacement of the interface increase with the fine particle content. The porosity and permeability of asphalt concrete after shear action increases with the decrease of fine particle content. Shear action would not significantly affect the anti-seepage performance of the asphalt concrete.
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27 April 2026
Research Article|
April 17 2026
Effect of fine content on asphalt concrete core-transition layer interface shear behaviour Available to Purchase
Lifeng Wen;
State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment in Arid Area,
Xi’an University of Technology
, Xi’an, PR China
Corresponding author Lifeng Wen (wenlifeng@xaut.edu.cn)
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Weibo Zhao;
Weibo Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment in Arid Area,
Xi’an University of Technology
, Xi’an, PR China
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Yanlong Li;
Yanlong Li
State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment in Arid Area,
Xi’an University of Technology
, Xi’an, PR China
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Yunhe Liu;
Yunhe Liu
State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment in Arid Area,
Xi’an University of Technology
, Xi’an, PR China
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Yu Yang
Yu Yang
State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment in Arid Area,
Xi’an University of Technology
, Xi’an, PR China
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Corresponding author Lifeng Wen (wenlifeng@xaut.edu.cn)
Declaration of interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Publisher: Emerald Publishing
Received:
March 18 2025
Accepted:
January 22 2026
Online ISSN: 1751-8563
Print ISSN: 1353-2618
Funding
Funding Group:
- Award Group:
- Funder(s): National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Award Id(s): 52479132
- Funder(s):
- Award Group:
- Funder(s): National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Award Id(s): U2443230
- Funder(s):
- Award Group:
- Funder(s): Shaanxi Province Innovation Capability Support Plan
- Award Id(s): 2025ZC-KJXX-34
- Funder(s):
- Award Group:
- Funder(s): Research Program Funded by Shaanxi Provincial Education Department
- Award Id(s): 23JP113
- Funder(s):
- Award Group:
- Funder(s): Research Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment
- Award Id(s): SKL-ZZ03-2025-07
- Funder(s):
- Award Group:
- Funder(s): Research Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment
- Award Id(s): SKL-ZZ04-2025-13
- Funder(s):
- Funding Statement(s): This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 52479132 and U2443230), Shaanxi Province Innovation Capability Support Plan (No. 2025ZC-KJXX-34), Scientific Research Program Funded by Shaanxi Provincial Education Department (No. 23JP113), the Research Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Water Engineering Ecology and Environment in Arid Area (No. SKL-ZZ03-2025-07 and SKL-ZZ04-2025-13).
© 2026 Emerald Publishing Limited
2026
Emerald Publishing Limited
Licensed re-use rights only
Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Geotechnical Engineering (2026) 179 (2): 249–260.
Article history
Received:
March 18 2025
Accepted:
January 22 2026
Citation
Wen L, Zhao W, Li Y, Liu Y, Yang Y (2026), "Effect of fine content on asphalt concrete core-transition layer interface shear behaviour". Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Geotechnical Engineering, Vol. 179 No. 2 pp. 249–260, doi: https://doi.org/10.1680/jgeen.25.00056
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