Abstract: To find optimal combination of compaction parameters through compaction tests is the key to ensure compaction quality of a roller-compacted concrete (RCC) dam. The conventional tests conducted before dam construction are costly and time consuming. This paper describes a similarity principle for RCC compaction simulations based on compaction capability, and presents a multi-parameter adjustable laboratory device for the simulations. The device can not only overcome the scale effect of small test rollers, and the shortcoming in the plate vibration used in vibration compaction forming tests that is greatly different from on-site roller vibration compaction, but make the parameters adjustable in multiple stages, such as roller static load, excitation force (vibration frequency and amplitude), roller velocity, and compaction passes. Simulation experiments show that the device can equivalently simulate the working conditions of a roller compactor on site; compacted samples reach the same density and strength as those of standard specimens, and the interface shear strength of the samples meet the requirements of on-site construction. It provides an economical, convenient, accurate, and effective technology to study the influence of compaction parameters on the compaction quality of RCC dam materials and then to optimize the parameters.

Key words: roller-compacted concrete dam, compaction quality, compaction parameters, simulation device, compaction capability, similarity principle