Objective The DW1280 large-scale direct shear test system is utilized to conduct a series of large-scale indoor direct shear tests, including 24 groups of soil-rock mixtures with different stone contents, compactness levels, and particle sphericities to explore the evolution law of the shear mechanical properties of soil-rock mixtures under the influence of multiple factors, such as particle sphericity, stone content, and compactness. Methods Self-developed rock particle processing equipment was utilized to produce four types of particles with uniform size but different sphericity values (S) to ensure the rigor of the experimental study and accurately investigate the influence of rock particle shape on the test results. This approach ensured that the effect of particle shape could be analyzed independently during the experiment, overcoming the limitations of previous studies that unified block stone shapes through numerical simulation and enabling experimental research using real rock particles. In addition, the shear characteristics of soil-rock mixtures under multiple influencing factors were investigated. Through comparative analyses from various perspectives, the variation patterns of soil-rock mixtures under the influence of different factors were identified. Finally, 12 groups of test conditions were predicted using the soil-rock mixture damage model, and the prediction results were compared to the experimental data to ensure the reliability of the predictions. This step not only enhanced the scientific rigor of the research but also further verified the validity and accuracy of the soil-rock mixture damage model. Results and Discussions Analysis of the shear stress-shear displacement curves for particle groups with different sphericity values indicated that, under normal stresses of 50, 100, and 150 kPa, the initial slopes of the shear stress curves were 11.05, 13.19, and 12.72, respectively, which were generally consistent. During the shearing process, the shear strength was mainly governed by the interlocking effect between soil and stone particles and by dislocation friction. However, with the gradual increase in particle sphericity S, the primary contribution to shear strength gradually shifted from the interlocking effect to dislocation friction. Therefore, the fluctuation of the test curves was reduced. These results indicate that the more pronounced the particle angularity, the greater the energy fluctuation generated during turning, rotation, and crushing processes. When the sphericity value reached S=0.886, the peak stress was significantly higher than that of the other three sphericity groups. In contrast, with the increase in sphericity S (S=0.953, 0.981, and 1.000), the peak stress decreased by 15.56%, 9.23%, and 5.43%, respectively, as well as by 22.84%, 16.06%, and 11.80%, and 45.09%, 41.50%, and 32.24%, respectively. This trend demonstrates that the reduction in peak stress gradually increased with increasing particle sphericity. In addition, under the same normal stress, the vertical displacement of the particle groups decreased as the sphericity increased. In addition, the internal friction angle initially increased and then decreased with increasing particle sphericity, whereas the cohesion decreased continuously with increasing particle sphericity. The stone content in the soil-rock mixture is one of the key parameters significantly affecting the overall strength of the mixture. Through detailed analysis of the shear stress-shear displacement curves of the hexahedral particle group under different stone contents, it was observed that the shear strength of the soil-rock mixture increased with increasing normal stress when the stone content remained constant. Under the same normal stress, the shear strength of the soil-rock mixture first increased and then decreased as the stone content increased. When the stone content reached 80%, the shear strength of the mixture attained its maximum value. At this stage, the shear strength and internal friction angle first increased and then decreased with increasing stone content. However, when the stone content exceeded 80%, the cohesion remained essentially unchanged. In addition to the above factors, the compaction degree of the soil-rock mixture was also identified as an important parameter affecting its shear strength. The influence of compaction degree on the strength parameters of the soil-rock mixture showed that, under different normal stresses, when the compaction degree increased from 86% to 90% and 94%, the shear strength of the soil-rock mixture samples increased by 8.3%, 9.3%, and 10.9%, respectively, as well as by 6.6%, 7.9%, and 8.9%, respectively. As the compaction degree gradually increased, the shear strength of the samples also increased. However, when the compaction degree was further improved, the rate of increase in shear strength gradually decreased. Accordingly, these findings further confirm that the factors discussed in this study, including stone content and particle shape, have significant effects on the shear strength of soil-rock mixtures. Conclusions 1) With the increase in sphericity S, the angularity of the particles gradually decreases. The shear strength of the soil-rock mixtures gradually changes from being provided by a combination of intergranular occlusal embedding and interparticle friction to being dominated by frictional resistance. Therefore, the shear strength, shear dilatancy, and cohesion c of the soil-rock mixtures decrease. The relationship between the angle of internal friction φ and sphericity S can be described by an exponential function. In addition, the angle of internal friction initially increases and then decreases, reaching a maximum value of 55.22° when the sphericity S=0.953. 2) When the particle shape and compaction remain constant, and the stone content increases from 60% to 100%, the internal structure of the soil-rock mixture changes significantly. The shear stress-shear displacement curve transforms from strain softening to strain hardening. In addition, the shear strength and angle of internal friction φ exhibit a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing, whereas the cohesion c remains basically unchanged after the stone content exceeds 80%. During the shearing process, the particles overturn and crush, and the test curves exhibit a “fluctuating and jumping” phenomenon. 3) With increasing compaction, the interlocking and embedded effects between soil particles and stone particles gradually increase; however, the increase in shear strength gradually decreases. The research results are of great significance for selecting appropriate particle shapes for soil and stone mixtures in practical engineering projects, helping to control the mechanical properties of soil and stone mixtures more accurately and ensure the safety and stability of engineering structures.
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