Particle packing in loess deposits and the problem of structure collapse and hydroconsolidation

A major practical problem encountered in loess deposits is that of structural collapse when loaded and wetted, the process of hydroconsolidation. The process is essentially a transition from an open particle packing to a closer particle packing. Packings are difficult to represent and processes involving packing change are difficult to model. A simple transition process, using the Morrow and Graves approach, allows packing changes to be studied. The Morrow and Graves packings can be related to the simple particle packings that have been used as a basis for the study of packing structures in sediments. These regular packing models may be superseded by random systems in which the collapse of bridging structures allows a transition from loose random packing to close random packing. The Onoda and Liniger concept of loose packing and dilatancy onset is applied to the formation of a deposit and its subsequent collapse.