A correlation study between the properties of manufactured sand and tunnel muck

The correlation between the properties of the parent rock (PR) and the manufactured sand (MS) is poorly understood. In this study, eight groups of PR, crushed rock (CR), and MS were selected in the lithofacies analysis, where their mechanical properties and hazardous substances were investigated. The results show that the hazardous substances and alkali activities of PR and CR facilitated the prediction of whether the properties of MS met the specification requirements. Moreover, MS exhibited higher water absorption, greater crushing indices and soundness loss than PR and CR. Further, large mineral grains and diorite xenoliths and mica in granite led to higher brittleness and lower UCS than tuff (97 MPa vs. 121–151 MPa).