Effect of External Load on the Process of Steel Consumption in a Soil Mass

This paper presents the results of a study on the effect of external load on the course and intensity of Hardox Extreme hardness steel wear in sandy soil. The research was conducted under laboratory conditions using a rotating bowl machine. The abrasive was composed of two types of soil: light and medium. External pressure applied to the sample surface had the following values: 13.08, 39.24, and 65.04 [kPa]. On the basis of the results from the analysis of variance, a significant effect of external load on the values of wear on a differentiated level for particular soil masses was found. The analysis of friction surfaces complements the study. Furrows and micro-cuts prevail in the wearing process, and their intensity depends on the cohesion force between the soil grains.