Abstract: Extensive triaxial tests were performed on calcareous sand samples from coral reefs in South China Sea to study the properties of particle breakage. Factors that might affect the particle breakage, such as, confining pressure, sample grain size, sample gradation, degree of compaction, drainage condition and initial sample moisture content, were studied. The following conclusions can be obtained: the particle breakage of the calcareous samples is related to the magnitude of confining pressure and does not have relationship with the sample grain size. Well graded samples have less amount of particle breakage; higher degree of compaction increases the amount of particle breakage; under different drainage conditions in the triaxial tests, the effective confining pressure has a large influence; the particle breakage increases with the initial moisture content of samples.

Key words: Calcareous Sands, Particle Breakage, Gradations, Degree of Compaction, Triaxial Tests