The weathered granites in the eastern foothills of Lüliang Mountain are significantly different from those occurring in the southern China

Japan and South Korea. To understand comprehensively the physical and mechanical properties of the compacted weathered granite in Lüliang Mountain

a series of laboratory tests including routine soil test

X-ray diffraction test

large consolidation test

large-scale triaxial test and so on is performed to analyze the compaction

load-bearing

deformation

dilatancy and strength characteristics of strongly weathered granite. The experimental results show that the clay content has a remarkable influence on the compaction characteristics of compacted weathered granite and the load-bearing characteristics

and there exist two threshold values of clay content

when the clay content is about 8%

the dry density of the sample reach the maximum

while about 4%

California bearing ratio(CBR) has a maximun value. The soil samples in this study have no expansion potential and their compressibility are generally low. Two salient phenomena of plastic deformation can be observed on the secondary loading and unloading compression curve due to particle breakage of compacted weathered granite. Because the soil particles might undergo compacted

dislocated

overturned or crushed processes

the soil samples show different dilatancy characteristics under different confining pressures. In addition

due to the existence of particle breakage

the strength of sample exhibits nonlinear characteristics.