Coarse-grained soil (CGS) is a vital geotechnical material extensively used in engineering projects. Scale effects pose challenges to accurately assessing its shear strength, and the influences of scaling methods and moisture content remain underexplored. This study investigates the effects of maximum particle size ($d_{\max }$), scaling techniques, and moisture content on the shear strength of CGS through large-scale direct shear tests and in situ direct shear tests. CGS samples from the Jilangtan platform in Qinghai Province, originally with a $d_{\max }$ of 60 mm, were scaled to 30 mm using the Equivalent Substitution Method (ESM) and Similar Gradation Method (SGM). Tests were conducted at moisture contents of 0.91% (air-dried), 2.45% (natural), and 7.66% (saturated). Results show that ESM consistently yields higher shear strength than SGM across all moisture levels. Scale effects are minimal under air-dried conditions but become pronounced at higher moisture contents. While all large-scale laboratory test results deviate somewhat from in situ findings, shear strength parameters derived from SGM align more closely with field observations.

The rock mass deformation modulus is one of the most important design parameters in a range of rock engineering applications. Its value is usually obtained directly through in situ testing or estimated indirectly on the basis of a rock mass quality classification system. Because in situ testing is generally costly, time-consuming, and presents operational difficulties, it cannot be carried out extensively, and many researchers have concentrated on developing indirect procedures to obtain information on the modulus of deformation, such as the RMR method, Q method, and GSI method. The purpose of this paper is to present a new system for estimating the rock mass deformation modulus called the BQ method, which is based on the BQ (basic quality) system. In this paper, the BQ system is first briefly reviewed, and then more than 60 in situ measurements from three large hydropower stations in China are used to develop a new relationship between BQ and the deformation modulus, based on a power function relationship. The paper also derives correlations based on the existing estimation formula and the relationship between BQ and other classification schemes, resulting in several recommended formulas for estimating the deformation modulus of a rock mass using the BQ method.

Red-bed soft rock is widely distributed in the upper Yellow River. To investigate the strain-rate effect of saturated red-bed soft rock, a series of triaxial tests was conducted on argillaceous siltstone. Specifically, fifteen samples were tested by controlling confining pressures (5 MPa, 10 MPa, 15 MPa, 20 MPa, and 25 MPa) and strain rates (6.0%/min, 0.6%/min, and 0.06%/min) via triaxial tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Computed Tomography (CT), and 3D laser scanner. The results show that the peak strength of argillaceous siltstone increases with the rise in strain rate, being highly sensitive to the variation in strain rate under low confining pressure while relatively insensitive under high confining pressure. The tangent modulus of argillaceous siltstone is significantly affected by strain rate, and the influence of strain rate on tangent modulus weakens with the increase in confining pressure. Strain rate exerts an influence on the fracture mode and the shear zone roughness of soft rock. That is, with the increase in strain rate, the roughness increases, and the fracture mode transforms from pure shear fracture to tension–shear coupled fracture. With the increase in confining pressure, the number of shear cracks increases, and the shear surfaces tend to distribute approximately in parallel. The research results provide a scientific reference for the reservoir site selection of pumped storage power station in the upper Yellow River.