gravelike

Gravellike is an adjective used to describe something that resembles gravel in appearance, texture, or composition. In geology, sedimentology, and soil science, it denotes a material that contains a meaningful fraction of gravel-sized particles, typically ranging from 2 to 64 millimeters in diameter. Such materials are coarse, heterogeneous, and tend to form loose, non-cohesive deposits rather than fine-grained sediments.

Gravellike materials drain rapidly because of large pore spaces between fragments. Their mechanical behavior is governed by particle interlocking rather than cohesive bonds. They occur in natural settings such as alluvial fans, river terraces, braided rivers, glacial outwash, and talus slopes. The gravelliness of a soil or sediment influences properties including infiltration rate, bearing strength, frost susceptibility, and erosion potential.

In civil engineering, landscaping, and road construction, gravellike aggregates provide drainage layers, base materials, and decorative aggregates. They may be natural gravels or crushed rock, used in varying gradations to achieve different permeability and stability. In art, design, and digital rendering, the term is used descriptively to convey a rough, granular aesthetic reminiscent of loose rock fragments.

Related concepts include gravel, gravelly texture, granular materials, and soil texture classes that are modified by the presence of gravels.