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Based on the breakage characteristics of natural rockfill particles, a fragment replacement mode with random sub-particle sizes, namely cube replacement model is established. The simulation test using the cube replacement mode can obtain a size distribution of sub-particles that obeys the breakage characteristic of natural rockfill particles. Uniaxial compression simulations show that, compared with the 4-ball and 18-ball replacement modes with fixed sub-particle sizes, the cube replacement mode can improve the continuity of specimen gradation curve and the problem of missing particles with intermediate sizes. Comparing the simulations of replacement modes with different sub-particle number, the distributions of contact number and mean contact force obtained by cube replacement mode comply with the influence of sub-particle number on the distributions. After removing the non-contact and single-contact particles from specimen, the change rules of micromechanical characteristics of different replacement modes are consisted. It is indicated that the cube replacement mode can be used to simulate the particle breakage of coarse-grained soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]