diff --git a/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/GranularGas.cfg b/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/GranularGas.cfg
index 71f9c2cc2dc23a20b1b1a383314d8958a53bc962..a70c6572cb1e7873d8d2f03f0923fd1a3c06f3e4 100644
--- a/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/GranularGas.cfg
+++ b/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/GranularGas.cfg
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ GranularGas
    simulationDomain < 6, 6, 6 >;
    blocks < 2,2,2 >;
    isPeriodic < 1, 1, 1 >;
+   initialRefinementLevel 0;
 
    radius  0.6;
    spacing 1.0;
@@ -13,9 +14,5 @@ GranularGas
    simulationSteps    500;
    visSpacing         100;
 
-   HCSITSmaxIterations 10;
-   HCSITSRelaxationParameter 0.7;
-   HCSITSErrorReductionParameter 0.8;
-   HCSITSRelaxationModelStr ApproximateInelasticCoulombContactByDecoupling;
-   globalLinearAcceleration < 0, 0, 0 >;
+   numOuterIterations   1;
 }
diff --git a/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/MESA_PD_GranularGas.cpp b/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/MESA_PD_GranularGas.cpp
index 3ccff9ff43fc2614a95876cc3ce1fbfac7a74c38..51e8a620ea0887a1fecfbd8d92133f41f8b95dd2 100644
--- a/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/MESA_PD_GranularGas.cpp
+++ b/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/MESA_PD_GranularGas.cpp
@@ -146,6 +146,9 @@ int main( int argc, char ** argv )
    int64_t numOuterIterations = mainConf.getParameter<int64_t>("numOuterIterations", 10 );
    WALBERLA_LOG_INFO_ON_ROOT("numOuterIterations: " << numOuterIterations);
 
+   int64_t initialRefinementLevel = mainConf.getParameter<int64_t>("initialRefinementLevel", 0 );
+   WALBERLA_LOG_INFO_ON_ROOT("initialRefinementLevel: " << initialRefinementLevel);
+
    int64_t simulationSteps = mainConf.getParameter<int64_t>("simulationSteps", 10 );
    WALBERLA_LOG_INFO_ON_ROOT("simulationSteps: " << simulationSteps);
 
@@ -437,6 +440,7 @@ int main( int argc, char ** argv )
          integerProperties["blocks_x"]            = int64_c(forest->getXSize());
          integerProperties["blocks_y"]            = int64_c(forest->getYSize());
          integerProperties["blocks_z"]            = int64_c(forest->getZSize());
+         integerProperties["initialRefinementLevel"] = int64_c(initialRefinementLevel);
          realProperties["domain_x"]               = double_c(forest->getDomain().xSize());
          realProperties["domain_y"]               = double_c(forest->getDomain().ySize());
          realProperties["domain_z"]               = double_c(forest->getDomain().zSize());
diff --git a/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/MESA_PD_KernelBenchmark.cpp b/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/MESA_PD_KernelBenchmark.cpp
index 47d20d42a087603fc02db32eb9e1363b3af8e5e0..bf2b95065ccd7675ac34b9d85f438344ed2f380b 100644
--- a/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/MESA_PD_KernelBenchmark.cpp
+++ b/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/MESA_PD_KernelBenchmark.cpp
@@ -222,6 +222,9 @@ int main( int argc, char ** argv )
    int64_t numOuterIterations = mainConf.getParameter<int64_t>("numOuterIterations", 10 );
    WALBERLA_LOG_INFO_ON_ROOT("numOuterIterations: " << numOuterIterations);
 
+   int64_t initialRefinementLevel = mainConf.getParameter<int64_t>("initialRefinementLevel", 0 );
+   WALBERLA_LOG_INFO_ON_ROOT("initialRefinementLevel: " << initialRefinementLevel);
+
    int64_t simulationSteps = mainConf.getParameter<int64_t>("simulationSteps", 10 );
    WALBERLA_LOG_INFO_ON_ROOT("simulationSteps: " << simulationSteps);
 
@@ -515,6 +518,7 @@ int main( int argc, char ** argv )
          integerProperties["blocks_x"]            = int64_c(forest->getXSize());
          integerProperties["blocks_y"]            = int64_c(forest->getXSize());
          integerProperties["blocks_z"]            = int64_c(forest->getXSize());
+         integerProperties["initialRefinementLevel"] = int64_c(initialRefinementLevel);
          realProperties["domain_x"]               = double_c(forest->getDomain().xSize());
          realProperties["domain_y"]               = double_c(forest->getDomain().ySize());
          realProperties["domain_z"]               = double_c(forest->getDomain().zSize());
diff --git a/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/PE_GranularGas.cpp b/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/PE_GranularGas.cpp
index d38f722784e320c627832f0cd8494fca053f960a..ff927ca6fa4238cd33d92dd37e24f4a5dc6ff05f 100644
--- a/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/PE_GranularGas.cpp
+++ b/apps/benchmarks/GranularGas/PE_GranularGas.cpp
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ int main( int argc, char ** argv )
    int64_t numOuterIterations = mainConf.getParameter<int64_t>("numOuterIterations", 10 );
    WALBERLA_LOG_INFO_ON_ROOT("numOuterIterations: " << numOuterIterations);
 
+   int64_t initialRefinementLevel = mainConf.getParameter<int64_t>("initialRefinementLevel", 0 );
+   WALBERLA_LOG_INFO_ON_ROOT("initialRefinementLevel: " << initialRefinementLevel);
+
    int64_t simulationSteps = mainConf.getParameter<int64_t>("simulationSteps", 10 );
    WALBERLA_LOG_INFO_ON_ROOT("simulationSteps: " << simulationSteps);
 
@@ -351,6 +354,7 @@ int main( int argc, char ** argv )
          integerProperties["blocks_x"]            = int64_c(forest->getXSize());
          integerProperties["blocks_y"]            = int64_c(forest->getYSize());
          integerProperties["blocks_z"]            = int64_c(forest->getZSize());
+         integerProperties["initialRefinementLevel"] = int64_c(initialRefinementLevel);
          realProperties["domain_x"]               = double_c(forest->getDomain().xSize());
          realProperties["domain_y"]               = double_c(forest->getDomain().ySize());
          realProperties["domain_z"]               = double_c(forest->getDomain().zSize());