Structure of sediments of kaolinite

In an assembly of clay particles placed in a fluid, each particle is typically subjected to: (1) double-layer repulsive forces; (2) van der Waals attractive forces; and (3) contact mechanical forces. The study presented here concerns an approximate, quantitative analysis of clay suspensions, with considerations to the first two - the physico-chemical forces. Using recent theories to calculate the physico-chemical forces between two clay particles in an approximate model of an assembly, the equilibrium void ratio of a clay suspension is computed. The mechanical forces are ignored in the analysis. The results serve to verify the validity of physico-chemical theories employed and help interpret experimental data more fundamentally in terms of the system variables.     

Effect of Intermediate Microfabric on Shear Strength and Strain Localization Response of Kaolin Clay Under Compression and Extension Loading

The present paper evaluates the role of microfabric in strain localization patterns observed in soil specimens during its shear deformation in compression and extension triaxial testing. A series of compression and extension lubricated end triaxial tests are performed on Kaolin clay with extreme as well as intermediate microfabrics, which are obtained using slurry consolidation technique by varying calagon content from 0 to 3 %. Intermediate microfabric is the geometric arrangement of particles within the soil mass, which lies in between the particle orientation during two extreme microfabrics; flocculated and dispersed. Flocculated has random orientation of particles with face-to-edge particle contacts and dispersed has parallel orientation of particles with face-to-face particle contacts. When the specimen is subjected to large stress levels in triaxial testing, the particle orientation and geometric arrangement get affected due to the force acting on the clay platelets. In this experimental research, the variation in clay’s stress–strain and pore pressure response and initiation, propagation and formation of shear bands at different levels of compression and extension shearing is evaluated using digital image analysis setup associated with triaxial system.     

Effect of Shear Deformation on Microfabric of Clay Using XRD Technique

The present paper deals with the impact of shear deformation on the geometric arrangement of particles within the soil specimen, which is termed as the microfabric of soil. A series of compression and extension lubricated end triaxial tests are performed on cylindrical specimens of Kaolinite clay with two extreme microfabrics; dispersed and flocculated, which are obtained using slurry consolidation technique. Flocculated microfabric has random orientation of particles within the soil mass having face-to-edge particle contacts; however, dispersed microfabric has parallel orientation of particles containing face-to-face particle contacts. When the specimen is subjected to large stress levels during its shear deformation, the particle orientation and the geometric arrangement within the soil specimen gets affected due to the force acting on the clay platelets. The variation in microfabric of soil before and after shear deformation process is evaluated by obtaining X-ray diffraction patterns of the clay specimen at three different locations using standard X-ray diffractometer. The discussion includes an analysis of the orientation of soil particles located at shear banding zones of the clay specimens, which may be useful for understanding the strain localization development in clays.     

极细颗粒黏土渗流的微电场效应分析

采用渗流固结法试验结合颗粒表面电位分析,研究极细颗粒黏土的渗流的微电场效应,在相同试验条件下完成了5种含不同百分比的人工高岭土与人工膨润土的试样的渗流特性测试。测试结果表明,微孔渗流的微电场效应对极细颗粒黏土的渗流特性有相当显著的影响,随着孔隙液离子浓度的升降或土颗粒表面电位的增减,试样的渗透系数会随之发生改变;在相同的孔隙液离子浓度下,随着膨润土相对含量的增加,试样的渗透系数随之降低。对科威特软土的渗流固结试验证实了人工土的微电场效应的产生机制与变化规律同样适用于天然软土。试验结果分析认为,在黏土-水-电解质系统的相互作用下,黏土矿物通过土颗粒表面的结合水影响试样的渗流特性,而土颗粒表面电荷的微电场作用是极细颗粒黏土渗流特性改变的内在原因之一。     

Analysis of influencing factors of clay particle diffusion in electric double layer北大核心CSCD

双电层结构对研究黏土力学特性、冻土水分迁移等具有重要意义。为了探究不同影响因素对黏土颗粒扩散双电层电势分布的影响,借鉴Gouy-Chapman-Stern双电层理论,基于Nernst-Planck方程和Poisson-Boltzmann方程,利用数值软件COMSOL定量分析了温度、浓度、颗粒尺寸、颗粒形状以及溶液相对介电常数对扩散双电层电势分布的影响规律。研究表明：温度对电势分布的影响不明显,但随着温度以及Stern层厚度增加,黏土颗粒表面电势和Stern电势均增加;而随着溶液浓度以及相对介电常数减小,表面电势值增加;在矿物成分、表面电荷密度以及颗粒形状确定的情况下,尺寸对于扩散双电层电势分布的影响不显著;但颗粒的不规则形状对电势分布的影响较为明显,当颗粒形状存在夹角时,夹角处的表面电势远大于其他位置,且夹角越小,夹角处表面电势值越大。     

Modeling the particle breakage of rockfill materials with the cohesive crack model

A practical combined finite–discrete element method was developed to simulate the breakage of irregularly shaped particles in granular geomaterials, e.g., rockfill. Using this method, each particle is discretized into a finite element mesh. The potential fracture paths are represented by pre-inserted cohesive interface elements (CIEs) with a progressive damage model. The Mohr–Coulomb model with a tension cut-off is employed as the damage initiation criterion to rupture the predominant failure mode occurs at the particle scale. Two series of biaxial tests were simulated for both the breakable and unbreakable particle assemblies. The two assemblies have identical configurations, with the exception that the former is inserted with CIEs and is breakable. The simulated stress–strain–dilation responses obtained for both assemblies are in agreement with experimental observations. We present a comprehensive study of the role of particle breakage on the mechanical behavior of rockfill materials at both the macroscopic and microscopic scales. The underlying mechanism of particle breakage can be explained by the force chain in the assemblies.     

低围压下颗粒形态对软黏土抗剪强度影响的离散元分析

黏土颗粒形态不仅反映黏土的矿物组分,更是影响其物理力学性质的重要因素之一。为了研究物质组成对软黏土微宏观性质的影响,采用离散元方法对不同颗粒形态的软黏土试样进行三轴压缩模拟试验。首先,基于扫描电镜图像量化颗粒形态,对天然状态下黏土颗粒的方向角和凹凸度进行统计,引入球度和凹凸度作为颗粒形态的特征参数;然后,基于原生矿物的单粒结构和黏土矿物的片状结构特征,构造球体单粒及圆柱体、正方体、长方体的片状簇体;最后,基于三轴试验离散元模拟方法,分析软黏土颗粒形态对其宏观力学及微观特性的影响。结果表明:片状颗粒试样比球体颗粒试样的初始模量高,抗剪强度大,随加载其排列趋于水平向分布;加载初期,颗粒球度对初始弹性模量影响较明显,初始弹性模量随着球度增大而逐渐减小;加载后期,颗粒凹凸度对抗剪强度指标影响作用逐渐凸显,试样内摩擦角和黏聚力随着凹凸度增大而逐渐减小;微观结构上,颗粒形状对颗粒位移和旋转也有较大影响。     

Effect of Stern-layer on the compressibility behaviour of bentonites

The Stern theory as applicable to interacting parallel clay platelet systems was used to study the compressibility behaviour of bentonites. For a constant surface electrical potential, the distribution of the total electrical charge among the Stern-layer and the Gouy-layer was found to have significant influence on the electrical potential at the midplane between clay platelets. Consideration of the Stern-layer was found to reduce the repulsive pressure or the swelling pressure between clay platelets at large platelet spacing, whereas the repulsive pressure increased significantly when the interacting Gouy-layers were pushed aside. A far greater repulsive pressure was noted for Ca-bentonite than that occurred for Na-bentonite at a platelet distance close to 1.0 nm. Similarly, strong interaction between clay platelets was noted due to suppressed Gouy-layers when the bulk fluid concentration was increased. The repulsive pressure generated due to the overlapping of the Stern-layers was found to be sensitive to changes in the specific adsorption potential, the dielectric constant of the pore fluid in the Stern-layer, and the surface electrical potential. Comparisons of the calculated pressure–void ratio relationships from the Stern theory and the Gouy-Chapman diffuse double layer theory with the experimental consolidation test results of Na- and divalent-rich bentonites showed that, in general, the Stern theory improved the predictions of pressure–void ratio relationships, particularly for pressures greater than 100 kPa; however, strong agreements were lacking in all the cases studied.     

滑坡治理中抗滑桩桩位分析

采用有限元强度折减法对单排桩、桩间距为4 m的抗滑桩在不同设桩位置加固滑坡进行数值模拟,研究发现不同的桩位影响滑坡的稳定安全系数、滑动面的位置和形状。桩位不同决定了是桩后土体还是桩前土体滑落。桩位选择的一个重要原则是加固后滑坡体的稳定安全系数必须大于设计要求的安全系数,否则就会出现桩端越顶破坏或桩前土体滑落。斜坡在同一稳定安全系数下,桩位不同时抗滑桩所受的滑坡推力、桩的内力（剪力、弯矩）和桩的挠度不同。抗滑桩位于斜坡中部时,桩身长度较长,推力和内力大,是不合理的桩位;但桩身挠度大,提供的桩前抗力也大。按常规方法与按有限元法计算桩前无土体的悬臂桩桩上推力是相近的。把桩视作埋入滑坡体中的梁单元,按有限元法算出的推力比较小,因为它已经充分考虑了桩前土体的抗力。     

Microstructural study of a natural slip zone: quantification and deformation history

Microstructure of a natural slip zone was comprehensively examined using a combination of images captured systematically by optical microscopy (OPM) and backscattered electron microscopy (BEM) techniques. Microstructural features identified on these images were processed and evaluated using an advanced image analysis system, which proved that quantitative analyses could considerably enhance the understanding of shear behavior of slip zones. It was found that variations of porosity, abundance of platy clay particles and alignments of particles are significant indicators revealing nature of deformation processes. These indicators show that global mechanical behavior of the investigated slip zone can be conceptualized as that of normally consolidated clayey soils under drained conditions.

The geometric patterns of the microstructure of the slip zone are similar to the S–C fabrics seen in tectonic shear zones. It is suggested that combined progressive bulk simple shear and pure shear modes enable to realistically reconstruct the kinematic history of the slip zone, through which particle movements and microstructural evolution were accomplished via various types of particulate flows. The results of this study show that clay mineralogy plays a more important role in the development of the slip zone than abundance of clay-size particles, while both clay mineralogy and relative proportions of each particle size fraction control the response of particles to shear deformation. Among the fractions present in the slip zone, fine silts are the strongest indicator of global shear stress characterized by their highest degree of alignment, whereas clay particles are the weakest. Highest degree of shape preferred orientation is also found within fine silt domains.     

基于数字图像相关方法的动载颗粒体系力链破坏机制初探

颗粒物质是具有复杂力链网络的常见体系,其平衡和稳定性取决于内部力链骨架的几何结构和力学性能。为恰当刻画颗粒体系的微细观力学行为,从颗粒局部排列形态、颗粒间接触力和颗粒及外荷载的物理参数出发,展开基于二维数字图像相关技术（2D-DIC）的集中力作用下颗粒体系变形的试验。通过结合DIC的试验方法,应用牛顿力学理论及颗粒线性动量平衡获得颗粒间接触力的大小和方向,确定力链的动力学规律;得到颗粒间接触力大小分布变化并提取颗粒体系力链;提出颗粒排布的两种状态：横向传力和纵向传力状态;分析颗粒接触面法线与水平轴的夹角?、传力角?,讨论了?、? 对力链断裂破坏的影响;分析颗粒直径d与外荷载压条直径D的比值R以及压条下表面能直接接触的最大颗粒数N等参数,为描述力链的演化和破坏重构机制提供参考基础;简单阐述了力链网络在外荷载下的微细观统计效应对体系宏观力学性质的影响规律。     

锚固上覆红黏土岩体边坡的地震动力响应

基于云南省S214思茅-江城二级公路某一边坡,利用有限差分软件FLAC3D中动力分析模块,研究了地震作用下锚杆支护的上覆红黏土岩体边坡的动力响应。基于土体与支护结构相互作用及其协同工作,建立了三维有限差分模型,给出了阻尼和动力作用下边界的选取方法,分析了地震作用下锚杆支护上覆红黏土岩体边坡的动力响应规律,研究了在地震作用下锚杆支护边坡的抗震效果。结果表明：地震作用后各层锚杆轴力和砂浆的剪应力都有所增大,但每层锚杆轴力的增幅都各不相同,锚杆轴力沿全长分布不均匀,且各层锚杆轴力均在红黏土与基岩的交界处最大,剪应力则表现为整体增大的趋势而且最大值向坡面靠近,地震作用前、后剪应力的最小值都是在红黏土与基岩的交界处;地震作用下锚杆的支护很好地限制了边坡的变形,加大了边坡的延性,具有很好的抗震性能;边坡在地震作用下产生了永久位移;坡体内加速度在竖向随高程增加而增大;平台的设置削弱了坡面加速度的增大趋势,起到了一定减震作用。研究结论对锚杆支护边坡的抗震设计与动力分析有一定参考价值。     

不同荷载模式作用下双层软黏土地基压缩特性研究

天津滨海吹填场区典型的“上软下硬”的双层软黏土地基具有复杂的物理性质和工程特性,其在不同荷载作用模式下的变形特性有所不同,在工程实践中往往会产生较大的工后沉降和不均匀沉降,从而导致修建于其上的建筑物出现诸多工程问题。现阶段对于不同荷载作用下吹填场区形成的“上软下硬”双层软黏土地基的变形特性及机理研究甚少,导致理论研究远远落后于工程实践,制约了吹填场区经济建设的快速发展,因此对此类地基的变形特性展开研究显得尤为重要。基于此,本文针对吹填场区“上软下硬”的双层软黏土地基,开展了反复荷载和恒定荷载作用下的一维固结试验和扫描电镜试验(SEM),得到了不同荷载模式作用下的压缩特性及其微观机理,为吹填场区双层软黏土地基变形模型建立及长期工后沉降预测提供理论依据。研究表明:双层软黏土地基的压缩系数和固结系数在反复荷载作用初期明显减小,而后缓慢减小直至趋于稳定; 与反复荷载相比,恒定荷载作用下试样的压缩系数初期值增加,固结系数初期值减小,其变化量均在40% ~50%的范围内; 当荷载等级一定时,反复荷载作用引起双层软黏土地基产生的沉降量相比于恒定荷载作用多30% ~45%; 随着荷载等级的增加,土样内部大孔隙受到挤压而减少,孔隙的圆度和定向性加强,土体结构更密实,均一化程度提高; 相比于恒定荷载模式,反复荷载作用下土样内部孔隙形状更接近于圆形,孔隙定向性更好,土体内部结构强化程度大,但有序性相对较差。     

利用原子力显微镜探针刺入测试黏土颗粒水化膜厚度的试验研究

黏土颗粒水化膜厚度问题是泥质膨胀性岩土膨胀机制研究的理论基础。关于黏土颗粒水化膜厚度测试资料较为丰富,但通过原子力显微镜测试黏土颗粒水化膜厚度的研究成果还较为少见,且在测试方法方面尚不完善。基于3层水化膜结构模型和原子力显微镜测试技术,通过对蒙脱石粉末、泥岩粉末、泥岩岩片3种样品的测试研究,提出了水化膜厚度刺入式测试方法、粉末样和岩石样的制样方法、试验数据的统计处理方法。总结了水化膜厚度测试曲线自由水段、弱结合水段、强结合水段、黏土颗粒段的变化规律。通过和既有研究成果的对比分析,论证了原子力显微镜刺入测试黏土颗粒水化膜厚度的合理性与可行性。结合工程实践,探讨了定量化获取水化膜厚度在理解泥质膨胀性岩土膨胀机制方面的工程意义和理论价值。     

粗粒料多边形表征及二维FEM/DEM分析

考虑到颗粒形状对粗粒料的力学特性有重大影响,提出了一种新的表征颗粒形状的方法,即在椭圆上随机选取一系列点连接成多边形颗粒,表征狭长扁平的颗粒。新方法较圆上取点的方法能代表更多类型的颗粒形状,适用范围更广。提出了一种新的粗粒料投放算法,即先缩小颗粒,然采用随机算法将缩小的颗粒投放至给定区域,对颗粒划分好网格后,将颗粒放大到原来的大小,然后采用有限元-离散元(FEM/DEM)方法计算稳定后即生成了相应的试样。通过将上述颗粒生成及投放算法与FEM/DEM结合,应用于粗粒料的数值模拟。分析表明,FEM/DEM是研究粗粒料力学性质的较好方法,对复杂的颗粒形状也可简单建模,且因在颗粒内部划分了有限元网格,复杂的接触判断及接触力计算转化为标准统一的三角形和三角形之间的接触判断及接触力计算,所有的计算均可标准化、统一化。同时因为颗粒是可以变形的,依然保留了连续介质力学中应力和应变的概念,无须像PFC那样需通过测量圆来间接表示某点的应力、应变。最后,通过粗粒料的侧限压缩试验的数值模拟,展现了文中提出的一整套解决方案在模拟粗粒料方面的巨大潜力。     

双电层理论与高庙子膨润土的体变特征

黏性土中土体颗粒（矿物颗粒）带有负电荷,周围存在电场。在静电引力与布朗运动（热运动）作用下,紧邻土体颗粒表面处静电引力最强,水化离子和极性分子牢牢地被吸附在颗粒表面附近形成固定层。由固定层向外,静电引力逐渐减小,水化离子和极性分子的活动性逐渐增大,形成扩散层。固定层和扩散层中的阳离子（反离子层）与土粒表面负电荷共同构成双电层。根据双电层理论,当给定两个黏土片层之间的距离时,渗透压力可以由两个片层中轴线处的离子浓度来求取。同样,对于给定的渗透压力和中轴线处的离子浓度,便可以确定两个片层之间的距离。采用渗析法吸力控制技术与压汞仪法（MIP）微观结构试验手段,研究了低吸力范围内、自由膨胀条件下高压实高庙子膨润土的土水特性与体变特征,同时采用双电层理论估算了高庙子膨润土水化过程中的自由膨胀量,并将估算值与试验实测值进行了对比分析。在使用孔率计法试验结果求取试样孔隙比时考虑了压汞仪出力能力影响,采用线性延伸方法估算了残余孔隙量。研究结果显示,低吸力范围内,由双电层理论,估算的高压实高庙子膨润土的自由体积膨胀量与试验数据吻合较好,但随着吸力的进一步减小,两者之间的误差有增大的趋势,文中对出现这一偏差的原因进行了分析探讨。     

The random-motion theorem in a local cosmology with dark energy

It is shown that the random-motion theorem in cosmology proven in the early 1960s can be generalized to take into account the presence of a uniform dark-energy background. The role of the dark energy is substantial: its repulsive force exceeds the gravitational force due to darkmatter and baryons, both on the scale of the Universe as a whole and on local scales of about 1 Mpc. The generalized random-motion theorem has the form of a differential equation relating the kinetic energy of the random motion and the potential energy of the particles due to their own gravitational field and the repulsive dark-energy field. One consequence of the generalized theorem is a virial relation containing the potential energy in the repulsive field.     

Effect of microstructure on stress–strain and pore-pressure response of sabarmati sand under the influence of mica

ABSTRACT

Micaceous soil is believed to be detrimental for civil engineering constructions due to the effect of high compressibility, low compacted density and low shear strength. Individual mica particle has numerous intact mica flakes foliated over each other making it flexible upon loading and rebound upon unloading due to its low hardness and resilient nature. Hence, micaceous soils with mica content more than 10% are considered undesirable for highway pavements, embankments and railway track constructions. When platy mica particles are sufficiently numerous to interact with spherical sand particles, bridging and ordering phenomena are augmented within the soil mass creating unique sand-mica particle orientation (MS microstructure) unlike sand-sand particle orientation (PS microstructure). The current experimental research was conducted to evaluate the variation in stress–strain, pore pressure and effective stress path response of Sabarmati sand under the influence of mica (sand with 30% mica and pure sand) with MS and PS microstructure respectively. Effect of particle crushing on stress–strain and pore pressure response was also studied on Sabarmati sand with MS and PS microstructure. Distinctive macroscopic response was observed in Sabarmati sand with MS microstructure under the influence of mica as well as mica particle crushing.     

DEM–SPH simulation of rock blasting

A numerical model is proposed for the simulation of rock blasting. A bonded particle system is utilized to mimic the behavior of rock. The particles interact at the contact points through normal and shear springs to simulate rock elasticity. To withstand the deviatoric stresses, the particles are glued to each other. If the applied force exceeds the contact strength, local failure occurs and microcracks are developed in the synthetic rock. For simulation of gas flow, the smooth particle hydrodynamic method is implemented. The interaction of gas particles with the rock grains is assumed to follow a perfect plastic collision model in which the initial momentum of the colliding particles is preserved. A detailed examination of the interaction of gas with blast hole is investigated. It is shown that the proposed hybrid model is capable of simulating the induced shock waves in the gas together with wave propagation in the rock material. The model successfully mimics crack propagation in rock. In particular, the crushed zone around the borehole, radial cracks, and surface spalling are all captured successfully. The results of numerical analysis suggest that gas–rock interaction can, in fact, generate a few successive compressive waves in the rock specimen, causing further extension of radial cracks with time as the weaker secondary and tertiary waves interact with the crack tips.     

Evaluation of a wide range laser diffraction grain size analyser for use with sediments

The qualities of a laser diffraction grain size analyser, the Coulter LS-100 (range claimed by the manufacturer: 0·4–900 μm in a single measurement), are evaluated on sediments of fluvial and lacustrine origin. Accuracy and resolution of measurement on standard latex spheres are excellent. Reproducibility of the results on natural sediments appears to be satisfactory, but the method underestimates the fraction of clay particles with an efficiency of detection (36–70%) proportional to the clay content determined from pipette analysis. This efficiency is somewhat higher than those reported from other instruments of the same generation. Comparison of the Coulter LS-100 with other sizing techniques shows good agreement with the sieving method but some differences appear with the electroresistance particle technique: median and mean size values measured by the Coulter Counter TA1 are systematically lower than those obtained by the Coulter LS-100. Analyses show good correlation with those of a Malvern Laser particle analyser but a discrepancy appears with very fine silt and clay sized sediments. The Coulter LS-100 detects a higher clay content than that measured with the Malvern Laser Sizer 2600. Except when precise measurements of clay content are needed, the Coulter LS-100 produces precise and accurate results in size ranges required for geological and environmental studies.