颗粒形态对砂土抗剪强度影响的试验和离散元数值模拟

为研究颗粒形态对砂土抗剪强度的影响，制备了5组不同粒径的球形石英砂和颗粒形态不规则的实验室标准砂，并进行一系列的直剪试验；离散元法能有效地模拟砂土的离散性和不均匀性，基于高性能离散元分析软件MatDEM，通过二次开发，建立直剪试验三维模拟器，对直剪试验过程进行了数值模拟，并对比分析了试验和数值模拟结果。数据表明:(1)石英砂试样的自然休止角与其抗剪强度有着正相关性；(2)球形石英砂较实验室标准砂能更快达到峰值强度，但其值相对较低；标准砂存在着一定的黏聚力；(3)在直剪过程中，直剪盒中部颗粒的位移较周围颗粒不同，形成了明显的剪切带，并且球形石英砂试样的剪切带内颗粒的位移更小；(4)砂土直剪试验中配位数与剪应力有着良好的正相关性。本文结果表明，在相同的荷载条件下不规则颗粒形态的石英砂的抗剪强度要明显大于球形石英砂。     

珊瑚砂颗粒形状特征分析

珊瑚砂粒形状及粗糙度等微细观特性影响着砂土的宏观力学性质,采用图像处理技术对珊瑚砂粒的长宽比、面积、圆度、分形维数进行了分析。使用3D测量显微镜对砂粒的表面粗糙度,界面扩展面积比、峰顶点的算数平均曲率进行了测量计算。试验结果表明:大部分珊瑚砂颗粒的长宽比介于1.2~1.5之间,且长宽比呈现出负偏态分布。砂颗粒的圆度则主要集中于0.75~0.9区间,其表现为负偏态分布。砂颗粒的面积主要在0.015~0.035 cm2之间,颗粒面积为正偏态分布。砂粒的分形维数D基本介于1.04~1.10之间,表明砂颗粒具有很强的自相似性。粗糙度的分析结果表明,珊瑚砂颗粒表面平整度差,分布有较多的侵蚀坑,局部存在尖锐的凸起,砂粒表面粗糙度S_a为20.078 μm。界面扩展比S_dr为0.167,砂颗粒表面分布有若干倾斜面。峰顶点的算数平均曲率S_pc为216.641 mm-1,显示出砂颗粒之间的接触较为尖锐。上述研究结果可为珊瑚砂宏微观力学特性研究提供参考。     

中国南海珊瑚砂的多尺度颗粒形貌特征分析

颗粒形貌是影响珊瑚砂力学性质的重要参数,研究珊瑚砂多尺度形貌特征有助于从细观角度阐释其力学特性。基于颗粒动态图像分析技术对不同粒径范围内超过20万个珊瑚砂和陆源石英砂（包括人工破碎石英砂和天然石英砂）颗粒开展颗粒形貌扫描和对比分析,提出了适用于珊瑚砂的颗粒形状分类标准,并从颗粒形状、磨圆度和凸度3个尺度上揭示了海相珊瑚砂与陆源石英砂颗粒形貌的差异性。结果表明：（1）珊瑚砂主要由块状、片状及棒状3种类型的颗粒组成,以伸长率和扁平率为0.5作为珊瑚砂颗粒形状的划分阈值进行颗粒形状分类,该分类方法的准确率可达90%。（2）珊瑚砂中块状颗粒占比最大,且含量大于50%。随着粒径增加,块状颗粒占比增加,片状颗粒占比下降,而棒状颗粒基本维持不变;随着粒径的增加,石英砂中的块状颗粒占比高于珊瑚砂,这是由颗粒的矿物性质决定的,而与颗粒的风化破碎方式无关。（3）人工破碎石英砂的磨圆度与珊瑚砂的较为接近,且略小于天然石英砂。块状颗粒的磨圆度大于片状颗粒,更大于棒状颗粒,因此块状颗粒占比越高,集合体的磨圆度越大。（4）珊瑚砂的颗粒凸度介于0.85～1.00间,石英砂的凸度大于珊瑚砂。随着粒径的增加,珊瑚砂的凸...     

粒组含量对钙质砂压缩变形特性影响的宏细观研究

钙质砂是一种海洋生物成因的特殊岩土介质,其颗粒形态与基本性质较一般陆源砂有很大的不同。一方面通过钙质砂及石英砂的显微镜三维成像试验,对比研究了钙质砂的三维颗粒形态特征。发现相比石英砂,钙质砂颗粒棱角更显著,轮廓趋于扁平。另一方面,对两砂进行一维压缩试验,分析了各粒组含量对钙质砂压缩特性的影响规律,并利用三维形态分析从细观上解释了钙质砂的压缩宏观特性。发现相同级配、密实度下,钙质砂的压缩性比石英砂高约60%～160%（以av1-2表征）,且粗粒组（5～1 mm）含量对钙质砂的压缩性影响最为显著;当粗粒组含量<25%,中、细粒组质量比值M一定时,存在最劣粗粒含量使钙质砂压缩性最大,且该值随着M的增大而减小,并提出了一个经验公式。     

颗粒级配与形状对钙质砂渗透性的影响

钙质砂是富存于热带海洋环境（包括中国南海海域）中的一种特殊岩土介质,具有不同于陆源砂的水理性质。采用传统常水头渗流试验,首先探究了不同不均匀系数和曲率系数条件下级配对钙质砂渗透性的影响。针对钙质砂的颗粒形状特性,采用扫描电镜（SEM）与图像处理技术,引入球度 和圆度X的比值 从三维空间角度上对颗粒形状进行了定量描述。并在粒径区间、相对密实度相同的条件下,通过与福建标准砂、玻璃珠进行对比试验来考察钙质砂渗透特性,从而进一步探究颗粒形状对钙质砂渗透性的影响。试验结果表明,钙质砂渗透性随着颗粒粒径不均匀系数和曲率系数的增大而增大,符合级配对一般砂土渗透性的影响规律;钙质砂颗粒形状具有较强的结构性和不均匀性,同等密实度下钙质砂的渗透性小于陆源的石英砂。本研究获得的钙质砂渗透规律对今后南海岛礁填筑和海上平台基础工程设计具有一定的指导意义。     

三种碎屑颗粒形态定量分析方法的比较及应用

沉积物颗粒的形态是沉积成因分析的主要标志之一。目估对比法是沉积物颗粒圆度分析中常用的方法。目估法直观、简捷,但主观因素影响较大。本文利用计算机图像分析软件Image Pro Plus 6.0获取鲍尔斯目估标准颗粒的轮廓,并用3种定量方法测量这些标准颗粒的IPP圆度、轮廓分维数和傅里叶不圆度,然后对比这些圆度的划分标准与目估标准之间的差别,最后用3种圆度测定方法同时测量广东马头山风化坑和河流壶穴中碎屑颗粒的圆度,通过测量结果的对比来评价这3种定量方法的应用效果,检验这些方法能否在实际应用中代替目估方法以区分不同成因的碎屑颗粒。分析表明：目估法的磨圆度标准不是简单地表达颗粒的圆形与否,其中包括了颗粒表面结构的差异;3种定量方法的圆度划分标准很难与目估划分标准完全一致;3种方法所表征的圆度均能区分风化作用和流水侵蚀作用形成的颗粒,因此3种定量方法均可以代替目估方法测量颗粒的圆度;在不强调颗粒表面特征的前提下,IPP圆度的测量方法比其他两种方法更加有效;颗粒形态的分析结果证明河谷壶穴中的颗粒由流水侵蚀作用而成,山顶风化坑中的颗粒由风化作用而成     

大位移剪切下钙质砂破碎演化特性

为了揭示钙质砂在大位移剪切作用下的破碎及形状演化规律,对南海钙质砂进行了系列不同剪切位移下的环剪试验。首先,利用筛分和激光粒度分析获取试验后的颗粒粒径分布,分析颗粒分布变化情况;其次,通过粒径分布对破碎进行定量分析;最后,运用图像处理技术计算颗粒圆度和扁平度,分析了颗粒形状的变化情况。试验结果表明,在不同的竖向压力下,颗粒会达到不同的稳定级配,但达到稳定所需的剪切位移相同;经历大位移剪切后,出现粒径为0.01～0.075 mm钙质砂破碎严重的现象;随剪切位移的增加,颗粒的圆度和扁平度减小。针对细小颗粒破碎严重的现象,修正了相对破碎率;修正后的相对破碎率能考虑粒径为0.01～0.075 mm颗粒发生的破碎。剪切后的钙质砂颗粒更为规则,整体轮廓趋于圆形、表面更光滑。     

砂土颗粒形状量化及其对力学指标的影响分析

砂作为一种特殊的散体材料,其宏观物理力学性质,如密实度、剪切特性（临界状态角,剪胀角）、压缩性及颗粒破碎特征等均受到颗粒形状的影响,目前为止,对于砂粒土颗粒形状的量化工作,未到达成熟阶段。试验采用普通光学显微镜获取3种不同砂颗粒及一种相似材料（玻璃球）数字图像,利用ImageJ图形软件对其进行黑白二值化处理,获取颗粒形状轮廓边界;从3个层次定义颗粒形状参数,并利用java语言编制形状量化插件程序,计算砂粒各形状参数值,最后通过相对密度试验、直剪试验测试不同砂样的极限孔隙比、剪切强度指标。试验结果表明：整体轮廓系数、球形度、棱角度3项形状参数可作为不同砂粒形状鉴别和量化的关键参数,且与剪胀角、临界状态摩擦角均具有良好的相关性,试验提供了一种量化砂颗粒形状的有效方法,并可将得到的关键量化参数应用到宏观力学性质分析与数值模拟工作中     

混积岩一例--滇东震旦系陡山沱组砂质砂屑白云岩的成因

滇东震旦系陡山沱组顶部的砂质砂屑白云岩是一例典型的混积岩,即狭义的混合沉积。岩石中的石英砂分选好,圆度和球度高,它们时稀时密地呈“悬浮”状散布在白云石砂屑沉积物中。其产状及结构构造特征表明,它是当时的海滩砂在海进过程中被搬运到海洋中,并与白云石砂屑混合而形成的。     

K0条件下颗粒形状特征对砂土剪切模量的影响

为了研究颗粒形状特征对砂土剪切模量的影响,选取4种形状不同的砂样（福建标准砂和人工石英砂）作为研究对象,通过扫描电镜获取其颗粒微观图像,使用Image Pro Plus软件和自编Matlab程序提取试样颗粒的形状特征。采用改进的半径角和轮廓指数综合描述颗粒偏离圆或椭圆的程度以及棱角变化程度,并基于这两个参数提出颗粒形状因子来综合表征颗粒的形状特征。之后在K0条件下通过弯曲元试验获得不同竖向荷载对应的4个试样的剪切模量,试验结果表明,砂土颗粒的形状因子与砂土的剪切模量具有良好的相关性。最后基于Hertz-Mindlin接触模型,推导出引入形状因子的砂土剪切模量理论计算公式,该计算公式与实测值吻合良好。     

Generation of a realistic 3D sand assembly using X‐ray micro‐computed tomography and spherical harmonic‐based principal component analysis

Three‐dimensional particle morphology is a significant problem in the discrete element modeling of granular sand. The major technical challenge is generating a realistic 3D sand assembly that is composed of a large number of random‐shaped particles containing essential morphological features of natural sands. Based on X‐ray micro‐computed tomography data collected from a series of image processing techniques, we used the spherical harmonics (SH) analysis to represent and reconstruct the multi‐scale features of real 3D particle morphologies. The SH analysis was extended to some highly complex particles with sharp corners and surface cavities. We then proposed a statistical approach for the generation of realistic particle assembly of a given type of sand based on the principle component analysis (PCA). The PCA aims to identify the major pattern of the coefficient matrix, which is made up of the SH coefficients of all the particles involved in the analysis. This approach takes into account the particle size effect on the variation of particle morphology, which is observed from the available results of micro‐computed tomography and QICPIC analyses of sand particle morphology. Using the aforementioned approach, two virtual sand samples were generated, whose statistics of morphological parameters were compared with those measured from real sand particles. The comparison shows that the proposed approach is capable of generating a realistic sand assembly that retains the major morphological features of the mother sand. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental investigation on the deformation characteristics of granular materials under drained rotational shear

Rotational shear is the type of loading path where samples are subjected to cyclic rotation of principal stress directions while the magnitudes of principal stresses are maintained constant. This paper presents results from an experimental investigation on the drained deformation behaviour of saturated sand in rotational shear conducted in a hollow cylinder apparatus. Two types of granular materials, Leighton Buzzard sand and glass beads are tested. A range of influential factors are investigated including the material density, the deviatoric stress level, and the intermediate principal stress. It is observed that the volumetric strain during rotational shear is mainly contractive and most of strains are generated during the first 20 cycles. The mechanical behaviour of sand under rotational shear is generally non-coaxial, i.e., there is no coincidence between the principal axes of stress and incremental strain, and the variation of the non-coaxiality shows a periodic trend during the tests. The stress ratio has a significant effect on soil response in rotational shear. The larger the stress ratio, the more contractive behaviour and the lower degree of non-coaxiality are induced. The test also demonstrates that the effect of the intermediate principal stress, material density and particle shape on the results is pronounced.     

Experimental Assessment of the Stress–Strain Behaviour of Leighton Buzzard Sand for the Calibration of a Constitutive Model

A number of constitutive models are nowadays implemented in numerical codes which simulate the stress–strain behaviour of soil from very small to large strain. In this paper, the mechanical behaviour of Leighton Buzzard sand (grade E), used worldwide for physical modelling, has been thoroughly characterized by laboratory testing along several stress paths. Tests were aimed at calibrating a constitutive model, that allows considering stiffness nonlinearities in a wide range of strains, in the framework of isotropically hardening plasticity. As a validation, the results of dynamic centrifuge tests on a layer of the same sand were compared with finite element predictions.     

3D finite element modeling of sand particle fracture based on in situ X‐Ray synchrotron imaging

Compressive loading of granular materials causes inter‐particle forces to develop and evolve into force chains that propagate through the granular body. At high‐applied compressive stresses, inter‐particle forces will be large enough to cause particle fracture, affecting the constitutive behavior of granular materials. The first step to modeling particle fracture within force chains in granular mass is to understand and model the fracture of a single particle using actual three‐dimensional (3D) particle shape. In this paper, the fracture mode of individual silica sand particles was captured using 3D x‐ray radiography and Synchrotron Micro‐computed Tomography (SMT) during in situ compression experiments. The SMT images were used to reconstruct particle surfaces through image processing techniques. Particle surface was then imported into Abaqus finite element (FE) software where the experimental loading setup was modeled using the extended finite element method (XFEM) where particle fracture was compared to experimental fracture mode viewed in radiograph images that were acquired during experimental loading. Load‐displacement relationships of the FE analysis were also compared with experimental measurements. 3D FE modeling of particle fracture offers an excellent tool to map stress distribution and monitors crack initiation and propagation within individual sand particles. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of internal pores on the mechanical properties of marine calcareous sand particles

Calcareous sand is a typical problematic marine sediment because of its angular and porous particles. The effects of internal pores on the mechanical properties of calcareous sand particles have rarely been investigated. In this paper, the apparent morphology and internal structure of calcareous sand particles are determined by scanning electron microscopy and computed tomography tests, finding that the superficial pores connect inside and outside of the particles, forming a well-developed network of cavities and an internal porosity of up to 40%. The effects of particle morphology and internal porosity on the mechanical responses of particle were investigated by conducting photo-related compression test and 3D numerical simulations. Two failure modes are observed for the porous calcareous sand, i.e., compressive failure indicates that the particle skeleton is continually compressed and fragmented into small detritus without obvious splitting, and tensile failure indicates that the particles are broken into several fragments when the axial force clearly peaks. Calcareous sand particles with a high internal porosity or with small and dense pores often exhibit compressive failure, and vice versa. The particle strength is considerably reduced by increasing the internal porosity, but affected by pore size in nonlinear correlation. The crushing stress–strain points can be well fitted by an exponential curve, which is supplied for discussion.

     

用于颗粒土微观力学行为试验的微型三轴试验仪

颗粒土的微观力学行为（如土颗粒的运动与破碎等）决定着其宏观应力-应变行为,如应变局部化、应力硬化等。为研究颗粒土的微观力学行为,开发了一台微型三轴试验装置。它的轴向加载系统由伺服控制的步进转动马达与涡轮传动的减速器组成,围压由GDS压力控制器提供,压力室采用高透光率,高强度的轻质材料制成。借助于X射线显微CT及图像处理分析技术,该装置能实现对干砂土微尺寸试样（直径为8 mm,高度为16 mm）在三轴剪切条件下微观特性的无损检测。采用该三轴试验装置对粒径为0.60～1.18 mm 的LBS（Leighton Buzzard sand）试样在1.5 MPa的围压下进行了试验。结果显示,试验装置测得应力-应变曲线合理,显微CT 图像特征清晰,能够用于颗粒土体微观土力学行为的试验研究。     

Constitutive modelling of granular materials using a contact normal-based fabric tensor

This paper presents a fabric tensor-based bounding surface model accounting for anisotropic behaviour (e.g. the dependency of peak strength on loading direction and non-coaxial deformation) of granular materials. This model is developed based on a well-calibrated isotropic bounding surface model. The yield surface is modified by incorporating the back stress which is proportional to a contact normal-based fabric tensor for characterising fabric anisotropy. The evolution law of the fabric tensor, which is dependent on both rates of the stress ratio and the plastic strain, rules that the material fabric tends to align with the loading direction and evolves towards a unique critical state fabric tensor under monotonic shearing. The incorporation of the evolution law leads to a rotational hardening of the yield surface. The anisotropic critical state is assumed to be independent of the initial values of void ratio and fabric tensor. The critical state fabric tensor has the same intermediate stress ratio (i.e. b value) and principal directions as the critical state stress tensor. A non-associated flow rule in the deviatoric plane is adopted, which is able to predict the non-coaxial flow naturally. The stress–strain relation and fabric evolution of model predictions show a satisfactory agreement with DEM simulation results under monotonic shearing with different loading directions. The model is also validated by comparing with laboratory test results of Leighton Buzzard sand and Toyoura sand under various loading paths. The comparison results demonstrate encouraging applicability of the model for predicting the anisotropic behaviour of granular materials.

     

A new look at the Lower Greensand using ground–penetrating radar

The Wobum Sands Formation is Aptian to Albian in age and forms part of the lower Greensand Group, which crops out in the Weald Basin, East Anglia and the Isle of Wight. The sands are thought to have accumulated in a narrow tidal seaway connecting the Boreal Sea to the Tethys Ocean and early North Atlantic Ocean. Here I present new information on the geometry and internal character of large sedimentary structures exposed in sand pits near Leighton Buzzard, which have been imaged using ground–penetrating radar.     

冻融作用下砂土颗粒形态变化规律研究

土壤中的石英颗粒的表面形态不仅是该沉积物物源区沉积环境、 搬运机制的信息载体, 同时也会直接影响到砂土的宏观物理特性, 对力学和实际工程有着重要的意义。借助显微与高精度图像处理技术, 采用长径比, 磨圆度两个量化指标, 对经过不同次数冻融作用的两组砂土颗粒进行观察。结果表明： 砂土颗粒在冻融循环过程中, 由于颗粒之间的相互作用, 磨圆度先增大后减小, 最后趋于稳定; 长径比先减小, 后增加, 最后趋于稳定。长径比与磨圆度的变化曲线共轭。