Rotation Center and Horizontal Bearing Capacity of the Bucket Foundation in Soft Ground

In the last 20 years, the bucket foundation has been developed as a new type of offshore platform structure. Because of its short period of application to engineering practices, the theoretical decision on the rotation center and horizontal bearing capacity of the bucket foundation has yet to be agreed. A limit analysis method is used to determine the updated rotation center position and horizontal bearing capacity to evaluate the failure mechanisms of the bucket foundations. The results are compared with numerical simulation and experiments, and also with other theoretical methods. The proposed method can satisfactorily consider the engineering conditions and the result is accurate in determining the rotation center and horizontal bearing capacity.     

Analysis of phenotypic and genetic parameters for growthrelated traits in the half smooth tongue sole, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cynoglossus semilaevis</Emphasis>

Phenotypic and genetic parameters for growth-related traits in the half-smooth tongue sole, Cynoglossus semilaevis, were estimated in 22 full-sib families produced by normal and neo-male breeding stocks. As phenotypic males with female genotypes, neo-males are harmful in C. semilaevis aquaculture because they reduce overall production. The present study evaluated the difference in the growth-related traits: total length (TL), body weight (BW) and square root of body weight (SQ_BW) at the age of 570 days between normal and neo-male offspring (neo-males used as male parents). The difference in the proportion of females between normal and neo-male offspring was also assessed. Based on the linear mixed model, restricted maximum likelihood (REML) and best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) were used to estimate various (co)variance components and estimated breeding values (EBVs) of growth-related traits. As a result, all the mean values of the three studied traits were significantly larger in normal offspring than in neo-male offspring. Additionally, the female proportion was significantly larger in normal offspring than in neo-male offspring. Heritability was 0.128±0.066 2 for TL, 0.128±0.065 5 for BW and 0.132±0.062 9 for SQ_BW, all of which were low level heritabilities. The correlation coefficients of EBVs and phenotypic values of the target traits were 0.516 for TL, 0.524 for BW and 0.506 for SQ_BW, all of which were highly significant (P <0.01). Genetic correlations among TL, BW and SQ_BW were positive high (0.921–0.969) and higher than those of phenotype (0.711–0.748), both of which had low standard errors (0.063–0.123 for genotype, and 0.010–0.018 for phenotype). Compared with normal offspring, neo-male offspring have lower breeding values for each studied trait through EBVs comparison. Therefore, neo-male offspring should not be used as broodstock in a C. semilaevis breeding programs.     

帕米尔高原东北缘活动构造对塔什库尔干盆地地热控制作用

帕米尔东北缘位于青藏高原西北部,是新构造运动最强烈的地区之一。受控于公格尔拉张断裂作用的塔什库尔干盆地,活动构造强烈,高的大地热流值和丰富的地下水,使其具备地热资源形成的地质构造和水文条件。基于塔什库尔干盆地北部的曲曼地区地质构造、湖相地层年代学调查研究,该地区发育晚更新世的NNE向f_1和f_2正断层以及第四纪沉积物之下存在隐伏的近EW向的断层f_3。这3条断层是塔什库尔干断裂在不同构造演化时期形成的次级断层。结合EH-4电磁成像和钻孔及抽水试验等资料表明NNE向f_1和f_2正断层是地热系统的导水通道,而近EW向f_3断层为导热通道。该地区地热模式是大地热流为热源-地下水深循环逐渐加热-构造控水和控热。     

西藏乌鲁穷含铜磁铁矿床的发现及地质特征

继尼雄、弗野、材玛等铁矿床的发现之后,新一轮1：5万区域地质调查又在班公湖-怒江成矿带西段乌鲁穷地区发现了较大规模的含铜磁铁矿矿床。野外路线调查、剖面实测和大比例尺填图表明,乌鲁穷磁铁矿形成于南羌塘南缘中-晚侏罗世中酸性岩体与上三叠统日干配错群二组（T₃R²）碳酸盐岩外接触带中,矿体受后期近南北向高角度正断层改造,成矿作用表现出多期次、多阶段特征。通过对矿体邻近的石英闪长岩、二长花岗岩和控矿断层中同构造碳酸盐脉进行锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb同位素测年,获得石英闪长岩、二长花岗岩成岩年龄分别为：（161.3±0.72）Ma、（157.5±1.7）Ma,并获得同构造碳酸盐脉热液锆石年龄为（84.2±1.1）Ma。结合前人研究和1：5万地质调查成果,认为乌鲁穷含铜磁铁矿在中-晚侏罗世（157.5~161.3 Ma）班公湖-怒江洋北向俯冲过程中初步富集成矿,形成矽卡岩型含铜磁铁矿矿床,矿体在晚白垩世（84.2 Ma）陆内伸展过程中再次富集;提出班公湖地区在晚白垩世中期存在一期横跨缝合带的陆内伸展成矿事件,成矿作用与班公湖-怒江洋闭合后地幔软流圈底辟及其相关的地壳线性热隆伸展是一个机理关联的系统。     

Comparison of single- and dual-permeability models in simulating the unsaturated hydro-mechanical behavior in a rainfall-triggered landslide

Landslide-prone slopes in earthquake-affected areas commonly feature heterogeneity and high permeability due to the presence of cracks and fissures that were caused by ground shaking. Landslide reactivation in heterogeneous slope may be affected by preferential flow that was commonly occurred under heavy rainfall. Current hydro-mechanical models that are based on a single-permeability model consider soil as a homogeneous continuum, which, however, cannot explicitly represent the hydraulic properties of heterogeneous soil. The present study adopted a dual-permeability model, using two Darcy-Richards equations to simulate the infiltration processes in both matrix and preferential flow domains. The hydrological results were integrated with an infinite slope stability approach, attempting to investigate the hydro-mechanical behavior. A coarse-textured unstable slope in an earthquake-affected area was chosen for conducting artificial rainfall experiment, and in the experiment slope, failure was triggered several times under heavy rainfall. The simulated hydro-mechanical results of both single- and dual-permeability model were compared with the measurements, including soil moisture content, pore water pressure, and slope stability conditions. Under high-intensity rainfall, the measured soil moisture and pore water pressure at 1-m depth showed faster hydrological response than its simulations, which can be regarded as a typical evidence of preferential flow. We found the dual-permeability model substantially improved the quantification of hydro-mechanical processes. Such improvement could assist in obtaining more reliable landslide-triggering predication. In the light of the implementation of a dual-permeability model for slope stability analysis, a more flexible and robust early warning system for shallow landslides hazard in coarse-textured slopes could be provided.     

Characterization of the mechanical properties of a claystone by nano-indentation and homogenization

Based on the analyses of mineralogical compositions by X-ray diffraction and microstructure by optical microscopy, the Young’ modulus and hardness of a claystone were characterized by the nano-indentation technique and homogenization method. Three distinct microstructural zones are identified in the claystone: clay matrix, a composite matrix of clay and small mineral grains and imbedded quartz grains. The elastic modulus and hardness of different zones were determined by nano-indentation testing. Based on the statistical analysis of nano-indentation results, the spatial mappings and frequency distributions of elastic modulus and hardness of the different zones were obtained. The elastic moduli of main constituent phases of the claystone are then estimated from the nano-indentation tests. These values were further used for the determination of the macroscopic elastic modulus of the claystone using two different homogenization schemes: the dilute scheme and Mori–Tanaka scheme. The predicted values by the homogenization schemes are compared with experimental data obtained from conventional uniaxial compression tests.     

Up-to-date urban rainstorm intensity formulas considering spatial diversity in China

With accelerating urbanization in China, urban waterlogging has had a serious impact on urban sustainable development and citizen welfare. Simple urban rainstorm intensity formulas with a monotonous frequency distribution type cannot meet the practical needs of urban drainage planning and design. This study focuses on the development of urban rainstorm intensity formulas based on spatial diversity in China. Using the annual maximum sampling method, rainstorm data of 607 cities throughout China were collected into a database, with a total of 24,933 rainfall samples (annual observations) under various specified precipitation durations. The database was used to verify that integrating the Pearson III and Gumbel distributions would constitute an optimal theoretical distribution type, owing to its small error and increased fitting precision. Modification and coordination of four important parameters in the rainstorm intensity formula were done using a digital elevation model, which improved the accuracy of the formula. In addition, precipitation distributions in China were treated from the perspective of topographic features to validate the calculations from up-to-date formulas. Accuracy assessment was accomplished using a national code (GB-50014-2006), GIS-based isograms, and authoritative results from the Hydrological Bureau of the Ministry of Water Resources. This work provides a comprehensive foundation for the establishment of an up-to-date rainstorm intensity formula for China, which can be used widely in different cities.