Inelastic displacement ratios for evaluation of existing structures

Results of a detailed statistical study of constant relative strength inelastic displacement ratios to estimate maximum lateral inelastic displacement demands on existing structures from maximum lateral elastic displacement demands are presented. These ratios were computed for single‐degree‐of‐freedom systems with different levels of lateral strength normalized to the strength required to remain elastic when subjected to a relatively large ensemble of recorded earthquake ground motions. Three groups of soil conditions with shear wave velocities higher than 180m/s are considered. The influence of period of vibration, level of lateral yielding strength, site conditions, earthquake magnitude, distance to the source, and strain‐hardening ratio are evaluated and discussed. Mean inelastic displacement ratios and those associated with various percentiles are presented. A special emphasis is given to the dispersion of these ratios. It is concluded that distance to the source has a negligible influence on constant relative strength inelastic displacement ratios. However, for periods smaller than 1s earthquake magnitude and soil conditions have a moderate influence on these ratios. Strain hardening decreases maximum inelastic displacement at a fairly constant rate depending on the level of relative strength for periods of vibration longer than about 1.0s while it decreases maximum inelastic displacement non‐linearly as the period of vibration shortens and as the relative‐strength ratio increases for periods of vibration shorter than 1.0s. Finally, results from non‐linear regression analyses are presented that provide a simplified expression to be used to approximate mean inelastic displacement ratios during the evaluation of existing structures built on firm sites. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mechanisms of riverbank failure along the Arno River,central Italy

Riverbanks along the Arno River have been investigated with the aims of de?ning the main mechanisms of failure and retreat, their spatial distribution, and their causes. Geomorphological aspects were investigated by a reconnaissance of riverbank processes, for a number (26) of representative sites. Laboratory and in situ tests were then performed on a selected number of riverbanks (15). Based on the material characteristics, six main typologies of riverbanks have been de?ned, with homogeneous ?ne‐grained and composite banks representing the most frequent types. Slab‐type failures are the most frequent mechanism observed on ?ne‐grained banks, while cantilever failures prevail on composite banks. The role of river stage and related pore water pressure distributions in triggering the main observed mechanisms of failure has been investigated using two different types of stability analysis. The ?rst was conducted for 15 riverbanks, using the limit equilibrium method and considering simpli?ed hypotheses for pore water pressure distribution (annulment of negative pore pressures in the portion of the bank between low water stage and peak stage). Stability conditions and predicted mechanisms of failure are shown to be in reasonably good agreement with ?eld observations. Three riverbanks, representative of the main alluvial reaches of the river, were then selected for a more detailed bank stability analysis, consisting of: (a) de?nition of characteristic hydrographs of the reach with different return periods; (b) modelling of saturated and unsaturated ?ow using ?nite element seepage analysis; and (c) stability analysis with the limit equilibrium method, by adopting pore water pressure values derived from the seepage analysis. The results are compared to those obtained from the previous simpli?ed analysis, and are used to investigate the different responses, in terms of stability, to different hydrological and riverbank conditions. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

重塑非饱和粘土抗剪强度参数与饱和度的关系研究

土的饱和度是基于水分状态和密度状态的一个衍生变量。存在因应水分状态变化和因应密度状态变化的两类饱和度变化过程。根据23组不同水分状态和密度状态的UU三轴压缩试验结果,讨论了重塑非饱和粘性土抗剪强度参数与饱和度的关系。数据分析表明:粘聚力与水分状态相关的饱和度的关系是强非线性的,与密度状态相关的饱和度的关系是准线性的。内摩擦角与水分状态相关的饱和度的关系是强非线性的,与密度状态相关的饱和度的关系是弱非线性的。     

非饱和土抗剪强度理论的研究进展

非饱和土的工程性质是20世纪90年代以来国际岩土工程界研究的热点,非饱和土的抗剪强度是非饱和土的重要工程性质之一,在参阅了中、外文相关资料的基础上,总结了非饱和土抗剪强度理论的研究成果,提出了非饱和土抗剪强度有待进一步研究的问题。     

Phytolith assemblages as a promising tool for reconstructing Mediterranean Holocene vegetation

The reliability of phytolith assemblage analysis for characterizing Mediterranean vegetation is investigated in this study. Phytolith assemblages are extracted from modern and buried Holocene soils from the middle Rhône valley (France). The relation between modern phytolith assemblages and the surrounding vegetation, as well as between fossil assemblages and contemporaneous vegetation, already reconstructed through other proxies, is discussed. We demonstrate that the main northwestern Mediterranean biomes are well distinguished by soil phytolith assemblage analysis. In particular, the density of pine and nonconiferous trees (densities expressed relatively to the grass cover) and the overall degree of opening of the vegetation appear well recorded by three phytolith indexes. North Mediterranean vegetation changes during the Holocene period, mainly tree line shifts, pine wood development and deforestation are poorly documented, due to the scarcity of proxy-preserving sites. Phytolith assemblage analysis of soils, buried soils, and sediments appears to be a promising technique to fill this gap.     

Empirical correlations of soil parameters based on Cone Penetration Tests (CPT) for Greek soils

This study presents the results of Cone Penetration Tests (CPT) and estimated correlations with the results of other in-situ tests (standard penetration test, cross-hole, seismocone) and laboratory tests (classification and undrained shear strength tests). These tests cover nearly all types of penetrable soils in Greece and, together with the formulation of empirical correlations, complement and improve on previous studies due to the significant number of CPT measurements.     

Reflection and transmission of seismic waves at an interface betwen two saturated soils

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我国特殊岩土研究

本文分析，总结了我国特殊岩土理论与应用研究方面的新进展，内容涉及湿陷性黄土，软土膨胀岩土，红土，软岩和特殊土的结构性，指出需要进一步研究的问题，最后对特殊土的研究方法做了阐述。     

雷州半岛英峰岭剖面多期红土矿物学特征初步研究

雷州半岛英峰岭剖面多期红土矿物学特征初步研究＊文国高文启忠朱照宇徐义芳（中国科学院广州地球化学研究所，广州５１０６４０）关键词多期红土矿物学红土化雷州半岛我国南方热带－亚热带广泛发育的红土（包括红色风化壳和红色古土壤），记录了形成过程环境变迁的重要信...     

确定干旱—半干旱地区降水入渗补给量的新方法——氯离子示踪法

在干旱－半干旱地区由于入渗水分大部分滞留在包气带中，强烈地蒸发、蒸作用导致包气带中土壤水的氯离子浓度改变。氯离子示踪方法从质量守恒角度，通过比较土壤水分的氯离子浓度和降水输入的氯离子浓度大小，可以定量确定降水入渗量和降水入渗补给的历史变化过程。本文介绍了目前国外应用较普遍的氯离子均衡法和氯离子累积法，并讨论了方法应用时存在的一些问题。