Finite element modelling of pressuremeter tests and footings on frozen soils

A finite element code is developed to model the structure-frozen soil/ice interaction using a time incrementing, fully implicit, iterative algorithm, and a constitutive model based on the concept that total strain tensor consists of an elastic and a creep component. The code is used to investigate the applicability and limitations of the power law as the creep model for frozen soil by simulating two pressuremeter tests. Two extended phenomenological models based on the generalized power law are used in axisymmetric finite element analyses to simulate two, long-term, stage-loaded pressuremeter tests, and comparison of results with test data indicates that one model demonstrates a better ability to approximate the actual response to subsequent load steps, under certain restrictions. Stress analyses demonstrate the ability of the constitutive model to show transient as well as subsequent quasi-stationary stress stages in creep analysis. Additional simulations of short-term pressuremeter tests on ice are performed to further illustrate some limitations of the power-law model. Examples for prediction of creep settlements on frozen geomaterials are demonstrated by considering the interaction of fully flexible circular footings and concrete cylindrical footings (of different embedment depths) with frozen sands.     

Finite element modeling of wave propagation problems in multilayered soils resting on a rigid base

A new finite element scheme is proposed, in this paper, for solving two-dimensional wave propagation problems in multilayered soils resting on a rigid base. The multilayered soils are treated as multiple horizontal layers of lateral infinite extension in geometry. Since these horizontal layers can be truncated by two artificially truncated vertical boundaries, two high-order artificial boundary conditions are applied for propagating the incoming waves from the interior domain into the far field of the system. Both the semi-analytical method and the truncated boundary migration procedure are used to derive the high-order artificial boundary conditions, which are comprised of a physically meaningful dashpot and a generalized energy absorber. The main advantage of using the proposed finite element scheme is that the derived artificial boundary condition can be straightforwardly implemented in the finite element analysis, without violating the band/sparse structure of the conventional finite element equation. The related numerical examples have demonstrated that the proposed finite element scheme is of high accuracy in dealing with wave propagation problems in multiple horizontal layers.     

Finite element simulation of freezing processes in soils

The finite element method, formulated for non-linear heat conduction, allows the solution of practically any ground freezing problem. Stabilization of wet soils by artificial freezing and freezing under roads induced by cold winter conditions are considered in this paper. Special features of the program used include parabolic isoparametric elements, a new time stepping scheme and an improved procedure for the estimation of thermal properties.     

Finite element consolidation analysis of soils with vertical drain

This paper presents a finite element procedure for the analysis of consolidation of layered soils with vertical drain using general one‐dimensional (1‐D) constitutive models. In formulating the finite element procedure, a Newton–Cotes‐type integration formula is used to avoid the unsymmetry of the stiffness matrix for a Newton (Modified Newton) iteration scheme. The proposed procedure is then applied for the consolidation analysis of a number of typical problems using both linear and non‐linear soil models. Results from this simplified method are compared with those from a fully coupled consolidation analysis using a well‐known finite element package. The average degree of consolidation, excess porewater pressure and average vertical effective stress are almost the same as those from the fully coupled analysis for both the linear and non‐linear cases studied. The differences in vertical effective stresses are tolerable except for the values near the vertical drain boundaries. The consolidation behaviour of soils below a certain depth of the bottom of vertical drain is actually one‐dimensional for the partially penetrating case. Therefore, there are not much differences in whether one uses a one‐dimensional model or a three‐dimensional model in this region. The average degree of consolidation has good normalized feature with respect to the ratio of well radius to external drainage boundary for the cases of fully penetrating vertical drain using a normalized time even in the non‐linear case. Numerical results clearly demonstrate that the proposed simplified finite element procedure is efficient for the consolidation analysis of soils with vertical drain and it has better numerical stability characteristics. This simplified method can easily account for layered systems, time‐dependent loading, well‐resistance, smear effects and inelastic stress–strain behaviour. This method is also very suitable for the design of vertical drain, since it greatly reduces the unknown variables in the calculation and the 1‐D soil model parameters can be more easily determined. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

受冲击荷载作用土体变形的有限元研究

把土当作一种弹塑性材料,把钻头冲击土体的过程抽象为一个半无限体在圆环面积上受均布力作用的问题,建立合理的计算模型,采用ANSYS有限元分析中瞬时动态动力学分析来模拟分析土体冲击变形过程,探讨在钻头结构一定、输出一定的冲击功的条件下,其所能切入土层的深度和钻头对柱状土心的扰动情况。经分析得出,土体轴向压缩量在钻头底唇面处最大,在土样中心部位最小;钻头内外壁和土层接触处土中的密塞斯应力几乎是突变的,而应力在土样中几乎都保持在最小值的水平;冲击对土样的扰动只是在一个很小的范围内。     

Finite element modelling of transport of organic chemicals through soils

Aquifer contamination by organic chemicals in subsurface flow through soils due to leaking underground storage tanks filled with organic fluids is an important groundwater pollution problem. The problem involves transport of a chemical pollutant through soils via flow of three immiscible fluid phases: namely air, water and an organic fluid. In this paper, assuming the air phase is under constant atmospheric pressure, the flow field is described by two coupled equations for the water and the organic fluid flow taking interphase mass transfer into account. The transport equations for the contaminant in all the three phases are derived and assuming partition equilibrium coefficients, a single convective – dispersive mass transport equation is obtained. A finite element formulation corresponding to the coupled differential equations governing flow and mass transport in the three fluid phase porous medium system with constant air phase pressure is presented. Relevant constitutive relationships for fluid conductivities and saturations as function of fluid pressures lead to non-linear material coefficients in the formulation. A general time-integration scheme and iteration by a modified Picard method to handle the non-linear properties are used to solve the resulting finite element equations. Laboratory tests were conducted on a soil column initially saturated with water and displaced by p-cymene (a benzene-derivative hydrocarbon) under constant pressure. The same experimental procedure is simulated by the finite element programme to observe the numerical model behaviour and compare the results with those obtained in the tests. The numerical data agreed well with the observed outflow data, and thus validating the formulation. A hypothetical field case involving leakage of organic fluid in a buried underground storage tank and the subsequent transport of an organic compound (benzene) is analysed and the nature of the plume spread is discussed.     

冲击挤密作用下土体变形机理的有限元分析

潜孔锤冲击挤密钻进过程中土体变形机理的分析是非常复杂的,既涉及到材料非线性、几何非线性,又涉及到界面接触摩擦,属于高度非线性问题。利用有限元分析软件ANSYS初步建立了潜孔锤在土中冲击挤密钻进的有限元模型,模拟分析了钻具周围土体的应力、应变位移情况。结果表明,冲击钻进过程中钻头下方土体随压力的不断增大而发生塑性流动,产生急剧变形而破坏。钻具周围的土被重塑和扰动,土的工程性质发生了较大的变化,孔壁周围比较密实稳定。     

冻结砂土力学性质的离散元模拟

基于离散单元法颗粒流理论,土体颗粒单元间采用接触黏结模型中来考虑冻土中冰的胶结作用,建立了冻结砂土的颗粒流模型。通过改变计算模型中颗粒单元的参数,模拟了在不同冻结温度以及不同围压下冻结砂土的宏观力学性质,并与冻结砂土的室内试验结果进行了比较,结果表明：颗粒流方法可以较好地模拟冻结砂土的应力-应变关系以及剪切带的发展变化过程,颗粒流细观参数对温度具有显著的依赖性。研究结果对离散单元法在特殊土中的应用具有一定的理论和应用价值。     

Finite element analysis of problems with infinitely distant boundaries

A method allowing for the presence of infinitely distant boundaries in prismatic bodies is developed. The method is closely related to the consistent boundary concept used in dynamic applications but the development presented is algebraic and context free and is thus applicable to a wide variety of geotechnical problems both static and dynamic.     

Finite element formulation and algorithms for unsaturated soils. Part I: Theory

This paper presents a complete finite‐element treatment for unsaturated soil problems. A new formulation of general constitutive equations for unsaturated soils is first presented. In the incremental stress–strain equations, the suction or the pore water pressure is treated as a strain variable instead of a stress variable. The global governing equations are derived in terms of displacement and pore water pressure. The discretized governing equations are then solved using an adaptive time‐stepping scheme which automatically adjusts the time‐step size so that the integration error in the displacements and pore pressures lies close to a specified tolerance. The non‐linearity caused by suction‐dependent plastic yielding, suction‐dependent degree of saturation, and saturation‐dependent permeability is treated in a similar way to the elastoplasticity. An explicit stress integration scheme is used to solve the constitutive stress–strain equations at the Gauss point level. The elastoplastic stiffness matrix in the Euler solution is evaluated using the suction as well as the stresses and hardening parameters at the start of the subincrement, while the elastoplastic matrix in the modified Euler solution is evaluated using the suction at the end of the subincrement. In addition, when applying subincrementation, the same rate is applied to all strain components including the suction. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

剪胀角对求解边坡稳定的安全系数的影响

分析了目前用有限元方法求解安全系数时所存在的问题,同时,对于岩土边坡采用平面应变条件下基于非关联流动法则的D-P屈服准则,充分考虑岩土的剪胀性对边坡稳定安全系数的影响,修正了对于剪胀性的传统处理方法：过大的考虑材料的剪胀性的特点（ ）和完全不考虑材料的剪胀性的特点（ ）。算例结果分析表明,安全系数随剪胀角的增大而增大,在考虑剪胀性时,采用不同的屈服准则对边坡的安全系数是有很显著的影响的,误差可达30 %左右。     

非饱和土渗流与变形耦合问题的有限元分析

基于多孔介质力学原理,建立能模拟非饱和土两相流动与变形耦合问题的理论模型。利用Galerkin法对控制方程进行离散,得到控制方程的有限元计算格式。在此基础上,自主开发了有限元计算程序U-DYSAC2,并对Liakopoulos两相流动试验这一经典算例以及重非亲水相流体（DNAPL）在饱和多孔介质中迁移的离心模型试验进行了数值模拟。计算结果表明,理论预测与试验结果基本吻合,验证了所提出的分析方法在模拟非饱和土渗流以及变形问题时的有效性,从而为定量研究饱和-非饱和渗流以及变形问题提供了一条有效途径。     

模拟三维裂纹问题的扩展有限元法

扩展有限元法是一种在常规有限元框架内求解强和弱不连续问题的新型数值方法,其计算网格与不连续面相互独立,因此模拟移动不连续面时无需对网格进行重新剖分。给出了模拟三维裂纹问题的扩展有限元法。在常规有限元位移模式中,基于单位分解的思想加进一个阶跃函数和二维渐近裂尖位移场,反映裂纹处位移的不连续性。用两个水平集函数表示裂纹。采用线性互补法求解裂纹面非线性接触条件,不需要迭代,提高了计算效率。采用两点位移外推法计算裂纹前缘应力强度因子。给出了3个三维弹性静力问题算例,其结果显示了所提方法能获得高精度的应力强度因子,并能有效地处理裂纹面间的接触问题,同时表明扩展有限元结合线性互补法求解不连续问题具有较好的前景。     

大圆筒结构倾覆稳定分析的有限元法

大直径圆筒结构的倾覆稳定性是设计中考虑的一个重要问题。采用弹塑性有限元法,求解大圆筒结构在指定波浪条件下的荷载-位移关系曲线;通过荷载-位移关系的上限,确定结构的极限承载力;定义极限承载力与设计荷载的比值为结构的倾覆稳定安全系数,从而判断结构的倾覆稳定安全裕度。该方法避免了现行极限平衡分析方法确定土压力和转动中心的困难,可以考虑土与结构的相互作用和复杂的边界条件。通过对某工程实例的分析,初步验证了该方法的可行性。     

冻土墙围护深基坑开挖的有限元数值模拟

利用有限元数值模拟方法，分析了冻土围护墙深基坑开挖施工，得出了基坑变形的基本性状以及在相同地质条件下，基坑变形与其主要影响因素之间的关系，为深基坑开挖冻土墙围护设计提供了有价值的参考依据。     

Deformation properties of frozen soils

This paper gives a brief account of the results of a series of oedometer tests and triaxial creep tests on frozen soils.

The oedometer tests are performed on artificially frozen sand, silt and clay. The tests also include ice as a reference material. The results are given by parameters describing the tangent deformation modulus and the time resistance against creep.

The triaxial creep tests are carried out on the artificially frozen clay, and on a permafrost clay from Spitsbergen. The data are interpreted in accordance with Hult's theory. The artificially frozen clay shows much higher creep resistance than the permafrost clay.

In addition to deformation moduli and creep parameters the routine data of the materials tested are also included.     

Finite element formulation and algorithms for unsaturated soils. Part II: Verification and application

The finite‐element formulation and integration algorithms developed in Part I are used to analyse a number of practical problems involving unsaturated and saturated soils. The formulation and algorithms perform well for all the cases analysed, with the robustness of the latter being largely insensitive to user‐defined parameters such as the number of coarse time steps and error control tolerances. The efficiency of the algorithms, as measured by the CPU time consumed, does not depend on the number of coarse time steps, but may be influenced by the error control tolerances. Based on the analyses presented here, typical values for the error control tolerances are suggested. It is also shown that the constitutive modelling framework presented in Part I can, by adjusting one constitutive equation and one or two material parameters, be used to simulate soils that expand or collapse upon wetting. Treating the suction as a strain variable instead of a stress variable proves to be an efficient and robust way of solving suction‐dependent plastic yielding. Moreover, the concept of the constitutive stress is a particularly convenient way of handling the transition between saturation and unsaturation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Coupled meshfree and fractal finite element method for unbounded problems

This paper presents a coupling technique for integrating the element-free Galerkin method (EFGM) with the fractal finite element method (FFEM) to analyze unbounded problems in the half-space. FFEM is adopted to model the far field of an unbounded domain and EFGM is used in the near field. In the transition region interface elements are employed. The shape functions of interface elements which comprise both the element-free Galerkin and the finite element shape functions, satisfy the consistency condition thus ensuring convergence of the proposed coupled EFGM–FFEM. The proposed method combines the best features of EFGM and FFEM, in the sense that no structured mesh or special enriched basis functions are necessary. The numerical results show that the proposed method performs extremely well converging rapidly to the analytical solution. Also a parametric study is carried out to examine the effects of the integration order, the similarity ratio, the weight function, the scaling parameter and the number of transformation terms, on the quality of the numerical solutions.     

Finite element analyses of rate-dependent thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviors of clayey soils based on thermodynamics

Clayey soils in the vicinity of energy geostructures may be exposed to long-term periodic thermal cycles. The creep and consolidation behaviors of the clayey soils can be both rate-dependent and temperature-dependent, and the underlying physical mechanisms are merely investigated theoretically. In this study, based on the theory of thermodynamics, a fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) finite element (FE) program for saturated soils is developed for this purpose. The FE formulation accounts for the combined effect of rate and temperature through the novel concept of granular temperature. Simulations of THM coupled validation cases and a series of experimental observations on the soft Bangkok clay are carried out. The obtained numerical results exhibit good agreement with analytical solutions and laboratory measurements. It is found that three fundamental physical mechanisms contribute to the irreversible thermal contraction observed for normally consolidated and lightly overconsolidated clays under drained thermal cycles: (1) the thermal creep excited by mass exchange from adsorbed water to free water; (2) the mechanical creep induced by confining stresses; and (3) the increase in granular packing caused by the thermal expansion of soil particles. The thermal contraction generally stabilizes within a few thermal cycles, as a result of the noticeable reduction in the thermal creep rate. It is further demonstrated that the transient heat transfer and the heating rate can greatly influence the deformation of clays subjected to thermal cycles.