Semi‐analytical solution to one‐dimensional consolidation for unsaturated soils with semi‐permeable drainage boundary under time‐dependent loading

This paper presents semi‐analytical solutions to Fredlund and Hasan's one‐dimensional consolidation of unsaturated soils with semi‐permeable drainage boundary under time‐dependent loadings. Two variables are introduced to transform two coupled governing equations of pore‐water and pore‐air pressures into an equivalent set of partial differential equations, which are easily solved by the Laplace transform. The pore‐water pressure, pore‐air pressure and settlement are obtained in the Laplace domain. Crump's method is adopted to perform the inverse Laplace transform in order to obtain semi‐analytical solutions in time domain. It is shown that the present solutions are more general and have a good agreement with the existing solutions from literatures. Furthermore, the current solutions can also be degenerated into conventional solutions to one‐dimensional consolidation of unsaturated soils with homogeneous boundaries. Finally, several numerical examples are provided to illustrate consolidation behavior of unsaturated soils under four types of time‐dependent loadings, including instantaneous loading, ramp loading, exponential loading and sinusoidal loading. Parametric studies are illustrated by variations of pore‐air pressure, pore‐water pressure and settlement at different values of the ratio of air–water permeability coefficient, depth and loading parameters. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A moving‐mesh finite‐volume method to solve free‐surface seepage problem in arbitrary geometries

The main objective of this work is to develop a novel moving‐mesh finite‐volume method capable of solving the seepage problem in domains with arbitrary geometries. One major difficulty in analysing the seepage problem is the position of phreatic boundary which is unknown at the beginning of solution. In the current algorithm, we first choose an arbitrary solution domain with a hypothetical phreatic boundary and distribute the finite volumes therein. Then, we derive the conservative statement on a curvilinear co‐ordinate system for each cell and implement the known boundary conditions all over the solution domain. Defining a consistency factor, the inconsistency between the hypothesis boundary and the known boundary conditions is measured at the phreatic boundary. Subsequently, the preceding mesh is suitably deformed so that its upper boundary matches the new location of the phreatic surface. This tactic results in a moving‐mesh procedure which is continued until the nonlinear boundary conditions are fully satisfied at the phreatic boundary. To validate the developed algorithm, a number of seepage models, which have been previously targeted by the other investigators, are solved. Comparisons between the current results and those of other numerical methods as well as the experimental data show that the current moving‐grid finite‐volume method is highly robust and it provides sufficient accuracy and reliability. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

隧道围岩内地下水渗流边界效应影响研究

根据水位条件、施工工艺和防排水设计原则将隧道渗流计算围岩透水边界条件大致划分为4种类型,并分析了不同透水边界条件适应的施工工况。基于复变函数理论和保角映射方法,推导得出4种透水边界条件下隧道围岩内任一点孔隙水压力和隧道涌水量解析计算公式,通过与数值解的对比,印证了解析解的准确性。在此基础上,根据不同透水边界条件下隧道涌水量和围岩关键点孔隙水压力随埋深直径比（ ）的变化规律,分析了透水边界条件的变化对浅埋隧道和深埋隧道的影响,并探讨了浅埋水下隧道渗流计算中透水边界条件的选取。相关结论与认识对于隧道渗流计算和排水设计具有一定的指导作用和参考价值。     

Transient seepage analysis in zoned anisotropic soils based on the scaled boundary finite‐element method

The scaled boundary finite‐element method, a semi‐analytical computational scheme primarily developed for dynamic stiffness of unbounded domains, is applied to the analysis of unsteady seepage flow problems. This method is based on the finite‐element technology and gains the advantages of the boundary element method as well. Only boundary of the domain is discretized, no fundamental solution is required and singularity problems can be modeled rigorously. Anisotropic and non‐homogeneous materials satisfying similarity are modeled with no additional efforts. In this study, firstly, formulation of the method for the transient seepage flow problems is derived followed by its solution procedures. The accuracy, simplicity and applicability of the method are demonstrated via four numerical examples of transient seepage flow – three of them are available in the literature. Homogenous, non‐homogenous, isotropic and anisotropic material properties are considered to show the versatility of the technique. Excellent agreement with the finite‐element method is observed. The method out‐performs the finite‐element method in modeling singularity points. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

结构-地基动力相互作用的时域模型

结构-地基动力相互作用是结构地震响应分析及安全评估的一个非常重要课题。基于比例边界有限元法,提出了一种新颖的结构-地基动力相互作用的时域模型,即采用比例边界有限元子域模拟近场有限域部分,采用高阶透射边界模拟远场无限域部分。通过采用连分式展开和引入辅助变量,有限域的动力方程采用高阶的静力刚度矩阵和质量矩阵表示。高阶透射边界精确满足无限远处的辐射边界条件,具有全局精确、时间局部和收敛速度快等优点。它是基于改进的连分式法求解无限域动力刚度矩阵而建立的,在时域里表示为一阶常微分方程组。通过联立有限域和无限域的运动方程,建立了结构-地基相互作用的标准动力学方程,采用Newmark法可直接求解。3个算例结果表明,该算法在时域里比黏弹性边界更精确、有效。     

Some numerical issues using element‐free Galerkin mesh‐less method for coupled hydro‐mechanical problems

A new formulation of the element‐free Galerkin (EFG) method is developed for solving coupled hydro‐mechanical problems. The numerical approach is based on solving the two governing partial differential equations of equilibrium and continuity of pore water simultaneously. Spatial variables in the weak form, i.e. displacement increment and pore water pressure increment, are discretized using the same EFG shape functions. An incremental constrained Galerkin weak form is used to create the discrete system equations and a fully implicit scheme is used for discretization in the time domain. Implementation of essential boundary conditions is based on a penalty method. Numerical stability of the developed formulation is examined in order to achieve appropriate accuracy of the EFG solution for coupled hydro‐mechanical problems. Examples are studied and compared with closed‐form or finite element method solutions to demonstrate the validity of the developed model and its capabilities. The results indicate that the EFG method is capable of handling coupled problems in saturated porous media and can predict well both the soil deformation and variation of pore water pressure over time. Some guidelines are proposed to guarantee the accuracy of the EFG solution for coupled hydro‐mechanical problems. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A general viscous‐spring transmitting boundary for dynamic analysis of saturated poroelastic media

A time‐domain viscous‐spring transmitting boundary is presented for transient dynamic analysis of saturated poroelastic media with linear elastic and isotropic properties. The u–U formulation of Biot equation in cylindrical coordinate is adopted in the derivation. By this general viscous‐spring boundary, the effective stress and pore fluid pressure on the truncated boundary of the computational area are replaced by a set of continuously distributed spring and dashpot elements, of which the parameters are defined assuming an infinite permeability and considering the two dilatational waves. Numerical examples demonstrate good absorption of both the two cylindrical dilatational waves by the proposed ‘drained’ boundary. For general two‐dimensional wave propagation problems, acceptable accuracy can still be achieved by setting the proposed boundary relatively far away from the scatter. Numerical comparison shows that the results obtained by using this boundary are more accurate for all permeability values than those by the traditional viscous‐spring or viscous boundaries established for u–U formulation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simple analytical solution to one‐dimensional consolidation for unsaturated soils

This paper presents a simple analytical solution to Fredlund and Hasan's one‐dimensional (1‐D) consolidation theory for unsaturated soils. The coefficients of permeability and volume change for unsaturated soils are assumed to remain constant throughout the consolidation process. The mathematical expression of the present solution is much simpler compared with the previous available solutions in the literature. Two new variables are introduced to transform the two coupled governing equations of pore‐water and pore‐air pressures into an equivalent set of partial differential equations, which are easily solved with standard mathematical formulas. It is shown that the present analytical solution can be degenerated into that of Terzaghi consolidation for fully saturated condition. The analytical solutions to 1‐D consolidation of an unsaturated soil subjected to instantaneous loading, ramp loading, and exponential loading, for different drainage conditions and initial pore pressure conditions, are summarized in tables for ease of use by practical engineers. In the case studies, the analytical results show good agreement with the available analytical solution in the literature. The consolidation behaviors of unsaturated soils are investigated. The average degree of consolidation at different loading patterns and drainage conditions is presented. The pore‐water pressure isochrones for two different drainage conditions and three initial pore pressure distributions are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

饱和土体中空沟对移动荷载被动隔振的 2.5D边界元法分析

根据饱和土Biot理论及移动荷载特性,采用积分变换方法,推导了半无限饱和土体频域-波数内的边界积分方程,讨论了2.5D边界积分方程中Cauchy的奇异性,并分析了空沟对移动荷载引起饱和土体振动的被动隔振效果。通过与已知文献结果比较,验证了算法的正确性。数值结果表明,采用2.5D BEM不仅可以解决具有复杂表面的移动荷载作用下动力响应问题,而且可极大减小计算工作量。对于饱和土体受高速移动荷载作用,空沟更能有效减小土体孔压、竖向位移的振幅;当荷载速度较小时,空沟对土体表面的水平向位移几乎不起衰减作用,甚至有放大效应。另外,随空沟距振源的距离增大,空沟能够更好阻隔土体表面波传播。     

An artificial boundary approach for unbounded transient seepage problems

A new artificial boundary approach for transient seepage problems in unbounded domain is presented. The artificial boundary condition at the truncated boundary is derived from the analytical solutions for transient seepage problems in one dimension, including solutions, respectively, for flow in one‐dimensional infinite space and for radial flow in an infinite layer, and then it is tentatively applied for some two dimensional problems in addition to the one‐dimensional problems mentioned above. The boundary conditions derived relate the time‐dependent boundary flux with the time derivative of the hydraulic head at the truncated boundary, which makes the implementation much easier compared with the infinite element method. The accuracy and efficiency of the artificial boundary are validated by several numerical examples, which shows that the proposed boundary can give very good results for one‐dimensional transient seepage problems, as expected, whereas reasonable results can be also obtained for two‐dimensional problems, such as two‐dimensional axisymmetric flow and flow in an infinite plane. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

渗流对土质边坡稳定性的影响

根据Biot固结理论和孔隙水连续性原理,分别建立了应力场和渗流场耦合模型微分方程组及边界条件,并对耦合微分方程组进行空间离散和时间离散,建立了两场的耦合有限元方程。其研究成果,可为今后的研究工作提供一定的基础,对边坡工程的预防和防治具有一定的参考价值。     

非等温分布条件下考虑半透水边界时饱和黏土的一维固结解析解

温度的变化会导致土体的物理力学性质改变,且在一些实际工程中,饱和黏土会处于非等温分布状态。为此,针对非等温分布条件下饱和黏土的一维固结问题,考虑了更具普遍性的半透水边界,通过某些假定推导了单级线性加荷形式下饱和黏土一维固结控制方程,并利用分离变量法求解得到了控制方程的解析解。通过将所提解析解分别与已有解析解和有限差分解展开对比分析,验证了所提解答的正确性。基于所提解析解,利用某一算例分析了温度梯度、半透水边界参数及加荷时间对固结性状的影响。结果表明：温度梯度 M 越大,土体的渗透性越大,土体的固结速率越快;半透水边界参数 R1和 R2越大,相同时间内土体的超孔隙水压力越小,土体的平均固结度越大;土体的平均固结度随加荷时间 tc 的增大而减小,这主要是由于加荷阶段所施加的外荷载小于最终荷载,但加荷时间tc的延长可一定程度减小土体中产生的最大超孔隙水压力。     

A local artificial boundary for transient seepage problems with unsteady boundary conditions in unbounded domains

Numerical analysis of transient seepage in unbounded domains with unsteady boundary conditions requires a more sophisticated artificial boundary approach to deal with the infinite character of the domain. To that end, a local artificial boundary is established by simplifying a global artificial boundary. The global artificial boundary conditions (ABCs) at the truncated boundary are derived from analytical solutions for one‐dimensional axisymmetric diffusion problems. By applying Laplace transforms and introducing some specially defined auxiliary variables, the global ABCs are simplified to local ABCs to significantly enhance the computational efficiency. The proposed local ABCs are implemented in a finite element computer program so that the solutions to various seepage problems can be calculated. The proposed approach is first verified by the computation of a one‐dimensional radial flow problem and then tentatively applied to more general two‐dimensional cylindrical problems and planar problems. The solutions obtained using the local ABCs are compared with those obtained using a large element mesh and using a previously proposed local boundary. This comparison demonstrates the satisfactory performance and obvious superiority of the newly established boundary to the other local boundary. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A practical and efficient numerical scheme for the analysis of steady state unconfined seepage flows

The scaled boundary finite‐element method (SBFEM), a novel semi‐analytical technique, is applied to the analysis of the confined and unconfined seepage flow. This method combines the advantages of the finite‐element method and the boundary element method. In this method, only the boundary of the domain is discretized; no fundamental solution is required, and singularity problems can be modeled rigorously. Anisotropic and nonhomogeneous materials satisfying similarity are modeled without additional efforts. In this paper, SBFE equations and solution procedures for the analysis of seepage flow are outlined. The accuracy of the proposed method in modeling singularity problems is demonstrated by analyzing seepage flow under a concrete dam with a cutoff at heel. As only the boundary is discretized, the variable mesh technique is advisable for modeling unconfined seepage analyses. The accuracy, effectiveness, and efficiency of the method are demonstrated by modeling several unconfined seepage flow problems. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

不同渗流边界条件下粉砂边坡失稳模型试验研究

研究不同渗流边界条件下粉砂边坡的稳定特性对滑坡安全评价及防灾减灾具有重要意义。开发研制了室内边坡模型试验系统,分别进行了在上部边界入渗、侧向边界入渗和底部边界入渗的边坡失稳模型试验。分析了各试验中边坡内部不同位置体积含水率、孔隙水压力和基质吸力的变化规律以及坡体破坏过程。结果表明,不同入渗边界条件下边坡土体局部由非饱和变为饱和状态,基质吸力消失,最后在坡面形成不稳定区域塌落破坏。上部边界入渗、侧向边界入渗和底部边界入渗所引起的破坏模式根据其特点可分为局部浅层破坏、多级后退式破坏和坡面滑动破坏。通过监测边坡不同位置的体积含水率,可以为渗流引发的边坡失稳预警机制提供参考依据。     

Dynamic responses of unsaturated half‐space soil to a moving harmonic rectangular load

The problem of the dynamic responses of a semi‐infinite unsaturated poroelastic medium subjected to a moving rectangular load is investigated analytical/numerically. The dynamic governing equations are obtained with consideration of the compressibility of solid grain and pore fluid, inertial coupling, and viscous drag as well as capillary pressure in the unsaturated soil, and they can be easily degraded to the complete Biot's theory. Using the Fourier transform, the general solution for the equations is derived in the transformed domain, and then a corresponding boundary value problem is formulated. By introducing fast Fourier transform algorithm, the unsaturated soil vertical displacements, effective stresses, and pore pressures induced by moving load are computed, and some of the calculated results are compared with those for the degenerated solution of saturated soils and confirmed. The influences of the saturation, the load speed, and excitation frequency on the response of the unsaturated half‐space soil are investigated. The numerical results reveal that the effects of these parameters on the dynamic response of the unsaturated soil are significant.     

Analytical solution for one‐dimensional consolidation of unsaturated soils using eigenfunction expansion method

This paper introduces an exact analytical solution for governing flow equations for one‐dimensional consolidation in unsaturated soil stratum using the techniques of eigenfunction expansion and Laplace transformation. The homogeneous boundary conditions adopted in this study are as follows: (i) a one‐way drainage system of homogenous soils, in which the top surface is considered as permeable to air and water, whereas the base is an impervious bedrock; and (ii) a two‐way drainage system where both soil ends allow free dissipation of pore‐air and pore‐water pressures. In addition, the analytical development adopts initial conditions capturing both uniform and linear distributions of the initial excess pore pressures within the soil stratum. Eigenfunctions and eigenvalues are parts of the general solution and can be obtained based on the proposed boundary conditions. Besides, the Laplace transform method is adopted to solve the first‐order differential equations. Once equations with transformed domain are all obtained, the final solutions, which are proposed to be functions of time and depth, can be achieved by taking an inverse Laplace transform. To verify the proposed solution, two worked examples are provided to present the consolidation characteristics of unsaturated soils based on the proposed method. The validation of the recent results against other existing analytical solutions is graphically demonstrated. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

工程中渗流问题的边界元算法与分析

针对河堤、水坝、高速公路档水墙等存在多孔单元介质中的定常渗流问题,将渗流Laplace方程,通过数学变换转化为边界积分方程,进而离散为线性代数方程组。采用边界元编写FORTRAN程序。计算结果表明:该法与有限元法相比,占用CPU时间短,不需要网格化分,使繁杂问题简单化,同时很好地切近实际。      

A new parabolic variational inequality formulation of Signorini's condition for non‐steady seepage problems with complex seepage control systems

By extending Darcy's law to the dry domain above the free surface and specifying the boundary condition on the potential seepage surfaces as Signorini's type, a partial differential equation (PDE) defined in the entire domain of interest is formulated for non‐steady seepage flow problems with free surfaces. A new parabolic variational inequality (PVI) formulation equivalent to the PDE formulation is then proposed, in which the flux part of the complementary condition of Signorini's type in the PDE formulation is transformed into natural boundary condition. Consequently, the singularity at the seepage points is eliminated and the difficulty in selecting the trial functions is significantly reduced. By introducing an adaptive penalized Heaviside function in the finite element analysis, the numerical stability of the discrete PVI formulation is well guaranteed. The proposed approach is validated by the existing laboratory tests with sudden rise and dropdown of water heads, and then applied to capture the non‐steady seepage flow behaviors in a homogeneous rectangular dam with five drainage tunnels during a linear dropdown of upstream water head. The non‐steady seepage flow in the surrounding rocks of the underground powerhouse in the Shuibuya Hydropower Project is further modeled, in which a complex seepage control system is involved. Comparisons with the in situ monitoring data show that the calculation results well illustrate the non‐steady seepage flow process during impounding and the operation of the reservoir as well as the seepage control effects of the drainage hole arrays and drainage tunnels. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

One‐dimensional analysis of a poroelastic medium during freezing

A solution to the problem of freezing of a poroelastic material is derived and analysed in the case of one‐dimensional deformation. The solution is sought within the framework of thermo‐poroelasticity, with specific account of the behaviour of freezing materials. The governing equations of the problem can be combined into a pair of coupled partial differential equations for the temperature and the fluid pressure, with particular forms in the freezing and the unfrozen regions. In the freezing region, the equations are highly non‐linear, partly due to the dependence of thermal and hydraulic properties on water saturation, which varies with temperature. Consequently, the solution is obtained through numerical methods, with special attention to the propagation of the freezing front boundary. The response to one‐dimensional freezing is illustrated for the case of cement paste. Finally, the influence on the solution of varying selected parameters is analysed, such as the temperature boundary conditions, the parameters characterizing the geometry of the porous system, the ratio of fluid and thermal diffusivities, and the rate of cooling applied at the freezing end. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.