Particle size distribution analysis of sand-sized particles by laser diffraction: an experimental investigation of instrument sensitivity and the effects of particle shape

Laser diffraction is now widely used for particle size distribution analysis of sediments and soils. The technique can be very precise, and offers advantages of speed and cost over many other methods when used to analyse mixtures of sand, silt and clay. This study presents the results of an experimental investigation that examined the sensitivity of the Beckman-Coulter LS230 instrument to mixtures of different grain populations and differences in particle shape. The instrument was found to have high sensitivity to coarse particles in a finer matrix (detection threshold 1–2%), but much lower sensitivity to finer particles in a coarser mixture (detection threshold 12–17%). Experiments using near-spherical ballotini showed that laser analysis provides very similar values to dry sieving for the mean, median and mode, but for a range of natural sand samples values for the mean, median and mode were offset by 8–21%, with an average of ca 15%, compared with sieving. Analysis using a Beckman-Coulter RapidVUE instrument, which provides both size and shape information, provided support for the hypothesis that the differences between laser analysis and sieving are partly attributable to the effects of particle shape. However, an additional factor is the way in which the laser software interprets the optical diffraction data. The software predicts a high degree of log-normality in the size distribution, such that highly skewed, truncated or bimodal samples are poorly represented. Experiments using sieved fractions of ballotini indicated that, even with near-perfectly spherical particles, the particle size distribution predicted by the laser software includes a relatively large percentage of particles outside the sieve class limits.     

RADIUS – rapid particle analysis of digital images by ultra-high-resolution scanning of thin sections

RADIUS is a newly developed particle-size measurement technique, based on evaluation of digital images of thin sections. Analyses are performed with sub-millimetre sample resolution and are thus designed to work on a single lamina of laminated sediments. The method covers grain sizes from medium silt to coarse sand. The application contains pattern-recognition modules that allow the detection of typical particle distributions of loess, organic detritus, turbidites and tephra layers. Cutting and hiding effects of particles on thin sections are corrected by empirical correction matrices. The calculated analysis results are compared with manually counted and measured samples to calibrate the application settings. The method can be applied to all fine-grained clastic sediments, particularly to laminated lake sediments.     

图像处理技术在堆积体块石含量统计中的应用

本文选取湖南衡阳南岳区拜殿乡发育的堆积体斜坡作为研究对象,通过分析堆积体结构特征的特殊性,提出了使用图像分析技术与现场筛分实验相结合来获得堆积体中块石含量的统计方法,即通过图像采集、图像处理、图像分析、数据处理等一系列必要的操作来获取块石含量数据,再与现场筛分实验数据结合统计含石量。结果表明,图像处理技术原理可靠,操作简便,检测速度快,图像处理与现场实验相结合的方法较传统的土工试验结果更加精确,该方法可以在堆积体滑坡的工作中广泛使用。     

非饱和土的性状及膨胀土边坡稳定问题

为探究膨胀土物理力学性质指标对其膨胀变形影响。结合陕西安康地区某膨胀土工程实例,基于大量野外岩土勘察和室内测试数据资料,采用主成分分析法研究了膨胀土的膨胀变形与其物理力学性质指标间相关性及不同指标重要程度,建立了以主要物理力学指标为参数的膨胀土膨胀变形判别公式。影响膨胀土膨胀变形的物理力学指标可划分为反映外界环境的指标(含水率、饱和度、液性指数及含水比)、反映土体构造特征的指标(密度、干密度及孔隙比)、反映土体结构强度特征的指标(压缩系数和内摩擦角)及反映土体组成特征的指标(塑性指数和黏聚力);含水率是影响膨胀土膨胀变形的关键指标,所建立判别公式可为类似地区膨胀土膨胀变形的判别提供参考。     

钙质砂颗粒的形状分析

钙质砂是一种含碳酸钙达50 %以上的海洋生物成因的粒状材料。颗粒棱角度高、形状不规则,影响钙质砂的压缩、填充等力学性能。通过光学显微镜获取钙质砂颗粒的几何投影图像,借助Matlab图像处理软件,分别运用常规统计方法和分形理论对钙质砂颗粒的几何形态进行了描述,并结合钙质砂特殊的生物成因对其表现出的特性进行了分析。结果表明：钙质砂颗粒的形状具有分形特性,且随着颗粒粒径的减小,分形特性越明显。     

土壤重金属污染现状及检测分析技术研究进展

土壤重金属污染是中国当前最突出的环境污染问题.污染调查公报显示全国土壤重金属总超标率为16.1％,其中镉的点位超标率为7％,对粮食安全产生威胁.本文介绍了中国土壤重金属污染的现状,梳理了土壤重金属污染检测分析的传统和新兴方法技术,包括重金属全量、化学形态和生物可利用态含量等.同时阐述了土壤重金属污染检测分析技术发展趋势...     

反滤系统渗透流失土颗粒级配的显微图像分析法

在反滤系统渗透稳定性的研究中,提出采用数码显微镜和图像分析软件测定渗透流失土颗粒级配的方法。该法可对渗透流失的少量土颗粒进行级配分析,测定成本低,但对取样要求较高。针对所用的粉土,采用异丙醇作为分散剂,颗粒浓度取4 g/L,可获得良好的测定效果。与比重计法测定结果的对比分析表明,显微图像分析法是可靠的。误差分析表明,对于扁平不规则的土颗粒,显微图像分析法测定的级配曲线粒度偏大,细颗粒产率偏低,而比重计法则相反。显微图象分析法可为反滤系统渗透稳定性研究提供有效的手段。     

A new approach to the three-dimensional quantification of angularity using image analysis of the size and form of coarse aggregates

This paper describes a system for the acquisition and analysis of 3D data from the surfaces of coarse aggregate particles. The technique uses laser triangulation to acquire data from the upper hemispheres of particles passing along a conveyor belt. Methods of determining particle size and form in three dimensions are described and a new approach to the quantification of angularity is presented. The algorithm uses mathematical morphology to provide a geometrically meaningful interpretation of particle shape. The relative advantages of 2D and 3D analysis of aggregate particles are discussed, and results are presented which demonstrate the validity of this approach.     

The influence of grain-size analysis methods and sediment mixing on curve shapes and textural parameters: Implications for sediment trend analysis

To this day, deterministic physical models capable of explaining the evolution of grain-size distributions in the course of transport are still lacking. For this reason, various attributes of particle frequency distributions, in particular curve shapes and textural parameters, have for many decades been investigated for potential information about transport behaviour and size-sorting processes of sediments in numerous environments. Such approaches are essentially conceptual and hence rely heavily on the validity of the assumptions on which they are based. A factor which has to date been largely ignored in this context, is the fact that different methods of grain-size analysis (e. g. sieving, laser absorption and diffraction, settling velocity measurements), when applied to the same sample material, produce variable curve shapes, and hence incongruous textural data. This is illustrated by selected examples showing the differences between sieving and settling results, conversion of settling velocities into equivalent settling diameters (psi-phi-transformations), and the influences of particle shape, particle density, and water temperature. It is demonstrated that particle-size distributions are not only method-dependent but also dependent on the adopted post-processing procedure. As a result, only frequency curves generated by the same method and subsequently processed by identical computational procedures can be meaningfully compared. Furthermore, the computation of textural parameters from bi- or multimodal size distributions produces spurious results which are unrelated to the processes leading to the mixing of different size populations frequently observed in nature. In such cases, only the decomposition of such distributions into individual populations and the spatial comparison of such populations makes any sense. Because a physical explanation for the generation of size distributions is lacking, a particular curve shape of a grain-size population has no meaning on its own. Only a systematic comparison of progressively changing curve shapes (and associated textural parameters) of sediments collected on a closely spaced grid can yield data suitable for sediment trend analysis.     

Alteration of the equal settling ratio of fine particles by vertically-oscillating water

An equal settling ratio is an important factor in estimating particle separation accuracy. However, this factor is often calculated using the settling velocity in stationary water, there are no examples of calculation of the equal settling ratio in an actual separator. This is difficult because particle movement in a separator is very complicated, and even simple periodic motions, such as the oscillation field used with many separators, are ignored in many cases. The authors have previously reported on the relation between the equal settling ratio and the oscillation frequency by analysis of particle movement in vertically oscillating water, using spherical particles of glass (average size 435 μm) and zirconia (202 μm) which have the same settling velocity in stationary water. In this study, the influence of particle diameter on the change in the settling velocity in oscillating water was experimentally investigated for three pairs of glass and zirconia particles having different sizes under 0.5 mm, which have the same settling velocity in stationary water. The settling velocities of different-sized particles decreased at different rates in oscillating water, indicating that the equal settling ratio is reduced by water oscillation. We conclude that water oscillation improves the accuracy of size separation for glass particles over 300 μm and zirconia particles over 150 μm when glass and zirconia particles are separated from each other with the difference of these settling velocities.     

An image analysis method to determine crystal size distributions of olivine in kimberlite

Crystal size distributions (CSDs) are a standard method of describing populations of crystals within magmatic rocks. Olivine is the dominant phase in kimberlite (∼40–50% by volume) and features a diverse range of sizes, shapes and origins. CSDs of olivine provide a logical means of semi-quantitatively characterising kimberlite. The CSDs can then be used to distinguish or correlate between kimberlite bodies or to investigate processes related to ascent, emplacement and eruption. In this paper, we present an automatic image analysis technique that provides efficient quantification of olivine CSDs within digital images of polished slabs of kimberlite. This technique relies on a combination of algorithms for detecting regions of interest (ROI) and for segmentation of ROIs in order to identify individual olivine crystals that are used for size distribution datasets. The detection process identifies regions expected to be olivine using a model-based colour detection technique using Mahalanobis distance combined with texture analysis based on local standard deviation and greyscale foreground enhancement techniques. The segmentation process separates adjacent domains to identify individual crystals using an iterative marker-based watershed algorithm to separate adjoined structures of varying sizes. We demonstrate the utility of automatic image analysis by comparing CSDs for olivine derived from this method versus results from manual digitisation of olivine grains. The automatic detection system correctly identified ∼86% of the manually detected olivine domains; ∼88% of the automatically detected regions correctly correlate to manually defined olivine grains. Discrepancies between the two methods are mostly the result of oversimplification of crystal margins (i.e. rounding) by manual tracing whereas automatic boundary recognition shows clear advantages in identifying irregularities in crystal edges. Closer examination of the results shows that both methods suffer from under-representation of smaller crystals due to: (1) human subjectivity and error in manual tracing and (2) noise removal processes in automatic detection. Automatic detection of olivine grains is much more efficient than conventional manual tracing; manual detection requires ∼6 h per sample versus ∼1 min for automatic analysis of the same sample.     

Geotechnical influence on existing subway tunnels induced by multiline tunneling in Shanghai soft soil

Multiline tunneling construction in soft soil significantly impedes risk control and environmental protection. Current research has investigated on the effect of single-line shield excavation on surrounding environments and tunneling for parallel-crossing or perpendicular down-crossing underground structures. However, minimal attention has been given to soil disturbances induced by multiline tunneling and complex overlapped interaction mechanics for adjacent structures, such as existing above-crossing and down-crossing subway tunnels. Few studies focus on oblique crossing construction and setting rules for the operation parameters of shield machines. Based on the Shanghai Railway transportation project and in situ monitoring data, the deformation analyses of existing subway tunnels induced by an earth pressure balance (EPB) shield during the process of above-overlapped and down-overlapped crossing tunnels with oblique angles are presented. The deformation analyses employ the three-dimensional finite element (3D FE) numerical simulation method, and the simplified analytical method. The analysis results from the theoretical methods are consistent with the monitoring data. The setting rules of multiline propulsion main parameters, including the earth pressure for cutting open, and the synchronized grouting, are also established. This study may provide a theoretical basis for the development of properly overlapped crossing schemes and geotechnical protective measures during multiline tunneling construction in soft soil.     

Evaluate the performance of an accelerated initial stiffness method in three dimensional finite element analysis

Newton’s method is a commonly used algorithm for elasto-plastic finite element analysis and has three common variations: the full Newton–Raphson method, the modified Newton–Raphson method and the initial stiffness method. The Newton–Raphson methods can converge to the solution in a small number of iterations when the system is stable; however, the methods can be quite computationally expensive in some types of problems, for example where the tangent stiffness matrix is unsymmetric or the plasticity is highly localized. The initial stiffness method is robust in those cases but requires a larger number of iterations. This prompted the formulation of many acceleration techniques in literature. In this paper, those techniques will be briefly discussed. This will be followed by the development of a modified acceleration technique for the initial stiffness method. The performance of the modified accelerated initial stiffness method will be examined in elasto-plastic analyses, using both direct and iterative matrix solvers. The results will be compared – in terms of the required number of iterations and the computation time – with an existing accelerated initial stiffness method, the non-accelerated initial stiffness method and the Newton–Raphson tangent stiffness method.     

A comparative review of commercially-available software for soil slope stability analysis

Summary The main purpose of this paper is to carry out a comparative review of four commercial computer programs for the stability analysis of soil slopes. The review is carried out in two parts and should prove useful for potential users of the software. Part I reviews the facilities offered in terms of the range of limit equilibrium methods, the geotechnical modelling abilities, the operational features and the supporting documentation, and includes a general impression of friendliness. Part II assesses the use, accuracy and validity of each program by presenting and discussing the results of a number of model tests. Also included is a brief discussion of slope stability analysis, in particular the limit equilibrium method. The requirements of a practical computer program for soil slope stability analysis are defined and then used as a means of assessing the effectiveness of each program.     

冻土离心模型试验相似准则分析

在研究土壤冻融问题时,土工离心模型试验在时间效应和应力全等型模拟方面更具优势。然而,目前关于冻土离心模型试验的研究成果较少,其中的相似准则也不够完善。针对这一现状,在充分考虑土体的水-热-力耦合作用过程的基础上,采用Butterfield量纲分析法确定了控制饱和土冻融变形性状的无量纲项,建立了冻土离心模型试验中孔隙压力、热扩散、未冻水迁移、融土固结以及冻融变形的相似准则。分析结果表明,冻土离心模型试验中未冻水迁移、融土固结及热扩散效应的非稳态时间具有统一的比尺,即离心模型是原型的1/N2倍,而未冻水迁移流速的比尺为离心模型是原型的N倍。此外,利用冻土离心模拟装置完成了一则对渠道基土冻融作用的离心模拟。     

Seismic response analysis of the deep saturated soil deposits in Shanghai

The quaternary deposits in Shanghai are horizontal soil layers of thickness up to about 280 m in the urban area with an annual groundwater table between 0.5 and 0.7 m from the surface. The characteristics of deep saturated deposits may have important influences upon seismic response of the ground in Shanghai. Based on the Biot theory for porous media, the water-saturated soil deposits are modeled as a two-phase porous system consisting of solid and fluid phases, in this paper. A nonlinear constitutive model for predicting the seismic response of the ground is developed to describe the dynamic characters of the deep-saturated soil deposits in Shanghai. Subsequently, the seismic response of a typical site with 280 m deep soil layers, which is subjected to four base excitations (El Centro, Taft, Sunan, and Tangshan earthquakes), is analyzed in terms of an effective stress-based finite element method with the proposed constitutive model. Special emphasis is given to the computed results of accelerations, excess pore-water pressures, and settlements during the seismic excitations. It has been found that the analysis can capture fundamental aspects of the ground response and produce preliminary results for seismic assessment.     

碎石土古滑坡弹塑性接触有限元稳定性分析

为了准确评价碎石土古滑坡的稳定性,通过资料搜集整理和分析、现场工程地质调查与勘探和室内外的物理力学试验,采用三维大变形弹塑性接触有限元算法,结合复活碎石土古滑坡工程实例,提出利用三维计算结果计算二维剖面稳定性系数的方法,分析了滑坡的稳定性。结果表明,采用三维大变形弹塑性接触有限元算法分析滑坡稳定性可以考虑滑坡体的空间效应,使计算结果更加符合实际。新方法可以更准确分析碎石土滑坡的稳定性和获得该类型滑坡所处的实际状态,为滑坡治理提供准确的科学信患。     

Utilisation of the image analysis method for the detection of the morphological anisotropy of calcite grains in marble

This paper presents the development and utilisation of an automated image processing algorithm for detection and analysis of grains. Using optical polarising microscopy, a set of colored images are collected from an area on a thin section. A filtering operation, using rotation of a morphological alternating sequence filter (based on a structuring element), is used to remove twinning features within individual grains. Filtering is followed by the watershed segmentation technique to determine grain boundaries. The method is used for the identification of calcite grains in marble and the subsequent analysis of morphological anisotropy.     

基于RapidEye影像的蚂蝗田小流域土壤侵蚀与岩溶石漠化分析

依据《岩溶地区水土流失综合治理技术标准》(SL461-2009),以蚂蝗田岩溶小流域为研究对象,实地测量了22组典型地物光谱,发现岩石和土壤在红光-近红外二维光谱特征空间具有线性分布规律,由此推导出土壤—岩石指数方程,并构建了岩溶区土壤侵蚀与石漠化强度分析技术流程。在此基础上,利用研究区RapidEye卫星遥感影像,通过提取土地利用、植被覆盖度、基岩裸露率和坡度等指标因子信息,实现了土壤侵蚀与岩溶石漠化强度的分析评价。研究发现:岩溶区土壤侵蚀与植被覆盖度呈负相关性,与坡度和基岩裸露率无单向相关性;岩溶石漠化与植被覆盖度呈负相关性,与坡度呈正相关性,与基岩裸露率呈线性相关。      

广州大学城软土的工程地质性质统计分析

通过对广州大学城软土样基本物理力学指标的室内试验和原位测试数据的数理统计分析,获得了软土的物理力学参数统计值,进而获得了大学城软土的工程地质特性。应用最小二乘法对软土的物理力学指标进行了线性回归分析,得到了指标间的线性相关方程,并应用相关系数的方法来检验相关的显著性程度。统计回归分析成果可为软土物理力学指标间的相互估算做参考,也可为相关规范的修订提供依据。