Study of desiccation crack initiation and development at ground surface

Cracks are common in clayey or expansive soils and provide preferential pathways for water infiltration into soils. A field study was conducted to investigate the mechanisms of initiation and development of desiccation cracks on two soils. Based on results of the field study and measurements of soil-water retention curves and soil shrinkage properties in the laboratory, the conditions of crack initiation and the development of crack geometric parameters (i.e., crack porosity, crack aperture, and crack density) with water content or drying time were quantified. The results show that desiccation cracks developed in three stages: initial stage, primary stage, and steady state stage. In the initial stage, few cracks developed with gradually decreasing water content. When the water content reached a critical value for crack initiation, cracks developed quickly and this was the start of the primary stage. The critical suction at crack initiation was calculated using a stress criterion, which is in the range of 5.3–21.3 times the preconsolidation pressure of the soil. As the water content approached the shrinkage limit of the soil, cracks developed slowly and approached a steady state. The cracks were found to be repeatable during three drying–wetting cycles.     

The combined effect of clay and moisture content on the behavior of remolded unsaturated soils

The behavior of unsaturated clayey soil is highly influenced by the coupled interaction between water and clay content. Various aspects of the behavior of artificial clay–sand mixtures with variable water content were experimentally studied. Laboratory tests were utilized for the determination of consistency limits, the stress–strain relationship, strength parameters, hydraulic conductivity, and volume change characteristics for various combinations of water and clay content in soil mixtures.

Results presented for various clay–sand mixtures include: new normalized consistency limits; the combined effect of clay content and water content on the stress–strain relationship and on the strength parameters (c and φ); and the effect of clay content on hydraulic conductivity and swelling potential. The cohesion of clayey sand is found to increase with increasing water content to a certain limit, above which it decreases. The angle of internal friction for clayey sand is found generally to decrease with increasing water content. The degree of saturation is found to be better than the water content in explaining the strength behavior. The hydraulic conductivity sharply decreases with increasing clay content up to 40% beyond which the reduction becomes less significant. Simple empirical equations are proposed for predicting the swelling potential of clayey soils as a function of either the clay content or plasticity index.     

GIS-based analysis of foundation repairs and soil conditions in the Dallas-Fort Worth region,Texas

The Dallas-Fort Worth region is subject to a severe expansive soils hazard, resulting in costly damage to many thousands of residential foundations each year. A GIS is used to examine relationships between a sample of approximately 10,000 foundation repair addresses and geologic and soil conditions. The study results show that foundation repairs are concentrated in areas underlain by bedrock, surficial deposits and soils that promote high shrink–swell potentials. A linear extensibility index, designed as an index of overall shrink–swell potential explains about 48% of the variation in the prevalence of repairs. Repairs are concentrated on soils that underlay many areas of new urban growth in the DFW region, suggesting that the incidence of foundation repairs in these areas will probably increase in the future. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Trees, lateral shrinkage and building damage

This article presents the study conducted and the actions taken to stabilise the foundations of 25 low-rise (two/three-storey) buildings in Alcázar de San Juan (Ciudad Real, central Spain). Owing to the immediate attention required, it was decided that the study would focus on procuring a synthetic model that would be able to provide a satisfactory explanation for the tendency of the movements, overlooking the detailed model of each building. This analysis pointed out that the mobilisation was probably due to both the shrinkage caused by the existing trees during the dry-growing seasons, and to the loss of lateral confinement caused by the excavation of a service trench adjacent to the footings of the buildings. In keeping with this mechanism, stabilization was carried out by transplanting the trees growing near the damaged buildings and installing a line of piles to provide lateral support to the footings. The evolution of the damage was therefore stopped.     

Sensitivity analysis of hydrological parameters in modeling flow and transport in the unsaturated zone of Yucca Mountain, Nevada, USA

The unsaturated fractured volcanic deposits at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, USA, have been intensively investigated as a possible repository site for storing high-level radioactive waste. Field studies at the site have revealed that there exist large variabilities in hydrological parameters over the spatial domain of the mountain. Systematic analyses of hydrological parameters using a site-scale three-dimensional unsaturated zone (UZ) flow model have been undertaken. The main objective of the sensitivity analyses was to evaluate the effects of uncertainties in hydrologic parameters on modeled UZ flow and contaminant transport results. Sensitivity analyses were carried out relative to fracture and matrix permeability and capillary strength (van Genuchten α) through variation of these parameter values by one standard deviation from the base-case values. The parameter variation resulted in eight parameter sets. Modeling results for the eight UZ flow sensitivity cases have been compared with field observed data and simulation results from the base-case model. The effects of parameter uncertainties on the flow fields were evaluated through comparison of results for flow and transport. In general, this study shows that uncertainties in matrix parameters cause larger uncertainty in simulated moisture flux than corresponding uncertainties in fracture properties for unsaturated flow through heterogeneous fractured rock.     

Radionuclides transport at the site of a low- and intermediate-level waste repository,Saligny, Romania

The site of the future Saligny low- and intermediate-level waste repository presents a rather deep unsaturated zone consisting of a pile of loess and clay, underlain by a calcareous aquifer. Van Genuchten parameters were first estimated in laboratory on samples collected from all the horizons, at different depths. In a second kind of test, moisture parameters were estimated from the natural water content profiles, observed in some wells, by inversion of the unsaturated flow equation. Based on the solution of the inverse problem as well as of the sensitivity analyses a simple physical model of the vadose zone was determined, consisting of a layered sequence that was subjected to a constant infiltration flux. Radionuclide migration was simulated in a vertical cross section made along the most probable path from the repository towards the surface water discharge zone. For radionuclide release, a source term was evaluated by ensuring a conservative estimate of cell inventory during the cell-filling operation. According to the simulation results, for the medium half-life nuclides, the unsaturated zone is a perfect barrier, whereas the long half-life isotopes break through in the aquifer at significant concentrations.

---

Resumen El sitio del futuro repositorio para desechos de nivel bajo e intermedio, denominado Saligny, presenta una zona no saturada bastante profunda, consistente en un depósito de loess y arcilla, subyacido por un acuífero calcáreo. Los parámetros de Van Genuchten se estimaron por primera vez en laboratorio, a partir de muestras recolectadas de todos los horizontes, a diferentes profundidades. En un segundo tipo de prueba se estimaron los parámetros de humedad a través de la inversión de la ecuación de flujo no saturado, a partir de los perfiles naturales que contienen agua, observados en algunos pozos. Con base en la solución del problema inverso, así como también en análisis de sensibilidad, se determinó un modelo físico simple de la zona vadosa, el cual consiste de una secuencia estratificada sometida a un flujo de infiltración constante. La migración del radioisótopo fue simulada en una sección vertical, hecha a lo largo del camino más probable entre el repositorio y la zona de descarga en el agua superficial. Para la liberación del radioisótopo se evaluó la fuente, asegurando un estimativo conservador del inventario de celdas durante la operación de llenado de celdas. De acuerdo con los resultados de la simulación, para los isótopos con vida media intermedia, la zona no saturada es una barrera perfecta; mientras que los isótopos con vida media larga irrumpen en el acuífero con concentraciones importantes.

---

Résumé Le futur stockage de déchets radioactifs de faible et moyenne activité de Saligny est caractérisé par une zone non-saturée assez profonde qui consiste dans des dépôts de loess et dargile qui couvrent un aquifère calcaire. Dans une première étape, les paramètres de van Genuchten ont été déterminés en laboratoires sur des échantillons prélevés de toutes les couches, à des profondeurs différentes. Dans une seconde étape les mêmes paramètres ont été estimés, comme un solution du problème inverse à partir de profils de la saturation en eau, mesurés dans des forages. Les résultats du problème inverse, ainsi que l› analyse de sensibilité ont mené à un modèle multi- couches de la zone non-saturé, rechargé par un flux constant. On a simulé le transport des radionucléides dans une coupe verticale, construite au long du trajet le plus probable entre le stockage et les eaux de surface. Le flux de radionucléides relâchés a été estimé en considérant une valeur consevative pour la masse totale stocké. D› après les résultats de la simulation la zone non saturée forme une barrière presque parfaite pour les radionucléides de période moyenne, denvirons de 30 ans, tendis quelle est traversée avec des concentrations assez importantes par des isotopes à grande période.

     

A constitutive model for granular materials with grain crushing and its application to a pyroclastic soil

A constitutive model for granular materials is developed within the framework of strain–hardening elastoplasticity, aiming at describing some of the macroscopic effects of the degradation processes associated with grain crushing. The central assumption of the paper is that, upon loading, the frictional properties of the material are modified as a consequence of the changes in grain size distribution. The effects of these irreversible microscopic processes are described macroscopically as accumulated plastic strain. Plastic strain drives the evolution of internal variables which model phenomenologically the changes of mechanical properties induced by grain crushing by controlling the geometry of the yield locus and the direction of plastic flow. An application of the model to Pozzolana Nera is presented. The stress–dilatancy relationship observed for this material is used as a guidance for the formulation of hardening laws. One of the salient features of the proposed model is its capability of reproducing the stress–dilatancy behaviour observed in Pozzolana Nera, for which the minimum value of dilatancy always follows the maximum stress ratio experienced by the material. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

正冻土水热迁移的移动泵模型

通过引入脉冲函数将流量边界条件转化为源（汇）项,冻结锋面处的假想泵从未冻土中抽吸水分并储存在冻结锋面附近的狭窄区域.将水分扩散方程在整体求解域上等效分解为两个方程,避免了处理移动冻融边界的难题.在一个分解方程中引入汇项以表达未冻区水分的流出,在另一个分解方程中引入相同大小的源项以表达冻土中水分的聚集.将移动泵模型相关场方程和变量输入COMSOL Multiphysics模拟软件的数学模块中,对一个封闭系统非饱和土冻结过程中水分和温度的变化过程进行了数值模拟,将模拟结果与前人试验和模拟结果进行了对比.     

桂林典型岩溶区和非岩溶区土壤剖面钙镁形态迁移对比

文章以桂林典型岩溶区和非岩溶区土壤剖面为研究对象,采用改进的Tessier元素形态连续提取法,测定岩溶区和非岩溶区土壤钙（Ca）和镁（Mg）元素离子交换态（包括水溶态）、碳酸盐结合态、腐殖酸结合态、铁锰氧化物结合态、强有机质结合态（包括部分硫化物）和残渣态等形态,探讨岩溶区和非岩溶区土壤Ca、Mg形态在土壤剖面中的迁移变化特征。结果表明：（1）岩溶区石灰土剖面中,随剖面深度加深,pH值增大,而土壤有机质、全氮（N）、全磷（P）含量减少,Ca元素主要以交换态存在且在各土壤剖面中含量相近,Mg元素主要是以残渣态赋存在土壤剖面中,随着土壤剖面深度腐殖酸结合态百分比减少,存在累积现象;（2）在非岩溶地区酸性土壤中,土壤总钙较低。在土壤剖面0~60 cm以强有机结合态为主,深层剖面（大于60 cm）以残渣态为主;Mg元素有效态含量较低,非岩溶区土壤Mg元素以腐殖酸结合态和残渣态为主,与岩溶区土壤类似,非岩溶区Mg元素在土壤中也存在一定累积。     

桩-土-承台结构在波浪力作用下的力学效应分析

在港口桥梁工程和海洋工程中,一般将桩从桩-土-承台结构中分离出来,单独计算波浪力对桩的作用。在提出波浪力作用下桩-土-承台结构相互作用模型的基础上,结合工程算例,进行了桩-土-承台结构在波浪力作用下桩的荷载和弯矩计算分析,结果表明：在不考虑波浪力的情况下,计算结果跟规范方法较为接近,验证了桩-土相互作用模型的适用性。在此基础上迭加波浪力,将波浪力和桩-土-承台作为一个完整的系统研究,随着承台所受外力、波浪力、桩侧地基土的变化,分析了桩-土-承台结构在波浪力作用下的受力效应。     

Effect of lime and fly ash on swell,consolidation and shear strength characteristics of expansive clays: a comparative study

Expansive soils swell on absorbing water and shrink on evaporation thereof. Because of this alternate swelling and shrinkage, civil engineering structures founded in them are severely damaged. For counteracting the problems of expansive soils, different innovative techniques were suggested. Stabilization of expansive clays with various additives has also met with considerable success. This paper presents, by comparison, the effect of lime and fly ash on free swell index (FSI), swell potential, swelling pressure, coefficient of consolidation, compression index, secondary consolidation characteristics and shear strength. Lime content (weight of lime/weight of dry soil) was varied as 0%, 2%, 4%?and 6%?and fly ash content (weight of fly ash/weight of dry soil) as 0%, 10%?and 20%. A fly ash content of 20%?showed significant reduction in swell potential, swelling pressure, compression index and secondary consolidation characteristics and resulted in increase in maximum dry density and shear strength. Swell potential and swelling pressure decreased with increase in lime content also. Further, consolidation characteristics improved. Compaction characteristics and unconfined compression strength improved at 4%?lime and reduced at 6%?lime.     

饱和正冻土水分迁移及冻胀模型研究

正冻土在温度梯度大的情况下,冻结锋面快速移动,孔隙水变成冰,造成原位体积膨胀;而通常在天然条件下,温度梯度都不大,水从未冻区向冻结区迁移,在某一个位置引起冰的累积,形成分凝冰。由于此诱发的冻胀要比原位冻胀大很多,因此,建立一个能够模拟土体水分迁移及分凝冰形成过程的冻胀模型尤其重要。基于第2冻胀理论,建立了饱和土体冻胀模型。在模型中,假设冻结缘中单位时间内水分迁移速度为常数,以计算冻结缘内水压力,再根据克拉方程得到冰压力。根据冰压力的大小作为分凝冰形成判据,研究中假设新的分凝冰形成以后,上一层分凝冰停止生长。模型把水分迁移和冻胀速率当作基本的未知量,模拟了与可天然土体冻胀类似的底部无压补水和顶部加压的冻胀情况。通过数值模拟与试验结果进行对比,初步验证模型的可靠性,其研究结果为实际寒区工程的冻胀预测提供参考。     

Relationships among remotely sensed soil moisture,precipitation and landslide events

Landslides are triggered by earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, and heavy continuous rainfall. For most types of slope failure, soil moisture plays a critical role because increased pore water pressure reduces the soil strength and increases stress. However, in-situ soil moisture profiles are rarely measured. To establish the soil moisture and landslide relationship, a qualitative comparison among soil moisture derived from AMSR-E, precipitation from TRMM and major landslide events was conducted. This study shows that it is possible to estimate antecedent soil moisture conditions using AMSR-E and TRMM satellite data in landslide prone areas. AMSR-E data show distinct annual patterns of soil moisture that reflect observed rainfall patterns from TRMM. Results also show enhanced AMSR-E soil moisture and TRMM rainfall prior to major landslide events in landslide prone regions of California, U.S.; Leyte, Philippines; and Dhading, Nepal.     

Effect of degree of saturation on mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils and its elastoplastic simulation

The two stress-state variable approach has been widely used in interpreting unsaturated soil behaviour. However this approach cannot take into account the effect of degree of saturation or water contents on the stress–strain behaviour and strength of unsaturated soils. The triaxial test results presented in this paper show that even if the same path of net stress and suction is followed, the stress–strain relation and strength are different due to different degrees of saturation. When other conditions are the same, the higher the degree of saturation for the soil sample is, the higher the stress ratio corresponding to a given axial strain will be. This effect can be modeled by using an elasto-plastic constitutive model coupling hydraulic and mechanical behaviour of unsaturated soils. Comparisons between the predicted and measured results are presented, which demonstrate that the model can quantitatively simulate the influence of the degree of saturation on stress–strain behaviour and strength of unsaturated soils.     

核岛结构设计地基场地及计算基底效应研究

针对新型核电工程结构AP1000核岛结构设计地基中的5类非坚硬岩场地,即硬岩场地、软岩场地、上限软-中等土场地、软-中等土场地和软土场地,采用一维土层场地模型开展场地土和计算基底条件对设计地震动影响计算分析。分析中,场地模型的计算基底剪切波速分别取为700、1 100、2 438 m/s,计算基底输入地震动分别选择基于核电建设相关技术文件和规范规定的反应谱RG1.60谱、AP1000谱和HAD101/01谱（5个阻尼比）合成的人工地震动时程。计算分析表明：非坚硬岩场地会导致场地地震动峰值加速度及频谱特性显著变化,场地越软影响程度越显著;除软土场地外,场地对地震动峰值加速度和反应谱的影响均为放大作用,软土场地对地震动较低频段反应谱有放大作用,但对峰值加速度和较高频段反应谱具有强烈的减小作用;对于各类场地,计算基底及其剪切波速的变化均会导致地表地震动峰值及频谱特性明显甚至显著变化,其影响程度与计算基底剪切波速成正比;随着场地由硬变软,计算基底剪切波速的变化对场地地震动的影响程度大为减小,至软土场地几乎不产生影响。考虑到场地类型及计算基底选取对场地地震动的显著影响,我国核电厂建设引用AP1000标准设计时应合理分析场地的适宜性。     

Influences of the unsaturated,saturated, and riparian zones on the transport of nitrate near the Merced River,California, USA

Transport and transformation of nitrate was evaluated along a 1-km groundwater transect from an almond orchard to the Merced River, California, USA, within an irrigated agricultural setting. As indicated by measurements of pore-water nitrate and modeling using the root zone water quality model, about 63% of the applied nitrogen was transported through a 6.5-m unsaturated zone. Transport times from recharge locations to the edge of a riparian zone ranged from approximately 6 months to greater than 100 years. This allowed for partial denitrification in horizons having mildly reducing conditions, and essentially no denitrification in horizons with oxidizing conditions. Transport times across a 50–100-m-wide riparian zone of less than a year to over 6 years and more strongly reducing conditions resulted in greater rates of denitrification. Isotopic measurements and concentrations of excess N₂ in water were indicative of denitrification with the highest rates below the Merced River. Discharge of water and nitrate into the river was dependent on gradients driven by irrigation or river stage. The results suggest that the assimilative capacity for nitrate of the groundwater system, and particularly the riverbed, is limiting the nitrate load to the Merced River in the study area.     

考虑扰动影响的土体小应变硬化模型参数试验研究及其在基坑工程中的应用

天然结构性土体容易受到各类施工扰动,导致土体物理力学性质改变,进而影响工程稳定、变形以及邻近环境。针对宁波两种典型土体,分别对原状土和轻、重扰动土以及重塑土开展了三轴试验及一维压缩试验,分析了扰动度对小应变硬化模型(HS-small model,简称HSS模型)主要参数的影响规律,并将其应用于宁波某基坑工程,利用Plaxis3D分析了考虑周边土体扰动影响的坑后土体水平位移变化。研究结果表明,扰动会使土体的强度及刚度参数降低。对于淤泥质黏土,轻扰动试样的参考切线模量E_oed^ref 、参考割线模量E₅₀^ref及参考加卸载模量E_ur^ref值分别降低14%、10%、2%,重扰动试样三参数分别降低43%、14%、15%,粉质黏土三参数也呈现相似降低趋势。在考虑土体扰动影响的情况下,基坑周边两个测斜孔的最大水平位移值分别增大13%、15%,更加接近实测值。研究结果可为小应变硬化模型的参数取值以及考虑扰动影响的基坑工程分析计算提供指导。     

Characteristics,genesis and classification of a basin peat soil under negative human impact in Turkey

The objective of this research was to investigate the morphology, genesis and classification of organic soils formed on depression and flat land around Lake Yenicaga, west-central Turkey. Formation of the area has been influenced by tectonic and karst processes. This peatland is important in this area due to its extensive use as a horticultural plant growth medium resulting from positive physical and chemical properties. Organic soils in the study area were formed in nutrient-rich conditions and it is classified as typical basin peat. Four representative pedons were excavated in the study area based on extensive observations performed with random grid method using an auger. Samples were taken from horizons in each profile for laboratory analyses. Organic matter contents ranged from 12.5 to 91.5% across all four pedons. Fiber contents were between 4.3 and 91.5%, and N ranged from 0.56 to 2.19%. Cation exchange capacity ranged from 37 to 222 cmol kg⁻¹, bulk density from 0.09 to 0.78 g cm⁻³, lime from 0.15 to 2.62%. The pH and EC_e values ranged from 5.38 to 7.92 and 0.50 to 3.80 dS m⁻¹, respectively. Sand, silt and clay contents of the organic soils ranged between 0.75–3.92, 40.70–74.77 and 24.15–57.30%, respectively. Differences in organic soils were found to depend on the environment, botanical origins, decomposition degrees, and groundwater composition. The organic soils of the research area were classified in the typic, hemic and hydric subgroups of Medifibrists (Soil Taxonomy 1999).     

土钉墙-锚杆支护技术模型试验及有限元研究

土钉复合土锚杆支护技术是对单一土钉墙技术的发展与改进,该方法具有施工简便,工期短,造价低廉等独特优点。虽然该方法已在工程中应用广泛,但土钉与土锚杆的复合支护的理论却还不完善。因此很有必要开展土钉墙复合土锚杆的模型试验,以加深对土钉与土锚杆复合支护体系的认识。通过多组模型试验,研究了在不同加载位置以及不同施工阶段下土钉的内力分配,基坑土体的位移场分布,不同加载位置下土钉及锚杆的支护效果等。结果表明：当超载较大且靠近基坑坑壁时,易出现直线型的滑动面,而超载距离坑壁较远,则较易出现圆弧状滑动面;锚杆对于控制滑动面出现有较强的作用,因此当超载靠近坡面时应将锚杆布置在坡面中上部,超载离坡面较远时,应布置在坡面下部     

单桶负压下沉过程中土体与桶形基础的相互作用

从理论上分析了单桶负压下沉过程中土体与桶形基础的相互作用。建立了桶在下沉过程中力传递的微分方程式，求得了桶在自重下沉时所能达到的最大深度与桶体自重、所受垂直载荷、桶体几何要素、土体的力学参数以及桶-土之间的摩擦强度之间的关系。考虑了负压下沉过程中渗流的影响，确立了桶内土柱顶部所需压力与下沉深度之间的对应关系。