结构性黄土一维湿陷特性的离散元数值模拟

针对结构性湿陷性黄土大孔隙和胶结特性,应用离散元生成了不同含水率结构性黄土试样,研究试样的一维湿陷特性。首先,根据已有的结构性黄土试验资料和胶结颗粒材料离散元数值试验成果,建立胶结强度和初始饱和度之间的关系。其次,采用蒋明镜等提出的分层欠压法[1]和胶结模型[2]制得不同含水率结构性黄土离散元试样,然后进行不同含水率双线法和同一含水率4个压力下单线法湿陷试验的离散元数值模拟。数值模拟结果表明,提出的离散元分析方法能模拟天然结构性湿陷性黄土的主要力学性质,随着含水率的减少,结构屈服应力和最大湿陷压力增加,湿陷系数随着压力先增加后减小,湿陷起始压力为饱和试样的结构屈服应力,单线法湿陷后压缩曲线与饱和试样的压缩曲线接近。此外,模拟结果还表明,不同含水率结构性黄土离散元试样的最大湿陷系数与天然结构性湿陷性黄土相差较远,但在最大湿陷系数与孔隙比的比值上相接近;结构屈服对应着胶结的逐步破坏,湿陷伴随着大量的胶结破坏。提出了基于胶结点数目的损伤变量,研究了其在加载和湿陷过程中的变化规律。研究成果为认识黄土复杂力学特性和建立其本构理论提供了基础。     

A simple three‐dimensional distinct element modeling of the mechanical behavior of bonded sands

This paper presents a simple three‐dimensional (3D) Distinct Element Method (DEM) for numerical simulation of the mechanical behavior of bonded sands. First, a series of micro‐mechanical tests on a pair of aluminum rods glued together by cement with different bond sizes were performed to obtain the contact mechanical responses of ideally bonded granular material. Second, a 3D bond contact model, which takes into account the influences of bond sizes, was established by extending the obtained 2D experimental results to 3D case. Then, a DEM incorporating the new contact model was employed to perform a set of drained triaxial compression tests on the DEM bonded specimens with different cement contents under different confining pressures. Finally, the mechanical behavior of the bonded specimens was compared with the available experimental results. The results show that the DEM incorporating the simple 3D bond contact model is able to capture the main mechanical behavior of bonded sands. The bonded specimen with higher cement content under lower confining pressure exhibits more pronounced strain softening and shear dilatancy. The peak and residual strengths, the apparent cohesion and peak/residual friction angles, and the position and slope of the critical state line increase with increase in cement content. Microscopically, bond breakage starts when the system starts to dilate and the maximum rate of bond breakage coincides with the maximum rate of dilation. Bond breakage is primarily due to tension‐shear failure and the percentage of such failures is independent of both confining pressure and cement content. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Granular contact dynamics with elastic bond model

This paper proposes an elastic bond model in the framework of contact dynamics based on mathematic programming. The bond model developed in this paper can be used to model cemented materials. The formulation can be reduced to model pure static problems without introducing any artificial damping. In addition, omitting the elastic terms in the objective function turns the formulation into rigid bond model, which can be used for the modeling of rigid or stiffly bonded materials. The developed bond model has the advantage over the explicit DEM that large time step or displacement increment can be used. The tensile and shear strength criteria of the bond model are formulated based on the modified Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion. The torque transmission of bonds is introduced based on rolling resistance model. The loss of shear or tensile strength, or torque transmission will lead to the breakage of bonds, and turn the bond into purely frictional contact. Three simple examples are first used to validate the bond model. Numerical examples of uniaxial and biaxial compression tests are used to show its potential in modeling cemented geomaterials. Numerical results show that elastic bonds are indeed necessary for the modeling of cemented granular material under static conditions.     

Collapse of loess upon wetting

Feda, J., 1988. Collapse of loess upon wetting. Eng. Geol., 25: 263–269.

The results of a series of tests conducted on loess samples from one locality, tested under the condition of confined and hydrostatic compression are presented and analyzed. The samples are of different water content and saturation and display different degrees of collapse upon wetting.

Based on the experimental results, a collapse surface is depicted and the phenomenon hypothetically generalized for other types of collapse. The structural collapse causes the mechanical behaviour of samples to be more uniform.

The effect of the hydrostatic stress conditions is reflected in the tendency of samples to deform isotropically, although, originally, they are anisotropic. The phenomenon of collapse cannot be explained by the principle of effective stresses.     

Study of mechanical behavior and strain localization of methane hydrate bearing sediments with different saturations by a new DEM model

This paper presents a numerical investigation into mechanical behavior and strain localization in methane hydrate (MH) bearing sediments using the distinct element method (DEM). Based on the results of a series of laboratory tests on the bonded granules idealized by two glued aluminum rods and the available experimental data of methane hydrate samples, a pressure and temperature dependent bond contact model was proposed and implemented into a two-dimensional (2D) DEM code. This 2D DEM code was then used to numerically carry out a series of biaxial compression tests on the MH samples with different methane hydrate saturations, whose results were then compared with the experimental data obtained by Masui et al. [9]. In addition, stress, strain, void ratio and velocity fields, the distributions of bond breakage and averaged pure rotation rate (APR) as well as the evolution of strain localization were examined to investigate the relationships between micromechanical variables and macromechanical responses in the DEM MH samples. The numerical results show that: (1) the shear strength increases as methane hydrate saturation S_MH increases, which is in good agreement with the experimental observation; (2) the strain localization in all the DEM MH samples develops with onset of inhomogeneity of void ratio, velocity, strain, APR, and distortion of stress fields and contact force chains; and (3) the methane hydrate saturation affects the type of strain localization, with one shear band developed in the case of 40.9% and 67.8% methane saturation samples, and two shear bands formed for 50.1% methane saturation sample.     

Micromechanical analysis of the failure process of brittle rock

The failure process of brittle rock submitted to a compression state of stress with different confining pressures is investigated in this paper based on discrete element method (DEM) simulations. In the DEM model, the rock sample is represented by bonding rigid particles at their contact points. The numerical model is first calibrated by comparing the macroscopic response with the macroscopic response of Beishan granite obtained from laboratory tests. After the validation of numerical model in terms of macroscopic responses, the failure process of the DEM model under unconfined and confined compression is studied in micro‐scale in detail. The contact force network and its relation to the development of micro‐cracks and evolution of major fractures are studied. Confining pressure will prohibit the development of tensile cracks and hence alter the failure patterns. An in‐depth analysis of micro‐scale response is carried out, including the orientation distribution and probability density of stress acting on parallel bonds, the effect of particle size heterogeneity on bond breakage and the evolution of fabric tensor and coordination number of parallel bond. The proposed micromechanical analysis will allow us to extract innovative features emerged from the stresses and crack evolution in brittle rock failure process. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical study of inter‐particle bond failure by 3D discrete element method

The cohesive‐frictional nature of cementitious geomaterials raises great interest in the discrete element method (DEM) simulation of their mechanical behavior, where a proper bond failure criterion is usually required. In this paper, the failure of bond material between two spheres was investigated numerically using DEM that can easily reproduce the failure process of brittle material. In the DEM simulations, a bonded‐grain system (composed of two particles and bond material in between) was discretized as a cylindrical assembly of very fine particles connecting two large end spheres. Then, the bonded‐grain system was subjected to compression/tension, shear, rolling and torsion loadings and their combinations until overall failure (peak state) was reached. Bonded‐grain systems with various sizes were employed to investigate bond geometry effects. The numerical results show that the compression strength is highly affected by bond geometry, with the tensile strength being dependent to a lesser degree. The shear, rolling and torsion strengths are all normal force dependent; i.e., with an increase in the normal force, these strengths first increase at a declining rate and then start to decrease upon the normal force exceeding a critical value. The combined actions of shear force, rolling moment and torque lead to a spherical failure envelope in a normalized loading space. The fitted bond geometry factors and bond failure envelopes obtained numerically in this three‐dimensional study are qualitatively consistent with those in previous two‐dimensional experiments. The obtained bond failure criterion can be incorporated into a future bond contact model. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Size-dependent mechanical behavior of an intergranular bond revealed by an analytical model

The size of intergranular bonds significantly affects the macroscopic mechanical properties of geomaterials. A size-dependent bond contact model is desired in the distinct element method (DEM) for geomaterials formed by aggregates of bonded particles. This paper proposes an analytical solution of highly-precise stress fields of a biconcave bond between two identical disc-shaped particles under different loading paths based on Dvorkin’s solution. The Unified Strength theory is then introduced to obtain the initial failure domain in the bond. The proposed solution is consistent with results predicted by finite element simulations and experimental observations. The functions of bond stiffness with respect to all influencing parameters, i.e. bond width/thickness, particle radius and elastic parameters of bond material, are provided by the solution and empirically formulated by fitting a large number of analytical results. Additionally, the failure criterion or envelope under different combined loads is formulated for typical brittle bonds. The resulting failure criterion, approximated as an ellipsoid, depends on the size and material properties of the bonds. The proposed solution and equation can be implemented into a bond contact model used in DEM simulations of a geomaterial, where variation of bond sizes is significant and size-dependent contact model is important.     

The loess of north-central China: Geotechnical properties and their relation to slope stability

Loess is an aeolian deposit consisting of predominantly silt-sized quartz particles, and containing variable amounts of clay-sized minerals. Loess is generally classified as a water-softening material, because upon wetting the loess fabric rapidly weakens or collapses. The strain hardening of Malan loess and the brittle failure of Lishi and Wucheng loess are in strong contrast to the failure behaviour of these loess deposits in a remoulded state. From tests carried out on samples with varying moisture contents, using a modified Bromhead ring shear apparatus, it was found that the effective apparent cohesion gradually increases and the effective internal friction angle decreases with an increase in moisture content. When the moisture content reaches a material-specific threshold, the effective cohesion decreases rapidly and the effective internal friction angle stabilises at a residual value.

The frequent failure of loess slopes in the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau is closely related to progressive weathering along zones in these slopes, which causes a dramatic decrease in strength from the peak strength condition. Progressive weathering is common in the loess slopes in the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau. During the process shear strength reduction along potential slip surfaces may be achieved by leaching of readily soluble salts, destruction of cementation bonds, and redistribution of particles. Localized collapse of the loess fabric causes internal deformation and consequently peak strength conditions are concentrated on a progressively smaller area of the failure plane. Therefore, the mode of failure of loess slopes is generally determined by brittle failure of the undisturbed, and unweathered, central parts of the slopes. It is important that both the weathered and unweathered strength of the loessmaterials in this area be established in order to analyze the stability of existing loessslopes, many of which are steepand lie directly above domestic and industrial urban areas.     

河流作用诱发黄土滑坡机理

在对泾阳南塬实地调查中发现,位于泾河与塬边交切处,发育有数量较多的黄土滑坡,分析认为河流作用是该类滑坡发生的主要诱发因素。通过实地调查,对饱和Q₂黄土进行减围压三轴剪切试验以及数值模拟,研究河流作用诱发黄土滑坡的形成机理。研究表明:土体抗剪强度与应力路径有关,减围压三轴剪切状态下,土体抗剪强度指标小于常规三轴剪切状态下的抗剪强度指标,土体更容易发生剪切破坏;斜坡坡脚处存在关键块体,对斜坡整体稳定性起着控制作用。河流作用诱发黄土滑坡就是因为河流的持续侧蚀,造成坡脚关键块体逐步滑塌,最终导致斜坡失稳滑动。      

黄土湿陷微观机理研究现状及发展趋势

黄土特有的湿陷性使其具有遇水软化和工程扰动的强致灾特性,从根本上认清黄土的湿陷机理,是解决黄土地区地质灾害及工程地质问题的迫切需求。文章搜集整理黄土湿陷机理方面的研究成果,从黄土的胶结物组成、性质及胶结方式,微结构特征和颗粒间作用力等三个方面归纳总结黄土湿陷微观机理的研究现状。通过实例分析初步探讨了延安新区马兰黄土的湿...     

The compression and collapse behaviour of intact loess in suction-monitored triaxial apparatus

Acta Geotechnica - Loess is susceptible to large and sudden volume reduction induced by loading or wetting. The work in this paper focused on compression and collapse behaviour of the intact loess...     

Stress deformation properties of macroporous loess soils

Milovic, D., 1988. Stress deformation properties of macroporous loess soils. Eng. Geol., 25: 283–302.

Herein are presented the results of laboratory and field tests which were carried out on loess in Yugoslavia.

Experience gained during recent decades show that the loess soil in some cases undergoes structural collapse and subsidence due to inundation. In order to find the explanation of such behaviour, numerous laboratory and field load tests on loess soil have been performed. Using the obtained results, several correlations have been established.

On the basis of the unconfined test results, a correlation between the initial dry density, initial water content and unconfined compression strength has been established.

A relatively large number of the consolidation subsidence tests (about 550), carried out on undisturbed loess samples, made possible the determination of the degree of subsidence and the corresponding values of the dimensionless coefficients of subsidence. These coefficients have been determined for several values of the initial dry density, for various degrees of saturation and for several stress levels upon wetting. Using these coefficients, the values of the additional settlement caused by flooding of loess under the foundation can easily be calculated. It is of particular interest to note that, in general, water penetrates under one part of the building, producing differential settlements, which are in most cases very dangerous.

By the comparative laboratory investigation of the undisturbed loess samples obtained by thin walled sampler and samples obtained from pits, it has been shown that the mechanical disturbance is an extremely important factor which governs the shear and deformation parameters of loess soils.

The laboratory test results obtained on undisturbed loess samples, cut from blocks in the vertical and horizontal direction, have shown that this soil exhibits anisotropic properties. For this reason a stress deformation problem in an anisotropic medium has been treated by the finite element method.

Static penetration tests and field load tests in loess soils with natural water content and also after saturation have been performed and are described.

The results of the observed settlements for two statically identical multi-storey buildings are also presented. Using the coefficients of subsidence for the undisturbed samples cut from blocks, very good agreement between the calculated and the observed settlements has been obtained.     

马兰黄土孔隙结构特征——以赵家岸地区黄土为例

颗粒间的孔隙分布特征从本质上控制着马兰黄土的宏观结构,影响马兰黄土的强度特性。马兰黄土的微观结果分析已逐渐成为研究黄土基本特性的一个新方向。本文通过固结实验、扫描电镜和ImageJ图像分析软件对赵家岸滑坡地区马兰黄土的孔隙分布和变形特性进行分析。首先确定了适合ImageJ图像分析的扫描电镜二维照片的阈值和图像拍摄最佳倍数;获取了原状马兰黄土在不同含水量固结试验前后的孔隙数量和孔隙面积的分布特征;揭示了大、中架空孔隙为黄土固结过程中的主要变形区;建立了马兰黄土孔隙中大架空孔隙、中架空孔隙和小架空孔隙的逐步破坏模式;明确了水对孔隙破坏的促进作用,当含水量增加到液限范围时,大、中型架空孔隙会出现加速的破坏现象。     

Modeling shear behavior and strain localization in cemented sands by two-dimensional distinct element method analyses

This paper presents a numerical investigation of shear behavior and strain localization in cemented sands using the distinct element method (DEM), employing two different failure criteria for grain bonding. The first criterion is characterized by a Mohr–Coulomb failure line with two distinctive contributions, cohesive and frictional, which sum to give the total bond resistance; the second features a constant, pressure-independent strength at low compressive forces and purely frictional resistance at high forces, which is the standard bond model implemented in the Particle Flow Code (PFC2D). Dilatancy, material friction angle and cohesion, strain and stress fields, the distribution of bond breakages, the void ratio and the averaged pure rotation rate (APR) were examined to elucidate the relations between micromechanical variables and macromechanical responses in DEM specimens subjected to biaxial compression tests.     

月壤双轴试验的剪切带离散元数值分析

土体的破坏问题一般都是从其剪切带入手进行研究的。针对真实月壤所处的环境（无水、低重力场、低气压等）和内摩擦角较大的特点,采用最近提出的1种考虑粒间抗转动作用与粒间范德华力2个因素的月壤散粒体力学接触模型,用离散单元法模拟了柔性边界条件下月球环境（含范德华力）与地球环境（不含范德华力）2种试样的双轴压缩试验,通过试样局部变形、速度场、孔隙比及转动场的变化情况研究了2种试样剪切带形成与发展。研究结果表明,剪切带的形成是试样内部应变局部化的结果,同时也伴随着试样内部颗粒相对转动的局部化,月面环境对试样的破坏形式与性状（剪切带的倾角及厚度）有显著的影响,探月工程中必须考虑到月面环境对月壤力学性质的影响。     

Shear induced collapse settlement of arid soils

This paper presents the results of studies of deformation, strength and collapsibility of loess soils. Samples were taken from Al Dalam in central Saudi Arabia, which resembles an arid region. These samples were subjected to various laboratory tests to determine their physical and engineering properties. Sets of oedometer and direct shear tests were carried out in which the initial dry density and the normal pressure at wetting and shearing were each varied in turn. Oedometer results indicate that collapse potential decreases with density and increases logarithmically with normal pressure. Shear induces further collapse potential which increase with density due to further destruction of soil fabric. A unique shear stress–shear strain relationship was obtained for specimens prepared at different initial fabrics. Dry and soaked failure envelopes were both non-linear in the low-pressure range. Wetting induced a reduction in the shear strength parameters. The results of the tests are reported, and the significance of each variable is assessed.     

各向异性结构性砂土离散元分析

天然沉积砂土力学特性受各向异性及结构性影响明显,实际工程中不能忽视。为探究二者的影响,首先在二维离散元程序NS2D中采用椭圆颗粒模拟了重力场中颗粒长轴主方向为水平的各向异性净砂样,随后基于结构性砂土胶结厚度分布规律及室内试验提出了一个新的微观胶结接触模型并将其引入各向异性净砂样以模拟天然各向异性结构性砂土,最后对该离散元试样进行了双轴试验模拟,将模拟结果与室内试验结果对比以验证该模型的适用性,并对其微观力学特性变化进行研 究。分析结果表明,随着剪切进行,各向异性结构性砂土呈明显应变软化及剪胀现象;胶结接触逐渐减少,且主方向始终为竖向方向;胶结破坏速率及胶结破坏率变化情况与宏观力学响应较一致,且胶结物多为拉剪破坏;土颗粒排列主方向始终为水平向,且水平向排列颗粒所占比例略微增大。     

锚固的贯通节理岩体剪切破坏特性分析

为了研究节理对锚固岩体力学特征和失稳损伤演化的影响,采用对锚固贯通节理岩体进行室内剪切试验和PFC2D数值模拟的方法,研究不同节理倾角下锚固贯通节理岩体剪切性能的作用机制和破坏模式,研究结果表明:（1）随着节理倾角变化,贯通节理岩体呈现出不同的破坏形式,锚固贯通节理岩体的抗剪强度与剪切位移曲线并不是呈线性增长,而是呈"双驼峰"趋势。（2）锚固体系在剪切试验的过程中,节理面颗粒的接触方位角会发生一定程度的改变,主要集中在锚杆和节理倾角附近。（3）锚固体系在剪切试验的过程中,会因为颗粒间黏结键的断裂生成裂纹,裂纹数生成的越少,其抗剪强度越高,裂纹分为张拉裂纹和剪切裂纹,并且张拉裂纹的数量要远远大于剪切裂纹的数量。研究结论可用于实际工程破坏模式的预测和岩体工程稳定性评价。     

降雨诱发黄土高填方支挡边坡失稳机理研究

近些年,由于机场建设、公路铁路等地面交通网以及城镇化的建设在黄土丘陵地区开展越来越频繁,形成大量的黄土填方高陡边坡,虽然这些地区的年降雨量较小,但是降雨已经是诱发黄土滑坡的主要因素,通过对研究区黄土高填方边坡进行原位渗流实验和裂缝存在条件下暂态非饱和渗流以及饱和黄土力学特性进行分析的基础上,对降雨诱发黄土高填方支挡边坡失稳机理研究,研究表明:（1）3d后的原位渗流中实验试坑中心的最大入渗深度为1.30m,湿润锋最大深度位于入渗最大深度以下0.20m,但降雨条件下,裂缝的存在是黄土边坡发生浅层滑动的重要因素;（2）当围压小于300kPa时,饱和土体的轴向应变增长到20%左右时,达到稳定状态,在静力驱动剪应力大于稳态抗剪强度的条件下则会使高填方坡体的局部发生流滑破坏;（3）总体来说黄土高填方支挡边坡变形破坏的形成机制为:推移式蠕滑-支挡结构失效-累进性滑移剪断-牵引式溃滑。