A new simplified Hypothesis B method for calculating the consolidation settlement of ground improved by vertical drains

Vertical drains are widely used in soft ground improvements to accelerate the consolidation process. This paper develops a new simplified Hypothesis B method for calculating the consolidation settlement of a soil layer improved by vertical drains under the instant and ramp loadings. As a comparison, the traditional Hypothesis A method is also used to calculate the settlement. Then, a fully coupled finite element consolidation analysis is utilized to examine and verify this simplified method and Hypothesis A method. For the instant loading, Carrillo‐Barron method and Zhu‐Yin method are used to obtain the average degree of consolidation for vertical drain system. Typical parameters, such as over‐consolidation ratio (OCR), smear zone, and space ratio of vertical drains, are considered. It is found that the calculation results from the new simplified method in this study agree well with finite element simulations, and relative errors are in the range of 0.1% to 12.3%. Comparatively, there are obvious differences between the calculated results from Hypothesis A method and finite element results. Carrillo‐Olson method and Zhu‐Yin method are utilized to obtain the average degree of consolidation for the vertical drain system to consider the ramp loading. Equivalent time is determined from half of the construction period to calculate the creep compression under the ramp loading. The accuracy of this simplified Hypothesis B method using both Carrillo‐Olson method and Zhu‐Yin method is acceptable with the relative errors less than 9.4%.     

Finite element analysis of consolidation of layered clay soils using an elastic visco-plastic model

This paper presents a general one-dimensional (1-D) finite element (FE) procedure for a highly non-linear 1-D elastic visco-plastic (1-D EVP) model proposed by Yin and Graham for consolidation analysis of layered clay soils. In formulating the 1-D FE procedure, a trapezoidal formula is used to avoid the unsymmetry of the stiffness matrix for a Newton (modified Newton) iteration scheme. Unlike many other 1-D FE approaches in which the initial in situ stresses (or stress/strain states) are considered indirectly or even not considered, the initial in situ stress/strain states are taken into account directly in this paper. The proposed FE procedure is used for analysis of 1-D consolidation of a clay with published test results in the literature. The FE modelling results are in good agreement with the measured results. The FE model and procedure is then used to analyse the consolidation of a multi-layered clay soils with a parametric study on the effects of the variations of creep parameters in Yin and Graham's 1-D EVP model. It is found that the creep parameters ψ/V and t₀ have significant influence on the compression and porewater pressure dissipation. For some boundary conditions, changes of parameters in one layer will have some effects on the consolidation behaviour of another layer due to the different consolidation rates. Finally, the importance of initial stress/strain states is illustrated and discussed. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

深厚吹填砂港区堆场地基沉降预估方法

根据大面积深厚吹填砂工程的特点,分析太沙基一维固结理论在分层地基,分级加载等复杂工程条件下应用的可行性,提出了相应的简化计算模型,并编制一维固结计算程序。结合上海某围海成陆港区堆场工程,对其吹填砂层及软弱下卧层的固结沉降进行了计算分析,通过计算结果和离心机模型试验结果的对比分析,对计算模型进行修正,提出了大面积吹填砂工程地基沉降预估方法。     

连云港软土蠕变特性及其工程应用

为了研究软土的蠕变固结特性,进行了一维的固结蠕变压缩试验。得到了连云港软土的蠕变特性。以参数Cα/?e100分析了次固结对固结过程的影响。把饱和粘性土骨架视为粘弹性体,提出了一种划分主次固结的方法,并且,此方法可以应用于实测资料进行主次固结划分。     

Effect of overburden pressure and degree of saturation on compressibility characteristics

The settlement of a structure founded on clay comprises of immediate and consolidation settlements. In the case of clays, consolidation settlement is more than immediate settlement. The parameters influencing consolidation settlement of a normally loaded clay layer are degree of saturation (S%), void ratio (e) of soil prior to excavation, amount of overburden (σ_o) removed, amount of rebound and intensity of loading (σ) upon building superstructure. This paper presents the effect of the above parameters on compressibility characteristics of a clay. The different steps undertaken for footing construction were simulated in the laboratory. Remoulded clay samples were prepared from oven-dry fraction passing 425 μm sieve. The density of the samples was kept constant at 13 kN/m³. Degree of saturation was varied at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. The surcharge on the samples (overburden in the case of field clay layer) was varied as 25 kPa, 50 kPa and 100 kPa. Compressibility characteristics such as initial compression under the applied surcharge (overburden), rebound upon removal of surcharge and recompression were studied through one-dimensional consolidation tests. The rate and amount of initial compression, rebound, e-σ and e-log σ curves, compression index (C_c), coefficient of compressibility (a_v) and coefficient of volume compressibility (m_v) were studied.     

Straw Blankets Sewn With Recycled Plastic Threads for Erosion and Urban Sediments Control

Soil erosion, transport and deposition of sediments represent invisible threats that along time can affect negatively the existing infrastructure of roads and dams, and the quality of air and water resources. In the last decades, a great number of researches were devoted to study erosion and sediments transportation processes. However, they addressed mostly areas of agriculture, water impoundments for dams, and land conservation. A lack of studies for erosion processes in urban areas is evident, in special those aiming to diminish the deposition of sediments originated from urban areas into the rivers and air, in special as airborne particulate. Traditionally, the costs associated in controlling erosion and sediments in urban areas are high and in some case, out of the range for most developing countries. Factors responsible for those high prices are the use of heavy equipments for soil grading and transportation, the use of costly building materials, and the need for employing more specialized personnel. In the case of gullies in urban areas, another concern is to ensure proper equipment access to the area for remediation operations. Hereby, it is presented a cost-effective method to recover an extensive gully erosion area of about 11,000 m² located in urban area. Estimated sediments released from this area to the water resources and air were estimated on about 66,000,000 tons. In this study area, bioengineering works were performed in 60 days, with hardly any sediment generated outside the work area resulting from bioengineering operations. A combination of bioengineering techniques were chosen for this study area, which was a mixture of rigid and biological products including biologs, silt fence, biodegradable straw blankets sewn with plastic threads derived from recycled PET bottles, among others. An efficient drainage system was implemented for preventing upland flow, sub-seepage and seepage. Biologs were used aiming to fulfill a double role, the first as barrier to soil sediments flow, and the second as filler for empty spaces, avoiding expensive grading operations. All engineering works were concluded in about 60 days at a cost of US0.89/m < sup > 2 < /sup > . This price is cost-effective if compared with the traditional engineering cost of approximately US 0.89/m². This price is cost-effective if compared with the traditional engineering cost of approximately US 2.92/m² because it includes extensive use of grading and soil transportation. An environmental advantage of the bioengineering method is the immediate reduction of airborne particulates. Furthermore, the overall visual aesthetics improved shortly after the implementation of the works because the bare ground was substituted by native vegetation. After 6 months the vegetation in the gully erosion area was totally established. Monitoring was performed after 12 months and no erosion and sediment transport was visually noticed. The ease implementation of this technique without the need for specialized workers in combination with low prices makes this method a model for developing countries.     

利用EVP模型确定堆载预压法的卸载时机

在Bjerrum等时 曲线图的基础上,利用殷建华和Graham的一维EVP模型,在考虑土体次固结沉降的情况下,依据运行期限和运行期允许的沉降量等参数获得等载预压卸载时的临界孔隙比,进而求得控制超载预压和欠载预压卸载时的临界孔隙比,由此可计算出控制堆载预压卸载时机的临界沉降量,克服传统堆载预压依据主固结理论无法反映堆载预压降低次固结变形的缺陷。根据欠载预压的临界孔隙比公式,可计算出最小预压荷载。在推导欠载预压临界孔隙比的过程中,提出新假说A理论,证明了新假说A与假说B近似等价的充分条件。算例表明,由于考虑了软土预压期的次固结变形,堆载预压地基的总沉降量和卸载时的临界沉降量要比有效应力面积比法的大。     

Analysis of creep settlement of pile groups in linear viscoelastic soil

This paper presents the analysis of creep settlement of pile groups for line pile groups, square pile groups, and rectangular pile groups undergoing creep settlements over a period of time. The soil is treated as a viscoelastic material and is modeled using a three-parameter viscoelastic model. The damping component (dashpot) takes care of the permanent time-dependent deformations in three-parameter viscoelastic model. An approach suggested by Mindlin has been employed to calculate the stress distribution along the pile length in a group. The viscoelastic problem is converted into an elastic problem by the application of Laplace transform. Results in the form of variation of interaction factors for parameters such as pile length to diameter ratio, pile spacing, Poisson's ratio, and modulus ratio have been presented. Comparison has been made between interaction factors for piles groups undergoing immediate settlements and creep settlements. Finally, a typical predictive example has been presented for a 3 × 3 pile group showing creep settlement. The load rearrangement due to creep settlements causes about 5% to 35% increase in base resistance over time. Interaction factors for pile groups (2 × 1, 3 × 1, 2 × 2, and 3 × 2) undergoing creep settlement is about 15% to 55% higher than the interaction factors considering only the immediate settlements for pile group spacing less than or equal to 5d.     

大变形固结理论最终沉降量分析

大变形理论的力学机制较为严格,但由于其固有的复杂性和非线性,目前对大小变形理论计算的沉降量差别仍存在争议。基于连续介质力学基本原理,采用土力学符号约定推导了T.L.描述的大变形固结增量有限元方程组及其总应力分析形式。结合算例,分析了材料线性化和材料几何双线性化简化算法的影响,探讨了较合适的荷载增量步长,讨论了大、小变形法计算的最终沉降量差别。结果表明,荷载增量步长对两种线性化法计算结果较为敏感;大变形法计算的沉降量偏大于小变形结果,这可能是由几何非线性问题的“拉压刚度不同”效应引起;初应力矩阵对最终沉降量有较大影响等。     

基于双曲线法的分级填筑路堤沉降预测

在软土地基上修筑路堤多采用分级施工的方法。基于传统双曲线沉降预测法基础上,提出一种软土地基上路堤分级施工情况下沉降预测的新模型,该模型考虑了土体变形的非线性特性和固结性质随荷载的变化,将沉降拟合方程中的待定参数在2个不同荷载级中分别确定。利用有较长预压期的前一级实测沉降,确定与土的固结性质有关的参数,待预测沉降荷载级的最终沉降量由该级较短预压期内实测沉降确定。通过工程实例验证了所建议模型的适用性。     

海积软土的固结蠕变性状

实验室软土多级固结蠕变试验成果表明,海积软土具有非线性、不可逆的、与时间相关的固结变形特性。在此基础上,提出了时间效应系数的概念,并构造了反映海积软土一维固结蠕变的本构关系。     

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.

     

两类经典滑坡发生时间预报模型的理论分析

老化和应变速率对土体强度和变形性质的影响研究,以及野外事例观察,已经证实大多数滑坡的形成机制可以由深部蠕变理论解释。土体蠕动速率在滑坡爆发之前将随着造成滑坡因素的增加而增加。根据这一理论,人们可以建立早期滑动的唯象蠕变方程来预测滑坡。早期的这类代表模型是Saito模型和Voight模型。本文重新进行的理论分析表明:这些模型具有丰富的理论内涵和深入的理论基础,具备滑坡预报模型要求的所有条件,包含的参数物理意义明确,因而具有新的生命力。      

Secondary consolidation of clay as an anomalous diffusion process

Secondary consolidation of clay soil is considered as a result of anomalous diffusion of pore water pressure from the micropores to the macropores. By using simplified pore geometry, a heuristic approach allows us to infer the expression of the associated rate of vertical secondary deformation written as a fractional derivative of the pore pressure. The insertion of this expression into the 1D Terzaghi's theory leads to a particular type of time‐fractional diffusion equation of the pore pressure that is solved semi‐analytically. The advantage of such theoretical approach stems from the concise and compact way of treating the secondary consolidation. Only two additional parameters are needed: the fractional order, ν, and the fractional viscosity factor, θ, both accounting for the physicochemical interactions between pore fluid and clay particles. This theoretical approach is tested on experimental data obtained from the Cubzac‐les‐Ponts clay soil intensively studied for secondary consolidation. This application shows a good agreement between the data and the predicted values confirming the interest of the initial assumption and the use of the fractional derivatives formalism. Moreover, good correlations between the inverted fractional parameters and the empirical secondary consolidation index C_α measured independently are obtained: the fractional order ν, if experimentally calibrated, can be used as a reasonable estimator of the slope of the secondary consolidation portion of consolidation curve. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

复杂应力下黄土蠕变特性试验研究

为了研究陕西省杨凌示范区黄土边坡的稳定性,采用改进的应力型三轴蠕变仪对所取黄土试样进行了一系列室内三轴固结不排水蠕变试验。试验结果表明：含水率、干密度、偏应力水平对黄土的蠕变特性均有较大的影响,表现为含水率一定,偏应力愈大时,黄土的蠕变变形量较小;偏应力水平一定时,含水率愈大,蠕变现象愈明显,产生的蠕变应变量愈大;其他条件相同时,干密度愈大,黄土试样的蠕变变形愈小。在黄土边坡治理工程中可通过改善边坡排水和增加边坡土体压实情况减小蠕变破坏的可能性。通过对试验数据分析得出了适合杨凌地区黄土的经验蠕变模型,通过与Singh-Mitchell模型和Mesri模型的比较发现,该模型具有精度高、参数少且易获取的优点,并能很好地描述黄土的蠕变特性。     

A neuro-genetic approach for prediction of time dependent deformational characteristic of rock and its sensitivity analysis

The creep strain is proportional to the logarithm of the time under load, and is proportional to the stress and the temperature. At higher temperatures the creep rate falls off less rapidly with time, and the creep strain is proportional to a fractional power of time, with exponent increasing as the temperature increases and reaching a value ∼1/3 at temperatures, of about 0.5 T _m. At these temperatures the creep increases with stress according to a power greater than unity and possibly exponentially increases with temperature as (−U/kT), where U is an activation energy and k is Boltzman’s constant. There are different methods to determine the creep strain and the energy of Jog (B) such as by experimental methods and multivariate regression analysis etc. These methods are cumbersome and time consuming. In conjunction with statistics and conventional mathematical methods, a hybrid method can be developed that may prove a step forward in modeling geotechnical problems. In the present investigation, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique and Co-active neuro-fuzzy inference system (CANFIS) backed Genetic algorithm technique have been used for the prediction of creep strain and energy of Jog (B), and a comparative study has made between the two models.     

Laplace变换解双层地基固结问题

连云港地区的软土是海相淤泥和淤泥质土.在连云港软土地区修筑高速公路时,通常采用水泥土搅拌桩地基处理方法使路基强度和变形满足工程的要求.该类软土压缩沉降量大,排水固结缓慢,地基稳定性差,造成高速公路建设中及建成后工程问题频繁出现.从江苏海相软土的工程实例出发,将经水泥土搅拌桩处理后的高速公路路基简化为双层地基,借助Laplace变换求解了二级加荷下的双层地基一维固结问题,为克服对固结方程进行Laplace逆变换的困难,在Laplace逆变换中运用Stehfest算法进行数值求解,该双层地基固结沉降计算结果与实际观测数据基本一致.     

Improving a thermal conductivity model of unsaturated soils based on multivariate distribution analysis

Soil thermal conductivity (k) is a key parameter for the design of energy geo-structures, and it depends on many soil properties such as saturation degree, porosity, mineralogical composition, soil type and others. Capturing these diversified influencing factors in a soil thermal conductivity model is a challenging task for engineers due to the nonlinear dependencies. In this study, a multivariate distribution approach was utilized to improve an existing soil thermal conductivity model, Cote and Konrad model, by quantitatively considering the impacts of dry density (ρ_d), porosity (n), saturation degree (S_r), quartz content (m_q), sand content (m_s) and clay content (m_c) on thermal conductivity of unsaturated soils. A large database containing these seven soil parameters was compiled from the literature to support the multivariate analysis. Simplified bivariate and multivariate correlations for improving the Cote and Konrad model were derived analytically and numerically to consider different influencing factors. By incorporating these simplified correlations, the predicted k values were more concentrated around the measured values with the coefficient of determination (R²) increased from 0.83 to 0.95. It is concluded that the developed correlations with the information of different soil properties provide an efficient, rational and simple way to predict soil thermal conductivity more accurately. Moreover, the quartz content is a more important factor than the porosity that shall be considered in the establishment of thermal conductivity models for unsaturated soils with high quartz content.

     

预压作用下软土微观结构试验及弹黏塑性模型研究

为了揭示软土固结蠕变机制,计算软基“工后沉降”,开展了室内模拟真空、堆载以及真空-堆载联合预压加固软土的固结蠕变三轴试验及三轴试验前、后的微观结构试验。建立了能考虑微观结构改变的弹黏塑性(EVP)软土蠕变模型。研究结果表明：原状软土样在真空预压、堆载预压、联合预压3种预压荷载作用下,固结过程和蠕变过程具有耦合效应;土体微观结构参数的改变与宏观工程性质的改变具有相辅相成的关系;EVP模型弱化了具体应力路径的变化,其反映弹性的参数和反映黏塑性的参数可由微观结构参数确定;改进的EVP模型既能计算土体的弹黏塑性变形,也考虑了土体微观结构的变化,能更全面地反映土变形的实质。