Overturning stability of L-shaped rigid barriers subjected to rockfall impacts

Reinforced concrete barriers are commonly used as defence measures in hilly areas to contain falling boulders and landslide debris. These barriers are conventionally designed to satisfy the conditions of force and momentum equilibrium with a factor of safety. A major limitation of this approach is that the inertial resistance of the barrier is neglected such that the design could be over-conservative. This paper presents a novel displacement-based approach for the assessment of overturning stability of rigid L-shaped barriers subjected to rockfall impacts. Analytical solutions, which are derived based on conservation of momentum and energy, are used to take into account the contributions of the self-weight and, thus, the inertial resistance of the barrier in resisting an impact. The actual amount of energy transferred from the impacting boulder to the barrier is considered by including the coefficient of restitution between the two objects. The accuracy of the analytical solutions has been confirmed by laboratory impact experiments. Numerical assessments conducted using the new solutions indicate that a reasonably sized rigid barrier, due to its own inertial resistance, may adequately withstand the impact action of a heavy boulder rolling down a hillslope without relying on any anchorage to its support. A range of geometric design of the barriers with L-shaped cross sections also has been considered and analysed. The new approach presented in this paper is easy to apply in practice and will be useful for engineers designing concrete barriers as passive rockfall mitigation measures.     

Dynamic response of flexible rockfall barriers with different block shapes

Flexible rockfall barriers are commonly constructed on steep hillsides to mitigate rockfall. The evaluation of the dynamic response of proprietary flexible rockfall barriers is conventionally performed using full-scale field tests by dropping a block onto the barriers in accordance with the European test standard ETAG 027. The block typically has a spherical or polyhedral shape and cannot reproduce more complex rockfall scenarios encountered in the field. Little attention has been paid to the effects of the block shape on the impact force and structural response. This paper aims to quantitatively reveal the influence of the block shape on the dynamic response of flexible rockfall barriers. First, an ellipsoidal model is established to approximately simulate the block, and the sphericity is employed as the representative index of the block’s shape. A full-scale test on a typical flexible barrier system is carried out and then used to calibrate an advanced three-dimensional finite element model. Finally, the dynamic responses of flexible rockfall barriers are analyzed and discussed, focusing on the effects of the block’s shape. The numerical results show that the sphericity will obviously influence the maximum elongation of flexible barriers, the peak impact force, the peak force of the upslope anchor cable, the peak force of the lower main support cable, the axial peak force of the post, and the peak shear force at the post foundation. The assumption of spherical or polyhedral blocks in the test standard could lead to the defensive failure of flexible rockfall barriers in some impact scenarios.

     

Large-scale physical modeling study on the interaction between rockfall and flexible barrier

Flexible barriers have been widely applied in rockfall mitigation in recent years. However, the behavior of flexible barriers under the impact of boulders is still not fully understood. To investigate the interaction between a flexible barrier and a falling boulder, a large-scale physical modeling device has been constructed at a site in Hong Kong. Using this device, large-scale impact tests using boulders with different diameters were conducted. Test results are presented and analyzed in this paper. The motion of the boulder during impact is traced and analyzed. The impact forces on the flexible ring net and the supporting structures are measured and compared. From the comparison, the impact reduction rates (IRR) of boulders with different diameters are calculated. Moreover, a simple approach for estimating the impact loading of a boulder on a flexible barrier is proposed in this study. This approach is calibrated and verified using measured impact forces in the tests.     

风积沙地基装配式偏心基础抗拔试验研究

在毛乌素沙漠中开展装配式偏心基础在上拔、上拔+水平力组合荷载作用下的现场试验研究。根据试验加载过程中监测的基础顶部位移、地表竖向位移及基础底板土压力数据,分析基础顶部的荷载-位移特性,研究装配式偏心基础的抗拔承载机制。结果表明,（1）在上拔、上拔和水平力组合作用下,基础顶部上拔和水平位移曲线均呈二阶段的承载特性;（2）当仅受上拔荷载作用时,基础偏心引起的附加弯矩,使得基础底板产生偏转,基础及底板上覆部分沙土自重抵抗上拔荷载,而在上拔和水平力组合荷载工况下,基础偏心引起的附加弯矩小,与上拔荷载工况相比,基础极限抗拔承载力提高8.7％,即在组合荷载工况下装配式偏心基础能够发挥更多的沙土来抵抗上拔荷载;（3）根据装配式偏心基础的抗拔承载机制,引入外荷载合力作用线与支架作用线之间的夹角δ来反映水平荷载对装配式基础抗拔破坏因子的影响,其影响规律为装配式基础的抗拔破坏因子随δ增加而降低。     

Fundamental results concerning the settlement of a rigid foundation on an elastic medium due to an adjacent surface load

This paper examines the interaction between a rigid circular foundation resting in smooth contact with an isotropic elastic halfspace and a concentrated surface load which acts at a finite distance from the foundation. Owing to the action of the external load the rigid foundation experiences an extra settlement and a tilt. The expressions for the extra settlement and the tilt are evaluated in exact closed form. It is also shown that these deformations due to the external load satisfy Betti's reciprocal theorem. The auxiliary solution required for the application of the reciprocal theorem is derived from the analysis of the problem of a rigid circular foundation resting in smooth contact with an elastic medium and subjected to an eccentric load. The, results developed for the interaction between the rigid circular foundation and the external concentrated load are utilized to generate, among others, solutions for the settlement and tilt induced at a rigid foundation due to its interaction with uniformly or non-uniformly distributed loads with circular and square plan shapes.     

Geophysical flows impacting a flexible barrier: effects of solid-fluid interaction

Flexible barriers undergo large deformation to extend the impact duration, and thereby reduce the impact load of geophysical flows. The performance of flexible barriers remains a crucial challenge because there currently lacks a comprehensive criterion for estimating impact load. In this study, a series of centrifuge tests were carried out to investigate different geophysical flow types impacting an instrumented flexible barrier. The geophysical flows modelled include covered in this study include flood, hyperconcentrated flow, debris flow, and dry debris avalanche. Results reveal that the relationship between the Froude number, Fr, and the pressure coefficient α strongly depends on the formation of static deposits called dead zones which induce static loads and whether a run-up or pile-up impact mechanism develops. Test results demonstrate that flexible barriers can attenuate peak impact loads of flood, hyperconcentrated flow, and debris flow by up to 50% compared to rigid barriers. Furthermore, flexible barriers attenuate the impact load of dry debris avalanche by enabling the dry debris to reach an active failure state through large deformation. Examination of the state of static debris deposits behind the barriers indicates that hyperconcentrated and debris flows are strongly influenced by whether excessive pore water pressures regulate the depositional process of particles during the impact process. This results in significant particle rearrangement and similar state of static debris behind rigid barrier and the deformed full-retention flexible barrier, and thus the static loads on both barriers converge.     

利用废旧轮胎防治滚石的数值模拟分析

为克服传统刚性拦石结构体系,刚性过大,受落石冲击易破坏,场地适应性差等缺点,设想将汽车废旧轮胎堆栈于刚性拦石结构前,形成一种刚柔并重的结构体系。利用废旧轮胎的弹性和韧性缓解落石的冲击力,从而提高传统刚性拦石结构体系防护落石的能力。并通过利用LS-DYNA有限元软件对废旧轮胎在落石冲击作用下的耗能性能进行了分析,计算结果表明废旧轮胎具有较好的吸能效果,对提高刚性拦石结构体系的防护能力有很大的帮助。     

基于崩塌滚石运动特征的防护网动态响应规律

为获取被动柔性防护网在不同崩塌滚石运动特征下的动态响应规律,以鲁甸803地震震后崩塌滚石造成防护网损坏现场为例,通过无人机倾斜摄影技术实现地质调查,采用Rockyfor3D获取研究区落石的运动特征,并通过被动柔性防护网有限元模型,对不同落石冲击形式下防护网的动态响应规律进行研究.研究显示区内落石弹跳高度普遍在1~2 m,优势路径上的落石会形成稍高速低弹跳的范围冲击.在范围落石冲击下,防护网绳索最大拉力增加可达123.7%;在低弹跳落石冲击下,绳索最大拉力增加可达181.2%.范围落石冲击会导致防护网网面耗能的降低,并导致上拉锚绳拉力的增大.防护网下一级支撑绳对不同落石弹跳高度的响应较为敏感,部分高弹跳落石会对上拉锚绳和上一级支撑绳产生影响.      

A theoretical estimate of the tilt of a surface foundation due to an inclined anchor load applied at the interior of the soil medium

This paper examines the problem of the interaction between a loaded rigid circular foundation located at the surface of an isotropic elastic halfspace and an inclined concentrated anchor load which is located at a finite depth along the axis of symmetry. Such inclined loads can be induced by, for example, anchor regions supporting earth retaining structures. The loaded rigid circular foundation resting in smooth contact with the elastic soil mass experiences a displacement and a tilt due to the action of the inclined anchor load. The magnitude of the rotational settlement is evaluated in exact closed form.     

Experimental Testing of Rockfall Barriers Designed for the Low Range of Impact Energy

Most of the recent research on rockfall and the development of protective systems, such as flexible rockfall barriers, have been focused on medium to high levels of impacting energy. However, in many regions of the world, the rockfall hazard involves low levels of energy. This is particularly the case in New South Wales, Australia, because of the nature of the geological environments. The state Road and Traffic Authority (RTA) has designed various types of rockfall barriers, including some of low capacity, i.e. 35 kJ. The latter were tested indoors using a pendulum equipped with an automatic block release mechanism triggered by an optical beam. Another three systems were also tested, including two products designed by rockfall specialised companies and one modification of the initial design of the RTA. The research focused on the influence of the system’s stiffness on the transmission of load to components of the barrier such as posts and cables. Not surprisingly, the more compliant the system, the less loaded the cables and posts. It was also found that removing the intermediate cables and placing the mesh downslope could reduce the stiffness of the system designed by the RTA. The paper concludes with some multi-scale considerations on the capacity of a barrier to absorb the energy based on experimental evidence.     

Efficient discrete modelling of composite structures for rockfall protection

This paper presents a discrete framework for the modelling of composite structures for rockfall protection. The model is applied to analyse the dynamic response of a cylindrical damping module upon impact of a boulder. The damping module consists of a cylindrical wire mesh, two steel rings, a boundary rope, a geotextile lining and a granular filling material. The chain-link wire mesh, the steel rings and the boundary rope are represented with deformable cylinder elements. The geotextile lining is incorporated into the openings of the wire mesh by using deformable facets. The filling material is represented using spherical particles.     

Cyclic shakedown of piles subjected to two‐dimensional lateral loading

Pile foundations are frequently subjected to cyclic lateral loads. Wave and wind loads on offshore structures will be applied in different directions and times during the design life of a structure. Therefore, the magnitude and direction of these loads in conjunction with the dead loads should be considered. This paper investigates a loading scenario where a monotonic lateral load is applied to a pile, followed by two‐way cycling in a direction perpendicular to the initial loading. This configuration is indicative of the complexity of loading that may be considered and is referred to in the paper as ‘T‐shaped’ loading. The energy‐based numerical model employed considers two‐dimensional lateral loading in an elasto‐plastic soil, with coupled behaviour between the two perpendicular directions by local yield surfaces along the length of the pile. The behaviour of the soil–pile system subjected to different loading combinations has been divided into four categories of shakedown previously proposed for cyclic loading of structures and soils. A design chart has been created to illustrate the type of pile behaviour for a given two‐dimensional loading scenario. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Velocity attenuation of debris flows and a new momentum-based load model for rigid barriers

Effective design of mitigation measures against debris flow hazards remains a challenging geotechnical problem. At present, a pseudo-static approach is commonly used for the calculation of impact load acting on a rigid debris-resisting barrier. The impact load is normally calculated based on the maximum velocity observed in the transportation zone under free-field conditions without considering debris-barrier interaction. In reality, the impact load acting on a barrier varies with the change of debris momentum flux but this is seldom considered in barrier design. To provide a scientific basis for assessing debris momentum flux during impact, this paper presents results from a study of debris-barrier interaction using physical flume modelling. This study showed that, following the first stage of impact, the accumulated debris behind a barrier formed a stationary zone and caused the remaining debris to slow down in a run-up process. In the experiments, the peak debris momentum was 30 % lower compared to that observed under free-field conditions. A new momentum-based model was developed to take into account attenuation of momentum flux for predicting debris impact load on rigid barriers. The new rationalised model was assessed using data from the notable Yu Tung Road debris flow in Hong Kong. The assessment showed that the design bending moment at the base of the barrier wall could be reduced more than 30 % using the proposed model, compared with the current design approach. The adoption of the proposed model could offer a new opportunity for practitioners to optimise the design of rigid barriers.     

金沙江特大桥左岸岸坡岩体结构面强度参数取值及工程稳定性评价

丽香铁路金沙江特大桥位于金沙江虎跳峡镇高地震烈度深切峡谷地段。香格里拉端岸坡地形陡峻,卸荷裂隙发育,岸坡岩体在地震及工程荷载作用下的稳定性直接控制了桥梁选址方案的可行性。在深入分析对岸坡工程地质条件的基础上,基于节理特征分析的Barton模型、岩体结构面强度实验,讨论了岩体结构面强度参数,并在此基础上采用底摩擦实验研究了岸坡在自然和工程荷载作用下的稳定性,进而采用离散单元法计算分析了岸坡岩体在自然、桥基荷载作用下、地震加桥基荷载作用工况条件下的破坏趋势。研究表明,岸坡整体稳定,但在地震和桥梁荷载作用下,岸坡卸荷裂隙进一步发育,对桥基影响较大,应加强卸荷带岩体的工程整治以确保桥基安全。     

边坡落石运动轨迹计算新方法

考虑落石形状对落石运动轨迹的影响,将落石近似成椭圆形。根据落石运动的5种常见形式,即自由落体运动、斜抛运动、碰撞、滑动和滚动,分别得到了各种运动形式的运动速度计算公式。在碰撞阶段考虑了地面的弹塑性变形,得到了与碰撞前速度、落石形状和地面材料有关的恢复系数计算公式,并根据接触力学的有关理论得到了碰撞冲击力的计算公式,给出了落石连续滚动的判别条件。将理论公式应用于重庆万州首立山落石运动轨迹预测,验证了理论公式的可行性和有效性。     

高层建筑刚性桩复合地基反力现场测试研究

基于对高层建筑下带垫层刚性桩复合地基桩及桩间土压力的原位测试结果,分析了复合地基的桩顶及桩间土表面压力分布特征、桩与桩间土荷载分担特性及基础的荷载-沉降特性。实测结果表明,垫层的设置可较好地发挥桩间土的承载力,实现桩土共同承担上部结构荷载。将所得结果与载荷试验得到的结果进行对比,所得结论可供理论研究和工程设计参考。     

弹性地基接缝板模量反演和地基脱空判定

用有限单元法建立了可考虑接缝和地基脱空的弹性地基板位移计算模型。并根据系统识别原理，建立了接缝地基板弹性模量的反演分析方法。最终提出了利用FWD实测板中弯沉盆数据反演面板与地基弹性模量、根据板角(板边)弯沉值判定地基脱空面积的迭代方法。     

Load testing of anchors for wire mesh and cable net rockfall slope protection systems

This study presents results of field tests conducted on anchors used to support wire mesh and cable net rockfall protection systems. The load transfer and failure characteristics of these anchors are different from those used in most civil applications in that loads are often applied transversely to the top of tendon rather than axially. The study included vertical as well as horizontal series of tests conducted on some anchors widely used in wire mesh and cable net rockfall protect systems. It was found that the deformation characteristics of these anchors under vertical loading are nonlinear. They are approximated by a hyperbolic formulation and used to calculate the ultimate capacity. Top-downward progressive cracking of the grout was observed during loading and influences the deformation characteristics of these anchors under horizontal loading. The anchors deflected excessively before they could attain their ultimate capacity in the horizontal direction. Based on the field tests, it appears that the deformation under horizontal loading in the systems can be limited by using an enlarged grout zone at the top.     

A simplified approach for rockfall ground penetration and impact stress calculations

This paper presents a simple procedure for calculating rockfall penetration and ground impact stress for design of pipeline burial depth. Rockfall may damage pipelines by penetrating through cover soils and damaging the pipeline by puncture or excessive impact stress. Design engineers may face a challenging question regarding what burial depth is required for adequate pipe protection. Greater burial depth may provide better protection; however, there are usually site and economic constraints. This paper discusses a simple procedure for calculating the maximum rock penetration and ground impact stress due to rockfall. The procedure may be used to estimate the minimum burial depth required to protect pipelines from rockfall damage. A case study involving a large boulder that fell down a slope and landed on a buried high-pressure gas pipeline is presented to demonstrate and verify the procedure. A calculation was performed before the removal of the boulder to evaluate whether any damage was made to the pipeline. The calculated results agreed well with the actual conditions observed after the boulder was removed.     

多向荷载作用下层状地基刚性桩筏基础分析

提出一种多向荷载作用下层状地基中刚性桩筏基础的计算方法。基于剪切位移法,采用传递矩阵形式分析了竖向荷载下桩顶面-桩顶面相互作用;引入修正桩侧地基模量,采用有限差分法分析了水平荷载下桩顶面-桩顶面相互作用;基于层状弹性半空间理论,分析了多向荷载下桩顶面-土表面、土表面-桩顶面、土表面-土表面的相互作用关系。建立了桩土体系柔度矩阵,得到了多向荷载下层状地基中刚性桩筏基础的受力和变形的关系以及桩的内力和变形沿桩身分布规律。通过与有限元对比,验证了该方法的合理性和修正地基模量的优越性,并对多向荷载作用下的桩筏基础进行了计算分析,计算结果表明,水平力将会引起桩筏基础的倾斜。