Performance of a transparent Flexible Shear Beam container for geotechnical centrifuge modeling of dynamic problems

A transparent Flexible Shear Beam (FSB) container was designed and constructed to simulate the dynamic response of a stratum of soil under horizontal, one-dimensional (1-D) earthquake shaking in a geotechnical centrifuge. A stack of four rectangular, acrylic frames separated by layers of flexible, high-strength rubber was used to form the transparent container. The fundamental natural frequency of the container was estimated to be similar to a layer of sand in its softened or liquefied state. The suitability of the container in simulating 1-D site response with minimal boundary effects was evaluated by monitoring the uniformity of the induced accelerations and settlements across the soil specimen. Further, the measured lateral displacements were compared with equivalent-linear site response analyses. The new FSB container was found to provide satisfactory boundary conditions for studying complex Soil–Structure-Interaction problems, while simultaneously enabling researchers to visualize deformations of the soil and buried structures during shaking.     

Centrifuge modelling of flexible retaining walls subjected to dynamic loading

This paper outlines the results of an experimental program carried out on centrifuge models of cantilevered and propped retaining walls embedded in saturated sand. The main aim of the paper is to investigate the dynamic response of these structures when the foundation soil is saturated by measuring the accelerations and pore pressures in the soil, displacements and bending moment of the walls. A comparison among tests with different geometrical configurations and relative density of the soil is presented. The centrifuge models were subjected to dynamic loading in the form of sinusoidal accelerations applied at the base of the models. This paper also presents data from pressure sensors used to measure total earth pressure on the walls. Furthermore, these results are compared with previous dynamic centrifuge tests on flexible retaining walls in dry sand.     

What drives high flow events in the Swiss Alps? Recent developments in wavelet spectral analysis and their application to hydrology

Extreme hydrological events are often triggered by exceptional co-variations of the relevant hydrometeorological processes and in particular by exceptional co-oscillations at various temporal scales. Wavelet and cross wavelet spectral analysis offers promising time-scale resolved analysis methods to detect and analyze such exceptional co-oscillations. This paper presents the state-of-the-art methods of wavelet spectral analysis, discusses related subtleties, potential pitfalls and recently developed solutions to overcome them and shows how wavelet spectral analysis, if combined to a rigorous significance test, can lead to reliable new insights into hydrometeorological processes for real-world applications. The presented methods are applied to detect potentially flood triggering situations in a high Alpine catchment for which a recent re-estimation of design floods encountered significant problems simulating the observed high flows. For this case study, wavelet spectral analysis of precipitation, temperature and discharge offers a powerful tool to help detecting potentially flood producing meteorological situations and to distinguish between different types of floods with respect to the prevailing critical hydrometeorological conditions. This opens very new perspectives for the analysis of model performances focusing on the occurrence and non-occurrence of different types of high flow events. Based on the obtained results, the paper summarizes important recommendations for future applications of wavelet spectral analysis in hydrology.     

GRACE和SLR观测的地球动力学扁率最大熵谱及小波相关分析

卫星重力测量技术的实现为测定地球动力学扁率提供了新的方式和途径,GRACE卫星是目前最新的重力测量卫星,据其恢复的低阶重力场较以往精度得到大大提高,然而其观测地球动力学扁率（二阶项）却与卫星激光测距（SLR）结果相差较大.本文采用最大熵谱和小波分析方法对GRACE和SLR观测的地球动力学扁率时间序列信号进行定量比较分析,结果表明：GRACE观测的地球动力学扁率年际周期变化振幅仅为SLR观测结果的25%,并且目前GRACE观测的地球动力学扁率数据中含有系统输入信息和相位差,但前者较后者包含有较强的短周期（2～6月）信息.造成这种差异的主要原因可能来自于GRACE与SLR全球观测数据时空分布不同.     

三参数小波及其在地震资料分析中的应用

提出了一类含有三个可调参数的分析小波（称为三参数小波）,通过选择这三个参数,可使其最适合于所给定的问题．Morlet小波及改进的Morlet小波是其特例．通过对三参数小波中的参数加以约束,可以获得一类新的近似解析小波．论证了通过恰当的选择参数,三参数小波不仅适合于分析包含慢变频率和振幅分量的信号,而且也适合于包含快变分量的信号．以三参数小波为分析小波,提出了一种用于薄互层地震资料分析的方法．该方法能够刻画薄互层的沉积旋回,也能研究薄互层内部的局部结构,并采用模型资料验证了方法的有效性．     

Improvement of HVSR technique by wavelet analysis

In this work we investigate the application of the wavelet analysis to improve the well-known horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) technique for site effect estimation. Wavelet analysis has been widely used in the last decade for its capacity to localise the signal in both the time and frequency domains. The wavelet packet transform and the evaluation of a cost function for every node permit one to remove from the signal the least important components and lead to significant improvements in the identification of the fundamental frequency. In this paper a new algorithm is presented based on wavelet analysis, that allows, in some cases, to improve the identification of the peak in the QTS ratio. A number of examples of application are also presented.     

Local system identification analyses of the dynamic response of soil systems

The seismic behavior of massive geotechnical systems exhibits complex response patterns and mechanisms under severe loading conditions. Some of these mechanisms are localized in space, but nevertheless impact significantly the entire system response and ultimately its stability. A thorough monitoring and identification of the whole response of a distributed soil system commonly constitutes a significant challenge, and would generally be prohibitively expensive. This study presents a point-wise identification technique of soil-systems using the acceleration records provided by local instrument arrays. The newly developed identification algorithm consists of: (1) evaluation of strain tensor time histories using the motions recorded by a cluster of instruments (arranged in an appropriate multi-dimensional configuration), (2) estimation of the stress tensors corresponding to the evaluated strains utilizing a pre-selected class of constitutive models of soil response, (3) computation of accelerations associated with estimated stresses using the equations of motion, and (4) calibration and evaluation of an optimal model of soil response by minimizing discrepancies between recorded and computed accelerations. Computer simulations and analysis of centrifuge tests of a soil–quay wall system showed that the proposed technique provides an effective tool to identify local soil characteristics and properties.     

小波基在GPS-IR反演土壤湿度中优选方法的研究

全球定位系统多径干涉遥感技术(Global Positioning System-Interference Reflection,GPS-IR)是一种基于卫星反射信号的新遥感技术,可实现土壤湿度、雪深、海平面等方面的监测.针对卫星反射信号分离问题,本文利用小波分析对信噪比(Signal-to-Noise Ratio,SNR)中的卫星反射信号进行分离.小波基的选择直接影响到卫星反射信号分离的效果,本文通过对比低阶多项式、sym10、bior6.8、dmey和coif5这5种方法的实际消趋和反演效果来优选.经实验表明:利用coif5小波基分解6层能够有效提高卫星反射信号的分离精度和信号的分辨率,获取的相对延迟相位与土壤湿度之间的线性关系显著增强.     

宇宙线小波分析在大地磁暴预报中的应用

利用Morlet小波变换方法对北京宇宙线台站的地面宇宙线强度在地磁暴前后的变化特征进行分析,得到: 1) 在平静期,北京宇宙线数据存在准24 h周期性的特征,且通过分析周期为12 h的Morlet小波"模",发现值稳定,且小于0.6; 2) 以90天为时间窗口,对2004年7月地磁暴前后的小波频谱变化进行详细分析,发现当发生大地磁暴时,宇宙线的静日准24 h周期被打破,其他周期的波动开始增强.进一步研究发现,周期12h的波动在大地磁暴数小时到1天左右会出现显著增强,这一现象在2001、2002和2004年期间的大地磁暴前得到验证.3) Morlet小波"模"数据的急速增大是发生地磁暴的先兆特征,当小波模变化达到一定的阈值就可能发生大磁暴.本文分析了周期为12 h时小波的模数据,对强地磁暴事件进行统计,选定阈值0.6,并通过2003年的6次大地磁暴进行预报验证,结果表明该方法不仅能够对大地磁暴事件进行预报,而且提前量满足预报需求,为基于宇宙线实测数据预报地磁暴方法提供了重要基础.     

Feasibility of utilizing wavelet phase to map the CO2 plume at the Ketzin pilot site,Germany

Spectral decomposition is a powerful tool that can provide geological details dependent upon discrete frequencies. Complex spectral decomposition using inversion strategies differs from conventional spectral decomposition methods in that it produces not only frequency information but also wavelet phase information. This method was applied to a time‐lapse three‐dimensional seismic dataset in order to test the feasibility of using wavelet phase changes to detect and map injected carbon dioxide within the reservoir at the Ketzin carbon dioxide storage site, Germany. Simplified zero‐offset forward modelling was used to help verify the effectiveness of this technique and to better understand the wavelet phase response from the highly heterogeneous storage reservoir and carbon dioxide plume. Ambient noise and signal‐to‐noise ratios were calculated from the raw data to determine the extracted wavelet phase. Strong noise caused by rainfall and the assumed spatial distribution of sandstone channels in the reservoir could be correlated with phase anomalies. Qualitative and quantitative results indicate that the wavelet phase extracted by the complex spectral decomposition technique has great potential as a practical and feasible tool for carbon dioxide detection at the Ketzin pilot site.     

Coupled hydrodynamic and geotechnical analysis of jacket offshore wind turbine

This paper compares the response of a jacket-supported offshore wind turbine (OWT) under wave loading, when (a) soil–structure interaction (SSI) is ignored and (b) SSI is considered. The jacket is placed in a water depth of 70 m and soil conditions off the west coast of India are used in the study. The rotor of the OWT is considered to be parked, under a survival average wind speed of 50 m/s, significant waver height Hs=16 m and peak spectral period Tp=18 s. The significance of includng SSI in OWT studies is investigated by means of pushover analyses and irregular-wave dynamic analyses. Modal studies are performed to determine the variation in the free-vibration response of the two cases. It is observed that ignoring SSI tends to over-estimate the ultimate strength characteristics of the OWT by 3–60% in various modes or increase the tower top displacement above serviceable limit. For dynamics analysis, the wave elevation is generated using wave superposition method. The JONSWAP wave spectrum is discretized using constant area method which introduces additional uncertainty. The analysis shows that approximately 200 frequencies are necessary using constant area method to capture the tail region appropriately. Also the statistical uncertainty in the generation of wave elevation for dynamic analyses is quantified by means of sample convergence studies. The results show that approximately 20–40 samples are required in order to obtain reasonable statistics.     

Numerical modelling of the transverse dynamic behaviour of circular tunnels in clayey soils

In this paper, different approaches aimed at investigating the dynamic behaviour of circular tunnels in the transverse direction are presented. The analysed cases refer to a shallow tunnel built in two different clayey deposits. The adopted approaches include 1D numerical analyses performed modelling the soil as a single-phase visco-elastic non-linear medium, the results of which are then used to evaluate the input data for selected analytical solutions proposed in the literature (uncoupled approach), and 2D fully coupled FE simulations adopting visco-elastic and visco-elasto-plastic effective stress models for the soil (coupled approach). The results are proposed in terms of seismic-induced loads in the transverse direction of the tunnel lining. The different constitutive hypotheses adopted in the coupled numerical approach prove to play a significant role on the results. In particular, the plasticity-based analyses indicate that a seismic event can produce a substantial modification of loads acting in the lining, leading to permanent increments of both hoop force and bending moment.     

Numerical analysis on dynamic deformation mechanism of soils under blast loading

Soil is considered as a three-phase medium consisting of solid particles, water and air. Its behavior is very difficult to predict, especially under high rate blast loading. In this study, a new three-phase soil model for shock loading is employed to facilitate a full simulation of explosion and the subsequent stress wave propagation in soils. Upon validating the model, extended numerical calculations are carried out and the results are analyzed to demonstrate the change of characteristic parameters of the soils, the inherent distribution of the pressure on individual phases and hence the deformation mechanisms of the soils under blasting loading. Two primary deformation mechanisms exist, one is the deformation of the soil skeleton formed by the solid particles; the other is the deformation of all individual soil phases. It is found that the response of soil near the charge is dominated by the second mechanism while the first mechanism dominates in areas beyond a certain scaled range. The location of the transition zone depends primarily on the initial state of the soil. The results are useful for establishing rational and practical soil models for engineering applications concerning blasting.     

基于增量动力分析方法的砌体结构地震易损性分析

砌体结构是一种脆性结构,变形能力和承载力均较低,因取材方便、施工简单和造价低等优势在中国被广泛应用。为了评估砌体结构的抗震性能,本文基于增量动力分析（Incremental Dynamic Analysis,IDA）方法研究了多层砌体结构的地震易损性,分析了影响砌体结构地震易损性的主要因素以及群体多层砌体结构地震易损性。研究结果表明:在相同场地条件情况下,砌体结构的房屋层数、砌筑砂浆强度、设防烈度和墙体面积率对结构的地震易损性影响较明显;当结构层高在2.8~3.3 m之间时,层高对结构地震易损性的影响不大。抗震设防砌体结构抗震能力比不设防结构有明显提高,说明构造柱和圈梁等构造措施能显著提高砌体结构的抗倒塌能力,这与目前的基本认识相同,也证明了增量动力分析方法的有效性。     

Simplified discrete systems for dynamic analysis of structures on footings and piles

A simplified discrete system in the form of a simple oscillator is developed to simulate the dynamic behavior of a structure founded through footings or piles on compliant ground, under harmonic excitation. Exact analytical expressions for the fundamental natural period and the corresponding damping coefficients of the above system are derived, as function of geometry and the frequency-dependent foundation impedances. In an effort to quantify the coupling between swaying and rocking oscillations in embedded foundations such as piles, the reference system is translated from the footing–soil interface to the depth where the resultant soil reaction is applied, to ensure a diagonal impedance matrix. The resulting eccentricity is a measure of the coupling effect between the two oscillation modes. The amounts of radiation damping generated from a single pile and a surface footing are evaluated. In order to compare the damping of a structure on a surface footing and a pile, the notion of static and geometric equivalence is introduced. It is shown that a pile may generate significantly higher radiation damping than an equivalent footing, thus acting as an elementary protective system against seismic action.     

A novel framework integrating downhole array data and site response analysis to extract dynamic soil behavior

Seismic site response analysis is commonly used to predict ground response due to local soil effects. An increasing number of downhole arrays are deployed to measure motions at the ground surface and within the soil profile and to provide a check on the accuracy of site response analysis models. Site response analysis models, however, cannot be readily calibrated to match field measurements. A novel inverse analysis framework, self-learning simulations (SelfSim), to integrate site response analysis and field measurements is introduced. This framework uses downhole array measurements to extract the underlying soil behavior and develops a neural network-based constitutive model of the soil. The resulting soil model, used in a site response analysis, provides correct ground response. The extracted cyclic soil behavior can be further enhanced using multiple earthquake events. The performance of the algorithm is successfully demonstrated using synthetically generated downhole array recordings.     

Physical model for dynamic analysis of structures with FPS isolators

This article presents a physical model for frictional pendulum isolators (FPS) that is ready to be implemented in most commercial software. The model is capable of accounting for effects such as large deformations, sticking, and uplift and impact by sensing the normal loads in the isolators through a gap element. Sticking has been incorporated into the model by extending the Park–Wen hysteretic model to the case of large deformations. The proposed model has been tested against a theoretically ‘exact’ formulation leading to essentially identical results. To facilitate its use, the physical FPS model has been cast into a typical non‐linear structural element format, i.e. with deformation as input and restoring force as output. Examples of a building and a bridge have been chosen to show the potential of the element and to provide further insight into the earthquake response of structures with FPS isolators; in particular, in aspects such as the orientation in placement of the isolator, sticking, P? Δ, and other large deformation effects. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of rainfall‐runoff models based upon wavelet analysis

A basic hypothesis is proposed: given that wavelet‐based analysis has been used to interpret runoff time‐series, it may be extended to evaluation of rainfall‐runoff model results. Conventional objective functions make certain assumptions about the data series to which they are applied (e.g. uncorrelated error, homoscedasticity). The difficulty that objective functions have in distinguishing between different realizations of the same model, or different models of the same system, is that they may have contributed in part to the occurrence of model equifinality. Of particular concern is the fact that the error present in a rainfall‐runoff model may be time dependent, requiring some form of time localization in both identification of error and derivation of global objective functions. We explore the use of a complex Gaussian (order 2) wavelet to describe: (1) a measured hydrograph; (2) the same hydrograph with different simulated errors introduced; and (3) model predictions of the same hydrograph based upon a modified form of TOPMODEL. The analysis of results was based upon: (a) differences in wavelet power (the wavelet power error) between the measured hydrograph and both the simulated error and modelled hydrographs; and (b) the wavelet phase. Power difference and wavelet phase were used to develop two objective functions, RMSE(power) and RMS(phase), which were shown to distinguish between simulated errors and model predictions with similar values of the commonly adopted Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency index. These objective functions suffer because they do not retain time, frequency or time‐frequency localization. Consideration of wavelet power spectra and time‐ and frequency‐integrated power spectra shows that the impacts of different types of simulated error can be seen through retention of some localization, especially in relation to when and the scale over which error was manifest. Theoretical objections to the use of wavelet analysis for this type of application are noted, especially in relation to the dependence of findings upon the wavelet chosen. However, it is argued that the benefits of localization and the qualitatively low sensitivity of wavelet power and phase to wavelet choice are sufficient to warrant further exploration of wavelet‐based approaches to rainfall‐runoff model evaluation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experimental investigation of density current patterns using dynamic fractal analysis

Density currents are caused by a difference in density,though low,of an entering fluid with the ambient fluid.This type of current is two-phased and found on riverbeds or in reservoirs behind dams,and is nonlinear in nature,complex,and sensitive to initial conditions.Fractal geometry is used as a powerful tool for studying complex natural phenomena.Using experimental studies and changes in inlet current conditions,the fractal and multi-fractal analyses of the interface between the density current and the ambient fluid were done.In addition,a search was made to find a possible connection between the nonlinear patterns.According to the results,with an increase in the inlet discharge and inlet density of the current the fractal dimension decreased.Further,the smaller the range of the singularity spectrum diagram was,i.e.,the more it was less than 0.34,the lower the system's tendency was to be multi-fractal,and the system sensitive to large local changes.In the interface between the density current and the ambient fluid,using the fractal dimension-based Richardson number could improve experimental data by 12.4%.Moreover,with an increase in the Richardson number,the Reynolds number of the current decreased.Further,upon considering the fractal dimension,the Reynolds number improved by 23%and a good correlation with a coefficient of determination of 0.76.     

小波分析在结构损伤识别中的应用

为提高结构损伤识别方法的准确性和适用性,将小波分析引入到结构损伤识别中。本文首先介绍了小波分析的基本原理,然后详细论述了小波分析用于结构损伤识别的三种方法:基于时域响应的方法、基于空间域响应的方法和小波分析与其他方法联合使用,接着分析了各种方法的应用现状、适用范围和存在的问题。通过比较可以看出小波分析用于结构损伤识别有着广阔的应用前景,本文最后针对进一步研究的方向提出了五点建议。