Consolidation analysis of saturated multi‐layered soils with anisotropic permeability caused by a point sink

This paper presents the analytical layer‐element method to analyze the consolidation of saturated multi‐layered soils caused by a point sink by considering the anisotropy of permeability. Starting from the governing equations of the problem, the solutions of displacements and stresses for a single soil layer are obtained in the Laplace–Hankel transformed domain. Then, the analytical layer‐element method is utilized to further derive the solutions for the saturated multi‐layered soils in the transformed domain by combining with the boundary conditions of the soil system and continuity conditions between adjacent layers. The actual solutions in the physical domain can be acquired by the inversion of Laplace–Hankel transform. Numerical results are carried out to show the accuracy and stability of the proposed method and evaluate the influence of sink depth and anisotropic permeability on excess pore pressure and surface settlement. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A quasistatic analysis of a plate on consolidating layered soils by analytical layer‐element/finite element method coupling

In this paper, a coupling method between finite element and analytical layer‐elements is utilized to analyze the time‐dependent behavior of a plate of any shape and finite rigidity resting on layered saturated soils. Based on the integral transform techniques together with the aid of an order reduction method, an analytical layer‐element solution is derived from the governing equations for three‐dimensional Biot consolidation with respect to a Cartesian coordinate system and then extended to be the fundamental solution for the layered saturated soil under a point load. The Mindlin plate is modeled by eight‐noded isoparametric elements. The governing equations of the interaction between soil and plate in the Laplace‐Fourier transformed domain are deduced by referring to the coupling theory of FEM/BEM, and the final solution is obtained by applying numerical inversion. Numerical examples concerned with the time‐dependent response of a plate are performed to demonstrate the influence of soil and plate properties on the interaction process. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vertical harmonic vibration of piled raft foundations in layered soils

This paper develops a method to analyze the piled raft foundation under vertical harmonic load. This method takes into account the interactions among the piles, soil, and raft. The responses of the piles and raft are formulated as a series of equations in a suitable way and that of layered soils is simulated with the use of the analytical layer‐element method. Then, according to the equilibrium and continuity conditions at the piles–soil–raft interface, solutions for the piled raft systems are obtained and further demonstrated to be correct through comparing with the existing results. Finally, some examples are given to investigate the influence of the raft, pile length‐diameter ratio, and layering on the response of the piled raft foundations. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

层状地基中地铁施工垂直穿越既有管道变形分析:耦合方法与两阶段方法对比

地铁施工引起的临近既有管道变形是城市轨道交通建设中较为关心的施工问题。目前,针对该领域的研究一般假定地基土体均质,而没有考虑地基的自然成层性,此外大多没有考虑既有管道变形与土体自由位移场相互作用的耦合效应。为此,基于弹性层状半空间地基模型,针对隧道开挖边界引入非均匀收敛变形径向土体位移移动模式,提出了层状地基中地铁施工垂直穿越既有管道变形的耦合分析方法和两阶段分析方法,并进行了算例对比和参数分析。结果表明:耦合方法在分析非均质层状地基时具有较好的计算精度,其精度要高于基于Loganathan和Poulos公式的两阶段方法;同时,地基土体的成层性对既有地下构筑物的变形性能具有较大影响。研究成果可为合理制定城市地铁施工对周围环境影响的保护措施提供一定的理论依据。     

A coupled two‐phase fluid flow and elastoplastic deformation model for unsaturated soils: theory,implementation, and application

Although numerous numerical models have been proposed for simulating the coupled hydromechanical behaviors in unsaturated soils, few studies satisfactorily reproduced the soil–water–air three‐phase coupling processes. Particularly, the impacts of deformation dependence of water retention curve, bonding stress, and gas flow on the coupled processes were less examined within a coupled soil–water–air model. Based on our newly developed constitutive models (Hu et al., 2013, 2014, 2015) in which the soil–water–air couplings have been appropriately captured, this study develops a computer code named F²Mus3D to investigate the coupled processes with a focus on the above impacts. In the numerical implementation, the generalized‐α time integration scheme was adopted to solve the equations, and a return‐mapping implicit stress integration scheme was used to update the state variables. The numerical model was verified by two well‐designed laboratory tests and was applied for modeling the coupled elastoplastic deformation and two‐phase fluid flow processes in a homogenous soil slope induced by rainfall infiltration. The simulation results demonstrated that the numerical model well reproduces the initiation of a sheared zone at the toe of the slope and its propagation toward the crest as the rain infiltration proceeds, which manifests a typical mechanism for rainfall‐induced shallow landslides. The simulated plastic strain and deformation would be remarkably underestimated when the bonding stress and/or the deformation‐dependent nature of hydraulic properties are ignored in the coupled model. But on the contrary, the negligence of gas flow in the slope soil results in an overestimation of the rainfall‐induced deformation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Response evaluation of axially loaded fixed‐head pile groups in clayey soils

The aim of this paper is to investigate the interaction between the piles in a group with a rigid head and correlate the response of a group of piles to that of a single pile. For this purpose, a computationally intensive study using 3‐D nonlinear numerical analysis was carried out for different pile group arrangements in clayey soils. The responses of the groups of piles were compared with that of a single pile and the variation of the settlement amplification factor R_a was then quantified. The influence of the number of piles, the spacing, and the settlement level on the group response is discussed. A previously proposed relationship for predicting the response of a pile group, based on its configuration and the response of a single pile, has been modified to extend its applicability for any pile spacing. The modified relationship provides a reasonable prediction for various group configurations in clayey soils. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A stepwise damping‐solvent extraction method for large‐scale dynamic soil–structure interaction analysis in time domain

Time‐domain analysis of dynamic soil–structure interaction based on the substructure method plays an increasing role in practical applications as compared with the frequency‐domain analysis. Efficient and accurate modelling of the unbounded soil or rock medium has been a key issue in such an analysis. This paper presents a subregional stepwise damping‐solvent extraction formulation for solving large‐scale dynamic soil–structure problems in the time domain. Accuracy and efficiency of the formulation are evaluated in detail for a classical problem involving a rigid strip foundation embedded in a half‐space. A practical large‐scale soil–structure interaction problem, which represents a high concrete gravity dam subjected to seismic load, is then analysed using the proposed method. Various responses of the dam, including time histories of the crest displacement and acceleration and contours of the peak principal stresses within the dam body, are presented. Comparisons are also made between these results with those obtained using other models for the unbounded medium. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Transient seepage analysis in zoned anisotropic soils based on the scaled boundary finite‐element method

The scaled boundary finite‐element method, a semi‐analytical computational scheme primarily developed for dynamic stiffness of unbounded domains, is applied to the analysis of unsteady seepage flow problems. This method is based on the finite‐element technology and gains the advantages of the boundary element method as well. Only boundary of the domain is discretized, no fundamental solution is required and singularity problems can be modeled rigorously. Anisotropic and non‐homogeneous materials satisfying similarity are modeled with no additional efforts. In this study, firstly, formulation of the method for the transient seepage flow problems is derived followed by its solution procedures. The accuracy, simplicity and applicability of the method are demonstrated via four numerical examples of transient seepage flow – three of them are available in the literature. Homogenous, non‐homogenous, isotropic and anisotropic material properties are considered to show the versatility of the technique. Excellent agreement with the finite‐element method is observed. The method out‐performs the finite‐element method in modeling singularity points. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three dimensional numerical simulation of residential building on shrink–swell soils in response to climatic conditions

Shrink–swell soils can cause distresses in buildings, and every year, the economic loss associated with this problem is huge. This paper presents a comprehensive system for simulating the soil–foundation–building system and its response to daily weather conditions. Weather data include rainfall, solar radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed, all of which are readily available from a local weather station or the Internet. These data are used to determine simulation flux boundary conditions. Different methods are proposed to simulate different boundary conditions: bare soil, trees, and vegetation. A coupled hydro‐mechanical stress analysis is used to simulate the volume change of shrink–swell soils due to both mechanical stress and water content variations. Coupled hydro‐mechanical stress‐jointed elements are used to simulate the interaction between the soil and the slab, and general shell elements are used to simulate structural behavior. All the models are combined into one finite element program to predict the entire system's behavior. This paper first described the theory for the simulations. A site in Arlington, Texas, is then selected to demonstrate the application of the proposed system. Simulation results are shown, and a comparison between measured and predicted movements for four footings in Arlington, Texas, over a 2‐year period is presented. Finally, a three‐dimensional simulation is made for a virtual residential building on shrink–swell soils to identify the influence of various factors. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.