Elimination of hydraulic effects for cassiterite in a Malaysian Stream

Geochemical patterns for elements, such as Sn, W and Au, present in drainage sediments as resistate heavy minerals are often erratic and difficult to interpret. To investigate the source of these problems and develop methods of eliminating them we have compared the behavior of Sn, present as cassiterite, and associated pathfinder elements downstream from a small primary Sn deposit in Perak, Peninsular Malaysia.Dispersion trains for the pathfinder elements are characterized by smooth decay patterns and differences in concentrations between high- and low-energy environments, characterized by coarse-and medium-grained sands respectively, are not significant. In contrast, Sn (and magnetite) concentrations are extremely erratic with significantly higher concentrations in high- compared to low-energy environments. As a result the dispersion train for Sn exhibits no regular decay pattern away from its source. These findings suggest that the action of the stream is analogous to that of sluice box, with light minerals being winnowed away and cassiterite, together with magnetite, accumulating. For all but the finest sizes this process, which is most efficient in high-energy environments, causes considerable local variability in Sn content of the sediments. However, because the hydraulic behavior of cassiterite and magnetite is similar, but magnetite is not associated with the primary mineralization, the Sn/magnetite ratio can be used to eliminate Sn anomalies resulting from local variations in hydraulic conditions.The concept of hydraulic equivalence of cassiterite and magnetite was extended to examining the relationship between Sn and different size fractions of the light minerals that constitute the bulk of most sediments. Greatest contrast is obtained when the Sn content of the −270 mesh (−53 μm) fraction is re-expressed as its hydraulic equivalent concentration in −65 + 100 mesh (−212 + 150 μm) material.For exploration purposes it is concluded that: (1) providing cassiterite is present in the fine size fractions, sampling of this material will reduce hydraulic effects, thereby reducing data variability, and can also increase the length of the anomalous dispersion train; and (2) hydraulic effects can also be reduced by re-expressing Sn concentrations as ratios to magnetite (provided this is not associated with the primary Sn mineralization) or a hydraulically equivalent size fraction of the light minerals that constitute the bulk of the sediment. Similar principles probably apply to the interpretation of geochemical data for other elements dispersed in drainage sediments as heavy minerals; this warrants further investigation.     

Constitutive modelling of granular materials using a contact normal-based fabric tensor

This paper presents a fabric tensor-based bounding surface model accounting for anisotropic behaviour (e.g. the dependency of peak strength on loading direction and non-coaxial deformation) of granular materials. This model is developed based on a well-calibrated isotropic bounding surface model. The yield surface is modified by incorporating the back stress which is proportional to a contact normal-based fabric tensor for characterising fabric anisotropy. The evolution law of the fabric tensor, which is dependent on both rates of the stress ratio and the plastic strain, rules that the material fabric tends to align with the loading direction and evolves towards a unique critical state fabric tensor under monotonic shearing. The incorporation of the evolution law leads to a rotational hardening of the yield surface. The anisotropic critical state is assumed to be independent of the initial values of void ratio and fabric tensor. The critical state fabric tensor has the same intermediate stress ratio (i.e. b value) and principal directions as the critical state stress tensor. A non-associated flow rule in the deviatoric plane is adopted, which is able to predict the non-coaxial flow naturally. The stress–strain relation and fabric evolution of model predictions show a satisfactory agreement with DEM simulation results under monotonic shearing with different loading directions. The model is also validated by comparing with laboratory test results of Leighton Buzzard sand and Toyoura sand under various loading paths. The comparison results demonstrate encouraging applicability of the model for predicting the anisotropic behaviour of granular materials.

     

Thermal conductivity measurements of coarse-grained gravel materials using a hollow cylindrical sensor

We report on new results for the thermal conductivity of granular materials, in particular large-grained gravels. For these measurements, a cylindrical-shaped heated sensor was developed and used, which allows to include gravels with grain sizes in the several centimeter size range into the investigation. Such materials are, among else, important as construction materials for road and railway embankments. Measurements were done at different gas pressure levels (from normal atmospheric level down to the millibar range) and for dry and wet conditions. The results of the low pressure measurements may become relevant in view of possible applications on other planetary bodies, like at the surface of the planet Mars, which will be explored in the coming decade by in situ geotechnical methods.     

Determining ammonia nitrogen decay rate of Malaysian river water in a laboratory flume

There is lack of information regarding ammonia nitrogen (AN), (i.e. NH₃-N) decay rate of river water in tropical regions like Malaysia. AN decay rate is a very important kinetic parameter to estimate NH₃-N, nitrate nitrogen (NO₃-N) and dissolved oxygen concentrations of river water by using computer models. This study presents determination of ammonia nitrogen decay rate of river water in the tropical environment of Malaysia. A laboratory flume was used to conduct twelve experiments. The flume was used to represent the turbulent condition of a typical river. Ammonia nitrogen decay rate for the tropical environment of Malaysia was observed to be between 0.194 and 0.554 per day. Median value of AN decay rate was 0.26 per day, which is slightly lower than the global median value of 0.295 per day. To check the accuracy of flume experiments, the AN decay rate of Pusu River obtained from the flume experiment was used to calibrate and validate ammonia nitrogen concentration of the river by using water quality analysis and simulation program (WASP). Very good calibration and validation results were achieved, which substantiated the accuracy of the flume experiments.     

Finite element modelling of non-linear deformation of rate-dependent materials using a R-minimum strategy

A R-minimum strategy, which was proposed and successfully applied to analyse the non-linear rate-independent finite deformation (including the thermal–mechanical coupling and frictional contact) of elasto-plastic materials, is extended and applied here to simulate the deformation of rate-dependent materials. It involves no iterations, thus belongs to the static-explicit algorithm and avoids the convergence problem resulting from nonlinearities. The R-minimum strategy-based adaptive control scheme of the time step size is proposed and applied to the related analysis of the rate-dependent materials with both the time-dependent and the time-independent viscosity. Both the simple benchmark test and the practical application in evaluation of the effect of the Earth materials on its response to the centrifugal force are carried out to demonstrate the stability, efficiency and usefulness of this algorithm.     

Treatment of synthetic acid mine drainage using rice wine waste as a carbon source

Spent mushroom compost (SMC) is commonly used as a carbon source for passive treatment systems in South Korea; however, it has some drawbacks, such as sulfate release from itself. Consequently, investigations to identify effective substitutes for SMC are necessary. In this study, batch experiments were conducted for 27 days to evaluate the efficiency of rice wine waste (RWW) for reducing sulfate and removing dissolved metals within synthetic acid mine drainage (AMD). The results showed that RWW could be more suitable than SMC, which even released sulfate in the early stage of the experiment, for sulfate reduction by sulfate-reducing bacteria. Both materials produced similar results with respect to the removal of dissolved metals, such as Fe and Al. Furthermore, a mixture of SMC and RWW showed the greatest efficiency in sulfate removal. Overall, both RWW and the mixed carbon source showed comparable performance to SMC, which indicated that RWW had a great potential for use as a carbon source for AMD treatment.     

Population balance in confined comminution using a physically based probabilistic approach for polydisperse granular materials

A novel, simplified approach is presented in order to compute variations of grading in granular assemblies during confined comminution under quasi‐static compression. The method is based on a population balance equation and requires a breakage probability, considered here as a probabilistic phenomenon that takes into account the particle strength and the loading condition of individual grains. Under basic assumptions, a simple breakage probability can be defined in order to get a valuable result for engineering applications and powder technology. The size effect in the strength of individual particles is introduced according to Weibull's theory. The particle loading and the cushioning effect in the granular packing are accounted for by considering the orientations of the contact forces obtained from 3D discrete element method simulations of highly polydisperse materials. The method proposed could have a value for engineering purposes in powder technology and geomechanics and gives a general framework for further research developments based on population balance. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

岩石材料裂纹扩展的改进近场动力学方法模拟

在传统键基近场动力学模型的基础上,提出可以反映岩石类材料应力-应变变化特点的改进型模型,弥补了传统近场动力学模型在模拟岩石类材料时无法反映岩石内应力随应变先增加再减小最后破坏这一特性的不足。运用改进型模型,对含有单裂纹试件在不同预制裂纹角度及拉伸荷载条件下的裂纹扩展过程进行了数值模拟,分析了开裂角度在不同预制裂纹角度及拉伸荷载条件下的变化。结果表明：预制角度及拉伸荷载对开裂角度都有影响,在试件周围拉荷载接近的情况下会获得较小的开裂角,并且在拉荷载一定的条件下开裂角会有先增加后减少的规律。同时模拟了含裂纹岩石在单轴压缩条件下的裂纹扩展情况,将数值模拟的结果与室内试验的结果对比,验证了所提出新模型的有效性。所提出的新模型可以较好地模拟岩石类材料在拉荷载条件下的力学特性,在岩石数值模拟方面有着较为广泛的应用前景。     

Assessment of isotopically exchangeable Al in soil materials using Al tracer

The solubility of aluminium (Al) in many acidic soils is controlled by complexation reactions with soil organic matter. In such soils, Al solubility is theoretically a function of the pool size of “active” Al, i.e., the total amount of Al that equilibrates with the soil solution within a defined period of time. To date, no reliable measurements of “active” Al in soil materials exist. In this study, we determined the isotopically exchangeable pool of Al (E_Al) as an operationally defined assessment of “active” Al in acidic mineral soils. The suitability of CuCl₂ and pyrophosphate (Na₄P₂O₇) as extractants for “active” Al was also evaluated. Eleven samples, mostly from spodic B horizons, were spiked with carrier-free ²⁶Al and equilibrated for different time periods (1-756 h). The size of the Al pool with which the ²⁶Al tracer exchanged increased with time during the whole experimental period. Thus, contact time between solid and solution phases needs to be defined when assessing the “active” Al pool. Values of E_Al obtained after 1 to 5 d of equilibration were equal to the amount of CuCl₂ extractable Al, but considerably smaller than the Na₄P₂O₇-extractable pool. Equilibration times greater than 5 d resulted in CuCl₂ extractable Al concentrations that under-estimated the “active” Al pool. Three of the investigated samples were rich in imogolite-type materials (ITM). In these samples, 30-50 % of the added ²⁶Al rapidly became associated with soil constituents in forms that could not be extracted by Na₄P₂O₇, indicating that a part of ITM may be in a dynamic state.     

Influence of using rice husk ash in soil stabilization method with lime

In clayey lands, swelling problem causes vertical displacements on road subbase, and finally, failure in pavement occurs due to lack of appropriate drainage systems. One popular and inexpensive method of soil stabilization is using lime. Investigations indicate that based on environmental and atmospheric conditions, the chemical reaction of lime and clayey soil is not accomplished well, owning to low temperature and high humidity. This paper aims to investigate the influence of adding rice husk ash on the reaction between soil and lime and lime reaction and determine soil physical and mechanical characteristics. Therefore, sufficient laboratory soil tests, such as Atterberg limits, compaction, California bearing ratio (CBR), and direct shear test are carried out, and the results are analyzed. The results generally indicate that adding lime and rice husk ash (RHA) causes a decrease in dry density and an increase in optimum water content. Increasing lime and RHA causes a decreasing rate in soil liquid limit and plastic limit. Adding lime and RHA to the soil causes a decrease in deformability of soil samples and gives more brittle materials. Also, this action causes an increase in shear strength. Moreover, increasing in CBR amount under the influence of increasing RHA is one of the main results of this paper.     

Wind tunnel test of snow loads on a stepped flat roof using different granular materials

An accurate prediction of wind-induced redistribution of snow load on roof surfaces is vital to structural design. To represent the pattern of snow distribution caused by snowdrift in wind tunnel test, appropriate modeling particles should be selected. The particle density is the key to determine the values of several important similarity parameters. In this study, the redistribution of snow load on a stepped flat roof was simulated by means of wind tunnel test using low-density saw wood ash, medium-density polyfoam, and high-density silica sand, respectively. To ensure the comparability of the test results of the three modeling particles, the wind tunnel test results for comparison were performed under almost the same conditions of dimensionless wind velocity and dimensionless time. Then, the results of the present study were compared with those from field observations of prototypes in previous studies. The effects of wind duration, wind velocity, and roof span on the redistribution of snow on roof surfaces were investigated. The characteristics of erosion/deposition range and the location of maximum quantities of erosion/deposition under independent effects of wind duration, wind velocity, and roof span were also studied.     

Bias in the analysis of geological materials for gold using current methods

A consistent pattern has been observed in the results obtained for Au in three soil and two porphyry copper ore samples serving as control reference standards in geochemical analyses. The mean reported by wet chemical methods (regardless of the measurement technique) was less than the mean by fire assay-based methods which, in turn, was less than the mean reported by laboratories using direct instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). These data have been obtained from 16 laboratories, some employing more than one method. Compared to INAA, values obtained for Au (at the 30–300 ppb level) using aqua regia (AR) dissolution were low by 24–42%, while those reported by fire assay-based methods were low by 14–26%.Studies of these samples and 32 rocks of widely varying composition revealed that the amount of Au remaining in the residue after AR attack ranged from 4% to 59% of the total. Gold dissolved by AR was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) after extraction into MIBK (methyl isobutyl ketone), whereas Au remaining in the residue was determined by INAA. The slope of the line obtained by plotting Au by INAA vs. the sum of Au by AR/GFAAS and Au in the residue was not significantly different from 1.0.Modifications to the AR procedure such as prior attack by HCl or HF did not improve the recovery of Au in the three reference soils. However, reduction of sample size from 10 g to 1 g while maintaining the volume of AR at about 30 ml did increase results for Au. Furthermore, addition of HF in the attack on 1-g samples yielded results virtually identical to those obtained by INAA. It is thought that the poor extraction efficiency by AR is due to non-wetting of the larger sized sample, a lack of intimate, prolonged contact between the grains of the sample and the acid mixture and the presence of insoluble gangue surrounding Au particles. Constant agitation of the sample during evaporation with AR is desirable.The mean values obtained for Au in the soils by fire assay methods were not significantly different from the results by INAA (low by 14–19%); this was not the case for the two copper ore samples (low by 26%). This probably reflects the difficulties encountered in fire assay by high concentrations of Cu which hinder effective collection and separation of Au into the Pb button. However, the accuracy of the INAA method has not been established and is dependent upon measurement procedures and the degree of certainty associated with the Au values assumed for the reference materials employed for calibration. While estimation of precision does not present a problem, accuracy is difficult to assess in the absence of certified reference materials for Au at concentrations in the 10–300 ppb range. However, it is concluded that methods based upon AR dissolution can lead to low results, the magnitude being dependent upon the sample matrix and the mineralogical association of the Au present.     

Enhancing understanding of breakdown and collapse in the Yorkshire Dales using ground penetrating radar on cave sediments

Historical evidence shows block breakdown and collapse are actively occurring in large fault aligned caverns in the Yorkshire Dales karst. Deployment of ground penetrating radar at two such sites has provided detailed images of the sedimentary sequences below the present day cavern floor but no large blocks are imaged within the sediments. Solutional processes must be removing limestone from the sediment to allow continued cavern growth. Possible mechanisms to account for the lack of large blocks within the sediment fill are discussed.     

Sampling of Mars analogue materials in a laboratory environment

Acta Geotechnica - Two laboratory test series were performed with the aim of ensuring the proper functionality of the key sampling mechanisms installed aboard the Mars rover ExoMars, currently...     

Dilatancy of granular materials in a strain space multiple mechanism model

A granular material consists of an assemblage of particles with contacts newly formed or disappeared, changing the micromechanical structures during macroscopic deformation. These structures are idealized through a strain space multiple mechanism model as a twofold structure consisting of a multitude of virtual two‐dimensional mechanisms, each of which consists of a multitude of virtual simple shear mechanisms of one‐dimensional nature. In particular, a second‐order fabric tensor describes direct macroscopic stress–strain relationship, and a fourth‐order fabric tensor describes incremental relationship. In this framework of modeling, the mechanism of interlocking defined as the energy less component of macroscopic strain provides an appropriate bridge between micromechanical and macroscopic dilative component of dilatancy. Another bridge for contractive component of dilatancy is provided through an obvious hypothesis on micromechanical counterparts being associated with virtual simple shear strain. It is also postulated that the dilatancy along the stress path beyond a line slightly above the phase transformation line is only due to the mechanism of interlocking and increment in dilatancy due to this interlocking eventually vanishing for a large shear strain. These classic postulates form the basis for formulating the dilatancy in the strain space multiple mechanism model. The performance of the proposed model is demonstrated through simulation of undrained behavior of sand under monotonic and cyclic loading. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

3D analysis of kinematic behavior of granular materials in triaxial testing using DEM with flexible membrane boundary

This paper describes the constitutive behavior and particle-scale kinematics of granular materials in three-dimensional (3D) axisymmetric triaxial testing using discrete element method (DEM). PFC3D code was used to run the DEM simulations using a flexible membrane boundary model consisting of spherical particles linked through flexible contact bonds. The overall deformation behavior of the specimen was then compared with the specimen with rigid boundary and experimental measurements. Computed tomography was used to track the evolution of particle translation and rotation within a laboratory triaxial specimen in 3D. The DEM model of the flexible membrane specimen successfully predicted the stress–strain behavior when compared with laboratory experiment results at different confining pressures. The DEM results showed that the rigid specimen applies a uniform deformation and leads to non-uniformities in the confining stress along the particle-boundary interface in the lateral direction. In contrast, the flexible specimen better replicates the uniformly applied confining stress of a laboratory triaxial experiment. The 3D DEM simulations of the specimen with flexible membrane overpredicted particle translation and rotation in all directions when compared to a laboratory triaxial specimen. The difference between the particle translation and rotation distributions of DEM specimens with rigid and flexible membrane is almost negligible. The DEM specimen with flexible membrane produces a better prediction of the macroscopic stress–strain behavior and deformation characteristics of granular materials in 3D DEM simulations when compared to a specimen with rigid membrane. Comparing macroscale response and particle-scale kinematics between triaxial simulation results of rigid versus flexible membrane demonstrated the significant influence of boundary effects on the constitutive behavior of granular materials.     

Shear strength of soils containing amorphous clay-size materials in a slow-moving landslide

The shear behavior of soils rich in amorphous clay-size materials was not well reported in the literature. This study analyzed the direct shear and ring shear test data of soil samples containing 55–74% amorphous materials in the clay fraction from a slow-moving landslide in eastern Honolulu, HI. The direct shear test results showed that the undisturbed soil samples when not sheared internally had peak cohesion (c) of about 50 kPa and internal friction angle (Ø) of about 10°. This implies that the amorphous clay-size materials provided strong interparticle bonds for the soils. Breaking of the bonds during the softening process and redistribution of the amorphous clay-size materials were primarily responsible for the drop from the peak strength to the residual strength (c=0, Ø=10° from back calculation with SLOPE/W and c=0, Ø=5–7° from the ring shear test). The drained residual failure envelope is stress dependent due to the interaction of the gel-like amorphous clay-size materials with crystalline silt- and sand-sized particles. The amorphous clay-size materials act as the contact between crystalline particles. The contact increases with increasing consolidation stress, resulting in a decrease in the shear strength and the residual friction angle.     

Enhancing the capacities of natural hazard mitigation: a study on a typhoon curriculum module in high school earth science

This study is part of the hazards mitigation education program “research on teaching resources development and curriculum promotion on natural hazards mitigation at high school level.” This study demonstrated the implementation of a newly developed earth science curriculum module of typhoon hazards mitigation in a 10th grade high school classroom in Taiwan. The curriculum module design is a response to the calls for better natural hazards mitigation education in the school systems in Taiwan. Findings show that the curriculum module has resulted in the positive learning outcomes in both students’ learning achievement and attitude toward typhoon hazards mitigation. Findings also suggest that group discussion activities could enhance students’ thinking and experience sharing on the perceptions about typhoon hazards preparedness and mitigation. This study suggests that the hazards mitigation curriculum module to be added as a topic in the national high school curriculum guidelines.     

Gypsum: a review of its role in the deterioration of building materials

The deterioration of buildings and monuments by gypsum is the result of crystallization cycles of this salt. Although gypsum can dehydrate to a hemihydrate, the mineral bassanite, and to an anhydrate, the mineral anhydrite, this reaction occurs in nature on a geological time scale and therefore it is unlikely to occur when gypsum is found on and in building materials. The CaSO₄–H₂O system appears deceptively simple, however there are still discrepancies between the experimental and thermodynamically calculated data. The reason for the latter can be attributed to the slow crystallization kinetics of anhydrite. Apart from this, the large numbers of studies carried out on this system have focused on industrially important metastable phases, such as the hemihydrate and soluble anhydrite. The paper presents a review of the studies dealing with the phase equilibria of the CaSO₄–H₂O system as well as the influence of other salts on the solubility of gypsum. It tries to glean out the relevant information that will serve to explain the deterioration observed on building materials by the crystallization of gypsum and thus allows developing improved conservation methods.