Study on the Instability Mechanisms and Monitoring Control of Stratified Rock Slope with Water-Rich Strata

Water is one of the leading factors in the sliding geological disasters of rock slope, and the harm of fissure water to slope rock mass more and more becomes one of the hotspot research problems in transportation infrastructure construction in mountainous area. Based on the current research status quo of effect of fissure water on rock mass, the interaction mechanisms of water and rock in stratified rock slope were analyzed by related theories such as rock mass mechanics, fluid mechanics and soil mechanics including softening dissolution, scour hole enlargement and padding effective stress, and the influence of water–rock interaction on slope sliding disasters. Then, the influence of rainfall on the displacement field distribution of slope was analyzed during one year of monitoring a typical,natural slope in the Sichuan–Chongqing region. Observations include surface displacement, deep displacement, water level and rainfall. Finally, a targeted reinforced disposal scheme was proposed that considered the rainfall effect. The results provide reference for the instability theory and treatment measures for a high-risk stratified slope.     

Evolution of In Situ Rock Mass Damage Induced by Mechanical–Thermal Loading

To understand and predict the in situ brittle rock mass damage process induced by a coupled thermo-mechanical loading, the knowledge of rock mass yielding strength, scaling relationship between laboratory and in situ and microstructure characterization is required. Difficulties have been recognized due to the seldom availability of in situ experiment and appropriate numerical methodologies. The Äspö Pillar Stability Experiment was used to monitor the evolution of rock mass damage in a pillar of rock separating two 1.75-m diameter vertical boreholes. The loading of the pillar was controlled using the in situ stresses, excavation geometry, and locally increasing the rock temperature. The induced loading resulted in a complex discontinuum process that involved fracture initiation, propagation, interaction and buckling, all dominated by a tensile mechanism. Tracking this damage process was carried out in two steps. Initially, a three-dimensional numerical model was used to generate the stresses from the excavation geometry and thermal loading. The plane strain stresses, at selected locations where detailed displacement monitoring was available, were then used to track the evolution of damage caused by these induced stresses. The grain-based discrete element modeling approach described in Lan et al. (2010), which captures the grain scale heterogeneity of the rock, was used to establish the extent of damage. Good agreement was found between the predicted and measured temperatures and displacements. The grain-based model provided new insights into the progressive failure process.     

Groundwater Behaviour in Layered Slope Rock Mass And Finite Element Simulation

The paper deals with the relatively weak permeable layer in a layered structure of a slope rock mass and itseffect on groundwater behaviour in the rock mass. When the whole groundwater table is declined in such typeof slope rock mass, the permeability of the relatively weak permeable layer in the middle will be several timeslower than that of the upper and lower permeable layers and consequently the water level in layers of differentpermeability will fall in different rates which will lead to a discontinuous phenomenon of the water body. Amethod of finite element simulation on a vertical two-dimensional profile is suggested for the study of the phe-nomenon and its application to practical situation is described. The calculation result shows that the existingweak permeable layer in a layered slope rock mass exerts unnegligible influence on the variation of water levelin the rock mass of a slope. The result also proves the applicability of the finite element simulation method.     

Subsurface Airflow Induced by Natural Forcings

Subsurface airflow can be induced by natural processes,such as atmospheric or barometric pressure changes, water table fluctuations,topographic effects,and rainfall infiltration．Barometric pressure fluctuations are the most common cause of subsurface airflow,which can be significant under favourable geological conditions．This process has been studied most extensively because of its application to passive soil vapor extraction．Soil airflow induced by water table fluctuations can be significant,particularly where the fluctuations are of high frequency,for example,in tidal-influenced coastal areas．Top-ographic effects can lead to strong subsoil airflow in areas with great elevation differences．Rainfall infiltration usually produces only weak airflow.Air flow induced by these natural processes has important environmental and engineering implications．Among the different processes,airflow induced by tidal fluctuations has been studied the least,although it has exciting applications to coastal engineering projects and environmental remediation．     

Research on Slope Movement and Landslide by Methods of Analytical Geomechanics

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Identifying the Representative Elementary Volume for Permeability in Heterolithic Deposits Using Numerical Rock Models

Using a range of realistic 3D numerical lithofacies (dm-scale) models of ripple laminated sandstone intercalated with mudstone we evaluate how single-phase permeability varies as a function of sample support. The models represent a range of mudstone content which is typical for tidal deposits. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of flow barriers (i.e. mudstone) is not random, but governed by sedimentological rules giving a variable anisotropy ratio as a function of mudstone content. Both vertical and horizontal permeability are found to vary at small sample volumes, but these fluctuations reduce as the sample volume increases. The vertical permeability increases while the horizontal permeability is nearly constant as a function of sample support for small mudstone contents. For higher mudstone content, the horizontal permeability decreases while the vertical permeability is nearly constant as a function of sample support. We propose a criterion, based on a normalised standard deviation, to determine the Representative Elementary Volume (REV). The size of the REV is dependent on both the property measured (vertical and horizontal permeability) and the correlation lengths of the lithological elements (i.e. lithofacies). Based on this we identify three flow upscaling regimes that each require a different method for upscaling: (1) layered systems where the arithmetic and harmonic averages are appropriate, (2) systems close to the percolation threshold where a percolation model should be used, and (3) discontinuous systems where an effective medium method provides the best estimate of permeability. The work gives, by using numerical experiments on a range of heterogeneous systems, a new insight in determination of the REV for permeability at the lithofacies scale and its relation to sedimentological parameters.     

Anisotropic Scaling Models of Rock Density and the Earth’s Surface Gravity Field

In this paper we consider an anisotropic scaling approach to understanding rock density and surface gravity which naturally accounts for wide range variability and anomalies at all scales. This approach is empirically justified by the growing body of evidence that geophysical fields including topography and density are scaling over wide range ranges. Theoretically it is justified, since scale invariance is a (geo)dynamical symmetry principle which is expected to hold in the absence of symmetry breaking mechanisms. Unfortunately, to date most scaling approaches have been self-similar, i.e., they have assumed not only scale invariant but also isotropic dynamics. In contrast, most nonscaling approaches recognize the anisotropy (e.g., the strata), but implicitly assume that the latter is independent of scale. In this paper, we argue that the dynamics are scaling but highly anisotropic, i.e., with scale dependent differential anisotropy. By using empirical density statistics in the crust and a statistical theory of high Prandtl number convection in the mantle, we argue that is a reasonable model for the 3-D spectrum (K is the horizontal wavevector and K is its modulus, k _z is a vertical wavenumber), (s,H _z ) are fundamental exponents which we estimate as (5.3,3), (3,3) in the crust and mantle, respectively. We theoretically derive expressions for the corresponding surface gravity spectrum. For scales smaller than ≈100 km, the anisotropic crust model of the density (with flat top and bottom) using empirically determined vertical and horizontal density spectra is sufficient to explain the (Bouguer) g _z spectra. However, the crust thickness is highly variable and the crust-mantle density contrast is very large. By considering isostatic equilibrium, and using global gravity and topography data, we show that this thickness variability is the dominant contribution to the surface g _z spectrum over the range ≈100–1000 km. Using estimates of mantle properties (viscosity, thermal conductivity, thermal expansion coefficient, etc.), we show that the mantle contribution to the mean spectrum is strongest at ≈1000 km and is comparable to the variable crust thickness contribution. Overall, we produce a model which is compatible with both the observed (horizontal and vertical) density heterogeneity and surface gravity anomaly statistics over a range of meters to several thousand kilometers.     

Functional Methods for Classification of Different Petrographic Varieties by Means of Reflectance Spectra

The need for improved product quality in the aggregates industry is driving the search for greater automation in rock type identification. In practice, reflectance spectra in visible and near-infrared light may reliably be used for the classification of rock classes and their variants. Previous studies introduced statistical classification of six rock variants by means of infrared spectra. The present investigation extends these studies to cover twelve rock types and variants of worldwide economic importance. These were measured by visible and near-infrared light. Statistical classification of these spectra is highly challenging due to the high number of groups and the high dimensionality of the data. In functional data analysis, spectra are regarded as curves instead of vectors of characteristics. To obtain a compact form that is more susceptible to further analysis, the spectra are represented by a B-spline basis. Two functional versions of linear support vector machines and penalized functional discriminant analysis are considered for classification. The multiclass problem is addressed by margin trees and by considering all one-against-one classifications combined with a voting strategy for testing. Since classification error estimated by 5-fold cross-validation is very low, in particular for penalized discriminant analysis, we conclude that the rock types can be classified reliably.     

Applicability of Statistical Learning Algorithms for Spatial Variability of Rock Depth

Two algorithms are outlined, each of which has interesting features for modeling of spatial variability of rock depth. In this paper, reduced level of rock at Bangalore, India, is arrived from the 652 boreholes data in the area covering 220 sq⋅km. Support vector machine (SVM) and relevance vector machine (RVM) have been utilized to predict the reduced level of rock in the subsurface of Bangalore and to study the spatial variability of the rock depth. The support vector machine (SVM) that is firmly based on the theory of statistical learning theory uses regression technique by introducing ε-insensitive loss function has been adopted. RVM is a probabilistic model similar to the widespread SVM, but where the training takes place in a Bayesian framework. Prediction results show the ability of learning machine to build accurate models for spatial variability of rock depth with strong predictive capabilities. The paper also highlights the capability of RVM over the SVM model.     

Genetic Programming Approach for Predicting Surface Subsidence Induced by Mining

INTRODUCTIONThe study of surface subsidence resulting fromunderground mining holds significance in view ofbeneficial effects on national economy and people’sliving conditions.As is known,a large quantity ofminerals need to be exploited for modernization con-struction.Mining leads to surface subsidence,someunderground engineering and production facilities aredestroyed accordingly,which blocks the developmentof production and retards people’s living standard.To solve this contradiction,su…     

Relationship Between the Geometric Parameters of Rock Fractures,the Size of Percolation Clusters and REV

Modeling fractured rocks with numerical methods requires some derived parameters, among which the fracture network connectivity and the size of the representative elementary volume (REV) are both of crucial importance. Percolation and REV analyses were made by the RepSim code. The program uses input parameters such as fractal dimension of the fracture midpoints (D _c), length exponent (E) and relative dip (α ^r) data. For percolation analysis, the relative sizes of the largest percolation clusters have been calculated by stochastic realizations of the simulated fracture networks with different parameter triplets. Furthermore, fracture networks can be classified into three major types on the basis of their (E,D _c,α ^r) parameters. For the REV calculations, the porosity of the generated fracture network was calculated. The derived REV size of a fracture network depends essentially on input parameters and shows a decreasing tendency with increasing D and E and vice versa. The method mentioned above was tested on both metamorphic samples of the Pannonian Basin and Variscan granitoid rocks of the Mórágy Complex. Percolation values predicted for the Mórágy granite are highly sensitive to alterations in the input parameters. The amphibolite bodies displayed a modeled fracture network with 80 to 90% of all fractures being interconnected, while the largest achievable percolation cluster size of gneiss is less than 10%. The REV size of the amphibolite is about 20 m as a result of connected fractures filling the whole body, while gneiss has lower porosity and higher REV (approximately 70 m).     

Large wood transport modelling by a coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian approach

The paper discusses a model which predicts the trajectory of floating rigid bodies and may be applied to compute the motion of woody “debris” mobilized during floods. The model couples a Discrete Element (DE) Lagrangian approach for the calculation of motion of rigid bodies with the Eulerian solution of the shallow water equations (SWE), in order to simulate the transport of a cylinder in a two-dimensional stream. It differs from existing models since it is based on a dynamic approach, adapting the Basset–Boussinesq–Oseen equation. In a first step, forces are computed from flow and log velocities; then, the equations of dynamics are solved to model the planar roto-translation of the body. Model results and physical reliability are clearly affected by the values of the drag and side coefficients, especially since logs, modelled as cylinders, are able to change their orientation towards the flow. Experimental studies to evaluate drag and side coefficients can be found in the literature for a submerged cylinder, with various orientations. To extend such results to the case of a floating log, the authors performed a series of laboratory tests on partially submerged cylinders, implementing the outcomes in the proposed DE-SWE model. The coupled model is validated against existing laboratory data concerning spheres and wooden cylinder transport.     

Large wood transport modelling by a coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian approach

The fractal characteristics of the ultra-low-frequency (ULF) magnetic field variations recorded prior to the Tohoku earthquake (EQ) with M _W = 9 which happened on 11 March 2011 are studied in this article with the use of detrended fluctuation analysis and Higuchi fractal dimension algorithm. In the specific study, we use for our calculations only nighttime (LT = 3 a.m. ± 2 h) data because of their lowest contamination by industrial noise. A key aspect of our analysis is the investigation about any possible correlation of the ULF magnetic field variations or their calculated fractal characteristics with geomagnetic indices. Different preprocessing approaches are examined aiming at the minimization of any possible influences from global phenomena in the fractal analysis results, while in the same time retaining the scale-invariant character of ULF magnetic field variations after preprocessing. The obtained fractal analysis results imply locally driven change in the fractal characteristics of the ULF data prior to the Tohoku EQ, which is compatible with the change that has been reported prior to other large EQs.     

The Effects of Water Content and Dry–Wet Cycles of Weak‐Interlayer Soil on Stability of Clastic Rock Slope

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - The goal of this paper was to study the effect of water content change of weak interlayer soil on the stability of clastic rock slope. Direct shear tests...     

Microwave Induced Catalytic Oxidation of Methylene Blue in Water by ε-MnO_2

Microwave induced catalytic oxidation has been an important mean for treating high-concentration organic pollutants. Microwave catalyst is the key factor of the pollutants removal efficiency. Manganese oxides are excellent microwave absorbing materials which may play a potential role in treating organic pollutants by microwave induction. Manganese oxides are mainly constituted by [MnO6] octohedra connected to form framework or layered structures, and are usually classified into pyrolusite-ramsdellite family with (1×n) tunnel structure, hollandite-romanechite family with (2×n) tunnel structure, todorokite family with (3×n) tunnel structure and birnessite family with (1×∞) layered structure respectively. However, previous studies focused on the catalytic degradation efficiency or process conditions, lack of discussion on the related mechanism and few studies involved in the structural details of the catalysts.     

Quantitative Tectonic Markers of Large Coastal Earthquakes in Fujian, Guangdong, Taiwan and Hainan——with a Discussion of Qualitative Indicators

This paper expounds the quantitative tectonic indicators and some qualitative indicators of large earthquakes in the coast areas of Fujian, Guangdong, Taiwan and Hainan. The main quantitative indicators include uplift amplitude of the Moho, Quaternary and Late Holocene coasts. The paper also gives a brief account of the research method on quantitative indicators of surface uplifted zones. Taiwan is a famous neotectonic zone and an area of large earthquakes in the world. There is only one large-earthquake area in each of Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan Provinces. Along the coast large earthquake areas there are certainly many remains of crustal activity. Among these remains, coast activity, taking the sea level as the accurate marker horizon, can determine not only the amplitude of coastal elevation and subsidence in a certain period, but also the cycle and rate of positive or negative movements.