颗粒级配及初始干密度对路基翻浆冒泥特性的影响

重载铁路路基翻浆冒泥病害广泛存在且危害性极大,严重影响了轨道的稳定性和列车运行的安全性。铁路路基土体性质,如颗粒级配、孔隙比等对列车荷载作用下路基翻浆冒泥特性有显著的影响。利用自主研发的试验模型对粉质黏土与不同含量高岭土重塑试样进行翻浆冒泥试验,研究了不同颗粒级配（高岭土含量）、不同初始干密度（孔隙比）对循环荷载作用下试样的轴向应变、超孔隙水压力以及细颗粒迁移特性的影响。研究结果表明：随着高岭土含量以及初始干密度的增加,动荷载作用下试样产生的轴向应变、超孔隙水压力均减小,细颗粒迁移的平均高度降低,路基翻浆冒泥的程度减轻。通过试验发现,动荷载作用下试样内部的超孔隙水压力梯度是驱动路基土体细颗粒迁移的主导因素,试样产生的夹层对路基翻浆冒泥病害的发展具有一定的促进作用。     

Fundamental aspects of prolonged electrokinetic flows in kaolinites

Electrokinetic flows include the migration of fluid, chemicals, fine particles, bacteria, and electrons through a soil–fluid–chemical system driven by an externally applied direct-current (d.c.) electric field. The promising potential of electrokinetic remediation of contaminated fine-grained soils has stimulated recent interest in the study of electrokinetic flow processes, in particular the impact of a prolonged application of a d.c. electric field on fine-grained soils. The results of a bench-scale laboratory experimental investigation on some of the fundamental aspects of prolonged electrokinetic flows in kaolinites, including gas generation rates at power electrodes, electrochemical behaviour of the soil–fluid–chemical system, time variation of electric current intensity flowing through the soil, pH gradient development in the soil, effects of reservoir chemistry on electro-osmotic fluid volume flow rate and flow direction through the soil, time variation of electro-osmotic volume flow rate, and energy requirements per unit volume of fluid transported, are presented in this paper. Effects of soil type and pore fluid chemistry on these aspects were also studied.     

考虑钙质砂细观颗粒形状影响的液体拖曳力系数试验

钙质砂作为南海岛礁填筑常用的岩土材料,其渗透性很大程度上决定着填筑后土体的固结和沉降。拖曳力系数是表达流体对土体颗粒表面力的参数,也是表征颗粒状土体渗透能力的一个重要参数,目前国内外对钙质砂拖曳力系数的研究十分有限。首先引入一个修正的三维参数 对钙质砂这种天然非规则颗粒材料的形状进行定量描述,然后开展一系列单个钙质砂颗粒在液体中沉降试验,利用高速相机记录颗粒沉降过程,结合图像处理技术获得颗粒沉降平衡速度Ut,进而计算出拖曳力系数CD和雷诺数Re,最后拟合出包含CD、Re及 三个参数的钙质砂拖曳力系数半经验模型。结果发现,在相同雷诺数条件下钙质砂的形状系数 越大,拖曳力系数越小。通过与其他研究结果对比发现,其表面微孔隙越发育,拖曳力系数越小的规律。该模型能够考虑不规则颗粒形状对拖曳力系数的影响,从而提高对土体渗透性预测的精度,对南海岛礁填筑工程中钙质砂固结和沉降的计算也具有重要意义。     

Three-dimensional DEM modeling of the stress–strain behavior for the gap-graded soils subjected to internal erosion

In this work, 3D discrete element method modeling of drained shearing tests with gap-graded soils after internal erosion is carried out based on published experimental results. The erosion in the model is achieved by randomly deleting fine particles, mimicking the salt dissolving process in the experiments. The present model successfully simulates the stress–strain behavior of the physical test by employing the roll resistance and lateral membrane. The case without erosion shows a strain-softening and dilative response, while strain-hardening and contractive response starts to occur as the degree of erosion increases. The dilative to contractive transition is mainly caused by the increase in void ratio due to the loss of fine particles. The change from dilative behavior to contractive behavior is more abrupt for the specimen with larger fine particle percentage because the soil skeleton is mainly controlled by the fine particles instead of by the coarse soil particles. The transition from “fines in sand” to “sand in fines” might be associated with the rapid increasing in the contacts associated with fine particles in the specimen as the percentage of fine content increases. The erosion scenario based on the hydraulic gradient is also modeled by deleting the fine particles based on the ranking of the contact force. Compared with the scenario based on random deletion, the remaining fine particles for the erosion scenario based on the ranking of contact force are more dispersedly distributed, which might benefit the small strain stiffness but result in a smaller strength. This work provides some insights for better understanding the mechanism behind the internal erosion and the associated stress–strain behavior of soil. The gradient of the critical state line increases with more loss of fine particles denoting that the fine particles are helpful for holding the structure of the soils from larger deformation.

     

含细粒砂土反常剪切行为的数值模拟研究

针对含细颗粒砂土的反常剪切行为,开展了双轴剪切试验的数值模拟,从宏细观角度分析了其反常剪切行为发生的内在机制。数值模拟结果表明,增加围压能提高含细颗粒砂土的抗剪切液化能力,该反常行为的根本原因在于围压上升使得粗细颗粒更有效地参与了力链传递,增加了颗粒间的接触,增强了土体的密实度。细颗粒在土骨架中的移动对砂土的液化起着至关重要的作用,而粗颗粒仅起次要作用。研究表明,细颗粒在剪切过程中会持续从有效土骨架中移出成为无效颗粒,而部分粗颗粒也因失去细颗粒的支撑作用会脱离土骨架,直至试样最终液化。细颗粒一般参与土骨架中的弱力链,而粗颗粒则一般参与强力链,导致细颗粒较粗颗粒更容易在土骨架中移动。     

细粒含量对冰碛土抗剪强度影响的实验研究

为研究细粒组颗粒在浸水/降雨条件下产生迁移对冰碛土抗剪强度的影响,从西藏林芝市帕隆藏布嘎隆寺沟流域内采取冰碛土样品,进行7种不同细粒（粒径小于2 mm）含量情况下的冰碛土比重和相对密度的测试,开展了不同围压下的大型饱和固结不排水三轴（CU）实验。结果表明：（1）细粒含量对干密度的影响较小,不同细粒含量的冰碛土孔隙比大致相同,细颗粒对孔隙具有改造作用,不同细粒含量会引起孔隙结构的差异,从而导致冰碛土的结构差异,最终导致抗剪强度的不同;（2）细颗粒迁移导致冰碛堤坡脚和内部一定深度细粒含量较高,达到一定的量值时,抗剪强度明显降低,冰碛堤容易发生剪切破坏;（3）细粒含量对抗剪强度参数的变化具有重要影响,从中还可以反映出冰碛土结构控制的变化：粗颗粒控制→粗细颗粒共同控制→细颗粒控制。研究结果对于评价冰碛堤的稳定性具有重要意义。     

Quantitative analysis of piping erosion micro-mechanisms with coupled CFD and DEM method

Piping, as one of the critical patterns of internal erosion, has been reported as a major cause for failures of embankment dams and levees. The fundamental mechanism of piping was traditionally investigated through experimental trials and simplified theoretical methods in macroscale. Nevertheless, the initiation and progressive evolution of piping is a microscale phenomenon in its essence. The current understanding of the micro-mechanism of piping erosion is limited due to a lack of quantitative analysis and visualized evidence. And in fact, seepage flows can affect the soil fabrics and the development of contact forces between particles. But how these fabrics and contact forces evolve under a critical hydraulic gradient is still not fully understood. In this paper, the detailed process of piping erosion is investigated by using a coupled computational fluid dynamics and discrete element method (CFD–DEM) approach. The treatment of soil–flow interactions in CFD–DEM is explained by exchanging the momentum between the two phases. During the simulation, the piping erosion process is initiated by incrementally ascending differential water head across the soil samples. The three main stages of piping erosion (initial movement, continuation of erosion and total heave) can be identified from monitoring the particle velocity and positions. In addition, the evolution of contact force, hydraulic force, coordination number and void fraction is inspected to provide insight into the micro-mechanism of piping erosion. Two cases are simulated, one with a uniform particle size and a relatively uniform porosity distribution and the other with specific particle size and porosity distributions. An interesting finding from this study is that piping does not always initiate from the free surface and the evolution of piping depends heavily on the particle size and porosity distribution.     

Experimental investigation of fine sediment deposition using particle image velocimetry

In order to create natural and healthy water ecosystems, the impact of hydrological processes in ponds must be identified. Pond structure may affect water quality in many ways. The present study provides a novel insight into some of the hydrological processes as well as how to employ retentions to enhance storm water detention and manage discharge. In this research, particle image velocimetry is utilized to study the two-dimensional collecting efficiency of fine sediments by retention structures with a range of hydraulic features. To examine the hydrodynamic behavior of water mixed with fine particles, a sediment basin was designed. Fluorescent polymer particles (1–50 μm) were subsequently added to this fluid mix. This study demonstrates that gravitational force increases fine particle settlement by over 50% at greater depths. The optimum collecting efficiency of sediments at the water surface was found to be around 80%. It was also determined that flow rate and particle size are directly correlated and that inlets and outlets at higher levels impede fine particle dispersion in the water column. For these reasons, it seems that adjusting the hydraulic parameters may diminish siltation.     

颗粒迁移作用下宽级配土渗透性研究

宽级配土作为堆积层滑坡的主要物源,其渗透性研究是开展降雨型堆积层滑坡机制研究的前提和基础。宽级配土的渗透是一个包括水分运移和土体细颗粒迁移的复杂过程,但在研究其渗透性时通常只考虑了水分的运移而忽略了细颗粒的迁移。为此,采用自制大型渗透仪对3组不同D15/d85值(D15为粗粒组中小于该粒径的颗粒质量分数为15%的粒径;d85为细粒组中小于该粒径的颗粒质量分数为85%的粒径)的土样进行了饱和渗流试验,研究了宽级配土的水分运移特征和细颗粒迁移规律。研究结果表明:D15/d85值对宽级配土的渗透系数和细颗粒迁移有重要影响,D15/d85值越小,则土体渗透系数越小,细颗粒不易发生迁移;D15/d85值越大,渗透系数越大,试验过程中渗透系数变化越剧烈,迁出细颗粒的量也更大。根据渗透系数的变化也可判定土体内部细颗粒的运动情况,据此提出了3种宽级配土颗粒迁移模式。该研究成果加深了对宽级配土渗透特性的认识,为完善降雨型堆积层滑坡机制研究提供了新思路。     

Analysis of water seepage in a pavement system using the particulate approach

A particulate model has been developed to analyze the effects of transient and steady state seepage of water through a randomly-packed coarse-grained soil as an alternative to conventional seepage analysis based on continuum models. In this model, the soil skeleton and the pore water are volumetrically coupled in the transient and steady-state conditions. The concept of relative density has been used to define different compaction levels of the soil layers forming a pavement filter system and observe the seepage response to compaction. First, Monte–Carlo simulation is used to randomly pack discrete spherical particles from a specified particle size distribution (PSD) to achieve a desired relative density based on the theoretical minimum and maximum void ratios. Then, a water pressure gradient is applied across one two-layer unit to trigger water seepage. The interstitial pore water motion is idealized using Navier–Stokes (NS) equations with provision to incorporate the drag forces acting between the pore fluid and soil particles. The NS equations are discretized using finite differences and applied to discrete elements in a staggered, structured grid. The model predicted hydraulic conductivities are validated using widely used equations.     

考虑粒组分类影响的最小孔隙比分布及模型验证

最小孔隙比是确定岩土体的密实程度与孔隙特征的有效物理指标,如何快速有效地确定岩土体的最小孔隙比,可为岩土体的固结与稳定提供可靠参数。多数估算细粗混合材料最小孔隙比的模型参数与细粗粒径比一一对应,导致估算困难。在分析尾矿粒度组成、沉积规律和固结稳定的基础上,以8种不同粗细粒径,7～9种不同细粒含量尾矿为试验对象,拟合得到不同粒组尾矿最小孔隙比分布模型参数的函数关系;基于混合尾矿颗粒的粒组特征,给出了确定参数幂函数关系的指数值。分别采用模型参数要求粒组范围内的其他6组岩土材料和非粒组范围内的3组岩土材料进行验证。结果表明,考虑粒组分类影响下的模型,参数简单,对不同材料的最小孔隙比估算准确率较高,给出的最小孔隙比的分布规律合理,可为岩土工程领域最小孔隙比估算提供可靠的计算方法。     

土工织物-非稳定土体反滤系统中滤饼的研究

在土-土工织物组成的反滤系统中,如果被保护土是非稳定土,则在渗流作用下被保护土中会有大量细粒土发生移动,很容易在织物与土层的交界面上形成一层薄滤饼,滤饼的厚度及渗透系数成为影响系统反滤效果的重要因素。根据多孔介质中的渗流与沉积理论,研究了在非稳定土体渗滤过程中,随着细粒土的迁移滤饼的厚度与织物厚度及渗透系数、外部压力等因素之间的关系,并给出了解析表达式。     

Hydro-mechanical coupled analysis of near-wellbore fines migration from unconsolidated reservoirs

Oil or gas production from unconsolidated reservoirs could be hampered by sand migration near the wellbore. This paper presents a numerical investigation of production-induced migration of fine sands towards a wellbore drilled in a gap-graded sediment. The solid–fluid interaction is simulated by coupling the discrete element method and the dynamic fluid mesh. With the merit of DEM and a dynamic mesh, the model is capable of naturally capturing particle movements and spatiotemporal variations of hydraulic properties of the sediment at the pore scale. The results show that fine particles are mobilized by radial flow under an imposed hydraulic gradient, and the increase in the hydraulic gradient causes an increase in the fines production. The microscopic pattern of sand migration is clearly visualized through the simulation. The presence of fine particles affects the process of fines migration through two competing mechanisms. Under a low fine content, fine sands mainly serve as the fines production source, and thus, fines production is enhanced as the fine content increases up to a critical value, beyond which fines production is weakened with a further increase in the fine content since the blocking effect gradually dominates. A barrier layer is likely formed during sand migration due to settling and jamming of fine sands at the throats of pores, as fine sands migrate with the radial flow towards the wellbore. This layer is helpful to slow down sand migration, while it could impede production due to reduced permeability in the affected reservoir.

     

Physical model study on the clay–sand interface without and with geotextile separator

In most marine reclamation projects, sand fill is placed directly on soft marine seabed soils. The sand particles can easily penetrate into the soft marine soils, and the soft soil can also move into the pore spaces inside the sand at the initial contact interface between the sand and the soft marine soil. In this case, the permeability and the volume of the sand above the initial surface are reduced. To avoid this problem, a geotextile separator is often placed on the surface of the soft marine soils before placing the sand. In this study, a two-dimensional physical model is utilized to study the geotextile separator effects. The initial conditions of a clayey soil, sand fill, and surcharge loading were kept the same in the physical model test with the only difference being that a geotextile separator was either placed on the clay surface or omitted. The settlements of the initial interface were recorded and compared for the two cases without or with the geotextile separator. The particle size distribution of the soils taken across the interface zone for different time durations was then measured, analyzed, and compared. Based on an analysis of the results, the sand percolation depth was 40 mm and fine particle suffusion was apparent when the sand was placed directly on the marine slurry surface without a geotextile separator. However, when a geotextile separator was used sand percolation was avoided, and the fine particle suffusion was effectively diminished. A relative fine particle fraction is defined to illustrate the migration of fine particles from the clay to the sand soils. The fine particle percentages of the Hong Kong Marine Deposits–sand mixtures were calculated for the cases with and without a geotextile separator using an empirical formula and micromechanical modeling to obtain a better understanding of the effects of geotextile separators in practice.

     

Experimental investigation of microstructural changes in soils eroded by suffusion using X-ray tomography

Internal erosion is a complex phenomenon which represents one of the main risks to the safety of earthen hydraulic structures such as embankment dams, dikes or levees. Its occurrence may cause instability and failure of these structures with consequences that can be dramatic. The specific mode of erosion by suffusion is the one characterized by seepage flow-induced erosion, and the subsequent migration of the finest soil particles through the surrounding soil matrix mostly constituted of large grains. Such a phenomenon can lead to a modification of the initial microstructure and, hence, to a change in the physical, hydraulic and mechanical properties of the soil. A direct comparison of the mechanical behaviour of soil before and after erosion is often used to investigate the impact of internal erosion on soil strength (shear strength at peak and critical state) using triaxial tests. However, the obtained results are somehow contradictory, as for instance in Chang’s study (Chang and Zhang in Geotech Test J 34(6):579–589, 2011), where it is concluded that the drained strength of eroded soil decreases compared to non-eroded soil, while both Xiao and Shwiyhat (Geotech Test J 35(6):890–900, 2012) and Ke and Takahashi (Geotech Test J 37(2):347–364, 2014) have come to the opposite conclusion. A plausible explanation of these contradictions might be attributed to the rather heterogeneous nature of the suffusion process and to the way the coarse and fine grains are rearranged afterwards leading to a heterogeneous soil structure, a point that, for now, is not taken into account, nor even mentioned, in the existing analyses. In the present study, X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) is used to follow the microstructure evolution of a granular soil during a suffusion test, and, therefore, to capture the induced microstructural changes. The images obtained from X-ray CT reveal indeed that fine particles erosion is obviously not homogeneous, highlighting the existence of preferential flow paths that lead to a heterogeneous sample in terms of fine particles, void ratio and inter-granular void ratio distribution.

     

Experimental study of particle migration under cyclic loading: effects of load frequency and load magnitude

The study of particle migration in porous media under cyclic loading is the key to understand the mechanism of mud pumping hazard in railway embankments. This paper presents a series of particle migration tests, in which soil particles migrate into an overlying gravel layer under cyclic loading. The results show that the increase in loading frequency and load magnitude leads to more particle migration upwards at a greater rate, implying that the train speed and axle loads affect the extent of mud pumping. The slurry turbidity in the gravel layer increases to a steady state value with time. Soil particles smaller than 5 μm have the potential to diffuse into the entire gravel layer, and larger particles tend to aggregate in the bottom layer of the gravel. The backward erosion gradually develops deeper into the soil layer, and there is a maximum erosion depth associated with each load frequency and load magnitude. As for the mechanism, the pore water pressure oscillates because of liquid sloshing. Its amplitude is much larger in the gravel layer than that in the soil layer due to their difference in permeability. The axial hydraulic gradient acts as a pumping effect to stimulate the migration of soil particles. Increasing load frequency is conducive to the generation of a stronger pumping effect at the gravel–soil interface. Increasing load magnitude does impact not only the extent of pumping effect, but also the development of an interlayer which plays an important role in promoting particle migration.

     

Laboratory Investigation into the Effects of Silty Fines on Liquefaction Susceptibility of Chlef (Algeria) Sandy Soils

In a number of recent case studies, the liquefaction of silty sands has been reported. To investigate the undrained shear and deformation behaviour of Chlef sand–silt mixtures, a series of monotonic and stress-controlled cyclic triaxial tests were conducted on sand encountered at the site. The aim of this laboratory investigation is to study the influence of silt contents, expressed by means of the equivalent void ratio on undrained residual shear strength of loose, medium dense and dense sand–silt mixtures under monotonic loading and liquefaction potential under cyclic loading. After an earthquake event, the prediction of the post-liquefaction strength is becoming a challenging task in order to ensure the stability of different types of earth structures. Thus, the choice of the appropriate undrained residual shear strength of silty sandy soils that are prone to liquefaction to be used in engineering practice design should be established. To achieve this, a series of undrained triaxial tests were conducted on reconstituted saturated silty sand samples with different fines contents ranging from 0 to 40 %. In all tests, the confining pressure was held constant at 100 kPa. From the experimental results obtained, it is clear that the global void ratio cannot be used as a state parameter and may not characterize the actual behaviour of the soil as well. The equivalent void ratio expressing the fine particles participation in soil strength is then introduced. A linear relationship between the undrained shear residual shear strength and the equivalent void ratio has been obtained for the studied range of the fines contents. Cyclic test results confirm that the increase in the equivalent void ratio and the fines content accelerates the liquefaction phenomenon for the studied stress ratio and the liquefaction resistance decreases with the increase in either the equivalent void ratio or the loading amplitude level. These cyclic tests results confirm the obtained monotonic tests results.     

Effect of Shear Deformation on Microfabric of Clay Using XRD Technique

The present paper deals with the impact of shear deformation on the geometric arrangement of particles within the soil specimen, which is termed as the microfabric of soil. A series of compression and extension lubricated end triaxial tests are performed on cylindrical specimens of Kaolinite clay with two extreme microfabrics; dispersed and flocculated, which are obtained using slurry consolidation technique. Flocculated microfabric has random orientation of particles within the soil mass having face-to-edge particle contacts; however, dispersed microfabric has parallel orientation of particles containing face-to-face particle contacts. When the specimen is subjected to large stress levels during its shear deformation, the particle orientation and the geometric arrangement within the soil specimen gets affected due to the force acting on the clay platelets. The variation in microfabric of soil before and after shear deformation process is evaluated by obtaining X-ray diffraction patterns of the clay specimen at three different locations using standard X-ray diffractometer. The discussion includes an analysis of the orientation of soil particles located at shear banding zones of the clay specimens, which may be useful for understanding the strain localization development in clays.     

颗粒级配与孔隙比对粗粒土渗透系数的影响

颗粒级配、孔隙比是决定粗粒土渗透系数的关键因素。收集并整理得到93组粗粒土全级配（d10~d100）、孔隙比数据,采用遗传算法(genetic algorithm,GA)优化的BP(back propagation)神经网络分析和预测粗粒土渗透系数,通过平均影响值法和试验验证,评价各级配粒径对渗透系数的影响大小,探讨孔隙比对粗粒土渗透系数的影响。结果表明:d50为界限粒径,在其他粒径不变,若增大d50及以下粒径,渗透系数就增大,而增大d50以上粒径,渗透系数减小;d50及以下粒径的“细颗粒”对渗透系数的影响大于d50以上粒径的“粗颗粒”;按相对权重,d20、d80、d40属于高敏感度粒径,d10、d50、d100、d70为中敏感度粒径,d30、d90、d60为低敏感度粒径。孔隙比对渗透系数的影响大于任一特征粒径,渗透系数与孔隙比呈正相关关系;相同颗粒级配的粗粒土,随孔隙比变化可使渗透系数产生数量级跨越。采用GA-BP神经网络方法,由全级配和孔隙比能较好地预测粗粒土渗透系数。