A new approach for predicting the extreme response of structures

In this article a method to estimate the mean upcrossing intensity, μ(u), of a stochastic process is proposed. It is assumed that the stochastic process is a sum of a Gaussian process and a second-order correction term. The method is based on the two-dimensional Saddlepoint approximation. The accuracy of the method is tested on processes having analytical solutions for μ(u). Numerical examples are given where the stochastic process represents (i) the horizontal response of a floating offshore structure in a Gaussian sea, and (ii) the response of a structure subjected to a Gaussian wind velocity process. In addition, the estimates are compared to empirical upcrossing intensities of simulated responses. For case (ii), the obtained μ(u) estimates are compared to estimates obtained by numerical integration.     

Effect of heat treatment on tourmaline from Brazil

The crystal-chemical behaviour of tourmaline from Araçuaí, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, when subjected to heating in air atmosphere has been studied by several techniques, including EMPA, UV–Vis, TGA, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The tourmaline samples are typically intermediate members of the elbaite-schorl series. The origin of colour and of its change after treatment has been discussed in terms of local disorder, presence of metal transition elements, oxidation of ferrous iron at the octahedral site, and simultaneous trap of the excess electron. These findings may be used to enhance the colour in tourmaline crystals or generate wanted colour changes.     

Similarity solutions for wedge-shaped hydraulic fractures driven into a permeable medium by a constant inlet pressure

Similarity solutions are derived for wedge-shaped hydraulic fractures driven by a constant inlet pressure P₀ into a permeable medium under a uniform confining stress σ. These results describe the seepage-dominated regime in which most of the injected fluid is lost into the permeable walls of the fracture; they complement previous results for the capacitance-dominated regime in which seepage is negligible. Fracture propagation velocity is obtained as an analytical function of fracture length, driving pressure, confining stress, material properties and a single separation constant or eigenvalue which is determined numerically. Self-similar profiles of pressure, opening displacement and fluid velocity along the fracture are presented, together with the self-similar isobars of the two-dimensional pressure field within the permeable medium. Comprehensive results are reported for laminar or turbulent flow of a constant-compressibility liquid or an ideal gas driven by overpressures (P₀?σ)/σ ranging from 10^?2 to 10².     

An integral method for predicting hydraulic fracture propagation driven by gases or liquids

Hydraulic fracture propagation is predicted by a general numerical procedure which satisfies the transport equations in a global or integral sense over the entire fracture and over a small control volume near the leading edge. At each discrete time step the pressure distribution is selected from a four-parameter family of profiles such that the stress intensity is equal to the critical value at the tip of the fracture and the integral equations are satisfied. Comparisons with previous analytical and, numerical solutions indicate accuracy within 10 per cent for a variety of test problems include wedge-shaped and envelope-shaped fractures, laminar and turbulent flows, incompressible liquids and ideal gases, permeable and impermeable media, prescribed inlet pressure and prescribed flow rates. CPU time is typically a few seconds for a tenfold increase in fracture length. The method has been applied to explosively driven and propellant-driven gas fracturing problems as well as the traditional pump-driven hydraulic fracturing problem.     

Distribution of n-alkanes in lacustrine sediments from subtropical lake in Brazil

The geochemical composition of lake bed sediments of a tropical reservoir in Brazil have been investigated. The C, N, P composition showed almost no variation between the different sampling points. All samples contained inorganic phosphorus (IP) ranging from 52 to 70%. The Redfield ratios show that the lake is without significant anthropogenic inputs. Most of the organic matter is composed by higher plants decomposition revealed in the total organic carbon (TOC):nitrogen (N) ratio ranging from 15.4 to 57.2. Also, TOC:organic phosphorus (OP) ranged from 265.3 to 933.6, suggesting that most of the organic matter has terrestrial origin from wood plants. The ratios suggest that most organic matter is influenced by the terrestrial characteristics of the watershed. Furthermore, the relative abundance of n-alkane homologues in the sediments was investigated. All samples have been analyzed for the n-alkanes C₈ to C₄₀. The sediments were dominated by n-alkanes C₂₅–C₃₈. It is concluded that n-alkane in sediments mainly come from terrestrial plants, however there is a contribution of submerged aquatic plants, especially in those sites in deeper areas of the lake. On the basis of P_aq index the n-alkanes in sediments comes from terrestrial plants, however there is a contribution from emerged/floating plants.The investigated lake seems to be considered as meso to eutrophic. Because of the relatively high primary productivity in the lakes, there is a substantial organic-matter flux to the sediments, which rapidly becomes anoxic. According to the pristine/phytane ratio the sediments represent an anoxic environment with values found between 0.38 and 1.72.     

Analysis of water control in an underground mine under strong karst media influence (Vazante mine,Brazil)

This work presents analysis of groundwater flow conditions and groundwater control measures for Vazante underground mine located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. According to field observations, groundwater flow processes in this mine are highly influenced by the presence of karst features located in the near-surface terrain next to Santa Catarina River. The karstic features, such as caves, sinkholes, dolines and conduits, have direct contact with the aquifer and tend to increase water flow into the mine. These effects are more acute in areas under the influence of groundwater-level drawdown by pumping. Numerical analyses of this condition were carried out using the computer program FEFLOW. This program represents karstic features as one-dimensional discrete flow conduits inside a three-dimensional finite element structure representing the geologic medium following a combined discrete-continuum approach for representing the karst system. These features create preferential flow paths between the river and mine; their incorporation into the model is able to more realistically represent the hydrogeological environment of the mine surroundings. In order to mitigate the water-inflow problems, impermeabilization of the river through construction of a reinforced concrete channel was incorporated in the developed hydrogeological model. Different scenarios for channelization lengths for the most critical zones along the river were studied. Obtained results were able to compare effectiveness of different river channelization scenarios. It was also possible to determine whether the use of these impermeabilization measures would be able to reduce, in large part, the elevated costs of pumping inside the mine.     

Detecting Randomness in Spatial Point Patterns: A “Stat-Geometrical” Alternative

There are several methods to test the hypothesis of complete spatial randomness of point patterns. This work involves a new geometrical-based strategy to detect spatial arrangements, which takes into account both Euclidean and angular distances, defining a triangle-based network. An asymptotic test based on the Kolmogorov–Smirnov statistic is proposed to accommodate this situation. To assess the usefulness of this method (Stat-Geo), simulations based on Monte Carlo procedures, conducted using SPLUS, give satisfactory results with a high degree of accuracy. As expected, the new technique proposed in this paper, performs better than traditional ones like distance-based or angle-based, since more information (combining distance and angle) is introduced in the decision-making system. This approach is a very simple way to offer high efficiency results for a low computational cost. Furthermore, this alternative method allows barycentric interpolation of the unsampled points into a two-dimensional simplex (triangular) framework.     

Probability density functions for non-linear random waves and responses

Non-linear waves have been a research topic for a long time, but have not yet entered common ocean engineering practice. In this article the problem of calculating the probability density function (pdf) for non-linear waves is investigated. The ‘saddle point approximation’ is applied to a second-order wave model to estimate the pdf. The performance of the approximation is compared with the performances of the more commonly used methods for different types of input spectra. In addition, a non-parametric transformation method, with extrapolation of the level crossing intensity, is proposed to estimate the pdf. One simulation and three different data sets are used to investigate the performance of the model.     

Fluid inclusions in the Niquelândia and Barro Alto Complexes, Goias State, Brazil

Summary ?Fluid inclusions from two Mesoproterozoic, metamorphosed layered intrusive complexes, Niquelandia and Barro Alto, Goiás State, Brazil record multiple fluid influx events from the magmatic to granulitic and retrograde metamorphic stages. 1. The oldest inclusions contain high density CO₂ ± N₂ ± CH₄ and are found as primaries in plagioclase and orthopyroxene in mafic granulite with homogenization temperatures between − 48 and − 28 °C. These inclusions may correspond to the early, magmatic stage. This type was found in samples from both the Niquelandia and the Barro Alto complexes. 2. Intragranular, relatively high density CO₂ + N₂ inclusions (T_h between − 33 and − 26 °C) together with decrepitated and reequilibrated N₂ inclusions (T_h between − 160 and − 151 °C) in the rock-forming minerals can be associated with the granulite facies metamorphism. Such inclusions were found only in the Barro Alto complex. 3. Transgranular, high density, CO₂–N₂ inclusions (93% CO₂ and 7% N₂, according to Raman analysis, with T_h between − 66.6 and − 50.4 °C) as well as the low density, secondary CO₂ ± N₂ ± CH₄ inclusions (T_h between − 13.0 and + 18.7 °C) and the H₂O–NaCl–CaCl₂ hypersaline inclusions (with halite dissolution temperature between 132 and 354 °C, and T_h between 212 and 490 °C) are attributed to different fluid influx events during the retrograde metamorphism. This inclusion type can be found both in the Niquelandia and in the Barro Alto complexes. The fluid inclusion textures and compositions show several stages of fluid evolution. The fluid inclusion measurements and the geothermobarometric data indicate an anticlockwise P-T path for both the Barro Alto and the Niquelandia complexes. Received October 16, 2000; revised version accepted November 20, 2001