Movement of Heavy Metals in Soil through Preferential Flow Paths under Different Rainfall Intensities

Preferential flow in soils deserves attention due to its potential role in accelerating the movement of contaminants to groundwater. This study investigates the movement of Cd, Cu, and Pb through preferential flow paths under different applied rainfall intensities. Artificial acid rain (pH of 4.1) containing CdCl₂, CuCl₂, and Pb(NO₃)₂ was applied to undisturbed soil and repacked sand columns at low and high intensities, and leachate metals and chloride concentrations were measured. Cd was found in the leachate at both low and high rates in all columns, while the increase in Cu concentrations in the leachate was detected only at the high rate of the undisturbed columns. Pb was retained in both columns. For undisturbed columns, the breakthrough curves of Cd and Cu were similar to those of Cl, showing early initial breakthrough by preferential flow and dependency on rainfall intensities. The Cd concentrations were detected in the leachate from repacked columns for high rate rainfall, implying that even homogeneous soil may not be perfectly able to retain metals and the initially wet condition is more harmful for subsurface contaminant transport. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that, despite its highly sorptive nature, the transport of some metals may be as fast as that of a tracer under preferential flow conditions, and the rainfall intensity is a significant factor for the degree of transport.     

福建沿海边缘陆域的原地应力测量研究

通过在福建沿海边缘陆域地区活动断裂带附近进行水压致裂原地应力测量, 得到了地表浅部构造应力的大小、方向和分布特征. 根据实测的地应力资料,用库仑摩擦滑动准则分析研究了断裂带的性质和活动性. 结果表明：① 沿海岸线边缘自北向南,其最大水平主压应力方向为北西向,与测区北西向断裂带走向近于平行,与地质构造、跨断层形变测量等方法反映的主压应力方向大体一致,与震源机制解反映的主压应力方向夹角20deg;左右; ② 水平主应力值随深度增加而增大,与垂直应力值的关系为SHSVSh和SHasymp;SV Sh, 应力状态有利于走滑断层和正断层活动;③ 利用库仑摩擦滑动准则,摩擦强度取0.6～1.0分析, 断层附近的现今地应力状态达到或超过产生正断层摩擦滑动的临界值,表明测区现今构造活动以正断层为主; ④ 反映出本区现今构造应力场的力源主要来自太平洋板块向西和菲律宾板块向北西对欧亚板块的水平挤压作用.     

Decentralized robust control of building structures under seismic excitations

Many of the control algorithms proposed for structures subjected to seismic excitations are based on a centralized design philosophy, such as the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) design. The information of all the states of the system is usually required in these methods to determine the control command. For applications involving large‐scale systems, it may be more convenient to design decentralized controllers that depend only on the information of the local states for control command calculation. In this study, a nonlinear decentralized robust control algorithm is proposed. The structural system is decomposed into several artificially uncoupled subsystems. The interconnections between adjacent subsystems are treated as uncertain but bounded disturbances to the subsystems. The controller associated with one subsystem determines the control command based only on the states of the local subsystem. Numerical examples of linear and nonlinear structural models are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed controller. The traditional LQR design is used as a baseline for comparison. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Parametric study of ductile moment‐resisting steel frames: A first step towards Eurocode 8 calibration

A parametric study of 13 608 ductile moment‐resisting steel frames designed according to Eurocodes 3 and 8 is performed. A flowchart for the evaluation of the seismic‐resistant capacity of the designed frames is developed based on the N2 method. The design structural overstrength, ductility supply, plastic redistribution parameter, supply reduction factor and performance ratio of the frames are analysed. We determine that the frames have performance ratios higher than 1, mostly due to high values of design structural overstrength, showing that the seismic supply produced by the restraints of Eurocodes 3 and 8 is always higher than the seismic demand. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rainfall network design using kriging and entropy

The spatial distribution of rainfall is related to meteorological and topographical factors. An understanding of the weather and topography is required to select the locations of the rain gauge stations in the catchment to obtain the optimum information. In theory, a well‐designed rainfall network can accurately represent and provide the needed information of rainfall in the catchment. However, the available rainfall data are rarely adequate in the mountainous area of Taiwan. In order to provide enough rainfall data to assure the success of water projects, the rainfall network based on the existing rain gauge stations has to be redesigned. A method composed of kriging and entropy that can determine the optimum number and spatial distribution of rain gauge stations in catchments is proposed. Kriging as an interpolator, which performs linear averaging to reconstruct the rainfall over the catchment on the basis of the observed rainfall, is used to compute the spatial variations of rainfall. Thus, the rainfall data at the locations of the candidate rain gauge stations can be reconstructed. The information entropy reveals the rainfall information of the each rain gauge station in the catchment. By calculating the joint entropy and the transmitted information, the candidate rain gauge stations are prioritized. In addition, the saturation of rainfall information can be used to add or remove the rain gauge stations. Thus, the optimum spatial distribution and the minimum number of rain gauge stations in the network can be determined. The catchment of the Shimen Reservoir in Taiwan is used to illustrate the method. The result shows that only seven rain gauge stations are needed to provide the necessary information. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

云南地区中强地震连发及其调制比的时空展布特征

剖析并定义了云南地区1970～2001年中强地震连发,发现中强地震连发的时空展布具有空间分布按一定方向有规律迁移,时间分布集中于5～11个月的特点。利用小震调制比分析云南地区中强地震连发的孕震演变,结果发现小震调制比的异常特性：空间上中强震连发前2～0．5a的时段内小震调制比出现8个平方度以上的异常面积元,异常面积元集中的地区为未来中强震连发的主体区域,时间上中强震连发前1～3a出现小震调制比R。的高值异常。并用花岗岩块体受压实验结果初步探讨了中强地震连发及其调制比时空展布特征的构造活动。     

高分辨率Radon变换方法及其在地震信号处理中的应用

Radon变换方法在地震资料处理中广泛采用,在地震同相轴识别和估计方面具有良好效果．无论是倾斜叠加,还是广义Radon变换方法,一般采用最小二乘反演方法实现．目前,在提高反演算法的效率和分辨率方面仍值得研究．本文从倾斜叠加的定义出发,阐明Radon变换分辨率问题的来源和解决办法．采用最小二乘反演方法研究高分辨率抛物线Radon变换和双曲Radon变换时,给出稀疏约束预条件共轭梯度法求解的高分辨率Radon变换的实现方法,同阻尼最小二乘方法相比,分辨率和精度明显提高,文中给出了模型算例．根据有效波和多次波NMO后剩余时差不同,采用高分辨率抛物线和双曲Radon变换可以压制多次波,分别给出了方法原理,最后给出应用实例．研究表明,稀疏约束预条件共轭梯度法可以有效实现高分辨率Radon变换;数值算例表明,算法计算效率和精度较高,可以更好地实现多次波压制．     

Pedogenic factors affecting magnetic susceptibility of the last interglacial palaeosol S1 in the Chinese Loess Plateau

The magnetic susceptibility has been used as a quantitative or semi‐quantitative proxy for reconstructing the summer monsoon intensity in the Chinese Loess Plateau based on extensive studies on climatic or/and environmental mechanisms producing the magnetic susceptibility signatures. However, the precise nature of the link between past climates and the susceptibility signatures has remained uncertain primarily due to lack of our understanding in the ?nalizing and preserving processes of the signatures. This paper attempts to examine the reliability or acceptability of this summer monsoon proxy from non‐magnetic perspectives of soil‐forming processes. We chose nine sections along two transects: one across the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau and another across the eastern part. Several conclusions can be drawn from our analytical data. First, clay translocation within the S1 palaeosol pro?les, as indicated by ?eld‐observed clay coatings on ped faces in Bt and Bk horizons and demonstrated by laboratory‐analysed clay contents, must have moved some of the magnetic minerals downward so that the susceptibility re?ects only the post‐translocation distribution of the magnetic‐susceptibility‐producing minerals. Second, the best‐developed palaeosol S1S3 at most of the sections studied is not expressed by the magnetic susceptibility because this palaeosol developed in underlying coarse loess (L2) and coarse textures tend to lower the susceptibility. Third, carbonate concentration is normally negatively correlated with the magnetic susceptibility or simply suppresses the magnetic susceptibility peak when the susceptibility enhancement exceeds the carbonate dilution effect. To conclude, extreme caution must be observed when using magnetic susceptibility signatures to retrieve high‐resolution records of the last interglacial palaeoclimate in the Chinese Loess Plateau. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic structural control using an electric servomotor active mass driver system

This study investigates an electric‐type active mass driver (AMD) system for structural vibration control. Composed primarily of an electric servomotor and a ball screw, the electrical AMD system is free from noise problems, oil leakage, and labor‐intensive maintenance that commonly are associated with hydraulic AMD systems. The desired stroke amplification of the mass and the power demand of the servomotor can be adjusted via the ball screw pitch, which in turn affects the effectiveness and efficiency of the system. Meanwhile, an instantaneous optimal direct output feedback control algorithm is adopted. Numerical simulation is performed using a five‐story steel frame as the object structure under the conditions of the 1940 El Centro earthquake. The AMD system proves to be effective and efficient within a certain range of the ball screw pitch. The reductions of the peak responses can reach as high as 70% if properly designed. Requiring only the velocity measurement of the top floor for on‐line feedback control, the proposed control algorithm is recommended for practical implementation. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.