Discussion: A review on the behaviour of helical piles as a potential offshore foundation system

Abstract

Helical piles have emerged as an attractive foundation system for offshore applications with renewed interest from the offshore community. Significant research gap currently exists in transferring this technology offshore and this paper discusses how existing and emerging knowledge can be successfully used to bridge some of the gaps. We focus on the Coupled Eulerian Lagrangian (CEL) large deformation finite element (LDFE) modelling technique that is commercially available and can be used to model the three-dimensional installation process with consideration of strain rate and softening effects in soft offshore clays. A helical pile of L?=?7.5?m long is modelled with one or two large-diameter helices (D?=?2?m) attached to a central shaft of d?=?0.5?m in diameter.The net effect of strain rate and softening is to increase the installation torque. The measured torque is within the range of 200–400?kN.m for the offshore clay and the pile geometry studied. Additional helices increase the uplift force but to a lesser degree than that of the measured torque. Remoulding induced strength reduction is found to be within the range of 25–33% of the intact clay strength. Issues of extracting and reusing offshore helical pile foundations are discussed.     

Methane-dominated thermochemical sulphate reduction in the Triassic Feixianguan Formation East Sichuan Basin, China: towards prediction of fatal H2S concentrations

New sour pools have recently found in the Lower Triassic Feixianguan Fm carbonate reservoirs in the East Sichuan Basin in China with H₂S up to 17.4% by volume. A recent blowout from a well drilled into this formation killed hundreds of people as a result of the percentage concentrations of H₂S. In order to assess the origin of fatal H₂S as well as the cause of petroleum alteration, H₂S concentrations and the isotopes, δ³⁴S and δ¹³C have been collected and measured in gas samples from reservoirs. Anhydrite, pyrite and elemental sulphur δ³⁴S values have been measured for comparison. The high concentrations of H₂S gas are found to occur at depths >3000 m (temperature now at 100 °C) in evaporated platform facies oolitic dolomite or limestone that contains anhydrite nodule occurrence within the reservoirs. Where H₂S concentrations are greater than 10% its δ³⁴S values lie between +12.0 and +13.2‰ CDT. This is within the range of anhydrite δ³⁴S values found within the Feixianguan Fm (+11.0 to +21.7‰; average 15.5±3.5‰ CDT). Thus H₂S must have been generated by thermochemical sulphate reduction (TSR) locally within the reservoirs. Burial history analysis and fluid inclusion data reveal that the temperature at which TSR occurred was greater than about 130–140 °C, suggesting that the present depth-temperature minimum is an artifact of post-TSR uplift. Both methane and ethane were actively involved in TSR since the petroleum became almost totally dry (no alkanes except methane) and methane δ¹³C values become significantly heavier as TSR proceeded. Methane δ¹³C difference thus reflects the extent of TSR. While it is tempting to use a present-day depth control (>3000 m) to predict the distribution of H₂S in the Feixianguan Fm, this is an invalid approach since TSR occurred when the formation was buried some 1000–2000 m deeper than it is at present. The likelihood of differential uplift across the basin means that it is important to develop a basinal understanding of the thermal history of the Feixianguan Fm so that it is possible to determine which parts of the basin have been hotter than 130–140 °C.     

X60钢在CO2饱和盐水中缓蚀作用的研究

本文采用动电位极化、线性极化、电偶电流和高压釜挂片失重等法,研究了含氮、硫有机缓蚀剂和/或Me~(2+)对X60钢在CO_2饱和的盐水溶液中的缓蚀作用。结果表明,含氮、硫的有机缓蚀剂在缓蚀过程中,开始是以抑制阳极过程为主,随后是以抑制阴极过程为主的混合型缓蚀剂。如与Me~(2+)复配使用,能明显地提高缓蚀效能。     

一种基于BP算法学习的小波神经网络

为发展 Szu的基于信号表示的小波神经网络 ,提出一种多输入多输出的小波网络模型 ,网络隐层采用框架小波函数、输出层采用 Sigmoid激励函数 ,并选用“熵误差函数”以加速网络的学习速度。奇偶判别和混沌时间序列预测例子的实验结果表明了它具有良好的函数逼近能力和推广能力 ,收敛速度和均方误差均优于相同结构的多层感知器模型。     

梭鱼仔鱼耳石日轮形成及自然种群日龄的鉴定

梭鱼实验种群样本,系于1987年5月,从山东大沽河口搜集的亲鱼经人工授精后孵出的仔鱼在实验室培育取得;自然种群样本,于同年同地区采集。对于实验种群耳石生长轮形成的周期性进行了研究。结果表明,实验种群培育天数(D)与耳石生长轮数(N)之间的关系以回归式N=D-1.89表达之;根据实验种群耳石轮纹形成的周期性规律,鉴定了自然种群的日龄,表明二者具相似的周期性规律;协方差分析表明,梭鱼早期阶段的生长,自然种群比实验种群快。     

DGPS RTK技术在无验潮水下地形测量中的应用初探

本文简要介绍了DGPS RTK技术的基本原理和作业流程，阐明了该技术在无验潮水下地形测量中的适用性，并以除六泾水文大断面的测量为例介绍了利用该技术进行工程实测的过程，通过对实测数据成果的分析，得出一些有益的结论。     

杆状病毒感染越冬亲虾(Penaeus chenesis)的研究——越冬亲虾感染及其垂直传播的可能性

在中国对虾越冬亲虾中检出杆状病毒。经对病虾鳃、前中肠、卵巢组织进行电镜观察，在这些组织中发现大量有囊膜的杆状病毒。病毒粒子大小约为３６７ｎｍ×１２８ｎｍ，核衣壳为３２４ｎｍ×９２ｎｍ。病毒在细胞内不形成包涵体，在核内或在细胞质的发生基质中装配。从病毒的形态特征、感染组织以及典型的发病症状和病理变化，初步认为亲虾感染的病毒与近年广泛报道的造成养殖对虾大规模流行病的主要原因——中国对虾杆状病毒为同一种。卵巢组织也是病毒的主要靶器官之一，亲虾卵巢组织的被感染暗示着该病毒有可能通过生殖细胞而垂直传播     

Dissipation source function and an improvement to LAGFD-WAM model

In this paper, a new theoretical expression of dissipation term is presented on the basis of statistical model of breaking wave, which is an improvement to LAGFD-WAM wave model. The computational results in three typical wind fields show a good improvement to LAGFD-WAM model and a better accuracy in comparison with the observed data in the South China Sea.     

一类典型模糊阵及其在传递闭包化简中的应用

本文研究模糊矩阵传递闭包的化简问题。通过定义 1类典型阵 ,给出传递闭包能够进一步化简的充要条件 ,为网络最大流分析提供了 1种新的模式。     

黄河口及渤海中南部沉积物工程特性及其机理

采用Ｋａｓｔｅｎ取样器从黄河口及渤海湾中南部海底沉积物中取样，对样品通过土工性质、微结构研究以及粘土矿物分析，阐明本研究区三维空间展布的海底沉积物形成机理及其工程地质规律，论证水动力作用和斜坡不稳定性对工程特性和微结构的重要影响．