A micromechanical finite element model for linear and damage‐coupled viscoelastic behaviour of asphalt mixture

This study presents a finite element (FE) micromechanical modelling approach for the simulation of linear and damage‐coupled viscoelastic behaviour of asphalt mixture. Asphalt mixture is a composite material of graded aggregates bound with mastic (asphalt and fine aggregates). The microstructural model of asphalt mixture incorporates an equivalent lattice network structure whereby intergranular load transfer is simulated through an effective asphalt mastic zone. The finite element model integrates the ABAQUS user material subroutine with continuum elements for the effective asphalt mastic and rigid body elements for each aggregate. A unified approach is proposed using Schapery non‐linear viscoelastic model for the rate‐independent and rate‐dependent damage behaviour. A finite element incremental algorithm with a recursive relationship for three‐dimensional (3D) linear and damage‐coupled viscoelastic behaviour is developed. This algorithm is used in a 3D user‐defined material model for the asphalt mastic to predict global linear and damage‐coupled viscoelastic behaviour of asphalt mixture. For linear viscoelastic study, the creep stiffnesses of mastic and asphalt mixture at different temperatures are measured in laboratory. A regression‐fitting method is employed to calibrate generalized Maxwell models with Prony series and generate master stiffness curves for mastic and asphalt mixture. A computational model is developed with image analysis of sectioned surface of a test specimen. The viscoelastic prediction of mixture creep stiffness with the calibrated mastic material parameters is compared with mixture master stiffness curve over a reduced time period. In regard to damage‐coupled viscoelastic behaviour, cyclic loading responses of linear and rate‐independent damage‐coupled viscoelastic materials are compared. Effects of particular microstructure parameters on the rate‐independent damage‐coupled viscoelastic behaviour are also investigated with finite element simulations of asphalt numerical samples. Further study describes loading rate effects on the asphalt viscoelastic properties and rate‐dependent damage behaviour. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biogenic silicate accumulation in sediments, Jiaozhou Bay

1 INTRODUCTION Silicate, or silicic acid (H4SiO4), is a very im- portant nutrient in the ocean. Unlike other major nu- trients such as phosphate and nitrate or ammonium, which are needed by almost all marine plankton, silicate is an essential chemical req…     

The evolution of quasars selected by slitless technique

In former works (Zhouet al., 1983, 1985), a quantitative method have been developed to take the selection effects in the identification of emission lines of quasars into account. It was proved that these selection effects may be the cause of the unevenness in the redshift distribution of quasars. The present work is a continuation and development of former works. We use results given by the surveys with same limit-apparent magnitude and choose the quasars whose absolute magnitudes are within a specific range as the analysing samples. Using the method given in the former papers we may find out the evolutionary parameter in an evolutionary law with form of (1+z) ^y from the best fitting between the calculative and observational redshift distribution. The result of analysis shows that the evolutionary law of quasars selected by slitless technique isp =p ₀(1 + z)^{6.5 ± 1} up toz=2.8. This result coincides with and generalizes the earlier result given by other authors.     

Emission line redshift distribution of QSOs

This paper is the second one of a series of papers on the redshift distribution of QSOs. In this paper, we shall study the influence of the selection effect in the identification of emission lines on the redshift distribution of QSOs more thoroughly than the previous paper (Zhouet al., 1983). If we assume that the QSO's redshift is cosmological, adopt the standard model, and consider the selection effect due to the redshift identification, the limiting apparent magnitude in the observation and the evolutionary effect of QSOs, we can compute the emission line redshift distribution for the so-called optically selected QSOs discovered by objective prism, grating prism technique alone, the QSOs discovered by positional methods or by colour technique and for whole QSOs, respectively (see Figures 6, 11, 12). The results of computation agree with the observations very well, especially for optically selected QSOs; the computational distribution has almost the same shape with the observational one. For this kind of the QSOs the computational distribution may give the positions and heights of all these observed peaks. The correlation coefficient between the calculated and observed distributions is larger than 0.95. It shows that (a) the peaks and dips in the redshift distribution of QSOs are mainly caused by the selection effect in the redshift identification, and (b) the redshift of QSOs is cosmological.     

冀北—辽西早白垩世沉积有机质特征与古气候环境演变

本文对冀北—辽西地区早白垩世沉积盆地富有机质沉积岩进行了初步有机地球化学分析研究。结果显示,冀北—辽西沉积盆沉积有机质特征在时间和空间上存在很大差异,代表白垩系早期沉积的滦平盆地大北沟组有机质丰度低,这不仅显示其所代表的沉积相带不利于有机质的聚集,也反映了当时生物不够繁盛;大店子组时期沉积相带发生了变化,有机质类型随着发生了变化,丰度有所增高,但总体上显示环境条件不利于生物的发育和繁盛。到了桥头组和义县组沉积岩有机质丰度大幅升高,表明生物界非常繁盛,古气候环境有利于有机质的大量生成和堆积,总体上反映了温湿的气候条件;但同时也存在较为频繁或交替性寒冷气候波动,具体的古气候环境状态尚需进一步深入研究。     

Development of a 3D GIS and its application to karst areas

There is a growing interest in modeling and analyzing karst phenomena in three dimensions. This paper integrates geology, groundwater hydrology, geographic information system (GIS), database management system (DBMS), visualization and data mining to study karst features in Huaibei, China. The 3D geo-objects retrieved from the karst area are analyzed and mapped into different abstract levels. The spatial relationships among the objects are constructed by a dual-linker. The shapes of the 3D objects and the topological models with attributes are stored and maintained in the DBMS. Spatial analysis was then used to integrate the data in the DBMS and the 3D model to form a virtual reality (VR) to provide analytical functions such as distribution analysis, correlation query, and probability assessment. The research successfully implements 3D modeling and analyses in the karst area, and meanwhile provides an efficient tool for government policy-makers to set out restrictions on water resource development in the area.     

Triassic Nb-enriched basalts, magnesian andesites, and adakites of the Qiangtang terrane (Central Tibet): evidence for metasomatism by slab-derived melts in the mantle wedge

New chronological, geochemical, and isotopic data are reported for Triassic (219–236 Ma) adakite-magnesian andesite-Nb-enriched basaltic rock associations from the Tuotuohe area, central Qiangtang terrane. The adakites and magnesian andesites are characterized by high Sr/Y (25–45), La/Yb (14–42) and Na₂O/K₂O (12–49) ratios, high Al₂O₃ (15.34–18.28 wt%) and moderate to high Sr concentrations (220–498 ppm) and ε_ND (t) (+0.86 to +1.21) values. Low enrichments of Th, Rb relative to Nb, and subequal normalized Nb and La contents, and enrichments of light rare earth elements combine to distinguish a group of Nb-enriched basaltic rocks (NEBs). They have positive ε_ND (t) (+2.57 to +5.16) values. Positive correlations between Th, La and Nb and an absence of negative Nb anomalies on mantle normalized plots indicate the NEBs are products of a mantle source metasomatized by a slab melt rather than by hydrous fluids. A continuous compositional variation between adakites and magnesian andesites confirms slab melt interaction with mantle peridotite. The spatial association of the NEBs with adakites and magnesian andesites define an “adakitic metasomatic volcanic series” recognized in many demonstrably subduction-related environments (e.g., Mindanao arc, Philippines; Kamchatka arc, Russia; and southern Baja California arc, Mexico). The age of the Touhuohe suite, and its correlation with Triassic NEB to the north indicates that volcanism derived from subduction-modified mantle was abundant prior to 220 Ma in the central Qiangtang terrane.     

广西大厂矿田铜坑深部隐伏矿体立体定量预测建模与可视化研究

广西大厂矿田长坡-铜坑矿区矿床形成与分布的主要控制因素有地层岩性、岩浆岩体和断层、褶皱构造.结合大厂矿田多年来积累的地质资料信息,提取了钻孔、坑道采样化验数据与地质体的几何取点等矿床隐伏矿体预测专题数据,建立了各种地质体几何模型;以此为基础进行控矿地质条件的定量分析,以立体单元形式对地质空间进行分割抽样,提取了立体单元控矿作用定量化指标;通过一种有效的矿床三雏数学模型建立方法,对矿床地下三维空间中隐伏矿体进行了定位、定量预测和结果验证,并开发了预测结果的三维可视化动态查询系统.     

干旱生态环境及水资源对全球气候变暖响应的研究进展

西北地区现代气候变化基本特征是冬暖夏干,采用脆弱度和影响指数方法定量评价了生态环境对全球气候变暖响应,重点阐述了西北现代气候变化对干旱生态环境和水资源这两个领域的影响.结果表明: 由于现代气候变干变暖的自然和人为因素的共同作用,导致我国西北地区的黄土高原、黑河流域、石羊河流域、甘南高原和黄河首曲的地域生态环境有不断退化的趋势.气候变干使渭河上游、黄河上游(洮河和大夏河)以及黄土高原中部7条主要河流的径流量呈明显下降趋势,引起水资源短缺.     

寒区冻土水文模拟模型研究若干进展

我国70％以上的地区都存在着季节性冻土,它对农业经济、生态环境等都有着巨大的影响。由于冻土的特殊性,目前并不能从本质上揭示冻土水文机理,冻土条件下的土壤水分运移规律是冻土水文模拟的重要环节。本文介绍了冻土地区水文过程的特殊性,以及目前国内外对冻土水文的研究进展,并在此基础上对冻土区水文模型的发展趋势进行了分析。