Response surface-based robust geotechnical design of supported excavation – spreadsheet-based solution

ABSTRACT

The robust geotechnical design (RGD) approach which involves optimization to obtain a design that is safe, cost-efficient, and robust in the face of uncertainties, can be computationally challenging for complex geotechnical structures. In this study, the RGD approach has become practical by introducing a response surface as a surrogate to finite element- or finite difference-based computer code that is used for analyzing the system, and developing a fast algorithm for the optimization process. For demonstration purposes, a real-world supported excavation project is designed using this modified RGD approach and it is compared with the one designed by a local expert.     

Misconceptions about the Hubble recession law

Almost all astronomers now believe that the Hubble recession law was directly inferred from astronomical observations. It turns out that this common belief is completely false. Those models advocating the idea of an expanding universe are ill-founded on observational grounds. This means that the Hubble recession law is really a working hypothesis. One alternative to the Hubble recession law is the tired-light hypothesis originally proposed by Zwicky (Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 15:773, 1929). This hypothesis leads to a universe that is an eternal cosmos continually evolving without beginning or end. Such a universe exists in a dynamical state of virial equilibrium. Observational studies of the redshift-magnitude relation for Type Ia supernovae in distant galaxies might provide the best observational test for a tired-light cosmology. The present study shows that the model Hubble diagram for a tired-light cosmology gives good agreement with the supernovae data for redshifts in the range 0<z<2. This observational test of a static cosmology shows that the real universe is not necessarily undergoing expansion nor acceleration. An erratum to this article can be found at     

A comparative study of sequential minimal optimization-based support vector machines,vote feature intervals,and logistic regression in landslide susceptibility assessment using GIS

Landslide susceptibility assessment using GIS has been done for part of Uttarakhand region of Himalaya (India) with the objective of comparing the predictive capability of three different machine learning methods, namely sequential minimal optimization-based support vector machines (SMOSVM), vote feature intervals (VFI), and logistic regression (LR) for spatial prediction of landslide occurrence. Out of these three methods, the SMOSVM and VFI are state-of-the-art methods for binary classification problems but have not been applied for landslide prediction, whereas the LR is known as a popular method for landslide susceptibility assessment. In the study, a total of 430 historical landslide polygons and 11 landslide affecting factors such as slope angle, slope aspect, elevation, curvature, lithology, soil, land cover, distance to roads, distance to rivers, distance to lineaments, and rainfall were selected for landslide analysis. For validation and comparison, statistical index-based methods and the receiver operating characteristic curve have been used. Analysis results show that all these models have good performance for landslide spatial prediction but the SMOSVM model has the highest predictive capability, followed by the VFI model, and the LR model, respectively. Thus, SMOSVM is a better model for landslide prediction and can be used for landslide susceptibility mapping of landslide-prone areas.     

包头市昆都仑水库增雨燃烧炉首次作业的效果分析

通过2009年5月27日包头市昆都仑水库地面增雨燃烧炉作业实况和多普勒天气雷达速度、713天气雷达回波及区域地面自动雨量站资料的对比分析,发现在深厚的层状云系中,适时进行地面燃烧炉增雨作业,可增强区域降水量,提高增雨作业能力。分析结果为指导包头地区地面燃烧炉布点和增雨作业提供了科学依据。     

被动陆缘盆地陆隆斜坡对盐构造形成的影响 ——来自物理模拟实验的启示

被动陆缘盆地盐构造形成的影响因素及时空演化分析受到了国内外学者的高度重视.丰富的油气资源促进了被动陆缘盆地地震资料品质的不断提升,高精度地震数据的解译结果表明,被动陆缘盆地盐层下的地形往往具有大型的起伏特征,而前人在基底构造形态对盐构造形成影响方面的研究并未取得共识,仍需要深入研究和探讨.为此,本文基于前人的研究认识,...     

深圳市景亿山庄滑坡特征及成因分析

根据现场工程地质调查和勘察,论文深入分析了景亿山庄滑坡的变形特征、性质、变形机制,并探讨了滑坡的成因。指出在具有剥蚀残丘地貌特征的场地开挖以砂岩残积物为主要组成物质的边坡时,边坡高陡是造成边坡变形破坏的主要因素。长时间的持续降雨是诱发因素。对于陡倾原生节理裂隙发育的土质和类土质边坡,滑坡周界受边坡体内原生节理裂隙控制,滑坡后缘常沿该陡倾的节理裂隙发育。在深圳等降雨量大的亚热带气候区,若坡体内没有不利于边坡稳定的各种结构面,当边坡开挖高度不超过20m,总体坡率不陡于1∶1时,边坡能够保持短期稳定。但长期稳定性受当地降雨量和降雨强度的控制,开挖后若不采取适当的加固措施,易发生滑坡等浅层病害。其病害从孕育到发生可持续长达10a之久。通过论文的研究,可供在类似地区开挖边坡、整治边坡病害借鉴。     

Occurrence and characteristics of sporadic sodium layer observed by lidar at a mid-latitude location

Na lidar observations of SSL during the past 5 years at a mid-latitude location (Wuhan, China, 31°N, 114°E) are reported in this paper. From 26 SSL events detected in about 230 h of observation, an SSL occurrence rate of 1 event/9 h at our location was obtained. This result, combined with that reported by Nagasawa and Abo (Geophys. Res. Lett. 22 (1995) 263) at Tokyo, Japan, reveals that the SSL occurrence can be relatively frequent at some mid-latitude locations. The statistical analyses of main parameters for the 26 SSL events were made, and the results were compared with those previously reported. By examining the corresponding data from a nearby ionosonde, it was found that there was a fairly good correlation between SSL and Es. Of the 18 pairs of SSL and Es events checked, 15 of SSL were accompanied by Es, and 8 pairs of them were correlated within 1 h in time and within 5 km in altitude. From the analyses of observed perturbations during SSL development, the role of dynamic processes of atmosphere in the SSL formations were emphasized.     

陕西镇巴火焰溪法门阶牙形刺研究

陕西镇巴火焰溪剖面位于大巴山西段，临近川陕交界、交通便利。那里晚泥盆世地层出露完好，层序清楚，化石丰富。本文就该剖面法门阶牙形刺动物群、泥盆系石炭系的界线进行了研讨，建立了该区法门阶的两个浅水相牙形刺生物组合带。     

叠加变形有限应变分解及其应用探讨

本文提出了二维不同类型叠加变形的有限应变分解方法。只要测定有限应变及能代表各期主应变面的面理或剪切指向,就可以计算出各期构造应变。