Three‐dimensional shakedown solutions for anisotropic cohesive‐frictional materials under moving surface loads

Previous work on three‐dimensional shakedown analysis of cohesive‐frictional materials under moving surface loads has been entirely for isotropic materials. As a result, the effects of anisotropy, both elastic and plastic, of soil and pavement materials are ignored. This paper will, for the first time, develop three‐dimensional shakedown solutions to allow for the variation of elastic and plastic material properties with direction. Melan's lower‐bound shakedown theorem is used to derive shakedown solutions. In particular, a generalised, anisotropic Mohr–Coulomb yield criterion and cross‐anisotropic elastic stress fields are utilised to develop anisotropic shakedown solutions. It is found that shakedown solutions for anisotropic materials are dominated by Young's modulus ratio for the cases of subsurface failure and by shear modulus ratio for the cases of surface failure. Plastic anisotropy is mainly controlled by material cohesion ratio, the rise of which increases the shakedown limit until a maximum value is reached. The anisotropic shakedown limit varies with frictional coefficient, and the peak value may not occur for the case of normal loading only. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Zircon U–Pb ages and Hf isotope compositions of migmatites from the North Qinling terrane and their geological implications

Migmatites are predominant in the North Qinling (NQ) orogen, but their formation ages are poorly constrained. This paper presents a combined study of cathodoluminescence imaging, U–Pb age, trace element and Hf isotopes of zircon in migmatites from the NQ unit. In the migmatites, most zircon grains occur as new, homogeneous crystals, while some are present as overgrowth rims around inherited cores. Morphological and trace element features suggest that the zircon crystals are metamorphic and formed during partial melting. The inherited cores have oscillatory zoning and yield U–Pb ages of c. 900 Ma, representing their protolith ages. The early Neoproterozoic protoliths probably formed in an active continental margin, being a response to the assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia. The migmatite zircon yields Hf model ages of 1911 ± 20 to 990 ± 22 Ma, indicating that the protoliths were derived from reworking of Palaeoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic crustal materials. The anatexis zircon yields formation ages ranging from 455 ± 5 to 420 ± 4 Ma, with a peak at c. 435 Ma. Combined with previous results, we suggest that the migmatization of the NQ terrane occurred at c. 455–400 Ma. The migmatization was c. 50 Ma later than the c. 490 Ma ultra‐high‐P (UHP) metamorphism, indicating that they occurred in two independent tectonic events. By contrast, the migmatization was coeval with the granulite facies metamorphism and the granitic magmatism in the NQ unit, which collectively argue for their formation due to the northward subduction of the Shangdan Ocean. UHP rocks were distributed mainly along the northern margin and occasionally in the inner part of the NQ unit, indicating that they were exhumed along the northern edge and detached from the basement by the subsequent migmatization process.     

Elastic lateral dynamic impedance functions for a rigid cylindrical shell type foundation

Elastic lateral dynamic impedance functions are defined as the ratio of the lateral dynamic force/moment to the corresponding lateral displacement/rotation at the top ending of a foundation at very small strains. Elastic lateral dynamic impedance functions have a defining influence on the natural frequencies of offshore wind turbines supported on cylindrical shell type foundations, such as suction caissons, bucket foundations, and monopiles. This paper considers the coupled horizontal and rocking vibration of a cylindrical shell type foundation embedded in a fully saturated poroelastic seabed in contact with a seawater half‐space. The formulation of the coupled seawater–shell–seabed vibration problem is simplified by treating the shell as a rigid one. The rigid shell vibration problem is approached by the integral equation method using ring‐load Green's functions for a layered seawater‐seabed half‐space. By considering the boundary conditions at the shell–soil interface, the shell vibration problem is reduced to Fredholm integral equations. Through an analysis of the corresponding Cauchy singular equations, the intrinsic singular characteristics of the problem are rendered explicit. With the singularities incorporated into the solution representation, an effective numerical method involving Gauss–Chebyshev method is developed for the governing Fredholm equations. Selected numerical results for the dynamic contact load distributions, displacements of the shell, and lateral dynamic impedance functions are examined for different shell length–radius ratio, poroelastic materials, and frequencies of excitation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Daily salinity fluctuation alleviates salt stress on seedlings of the mangrove Bruguiera gymnorhiza

Salinity is a vital factor that regulates leaf photosynthesis and growth of mangroves, and it frequently undergoes large seasonal and daily fluctuations creating a range of environments – oligohaline to hyperhaline. Here, we examined the hypotheses that mangroves benefit opportunistically from low salinity resulting from daily fluctuations and as such, mangroves under daily fluctuating salinity (FS) grow better than those under constant salinity (CS) conditions. We compared growth, salt accumulation, gas exchange, and chlorophyll fluorescence of leaves of mangrove Bruguiera gymnorhiza seedlings growing in freshwater (FW), CS (15 practical salinity units, PSU), and daily FS (0–30 PSU, average of 4.8 PSU) conditions. The traits of FS-treated leaves were measured in seedlings under 15 PSU. FS-treated seedlings had greater leaf biomass than those in other treatment groups. Moreover, leaf photosynthetic rate, capacity to regulate photoelectron uptake/transfer, and leaf succulence were significantly higher in FS than in CS treatment. However, leaf water-use efficiency showed the opposite trend. In addition to higher concentrations of Na⁺ and Cl⁻, FS-treated leaves accumulated more Ca²⁺ and K⁺. We concluded that daily FS can enhance water absorption, photosynthesis, and growth of leaves, as well as alter plant biomass allocation patterns, thereby positively affecting B. gymnorhiza. Mangroves that experience daily FS may increase their adaptability by reducing salt build-up and water deficits when their roots are temporally subjected to low salinity or FW and by absorbing sufficient amounts of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ for osmotic adjustment when their roots are subsequently exposed to saline water.     

Risk evaluation of geological hazards of mountainous tourist area: a case study of Mengshan,China

Natural Hazards - Risk evaluation is crucial for the construction projects in the areas with high risk of geological hazards. In this paper, based on the projects of Mengshan tourism area,...     

Open tensile fractures at depth in anticlines: A case study in the Tarim basin,NW China

Understanding fracture openness in the Earth's crust is crucial for understanding fracture properties and their impact on fluid flow and potentially also in reservoir modelling. Here, we present cases showing the presence of open tensile fractures at depth in anticlines by integrating borehole imaging logs, core observations, casting sections, physical modelling, in‐situ stress analysis and production data in petroleum wells, and analysing the time of fracturing by fluid inclusion analysis. The data come from the Cretaceous Bashejiqike Formation in the Kuqa Depression, Tarim basin; its current depth varies between 6,000 and 8,100 m. The results show that tensile fractures are the main fracture type in the studied formation and that their hydraulic conductivity is poorly affected by the current maximum horizontal stress direction. Furthermore, we find that fracture development is uninterrupted during continued anticline folding, although there is a dominant time of fracturing.