Comparison of continuous and discontinuous constitutive models to simulate concrete behaviour under mixed‐mode failure conditions

The paper presents detailed FE simulation results of concrete elements under mixed‐mode failure conditions according to the so‐called shear‐tension test by Nooru‐Mohamed, characterized by curved cracks. A continuous and discontinuous numerical two‐dimensional approach was used. In order to describe the concrete's behaviour within continuum mechanics, two different constitutive models were used. First, an elasto‐plastic model with isotropic hardening and softening was assumed. In a compression regime, a Drucker–Prager criterion with a non‐associated flow rule was used. In turn, in a tensile regime, a Rankine criterion with an associated flow rule was adopted. Second, an isotropic damage constitutive model was applied with a single scalar damage parameter and different definitions of the equivalent strain. Both constitutive laws were enriched by a characteristic length of micro‐structure to capture properly strain localization. As an alternative approach, the extended finite element method was used. Our results were compared with the experimental ones and with results of other FE simulations reported in the literature. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The assessment of environmental pollution caused by mining and metallurgy wastes from highly polluted post-industrial regions in Southern Poland

Stored metallurgy and mining wastes contain relatively high amounts of potentially toxic elements. To monitor the distribution of contaminants originating from dumps, the chemical and physical properties of the wastes must be characterised. In this study, the chemical properties of wastes deposited in two different locations in Southern Poland (Szklary and Zloty Stok) were evaluated. Heaps located in Zloty Stok contain wastes from gold mineralisation comprising arsenic while wastes in Szklary originate from a factory that produced an iron-nickel alloy. In Szklary the total concentrations of Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cr, Co, Cu, Ni, Tl, Ag, Cd and Pb were determined, while in Zloty Stok also As is an important contaminant. To assess the risk of contamination of the surrounding environment and to select the proper method for removing the contaminants, information on the distribution of elements between operationally defined phases must be obtained. For this purpose, a six-step sequential extraction was used. The mobility of most elements in the wastes from Szklary and Zloty Stok was relatively low; however, the large amount of As, 40–180 mg L^?1, that could be released to environment in case of Zloty Stok was high. The results of fractionation studies indicated that Ag, Cd, Tl, Co, Cu, Cr, Pb, Zn and Mn may be released into environment under low pH and low redox potential conditions, which can be induced by bacterial activity.     

Investigation of X-Ray Flares with Long Rising Phases

We have used Yohkoh and GOES X-ray observations to investigate flares with a long rising phase. We have found that a characteristic feature of such flares is a long time interval, Δ t ≥ 20 min, between the temperature maximum and the maximum of the emission measure. We have carried out detailed analysis for 10 limb flares of this type. Time variation of the heating function, E_H(t), has been determined for their loop-top X-ray kernels. The time variation of E_H(t), together with the temperature–density diagnostic diagrams, have been used to explain the large value of the time interval, Δ t. The main point is that for these flares the heating function E_H(t) decreases so slowly after the temperature maximum, that for the long time, Δ t, the energy flux reaching flare foot points is sufficient to maintain significant chromospheric evaporation. Investigation of the flare evolution in the temperature–density diagnostic diagrams allowed us to work out a new method of determination of the density for flare kernels. This method can be applied to all the kernels for which their altitudes can be estimated. The advantage of this method is that for the density determination it is not necessary to assume what is the extension of the emitting plasma along the line of sight.     

Mercury mobility and bioavailability in soil from contaminated area

The mobility and bioavailability of mercury in the soil from the area near a plant using elemental mercury for manufacturing thermometers, areometers, glass energy switches and other articles made of technical glass has been evaluated. Mercury has been determined by sequential extraction method and with additional thermo desorption stage to determine elemental mercury. The procedure of sequential extraction involves five subsequent stages performed with the solutions of chloroform, deionized water, 0.5 M HCl, 0.2 M NaOH and aqua regia. The mean concentration of total mercury in soil was 147 ± 107 μg g⁻¹ dry mass (range 62–393), and the fractionation revealed that mercury was mainly bound to sulfides 56 ± 8% (range 45–66), one of the most biounavailable and immobile species of mercury in the environment. The fractions that brought lower contribution to the total mercury content were semi-mobile humic matter 22 ± 9% (range 11–34) and elemental mercury 17 ± 5% (range 8–23). The contributions brought by the highly mobile and toxic organomercury compounds were still lower 2.3 ± 2.7% (range 0.01–6.5). The lowest contributions brought the acid-soluble mercury 1.5 ± 1.3% (range 0.1–3.5) and water-soluble mercury 1.0 ± 0.3% (range 0.6–1.7). The surface layer of soil (0–20 cm) was characterized by higher mercury concentrations than that of the subsurface soil (60–80 cm), but the fractional contributions were comparable. The comparison of mercury fractionation results obtained in this study for highly polluted soils with results of fractionation of uncontaminated or moderately contaminated samples of soil and sediments had not shown significant statistical differences; however, in the last samples elemental mercury is usually present at very low concentrations. On the basis of obtained correlation coefficients it seems that elemental mercury soils from “Areometer” plant are contaminated; the main transformation is its vaporization to atmosphere and oxidation to divalent mercury, probably mainly mediated by organic matter, and next bound to humic matter and sulfides.     

Annual dynamics of shortwave radiation of bare arable lands on a global scale incorporating their roughness

Smoothing soil surfaces, which had previously been deeply plowed, increases their albedo, which results in a lower amount of shortwave radiation being absorbed by their surface layer. Those surfaces emit less long-wave radiation too, leading to a reduction in their surface temperature, which can affect the climate. This paper quantitatively estimates the highest possible amount of shortwave radiation that could be reflected throughout the year from bare soils on arable land in the most extensive agricultural regions, where major crops are cultivated, on six of the Earth’s continents. The estimation refers to the highest levels of soil radiation occurring during clear-sky conditions without any clouds when the surfaces that had been conventionally tilled were bare for several days or more after the day of planting and were air-dried in two extreme roughness states: those formed by a plow and a smoothing harrow. The annual dynamics of reflective shortwave radiation of the bare soils were obtained using vectorized and rasterized geostatistical data sets about the areas of the soils and periods when they were bare, as well the spectra of the soil units that occupied the majority of these areas. Adding together all of the diurnal amounts of shortwave radiation reflected from the bare soils for each of the regions in the world, it was found that their radiation peak, appearing on the 140th days of the year, can reach about 22 EJ/day for soils treated by a plow, and a further 3 EJ/day when they are smoothed by a smoothing harrow.     

Tag retention and survival of fish tagged in controlled pond experiments

Fish survival, tag retention and tag loss were evaluated in pond experiments and described by linear regression equations. Tagging of fish had no significant influence on their survival. However, loss of tags caused strong differences between actual fish survival and the survival rate e^–z estimated on recovered tags. Mathematical functions were derived to correct tag loss. Values of those functions depend upon the type of tag and time after tagging. The B-type of tagging, which approximated the Swedish Carlin method, appeared to be most effective. The rate of tag loss was independent of the fish species (common carp, tench) used in the experiments.     

Acoustic emission and sorptive deformation induced in coals of various rank by the sorption-desorption of gas

Simultaneous measurements of acoustic emission (AE) and expansion/contraction of coal samples subjected to gas sorption-desorption processes were conducted on high-and medium-rank coal. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of the coal rank and type of sorbate on measured AE and strain characteristics. The experimental equipment employed in this study consisted of a pressure vessel and associated pressurisation and monitoring units. The arrangement of pressure-vacuum valves permitted the coal sample to be pressurised and depressurised. Carbon-dioxide and methane were used as sorbats.     

Induction vector estimates in the Polish-Czechoslovak part of the Carpathians

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Prediction of rockburst probability given seismic energy and factors defined by the expert method of hazard evaluation (MRG)

In this paper we suggest that conditional estimator/predictor of rockburst probability (and rockburst hazard, P ^T (t)) can be approximated with the formula P ^T (t) = P ₁(θ ₁)…P _N (θ _N )·P _dyn ^T (t), where P _dyn ^T (t) is a time-dependent probability of rockburst given only the predicted seismic energy parameters, while P _i (θ _i ) are amplifying coefficients due to local geologic and mining conditions, as defined by the Expert Method of (rockburst) Hazard Evaluation (MRG) known in the Polish mining industry. All the elements of the formula are (approximately) calculable (on-line) and the resulting P ^T value satisfies inequalities 0 ≤ P ^T (t) ≤ 1. As a result, the hazard space (0–1) can be always divided into smaller subspaces (e.g., 0–10⁻⁵, 10⁻⁵–10⁻⁴, 10⁻⁴–10⁻³, 10⁻³–1), possibly named with symbols (e.g., A, B, C, D, …) called “hazard states” — which saves the prediction users from worrying of probabilities. The estimator P ^T can be interpreted as a formal statement of (reformulated) Comprehensive Method of Rockburst State of Hazard Evaluation, well known in Polish mining industry. The estimator P ^T is natural, logically consistent and physically interpretable. Due to full formalization, it can be easily generalized, incorporating relevant information from other sources/methods.     

Structural controls on groundwater flow and groundwater salinity in the Spicers Creek catchment,Central West region,New South Wales

Saline seepage zone development, and hence the onset of dryland salinity, is a major environmental problem occurring within the Spicers Creek catchment. The primary objective of this paper was to identify previously unmapped faults and show the correlation between these faults and groundwater salinization. As identified from this study, there is a close association between geological structural features and the formation of saline seepage zones. The most saline groundwaters in the catchment were encountered where two geological structures join and form a fault intersection. These saline groundwaters are found at various depths within the fractured aquifers, and changes in groundwater chemistry in the aquifers are associated with the presence of fault zones. ¹⁸O and δ²H stable isotopes, together with ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotopic ratios, indicate that groundwaters within the fault zones are enriched in ¹⁸O and have a strontium signature similar to seawater. This study identifies several geological structures in the Spicers Creek catchment and demonstrates that groundwaters with the highest salinity arise where fault intersections occur. The results of this study may be used to interpret further the mechanisms leading to seepage zone formation in dryland salinity‐affected catchments located throughout the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.