Correction of soil parameters in calculation of embankment settlement using a BP network back-analysis model

Finite element method (FEM) have been widely used for the calculation of settlement of embankment on soft soils in the last decade. However, due to the complexity of construction, spatial inhomogeneity of soils, as well as sensitivity of numerical results to the variation of soil parameters, large discrepancy typically exists between numerical outputs and field observations. This paper presents a novel method, combining FEM and an improved back-propagation (BP) neural network, for correction of soil parameters in numerical prediction of embankment settlement. Duncan–Chang hyperbolic soil model is adopted with the sensitivity of eight constitutive parameters numerically investigated. The soil parameters with large sensitivity are identified, and together with the representative settlements, are used for the training of the improved BP neural network which, once established, generates correction factors of soil parameters for subsequent more accurate FEM forward predictions. It is demonstrated that the proposed numerical back-analysis framework is very efficient in practical engineering applications to calculate highway settlement.     

霰粒子参数对强对流云降水和催化影响的数值模拟研究

本文利用三维对流云AgI催化模式, 开展了霰粒子密度和落速参数的敏感性模拟试验, 以研究高凇附度时霰粒子参数的选取对催化模拟结果的影响。敏感性试验中对七个霰微物理过程进行了调整。分析发现改变霰落速参数和霰密度, 可以引起3小时模拟的总降水量增加4.9%。催化后改变了敏感性试验中霰落速和上升气流的配置, 并影响到霰碰并云水和冰晶的过程, 及霰融化成雨水的过程。在高凇附度云中如果只增加霰密度而没有增加相应的落速系数, 将使云中霰含量大幅增加。霰参数也影响了自然云和催化云的降水效率。过量催化使得催化云的降水效率低于自然云。增加霰密度的同时也增加霰落速系数, 将使其降水效率高于对照试验, 从而影响催化效果。在高凇附度云中采用大密度和较大下落系数, 并且利用比数浓度平均落速计算霰粒子比数浓度的下落过程, 会使催化效率从25%减少到15%, 极大地改变催化效果。所以在高凇附度的暴雨个例中, 应当采用高霰密度和相应的高霰落速, 否则减雨的催化效果将会被大幅夸大。     

Stochastic simulations of ocean waves: An uncertainty quantification study

The primary objective of this study is to introduce a stochastic framework based on generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) for uncertainty quantification in numerical ocean wave simulations. The techniques we present can be easily extended to other numerical ocean simulation applications. We perform stochastic simulations using a relatively new numerical method to simulate the HISWA (Hindcasting Shallow Water Waves) laboratory experiment for directional near-shore wave propagation and induced currents in a shallow-water wave basin. We solve the phased-averaged equation with hybrid discretization based on discontinuous Galerkin projections, spectral elements, and Fourier expansions. We first validate the deterministic solver by comparing our simulation results against the HISWA experimental data as well as against the numerical model SWAN (Simulating Waves Nearshore). We then perform sensitivity analysis to assess the effects of the parametrized source terms, current field, and boundary conditions. We employ an efficient sparse-grid stochastic collocation method that can treat many uncertain parameters simultaneously. We find that the depth-induced wave-breaking coefficient is the most important parameter compared to other tunable parameters in the source terms. The current field is modeled as random process with large variation but it does not seem to have a significant effect. Uncertainty in the source terms does not influence significantly the region before the submerged breaker whereas uncertainty in the incoming boundary conditions does. Considering simultaneously the uncertainties from the source terms and boundary conditions, we obtain numerical error bars that contain almost all experimental data, hence identifying the proper range of parameters in the action balance equation.     

Effect of soil parameter uncertainty on seismic demand of low-rise steel buildings on dense silty sand

Focusing on low-rise steel buildings supported by shallow isolated foundations on dense silty sand, this study demonstrates the effect of uncertainty in soil parameters on seismic response of structures. Considering a set of 20 ground motions representing 10% in 50 years hazard level and concentrating on peak base moment, base shear and interstory drift as the demand variables of interest, it is found that uncertainty in soil parameters may result in significant response variability of the structures, especially when vertical factor of safety is low and the structure is relatively stiff. Uncertainty in friction angle results in significant variability of the peak base moment and base shear, while peak interstory drift ratio is found to be virtually unaffected by uncertainty in soil parameters. It is also found that a linear soil–structure-interaction (SSI) model will not be able to predict such response variability under these set of ground motions.     

有限频率地震层析成像方法及研究进展

本文从基于射线理论的走时地震层析成像的发展引出有限频率地震层析成像, 说明两者最为本质的差别是有限频率灵敏度核函数。 概述了有限频率层析成像方法和基本原理, 详细阐述了国内外有关有限频率层析成像方法的研究进展和应用成果, 强调有限频率层析成像对全球地幔柱研究的重要意义, 最后指出有限频率层析成像方法在理论上的诸多优点目前还没有在实际应用中得到充分体现, 还存在一些问题需要解决。     

Sensitivity-guided reduction of parametric dimensionality for multi-objective calibration of watershed models

Problem complexity for watershed model calibration is heavily dependent on the number of parameters that can be identified during model calibration. This study investigates the use of global sensitivity analysis as a screening tool to reduce the parametric dimensionality of multi-objective hydrological model calibration problems while maximizing the information extracted from hydrological response data. This study shows that by expanding calibration problem formulations beyond traditional, statistical error metrics to also include metrics that capture indices or signatures of hydrological function, it is possible to reduce the complexity of calibration while maintaining high quality model predictions. The sensitivity-guided calibration is demonstrated using the Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SAC-SMA) conceptual rainfall–runoff model of moderate complexity (i.e., up to 14 freely varying parameters). Using both statistical and hydrological metrics, optimization results demonstrate that parameters controlling at least 20% of the model output variance (through individual effects and interactions) should be included in the calibration process. This threshold generally yields 30–40% reductions in the number of SAC-SMA parameters requiring calibration – setting the others to a priori values – while maintaining high quality predictions. Two parameters are recommended to be calibrated in all cases (percent impervious area and lower zone tension water storage), three parameters are needed in drier watersheds (additional impervious area, riparian zone vegetation, and percent of percolation going to tension storage), and the lower zone parameters are crucial unless the watershed is very dry. Overall, this study demonstrates that a coupled, multi-objective sensitivity and calibration analysis better captures differences between watersheds during model calibration and serves to maximize the value of available watershed response time series. These contributions are particularly important given the ongoing development of more complex integrated models, which will require new tools to address the growing discrepancy between the information content of hydrological data and the number of model parameters that have to be estimated.     

An approach to measure parameter sensitivity in watershed hydrological modelling

Hydrological responses vary spatially and temporally according to watershed characteristics. In this study, the hydrological models that we developed earlier for the Little Miami River (LMR) and Las Vegas Wash (LVW) watersheds in the USA were used for detailed sensitivity analyses. To compare the relative sensitivities of the hydrological parameters of these two models, we used normalized root mean square error (NRMSE). By combining the NRMSE index with the flow duration curve analysis, we derived an approach to measure parameter sensitivities under different flow regimes. Results show that the parameters related to groundwater are highly sensitive in the LMR watershed, whereas the LVW watershed is primarily sensitive to near-surface and impervious parameters. The high and medium flows are more impacted by most of the parameters. The low flow regime was highly sensitive to groundwater-related parameters. Moreover, our approach is found to be useful in facilitating model development and calibration.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis

ASSOCIATE EDITOR S. Huang     

常用岩土本构模型的选择及对场地动力反应分析结果的影响

合理选择本构模型是土动力学问题数值模拟中的一项重要工作。利用PLAXIS 2D软件的土工实验模拟功能分别对4种常用的岩土本构模型——线弹性模型、摩尔库伦模型、土体硬化模型和小应变土体硬化模型在往复荷载下的理论滞回曲线进行了对比分析,并在此基础上研究了选择不同本构模型对自由场地震反应分析结果的影响以及不同本构模型中各参数的变化对场地动力计算结果的敏感性分析。研究结果为土动力学问题数值模拟中如何选择本构模型和合理判断数值分析结果提供了参考依据。     

Marine transient electromagnetic sounding of deep buried hydrocarbon reservoirs: principles,methodologies and limitations

The possibility of a time‐domain electromagnetic sounding method using excitation and measurement of vertical electric fields to search for and identify deeply buried reservoirs of hydrocarbons offshore is investigated. The method operates on source–receiver offsets, which are several times less than the depth of the reservoir. Geoelectric information is obtained from the transient responses recorded in the pauses between the pulses of electric current in the absence of the source field. The basics of the method, as well as its sensitivity, resolution, and the highest accessible depth of soundings for various geological conditions in a wide range of sea depths, are analyzed. For the analysis, 1D and 3D geoelectric models of hydrocarbon reservoirs are used. It is shown that under existing technologies of excitation and measurement of vertical electric fields, the highest accessible depth of soundings can be up to 4 km. Technology for the inversion and interpretation of transient responses is demonstrated on experimental data.     

初至波相位走时层析

近地表速度结构通常是利用射线走时层析或菲涅尔体走时层析等反演方法得到的,但它们的目标函数仍利用射线走时残差构建,导致反演精度不高.为此,本文提出了基于散射积分算法的初至波相位走时层析成像方法.该方法的核心是:(1)提出了依赖于频率的相位走时概念;(2)利用依赖于频率的相位走时信息,而非单一的无限频率射线走时;(3)发展了一种改进的相位展开方法,即通过监测相位不连续性和2π周期判定来消除相位折叠现象;(4)考虑了地震波传播的有限频特征,即基于波动理论而非传统的射线路径或有限空间的菲涅尔体构建核函数.通过利用Overthrust模型的数值实验及与传统射线走时层析和菲涅尔体走时层析的对比表明:本文提出的方法是一种有效的初至波走时反演方法.同时,基于Overthrust模型的数值试验还证明了下列结论,即通过挖掘更多的走时信息的确可以获得更高的反演精度和分辨率.