Effect of 2D spatial variability on slope reliability: A simplified FORM analysis

To meet the high demand for reliability based design of slopes, we present in this paper a simplified HLRF(Hasofere Linde Rackwitze Fiessler) iterative algorithm for first-order reliability method(FORM). It is simply formulated in x-space and requires neither transformation of correlated random variables nor optimization tools. The solution can be easily improved by iteratively adjusting the step length. The algorithm is particularly useful to practicing engineers for geotechnical reliability analysis where standalone(deterministic) numerical packages are used. Based on the proposed algorithm and through direct perturbation analysis of random variables, we conducted a case study of earth slope reliability with complete consideration of soil uncertainty and spatial variability.     

Electrical analogy for modelling thermal regime and moisture distribution in sandy soils

The soil mass is subjected to temperature variation due to several human activities (viz. tanks storing heated fluids, buried cables and pipelines, air-conditioning ducts, disposal of nuclear and thermal power plant wastes etc.), which result in heat-induced migration of the moisture in it. Though several studies have been conducted in the past to investigate the mechanism of heat migration through the soil mass, a methodology for ‘real-time measurement of the variations in temperature, flux and moving moisture front, in tandem, with respect to space' has rarely been attempted. In this context, extensive laboratory investigations were conducted to measure real-time flux and temperature variations in the sandy soils, and the validation of results has been done by employing an equivalent electrical circuit programme, LTspice. Subsequently, a mathematical model PHITMDS (i.e. Prediction of Heat-Induced Temperature and Moisture Distribution in Soil) has been developed and its utility and efficacy, for predicting the depth-wise temperature and heat-induced moisture migration, due to evaporation, in terms of position of moving moisture front in the sandy soil has been critically discussed and demonstrated.     

RS & GIS-based landslide susceptibility mapping of the Balason River basin,Darjeeling Himalaya,using logistic regression (LR) model

The present study deals with the preparation of a landslide susceptibility map of the Balason River basin, Darjeeling Himalaya, using a logistic regression model based on Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing. The landslide inventory map was prepared with a total of 295 landslide locations extracted from various satellite images and intensive field survey. Topographical maps, satellite images, geological, geomorphological, soil, rainfall and seismic data were collected, processed and constructed into a spatial database in a GIS environment. The chosen landslide-conditioning factors were altitude, slope aspect, slope angle, slope curvature, geology, geomorphology, soil, land use/land cover, normalised differential vegetation index, drainage density, lineament number density, distance from lineament, distance to drainage, stream power index, topographic wetted index, rainfall and peak ground acceleration. The produced landslide susceptibility map satisfied the decision rules and ?2 Log likelihood, Cox &; Snell R-Square and Nagelkerke R-Square values proved that all the independent variables were statistically significant. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the prediction accuracy of the landslide probability map was 96.10%. The proposed LR method can be used in other hazard/disaster studies and decision-making.     

Calibration of cyclic constitutive models by oscillating functions

Most structures are subjected to more cyclic loads during their life time than static loads. These cyclic action could be a result of either natural or man-made activities and may lead to soil failure. In order to understand the response of the foundation and its interaction with these complex cyclic loadings, various researchers have over the years developed different constitutive models. Although a lot of research is being carried out on these relatively new models, little or no details exist in literature about the model-based identification of the cyclic constitutive parameters which to a large extent govern the quality of the model output. This could be attributed to the difficulties and complexities of the inverse modeling of such complex phenomena. A variety of optimisation strategies are available for the solution of the sum of least-squares problems as usually done in the field of model calibration. However, for the back analysis (calibration) of the soil response to oscillatory load functions, this article gives insight into the model calibration challenges and also puts forward a method for the inverse modeling of cyclic loaded foundation response such that high-quality solutions are obtained with minimum computational effort.     

Probabilistic calibration of a coupled hydro-mechanical slope stability model with integration of multiple observations

Multiple types of responses, such as displacements, ground water level, pore water pressures, water contents, etc., are usually measured in comprehensive monitoring programmes for rainfall-induced landslide prevention. In this study, a probabilistic calibration method for coupled hydro-mechanical modelling of slope stability is presented with integration of multiple types of measurements. A numerical example of a soil slope under rainfall infiltration is illustrated to compare the effects of single and multiple types of responses on parameter estimation and model calibration. The results show that the soil parameters can be estimated with less uncertainty and total uncertainty bounds are narrower with multiple types of responses than with a single type of response. Model calibration based on multiple types of responses can compromise different responses and hence the means and standard deviations of model error are the smallest. A feasible correlation coefficient between soil modulus and permeability can be obtained from model calibration with multiple types of responses and single type of response as long as the responses include displacement data.     

西藏加查拉岗村巨型古滑坡发育特征与形成机理研究

青藏高原地质构造活跃,内外动力作用强烈,加之气候异常变化,区内大型滑坡发育。以雅鲁藏布江断裂附近新发现的拉岗村古滑坡为研究对象,在现场调查、槽探揭露、地质测年和工程地质分析等基础上,对其发育特征及成因机制进行了分析研究。研究表明,(1)拉岗村滑坡属巨型岩质滑坡,体积达3.6×107 m3,最大水平滑动距离约3050m,滑坡后壁与堆积体前缘高差达965m,最大运动速率达78.1m/s,具明显高速远程特征;(2)受冷冻风化和冰体"楔劈"作用影响,滑坡后部岩体崩裂,全新世以来气候变化冰川逐渐消退,融雪降水入渗加剧劣化岩体结构,降低岩体强度;(3)根据14 C和10Be测年结果,拉岗村古滑坡形成于距今4140~9675a,沿雅鲁藏布江断裂发生的强震可能是该滑坡的直接诱因,岩体受到地震抛掷力作用,原有节理裂隙和新生破裂面发生张剪-拉裂破坏迅速贯通,首先沿断裂附近碎裂结构岩体发生破坏,上部岩体随之失稳并高速下滑。该研究可为认识青藏高原断裂带内大型古滑坡的形成机理提供借鉴。     

扬子地台东南缘下寒武统清虚洞组风暴沉积特征及其重要意义

在扬子地台东南缘,下寒武统龙王庙阶清虚洞组主要由浅水碳酸盐岩组成。在野外露头剖面实测和室内镜下薄片观察的基础上,大量风暴沉积被发现于不同剖面清虚洞组的不同层位中,同时大量风暴诱发形成的沉积构造被识别出来,包括侵蚀基底、粗粒滞留沉积、粒序层理、平行层理、丘状交错层理(少见并且值得怀疑)以及沙纹层理,组成了多种类型的风暴沉积序列。结合更靠扬子东南缘的深水剖面中重力流沉积的缺乏,可以推断早寒武世龙王庙期扬子地台的沉积模式为碳酸盐缓坡。结合风暴的形成机制以及清虚洞组风暴沉积的发育特征(尤其是粗粒滞留砾屑的定向排列和典型丘状交错层理的缺乏),可以推断研究区风暴沉积形成于强烈的冬季风暴作用,并且早寒武世龙王庙期华南的古地理位置应当位于中纬度地区,这一结论对一些著名的全球古地理重建方案提出了质疑。同时中纬度地区大规模发育蒸发岩和碳酸盐岩还佐证了寒武纪地球处于热室(Hothouse)时期。     

Effect of loading duration on uncertainty in creep analysis of clay

Some studies suggest that creep parameters should be determined using a greater quantity of creep test data to provide more reliable prediction regarding the deformation of soft soils. This study aims to investigate the effect of loading duration on model updating. One‐dimensional consolidation data of intact Vanttila clay under different loading durations collected from the literature is used for demonstration. The Bayesian probabilistic method is used to identify all unknown parameters based on the consolidation data during the entire consolidation process, and their uncertainty can be quantified through the obtained posterior probability density functions. Additionally, the optimal models are also determined from among 9 model candidates. The analyses indicate that the optimal models can describe the creep behavior of intact soft soils under different loading durations, and the adopted method can evaluate the effect of loading duration on uncertainty in the creep analysis. The uncertainty of a specific model and its model parameters decreases as more creep data are involved in the updating process, and the updated models that use more creep data can better capture the deformation behavior of an intact sample. The proposed method can provide quantified uncertainty in the process of model updating and assist engineers to decide whether the creep test data are sufficient for the creep analysis.     

碳酸盐台地的类型、特征和沉积模式--兼论华北地台寒武纪陆表海-淹没台地的沉积样式

随着对现代碳酸盐沉积环境的系统调查和解释、以及对碳酸盐沉积原理认识的深化,自20世纪60年代,一系列碳酸盐沉积相模式得以建立,其中最引人注目的是Wilson和Tucker的工作。但在镶边陆棚及缓坡模式得到了广泛认可和使用的同时,对陆表海和淹没台地型沉积未能予以足够的重视。与过去相比,现今的海平面是相对较低的,因而没有出现陆表海广泛发育的情况。但在漫长的地质历史时期,陆表海曾经覆盖了广泛的克拉通区域,是碳酸盐沉积最重要的场所之一。本文在系统总结前人成果的基础上,将用于描述大尺度碳酸盐岩沉积环境的碳酸盐台地分为镶边陆棚、缓坡、陆表海、孤立台地和淹没台地5种类型分别描述,并重点强调了陆表海和淹没台地的沉积模式。华北地台寒武系大面积分布的潮坪沉积、鲕粒滩相灰岩和竹叶状风暴砾屑灰岩,以及频繁出现的台地淹没事件,为阐明陆表海和淹没台地的沉积提供了绝佳实例。这些实例和研究表明了碳酸盐沉积环境的多样性和沉积过程的复杂性,以及将今论古的困难性,从而为碳酸盐沉积原理的认识和沉积环境的解释提供新认识和新思路。     

克拉美丽山南缘西段盆山耦合机制

克拉美丽山位于准噶尔盆地东部,晚古生代克拉美丽洋盆向北俯冲消亡,西伯利亚板块与准噶尔地块在该地区发生碰撞造山。目前,就石炭纪之后克拉美丽山的构造活动存在持续挤压、拉分、伸展、挤压-伸展转换多种观点,构造样式也各不相同。本文应用断层相关褶皱理论,从盆山过渡带现今构造样式入手来探讨克拉美丽山南缘西段盆山耦合机制。研究结果表明,克拉美丽山西段在石炭纪之后经历了中二叠世早期、早三叠世早期、晚三叠世末期、晚侏罗世-早白垩世、晚白垩世早期和古新世末期6 次构造隆升。前4 期相对稳定沉积,晚白垩世早期,晚古生代地层沿着下二叠统底部的泥岩层滑脱面以叠瓦状构造楔样式向南楔入,构造缩短量大于15 km,现今盆山构造样式初步形成。始新世构造楔遭受后期突破断层改造。始新世后,克拉美丽山大规模的构造活动基本停止,地层遭受剥蚀最终形成现今地质结构。