Influence of large-diameter pipe pile driving on surrounding marine soils and adjacent submarine pipelines

Abstract

With the large-scale development and utilization of ocean resources and space, it is inevitable to encounter existing submarine facilities in pile driving areas, which necessitates a safety assessment. In this article, by referring to a wharf renovation project as a reference, the surrounding soil response and buried pipe deformation during pile driving in a near-shore submarine environment are investigated by three-dimensional (3D) numerical models that consider the pore water effect. Numerical studies are carried out in two different series: one is a case of a single pile focusing on the effect of the minimum plane distance of the pile–pipe, and the other is a case of double piles focusing on the effect of the pile spacing.     

Eddy Diffusion Coefficients of Suspended Particulate Matter: Effects of Wind Energy Transfer and Stratification

Gross sedimentation rates (GSR) have been measured using sediment traps placed at nine different levels above the bed (0·3, 0·5, 0·8, 1·0, 2·0, 4·0, 6·0, 8·0 and 10·0 m). The sediment traps were deployed for 1·25 years and recovered 28 times during the study period. Low average GSR values of 5·5 g m^-2 day^-1 were obtained at 10·0 m, and high average GSR values of 114·8 g m^-2 day^-1 were obtained at 0·3 m. An expression for the eddy diffusion coefficient of suspended particulate matter (K_s), based on the measured GSR is given. The expression has been used for modelling of K_s at the different trap levels above the bed. High values (≈42 cm² s^-1) of K_s were obtained at the upper traps, whereas low values (≈2 cm² s^-1) were obtained near the bed. Comparison between level of turbulent energy in terms of shear stress at the boundaries of the water column, i.e. from the wind and the bed flow, showed that wind energy exceeded that of the bed flow by a factor 16. At 5·0 m K_s was positively correlated (r=0·66) to the eddy diffusion coefficient of momentum (K_m) derived from the wind energy transfer to the water, giving an average β of 0·5 for K_s =βK_m. The density difference between surface and bottom waters has been designated a parameter of stratification, and is discussed in relation to variations of K_s and K_m .     

Atmospheric Correction of SeaWiFS Data for the Retrieval of Suspended Sediment in East China Coastal Waters

The data of SeaWiFS (Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor), installed on SeaStar, has been used to generate SSC (suspended sediment concentration) of complex and turbid coastal waters in China. In view of the problems of the SeaDAS (SeaWiFS Data Analysis System) algorithm applied to China coastal waters, a new atmospheric correction algorithm is discussed, developed, and used for the SSC of East China coastal waters. The advantages of the new algorithm are described through the comparison of the restdts from different algorithms.     

Tectonic Significance of the Taitung Canyon, Huatung Basin, East of Taiwan

Since the beginning of formation of Proto-Taiwan, the subducting Philippine (PH) Sea plate has moved continuously through time in the N307° direction with respect to Eurasia (EU), tearing the EU plate. The subducting EU plate includes a continental part in the north and an oceanic part in the south. The boundary B between these two domains corresponds to the eastern prolongation of the northeastern South China Sea ocean-continent transition zone. In the Huatung Basin (east of Taiwan), the Taitung Canyon is N065° oriented and is close and parallel to B. Seismic profiles show that the southern flank of the canyon corresponds to a fault with a normal component of a few tens of meters in the sediments and possible dextral shearing. Several crustal earthquakes of magnitude >%6 are located beneath the trend of the Taitung Canyon and focal mechanisms suggest that the motion is right-lateral. Thus, faulting within the sedimentary sequence beneath the Taitung Canyon is a consequence of underlying dextral strike-slip crustal motions. As the continental part of the EU slab located north of B has been recently detached, some subsequent dextral strike-slip motion might be expected within the EU slab, along the ocean-continent transition zone, which is a potential zone of weakness. We suggest that the dextral strike-slip motion along the ocean-continent boundary of the EU slab might trigger the observed dextral strike-slip motion within the overlying PH Sea crust and the associated faulting within the sediments of the Huatung Basin, beneath the Taitung Canyon. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Impact of urban stormwater runoff on estuarine environmental quality

Urban stormwater runoff could contribute to the deterioration of water quality of a receiving water body. In this research, field studies and laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the microbial contamination resulting from urban stormwater runoff into the Lake Pontchartrain estuary. Fecal coliform, Escherichia coli and enterococci were used as indicator organisms. The specific objectives of the research were to examine the distribution of the indicator organisms in different environmental elements (water column, suspended particles and sediment) and to further investigate the mechanisms related to their fate. Results of the research indicated satisfactory water quality at the study sites during dry weather periods. However, a significant increase was observed in the concentrations of the indicator organisms in the water columns and sediment at specific study sites following a given stormwater event. Three to seven days were needed for the elevated indicator organisms to return back to their background levels in the water column and sediment, respectively. The mechanism of sedimentation contributed to a reduction in the microbial concentration in the water column, as the indicator organisms were found to attach to the suspended particles in the stormwater. The percentage of fecal coliform, E. coli and enterococci attached to the suspended particles was found to be within the range of 9.8–27.5%, 21.8–30.4%, and 8.4–11.5% of the total indicator organisms in the stormwater loaded into the estuary, respectively. About 75–80% of the total indicator organisms remained free-floating for some distance in the water column before dying off.     

土工布充砂袋的应用及其研究进展

对土工布充砂袋技术和国内外的应用进行了介绍。鉴于土工布充砂袋属于一种新兴起的土工新材料和新技术，在设计和工程实际中还存在着许多急待解决的问题，着重对各种典型状态和典型环境下的土工布充砂袋的变形、应力和土工布充砂袋堆的稳定性研究进展进行综述，最后提出进一步研究的思路。     

人工神经网络方法反演东中国海悬移质浓度

海中悬移质是决定海洋光学性质、海洋水质,河口海岸带演变动力过程的重要环境参数。本文利用模拟遥感反射比数据集建立人工神经网络反演悬移质浓度,并利用东中国海现场同步数据对该算法进行验证。     

软土海岸地区测量控制点标志的设立

分析了软土、湿地、滩涂地区特殊地理环境对测量控制点的影响;主要探讨了此类地区控制点标志的设计、施工。借助于建筑桩基技术和道桥施工方法,首次成功实现了某三角洲湿地滩涂地区统一布网。几年来,结合滩涂湿地测量、海岸防护和滩涂开发工程对部分控制点进行了初步检测,给出了部分检测数据。应用和检测均表明:桩基标石可较好地解决软土、湿地、滩涂地区控制点布设难题,显著提高软土海岸地区测量控制点标志的稳固性,从而延长控制网的可使用期。     

长江口枯季悬沙粒度与浓度之间的关系

2003和2004年枯季在长江口采集水样并作水文观测，对所获水样进行过滤和粒度分析，以计算悬沙浓度和悬沙粒度分布。结果表明，2003年11月小潮期间，悬沙中值粒径与悬沙浓度存在着显著的指数关系，在大潮期间没有显著关系；在2004年2月小湖期间，两者之间没有显著关系，但在大潮期间存在着显著的指数关系。枯季水体悬沙以粉砂组份为主，并且随着向口外的推移，细颗粒组份逐渐增加，但在拦门沙最大浑浊带附近，由于絮凝作用，沉积物粒度变幅较大，可产生粒径粗化的现象。小潮期间，砂含量较低，但与悬沙浓度之间有显著相关关系；大潮期间，悬沙粒径粗化，但砂含量与悬沙浓度之间的关系不显著。上述分布趋势与沉积物来源、当地的水动力条件和絮凝作用等因素有密切关系。