Three dimensional numerical simulation of residential building on shrink–swell soils in response to climatic conditions

Shrink–swell soils can cause distresses in buildings, and every year, the economic loss associated with this problem is huge. This paper presents a comprehensive system for simulating the soil–foundation–building system and its response to daily weather conditions. Weather data include rainfall, solar radiation, air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed, all of which are readily available from a local weather station or the Internet. These data are used to determine simulation flux boundary conditions. Different methods are proposed to simulate different boundary conditions: bare soil, trees, and vegetation. A coupled hydro‐mechanical stress analysis is used to simulate the volume change of shrink–swell soils due to both mechanical stress and water content variations. Coupled hydro‐mechanical stress‐jointed elements are used to simulate the interaction between the soil and the slab, and general shell elements are used to simulate structural behavior. All the models are combined into one finite element program to predict the entire system's behavior. This paper first described the theory for the simulations. A site in Arlington, Texas, is then selected to demonstrate the application of the proposed system. Simulation results are shown, and a comparison between measured and predicted movements for four footings in Arlington, Texas, over a 2‐year period is presented. Finally, a three‐dimensional simulation is made for a virtual residential building on shrink–swell soils to identify the influence of various factors. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Confirmation of an Early Cretaceous age for the Qihulin Formation in eastern Heilongjiang Province, China: constraints from a new discovery of radiolarians

The coal-bearing, alternating marine and non-marine Longzhaogou Group in eastern Heilongjiang, northeastern China, has long been considered as Jurassic, or mainly Jurassic, in age. However, recent studies have demonstrated that the ammonites and dinoflagellate cysts are of Early Cretaceous age. This has now been confirmed by new radiolarian evidence. The radiolarian fauna recovered from the upper Qihulin Formation of the Longzhaogou Group consists of nine poorly preserved species referable to nine genera. Novixitus is a Cretaceous genus, and the specimens of Archaeodictyomitra sp. and Xitus sp. recovered resemble A. vulgaris Pessagno and X. spicularius (Aliev), respectively.     

流域非点源磷素输出负荷估算方法研究

目前水质常规监测频率较低,难以客观反映流域非点源污染物浓度随降雨径流过程的变化情况,结果会低估了流域非点源污染物的输出负荷。本文利用流域次降雨过程的连续水质水量同步监测资料,研究分析次降雨过程与流域非点源磷素输出负荷之间的因果关系,并建立次降雨总量与磷素输出负荷的定量相关关系。研究结果表明,流域次降雨总量与非点源磷素输出负荷之间存在较好的相关关系。通过这种定量关系,以流域次降雨总量为输入,可以更为合理地估算出流域非点源磷素输出负荷。     

无锡站年际降雨趋势、特征与预报分析

针对近年极端灾害性气候频发的现状,对暖冬影响下无锡站降雨年际变化趋势、历史演变特征和近几年水文预报情况进行了分析。结果表明:在暖冬影响下,无锡站降雨年际间呈现出干旱—湿润周期性变化的特征,具有水文旋回的性质,在太湖地区有代表性,可作为该时段的降雨预报模型;该模型打破了年际降雨无规律的传统思维定式,与历史演变法相结合,能提高预报效率与精度;水文旋回的发现和降雨预报模型的建立,可推动水文气象长期预报与气候展望研究。     

Artesian Flowing Wells Field of Phu Tok Aquifer

Phu tok Aquifer is the most productive water bearing rock in the Northeastern region of Thailand. Generally, well drilled in this aquifer yields approximately 20–50 m3/hr with some wells yield over 150 m3/hr. This aquifer characterized both unconfined and confined aquifer. Data collected from core sampling and TV bore hole show water bearing fractures in the fine grained massive sandstone intercalated with thin shale layers. These intermittently bedding plane fracture zones were found vertically at 60-65 and 95-110 m below ground surface. Three directions of vertically fractures were also found at 103-104 m in the test well with underlain densely sandstone until 120 m of depth. Wells drilled to 60-70 m fractures at the area where surface elevation between 150 and 170 m above mean sea level were artesian well with rising water about 1-3 m. Natural discharge rate from 2-5 inches of diameter casing is 5-10 m3/hr. Fractures at 90-110 m yield 150 m3/hr through 6 inch casing well with 5-6 m of risen water above the ground. It is found from pumping test of Phu Tok Aquifer that hydraulic conductivity of unconfined aquifer at shallower than 50 m is 0.005-17 m/d. Transmissivity and storage coefficient are 0.05-20 m2/d and 7×10-3-0.725 respectively. The confined aquifer at depth not exceed 90 m has hydraulic conductivity value of 0.2-10 m/d while transmissivity and storage coefficient are 3.19-150 m2/d and 1×10-10-1.6×10-2. Another confined aquifer at 90-120 m of depth have hydraulic conductivity value of 0.08-15 m/d and transmissivity and storage coefficient values of 1.7-178 m2/d and 4×10-7-4.5×10-3 respectively.     

Paleoclimate studies and natural-resource management in the Murray-Darling Basin I: past,present and future climates

This paper provides an incisive review of paleoclimate science and its relevance to natural-resource management within the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB). The drought of 1997–2010 focussed scientific, public and media attention on intrinsic climate variability and the confounding effect of human activity, especially in terms of water-resource management. Many policy and research reviews make statements about future planning with little consideration of climate change and without useful actionable knowledge. In order to understand future climate changes, modellers need, and demand, better paleoclimate data to constrain their model projections. Here, we present an insight into a number of existing long-term paleoclimate studies relevant to the MDB. Past records of climate, in response to orbital forcing (glacial–interglacial cycles) are found within, and immediately outside, the MDB. High-resolution temperature records, spanning the last 10⁵ years, exist from floodplains and cave speleothems, as well as evidence from lakes and their associated lunettes. More recently, historical climate records show major changes in relation to El Niño–Southern Oscillation cycles and decadal shifts in rainfall regimes. A considerable body of research currently exists on the past climates of southeastern Australia but, this has not been collated and validated over large spatial scales. It is clear that a number of knowledge gaps still exist, and there is a pressing need for the establishment of new paleoclimatic research within the MDB catchment and within adjacent, sensitive catchments if past climate science is to fulfil its potential to provide policy-relevant information to natural-resource management into the future.     

江西象山地质公园丹霞地貌成景地层沉积环境分析

随着旅游地学的兴起和地学科普的需求,红层与丹霞地貌正在吸引着越来越多的关注。赣东北贵溪市象山地质公园发育以赤壁丹崖为特色的丹霞地貌景观,成景地层为上白垩统圭峰群河口组以砾岩为主的红色碎屑岩,冲刷侵蚀界面、粒序层理和交错层理等沉积构造发育,这为沉积环境分析提供了良好的判断标志。对该套成景地层进行厘米级实测,另外选择2处砾岩露头进行砾石统计以获取碎屑颗粒粒径、岩性、磨圆度和风化程度等信息。在实测厚度为40余米的地层柱状图上,识别出7种岩相类型,即正粒序砾岩、逆粒序砾岩、无沉积构造砾岩、平行层理砾岩、交错层理砾岩、聚集状砾岩、砂岩。砾石以中砾(2~5 cm)为主,磨圆度低,风化程度中等,成分以凝灰岩为主(58%~665%),其次为石英、花岗岩、砂岩。砾石成分和砾向分析结果说明,盆地南部早白垩世凝灰岩提供了主要的碎屑物质。根据野外实测红层剖面和砾石统计分析,认为成景地层为冲积扇沉积体系的产物。河口组红层沉积时期,盆地边缘断层活跃,间歇性强降雨事件导致冲积扇朵叶上洪泛河流搬运的沉积物供应充足,最终在剖面上形成砾岩和砂岩频繁互层及其厚度横向不稳定的现象。在中国东南地区晚白垩世总体干燥的古气候背景下,河口组中河流作用主导的冲积扇沉积体系可能指示了古气候向湿润转变,降水增加,相对丰富的水系将粗碎屑搬运到盆地区发生沉积。     

非均质土坡降雨入渗的耦合过程及稳定性分析

针对天然土质边坡通常呈现非均质特性这一问题,进行了降雨入渗作用下非均质土坡稳定性分析,考虑了渗流场和应力场之间的耦合作用。以一简化非均质土坡模型为例,对比了耦合和非耦合情况下渗流场的差异,验证耦合的客观性和其必要性;细-粗型和粗-细型土坡的降雨入渗过程可分别分为2个和3个阶段;运用有限元强度折减法,以特征部位位移突变并结合塑性区贯通作为失稳判据,进行了土坡稳定性分析,发现雨水到达土坡土层接触面的时刻即为边坡稳定性突变的时刻;并通过深入分析孔隙水压力分布,揭示了降雨诱发非均质土坡的变形破坏机制。同时,就降雨强度、历时和渗透系数对非均质土坡入渗过程和稳定性的影响进行了大量的计算和分析,发现只有当雨水进入到下层土体时,该层土体渗透系数才会对土坡稳定性产生较大影响。     

降雨入渗条件下粗粒土路堤暂态饱和区发展规律及稳定性研究

为了分析降雨入渗条件下粗粒土路堤暂态饱和区发展规律及稳定性,结合工程实际及气象资料,通过拟定不同的降雨计算方案,采用饱和-非饱和渗流理论对粗粒土路堤边坡在不同降雨条件下雨水入渗过程进行数值模拟.研究结果表明:降雨过程中路堤边坡表面会形成一定范围的暂态饱和区,暂态饱和区的形成及发展过程与降雨强度及降雨时间密切相关;降雨入渗仅会引起路堤边坡坡面以下水位线的大幅上升,对路堤中部地下水位线影响较小;降雨停止后,路堤上部暂态饱和区迅速消散,而路堤中下部暂态饱和区消散过程则表现出明显的滞后特征,但总体而言暂态饱和区的面积呈下降趋势;降雨入渗将导致入渗区域内基质吸力的丧失与含水率的增加,是造成路堤边坡稳定性降低的主要因素,路堤的失稳形式表现为整体滑移与表面局部坍塌相结合.     

考虑降雨入渗的有密集排水孔幕渗流场分析

有复杂边界面的渗流场求解问题经常会同时涉及降雨入渗边界和密集排水孔边界,这一般是一个非饱和渗流问题,因此传统的稳定饱和排水子结构模型不能适用。根据2类不同的排水孔,给出了排水子结构典型网格划分型式,提出了相应的非饱和排水子结构水力学模型,并引入传统模型中未考虑的降雨入渗等其它边界,使得模型更全面和完善。