Drivers of Australian dust: a case study of frontal winds and dust dynamics in the lower lake Eyre basin

The roles of pre‐frontal, frontal and post‐frontal winds as the primary wind systems for dust entrainment and transport in Australia are well established. While the relevance of each system has been observed across different wind erosion events in central Australia, the entrainment of dust by all three winds during the passage of an individual front has not been demonstrated until now. Synoptic information, satellite aerosol and imagery, meteorological and dust concentration data are presented for a single case study erosion event in the lower Lake Eyre Basin. This event demonstrates variable dust transport in three different directions from one of the southern Hemisphere's most significant source regions, and the changing nature of the active dust pathways during the passage of a frontal system. While only a single dust event is considered, the findings show the complexity of mineral aerosol emission and transport patterns even within an individual dust outbreak. For the lower Lake Eyre Basin, this appreciation of pathway behaviour is significant for better understanding the role of aeolian inputs from the dominant Australian source to surrounding marine systems. In a wider context, the findings exhibit the detailed insights into major dust source dynamics that can be obtained from high resolution spatial and particularly temporal data, as used in combination. This work highlights the importance of adequately resolved data for the accurate determination of dust entrainment and transport patterns of major dust sources. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

上海地区不同重现期的风速估算研究

基于上海气象站历史风速观测资料,采用极值I型和皮尔逊III型分布估算了上海市不同重现期最大风速的时间变化以及各区（县）不同重现期最大和极大风速的空间分布。结果表明,1901~2011年,上海市10、30、50和100 a重现期的最大风速分别为21.0、24.9、26.7和29.2 m/s。1974~2011年期间,上海各区（县）10 m高度10、30、50和100 a重现期的最大风速都是以南部沿海地区南汇或金山最大,分别为19.0、21.4、22.6和24.1 m/s;各重现期极大风速也是以南汇或金山最大,分别为32.3、36.4、38.4和41.0 m/s。中心城区各重现期的最大和极大风速都最小。     

粉煤灰增强回填碱渣工程特性的试验研究

碱渣与饱和卤水混合制成浆体回填到盐矿废弃盐腔可同时解决碱渣处理问题和地下废弃盐腔存在的地质隐患。回填碱渣强度是影响充填效果的重要因素。因此,为了提高回填碱渣强度,采用掺入粉煤灰制成复合碱渣对其强度特性进行改良。针对不同粉煤灰掺合比的碱渣开展了组成、力学和细观试验。研究结果表明：（1）掺入粉煤灰能明显改善碱渣的强度,使其黏聚力、内摩擦角都大幅提高,抗剪强度大幅增加;（2）粉煤灰掺合比越大,增强效果越明显,但强度并非随掺合比呈线性变化,对黏聚力而言,在0～20%内的掺合比下增加速度最快,而对内摩擦角则在20%～30%的掺合比区间增加最快,对抗剪强度而言,0～20%的掺合比内增加最明显;（3）粉煤灰掺入还可显著改善碱渣的压缩固结特性,使其固结系数大幅提高,从而提高碱渣固结速度,缩短充填工期,其中在0～10%的掺合比内对压缩固结特性改善最显著;（4）矿物组成分析表明,粉煤灰掺入改变了矿物组成,使得亲水性矿物含量急剧锐减,进而改变了其沉积特性。而细观分析则表明,粉煤灰掺入使碱渣从絮凝团细观结构变成了粉煤灰充当骨架的充填结构,且粒间支撑和拉联效应明显。从增强效果提高、压缩固结特性增强、控制成本和工期综合分析表明,最优掺合比为20%左右,建议工程中以不高于20%的掺合比作为实用掺合比即可取得较为理想的充填增强效果。该研究为揭示碱渣增强机制及废弃盐腔碱渣充填工艺优化提供了有益参考。     

超长灌注桩桩-土界面剪切试验研究

为研究超长灌注桩桩侧与土体接触界面的剪切力学行为,采用大型界面剪切仪,开展混凝土与粉质黏土、粉细砂土接触界面剪切试验。针对钻孔灌注桩泥浆护壁施工特点及后注浆工艺的应用,在混凝土与粉细砂土界面设置膨润土泥皮或膨润土泥皮与水泥浆,以研究泥皮及存在泥皮时注浆对界面剪切性状的影响。试验结果表明：界面剪切应力随剪切位移增加逐步达到极限值,之后,剪切应力保持基本不变或出现软化现象;土体类型及法向应力大小对界面剪切力学行为具有较大的影响;粉细砂土-混凝土界面摩擦角与土体有效内摩擦角相近,存在泥皮时,界面摩擦角降低达40%,泥皮的润滑作用较大地削弱了界面的剪切性能;存在泥皮情况下,注浆后界面摩擦角较泥皮界面提高近1倍,水泥浆的注入不仅消除了泥皮产生的不利影响,也有利于进一步改善界面剪切性能,提高其抗剪强度;泥皮及注浆对界面剪切应力与剪切位移关系亦有较大的影响;界面剪切作用对土体具有一定的影响范围,并在接触界面附近土体中逐渐形成剪切破坏带,剪切过程中界面呈现出由剪切位移阶段逐步过渡至剪切滑移阶段;此外,在剪切过程中,不同界面类型的土体变形存在较大差异。     

Seismic shear distribution among interconnected cantilever walls of different lengths

Mid‐rise to high‐rise buildings in seismic areas are often braced by slender reinforced concrete (RC) walls, which are interconnected by RC floor diaphragms. In design, it is typically assumed that the lateral forces are distributed in proportion to the wall's elastic stiffness. Pushover analyses of systems comprising walls of different lengths have, however, shown that large compatibility forces can develop between them, which should be considered in design, but the analyses have also shown that the magnitude of the computed forces is very sensitive to the modelling assumptions. Using the results of a complex shell element model as benchmark, different simple hand‐calculation methods and inelastic beam element models are assessed and improved to yield reliable estimates of the base shear distribution among the individual walls comprising the interconnected wall system. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical modelling of aeolian erosion over a surface with non‐uniformly distributed roughness elements

The present study is focused on the analysis of the mean wall friction velocity on a surface including roughness elements exposed to a turbulent boundary layer. These roughness elements represent non‐erodible particles over an erodible surface of an agglomeration of granular material on industrial sites. A first study has proposed a formulation that describes the evolution of the friction velocity as a function of geometrical parameters and cover rate with different uniform roughness distributions. The present simulations deal with non‐uniform distributions of particles with a random sampling of diameters, heights, positions and arrangements. The evolution (relative to geometrical parameters of the roughness elements) of the friction velocity for several non‐uniform distributions of roughness elements was analysed by the equation proposed in the literature and compared to the results obtained with the numerical simulations. This comparison showed very good agreement. Thus, the formulation developed for uniform particles was found also to be valid for a larger spectrum of particles noted on industrial sites. The present work aims also to investigate in detail the fluid mechanics over several roughness particles. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Statistical models for shear strength of RC beam‐column joints using machine‐learning techniques

This paper proposes a new set of probabilistic joint shear strength models using the conventional multiple linear regression method, and advanced machine‐learning methods of multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) and symbolic regression (SR). In order to achieve high‐fidelity regression models with reduced model errors and bias, this study constructs extensive experimental databases for reinforced and unreinforced concrete joints by collecting existing beam‐column joint subassemblage tests from multiple sources. Various influential parameters that affect joint shear strength such as material properties, design parameters, and joint configuration are investigated through tests of statistical significance. After performing a set of regression analyses, the comparison of simulation results indicates that MARS approach is the best estimation method. Moreover, the accuracy of analytical predictions of the derived MARS model is compared with that of existing joint shear strength relationships. The comparison results show that the proposed model is more accurate compared to existing relationships. This joint shear strength prediction model can be readily implemented into joint response models for evaluation of earthquake performance and inelastic responses of building frames. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seismic design and testing of the bottom vertical boundary elements in steel plate shear walls. Part 1: design methodology

This research investigates the seismic design method and the cyclic inelastic behavior of the bottom column, also called the vertical boundary element (VBE), in steel plate shear walls (SPSWs). This study consists of two parts. This Part 1 paper discusses the anticipated pushover responses for properly designed SPSWs and the possible inelastic responses of the bottom VBE at various levels of inter‐story drift. Considering both the tension field action of the infill panel and the sway action of the boundary frame, this study develops a simplified method to compute the flexural and shear demands in the bottom VBE. Based on the superposition method, this approach considers various plastic hinge forming locations at different levels of inter‐story drift. One of the key performance‐based design objectives is to ensure that the top ends of the bottom VBEs remain elastic when the SPSWs are subjected to the maximum considered earthquake. This paper presents the comprehensive design procedures for the bottom VBE. Furthermore, this study conducted cyclic performance evaluation tests of three full‐scale two‐story SPSWs at the Taiwan National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering in 2011 to validate the effectiveness of the proposed design methods. The experimental program, cyclic inelastic responses of the SPSWs and bottom VBEs, and numerical simulations are presented in Part 2. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of non-plastic silt content on the liquefaction behavior of sand–silt mixture

To identify the effect of non-plastic silt on the cyclic behavior of sand–silt mixtures, total sixty undrained cyclic triaxial stress-control tests were carried out on sand–silt mixtures. These tests were conducted on specimens of size 71 mm diameter and 142 mm height with a frequency of 1 Hz. Specimens were prepared at a constant relative density and constant density approach. The effect of relative density, confining pressure as well as magnitude of cyclic loading was also studied. For a constant relative density (D_r=60%) the effect of limiting silt content, pore pressure response and cyclic strength was observed. The rate of generation of excess pore water pressure with respect to cycles of loading was found to initially increase with increase in silt content till the limiting silt content and thereafter it reverses its trend when the specimens were tested at a constant relative density. The cyclic resistance behavior was observed to be just opposite to the pore pressure response. Permeability, CRR and secant shear modulus decreased till limiting silt content; after that they became constant with increasing silt content.     

How hydrological factors initiate instability in a model sandy slope

Knowledge of the mechanisms of rain‐induced shallow landslides can improve the prediction of their occurrence and mitigate subsequent sediment disasters. Here, we examine an artificial slope's subsurface hydrology and propose a new slope stability analysis that includes seepage force and the down‐slope transfer of excess shear forces. We measured pore water pressure and volumetric water content immediately prior to a shallow landslide on an artificial sandy slope of 32°: The direction of the subsurface flow shifted from downward to parallel to the slope in the deepest part of the landslide mass, and this shift coincided with the start of soil displacement. A slope stability analysis that was restricted to individual segments of the landslide mass could not explain the initiation of the landslide; however, inclusion of the transfer of excess shear forces from up‐slope to down‐slope segments improved drastically the predictability. The improved stability analysis revealed that an unstable zone expanded down‐slope with an increase in soil water content, showing that the down‐slope soil initially supported the unstable up‐slope soil; destabilization of this down‐slope soil was the eventual trigger of total slope collapse. Initially, the effect of apparent soil cohesion was the most important factor promoting slope stability, but seepage force became the most important factor promoting slope instability closer to the landslide occurrence. These findings indicate that seepage forces, controlled by changes in direction and magnitude of saturated and unsaturated subsurface flows, may be the main cause of shallow landslides in sandy slopes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.