Reliability assessment of granular filters in embankment dams

Empirical criteria have been used successfully to design filters of most embankment large dam projects throughout the world. However, these empirical rules are only applicable to a particular range of soils tested in laboratory and do not take into account the variability of the base material and filter particle sizes. In addition, it is widely accepted that the safety of fill dams is mainly dependent on the reliability of their filter performance. The work herein presented consists in a new general method for assessing the probability of fulfilling any empirical filter design criteria accounting for base and filter heterogeneity by means of first‐order reliability methods (FORM), so that reliability indexes and probabilities of fulfilling any particular criteria are obtained. This method will allow engineers to estimate the safety of existing filters in terms of probability of fulfilling their design criteria and might also be used as a decision tool on sampling needs and material size tolerances during construction. In addition, sensitivity analysis makes possible to analyse how reliabilities are influenced by different sources of input data. Finally, in case of a portfolio risk assessment, this method will allow engineers to compare the safety of several existing dams in order to prioritize safety investments and it is expected to be a very useful tool to evaluate probabilities of failure due to internal erosion. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of methods to model the gravitational gradients from topographic data bases

A number of methods have been developed over the last few decades to model the gravitational gradients using digital elevation data. All methods are based on second-order derivatives of the Newtonian mass integral for the gravitational potential. Foremost are algorithms that divide the topographic masses into prisms or more general polyhedra and sum the corresponding gradient contributions. Other methods are designed for computational speed and make use of the fast Fourier transform (FFT), require a regular rectangular grid of data, and yield gradients on the entire grid, but only at constant altitude. We add to these the ordinary numerical integration (in horizontal coordinates) of the gradient integrals. In total we compare two prism, two FFT and two ordinary numerical integration methods using 1" elevation data in two topographic regimes (rough and moderate terrain). Prism methods depend on the type of finite elements that are generated with the elevation data; in particular, alternative triangulations can yield significant differences in the gradients (up to tens of Eötvös). The FFT methods depend on a series development of the topographic heights, requiring terms up to 14th order in rough terrain; and, one popular method has significant bias errors (e.g. 13 Eötvös in the vertical–vertical gradient) embedded in its practical realization. The straightforward numerical integrations, whether on a rectangular or triangulated grid, yield sub-Eötvös differences in the gradients when compared to the other methods (except near the edges of the integration area) and they are as efficient computationally as the finite element methods.     

Classification of densities and characteristics of curve of population centers in China by GIS

In this paper, with the spatial analysis functions in ArcGIS and the county-level census data of 2000 in China, the population density map was divided and shown by classes, meanwhile, the map system of population distribution and a curve of population centers were formed; in accordance with the geographical proximity principle, the classes of population densities were reclassified and a population density map was obtained which had the spatial clustering characteristic. The multi-layer superposition based on the population density classification shows that the population densities become denser from the Northwest to the Southeast; the multi-layer clustering phenomenon of the Chinese population distribution is obvious, the populations have a water-based characteristic gathering towards the rivers and coastlines. The curve of population centers shows the population densities transit from the high density region to the low one on the whole, while in low-density areas there are relatively dense areas, and in high-density areas there are relatively sparse areas. The reclassification research on the population density map based on the curve of population centers shows that the Chinese population densities can be divided into 9 classes, hereby, the geographical distribution of Chinese population can be divided into 9 type regions: the concentration core zone, high concentration zone, moderate concentration zone, low concentration zone, general transitional zone, relatively sparse area, absolute sparse area, extreme sparse area, and basic no-man's land. More than 3/4 of the population of China is concentrated in less than 1/5 of the land area, and more than half of the land area is inhabited by less than 2% of the population, the result reveals a better space law of China’s population distribution.     

玻色-爱因斯坦凝聚和重力测量——2001年诺贝尔物理学奖评介

介绍了2001年诺贝尔物理学奖获得者康奈尔，韦曼，克特勒的科学研究成果，实验玻色－爱因斯坦凝聚（BEC）及其在理论上的意义和应用前景，讨论了BEC在研制高精度重力仪方面的应用问题，为此回顾了重力测量现状，朱棣文等研制的原子干涉重力仪和ClauserJ提出的物质波干涉重力仪，分析表明，如果利用BEC，则重力仪的测量精度在朱棣文等工作基础上将会有很大的提高。     

基于铁路客运网络的省际可达性及经济联系格局

基于铁路客运交通网络把各省会城市抽象为铁路网络中的节点,以2003和2008年省会城市间铁路客运网络的最短旅行时间为度量指标,对我国铁路客运网络的空间可达性及空间格局进行分析,测算各省区间的省际经济联系强度,进而探讨省际间经济联系的空间指向。研究表明:(1)经过第五、六次铁路客运提速,省际可达性获得了显著提升,尤其西部地区提升幅度更大,省际可达性表现出自东部沿海向西北内陆逐渐降低的圈层式空间格局,高于全国平均水平的地区范围在扩展,干线指向性越来越强;(2)各省区对外经济联系总量地域差异突出,东部地带省区的经济联系总量远高于中西部地带省区;(3)地区间经济联系依托京沪、京广以及京哈等主要铁路干线形成了省际联系的主导轴线,并且随着地区经济的发展和铁路网络的大幅度提速,地区经济联系的空间网络格局逐步形成。     

中国主要城市地价重心迁移及驱动因素研究

城市地价直接影响着城市的房地产市场和城市土地开发利用,从而影响城市的经济社会发展,及时掌握城市地价的发展规律,根据城市地价及时调整制定相关政策,是政府对土地市场进行调控的关键。利用重心模型,在测算和分析2000-2012年49个主要城市的综合地价重心位置及其变化规律的基础上,探讨了驱动中国城市地价重心迁移的因素。结果显示,中国主要城市地价重心始终位于区域几何中心的东南方向,但东西方向上的差异逐渐缩小,南北方向上的差异则逐渐扩大,地价重心迁移轨迹可以分为3个阶段和1个突变年。城市规模、经济发展水平、基础设施和城市区位等因素驱动着城市地价重心的迁移。