A plasticity constitutive model for unsaturated,anisotropic, nonexpansive soils

The paper describes and evaluates an incremental plasticity constitutive model for unsaturated, anisotropic, nonexpansive soils (CMUA). It is based on the modified Cam-Clay (MCC) model for saturated soils and enhances it by introducing anisotropy (via rotation of the MCC yield surface) and an unsaturated compressibility framework describing a double dependence of compressibility on suction and on the degree of saturation of macroporosity. As the anisotropic and unsaturated features can be activated independently, the model is downwards compatible with the MCC model. The CMUA model can simulate effectively: the dependence of compressibility on the level of developed anisotropy, uniqueness of critical state independent of the initial anisotropy, an evolving compressibility during constant suction compression, and a maximum of collapse. The model uses Bishop's average skeleton stress as its first constitutive variable, favouring its numerical implementation in commercial numerical analysis codes (eg, finite element codes) and a unified treatment of saturated and unsaturated material states.     

A smoothed cap model for variably saturated soils and its robust numerical implementation

This paper deals with the numerical implementation of a cap model for unsaturated soils. It provides a brief review of existing cap model approaches, based on which an improved model formulated in terms of generalised effective stress and matric suction is derived and described in detail. Although the proposed model is a multisurface plasticity model, it can efficiently be implemented using only single‐surface projections because of the smoothness of the model, which is obtained by construction. Numerical algorithms are provided for these single‐surface stress projections, using a single‐equation approach whenever possible. The robustness of the utilised single‐equation approaches is enhanced by proposing problem‐fitted start‐up procedures based on investigations of the nonlinear projection equations. A comparison of the model response with extensive material test data is used to validate the model and to demonstrate the robust application of the approach to silty sands and low to medium plasticity clays. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of the numerical manifold method for stress wave propagation across rock masses

In this paper, the numerical manifold method (NMM) is extended to study wave propagation across rock masses. First, improvements to the system equations, contact treatment, and boundary conditions of the NMM are performed, where new system equations are derived based on the Newmark assumption of the space–time relationship, the edge‐to‐edge contact treatment is further developed for the NMM to handle stress wave propagation across discontinuities, and the viscous non‐reflection boundary condition is derived based on the energy minimisation principle. After the modification, numerical comparisons between the original and improved NMM are presented. The results show that the original system equations result in artificial numerical damping, which can be overcome by the Newmark system equations. Meanwhile, the original contact scheme suffers some calculation problems when modelling stress wave propagation across a discontinuity, which can be solved by the proposed edge‐to‐edge contact scheme. Subsequently, the influence of the mesh size and time step on the improved NMM for stress wave propagation is studied. Finally, 2D wave propagation is modelled, and the model's results are in good agreement with the analytical solution. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predicting the dependency of a degree of saturation on void ratio and suction using effective stress principle for unsaturated soils

The paper presents an approach to predicting variation of a degree of saturation in unsaturated soils with void ratio and suction. The approach is based on the effective stress principle for unsaturated soils and several underlying assumptions. It focuses on the main drying and wetting processes and does not incorporate the effects of hydraulic hysteresis. It leads to the dependency of water retention curve (WRC) on void ratio, which does not require any material parameters apart from the parameters specifying WRC for the reference void ratio. Its validity is demonstrated by comparing predictions with the experimental data on four different soils taken over from the literature. Good correlation between the measured and predicted behaviour indirectly supports applicability of the effective stress principle for unsaturated soils. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Borehole failure analysis in a sandstone under anisotropic stresses

Borehole failure under anisotropic stresses in a sandstone is analyze numerically for various borehole sizes using a nonlinear elastic–plastic constitutive model for a Cosserat continuum. Borehole failure is identified as macroscopic failure of the borehole through the development of shear bands and breakouts. The results compare well both qualitatively and quantitatively with experimental results from polyaxial tests on Red Wildmoor sandstone. They show that the hole size effect of the borehole failure strength is independent of the far‐field stress anisotropy and follows a ? power law of the hole size. A similar scale effect equation with a ? power law is proposed for the scale effect of the maximum plastic shear strain at failure. This equation can be useful for better predicting hole‐size‐dependent failure with standard codes based on classical continua. The effect of stress anisotropy on the borehole failure stress is found to be independent of the hole size. The failure stress decreases linearly to 40% as the stress anisotropy increases. However, the maximum plastic shear strain at failure is stress anisotropy independent and therefore the critical plastic shear strain for failure is only hole‐size dependent. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The “unrevealed casualties” of the Irish mortgage crisis: Analysing the broader impacts of mortgage market financialisation

Since 2008, extensive research has examined the impacts of mortgage market financialisation, particularly the socio-spatial patterns of mortgage defaults and foreclosures. However, these standard statistical indicators of mortgage difficulty only capture the ‘overt casualties’ of the crisis, overlooking the mass of households who meet their mortgage commitments, but do so at considerable cost to quality of life. The impacts of the crisis on these ‘unrevealed casualties’ has received insufficient attention within the literature. As such, this article develops a framework to assess mortgage stress levels using standard and atypical indicators of mortgage payment difficulty. This framework differentiates between the ‘overt’ and ‘unrevealed’ casualties and is applied through a case study of suburban Dublin mortgagors to examine the characteristics of these groups, determine the key factors driving their mortgage stress and assess how their attitudes towards homeownership are being reshaped. The results suggest the impact of the mortgage crisis is much larger than previously considered, affecting a more diverse range of suburban households, many of whom may be one financial or non-financial trigger event away from developing a more serious payments problem. Banks’ reckless lending practices are among the strongest predictors of mortgage stress, demonstrating how the failure to adequately regulate banking practices has had detrimental financial impacts for households at the suburban scale. Attitudes toward homeownership and its investment function are increasingly negative, demonstrating how the primary rationale for homeownership expansion (i.e. its potential for wealth creation) is being revaluated by mortgaged households in the wake of the crash.     

Monitoring of water stress in wheat using multispectral indices derived from Landsat-TM

Detection of crop water stress is crucial for efficient irrigation water management. Potential of Satellite data to provide spatial and temporal dynamics of crop growth conditions makes it possible to monitor crop water stress at regional level. This study was conducted in parts of western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Multi-temporal Landsat data were used for detecting wheat crop water stress using vegetation indices (VIs), viz. vegetation water stress index (VWSI) and land surface wetness index water stress factor (Ws_LSWI). The estimated water stress from satellite data-based VIs was validated by water stress factor (Ws) derived from flux-tower data. The study observed Ws_LSWI to be better index for water stress detection. The results indicated that Ws_LSWI was superior over other index showing RMSE = 0.12, R² = 0.65, whereas VWSI showed overestimated values with mean RD 4%.     

浙江南部丽水盆地地层时代及构造演化

位于浙江南部的丽水盆地是华南东部典型的白垩纪火山岩盆地。对盆地中5个凝灰岩夹层样品进行了锆石LA-MC-ICPMS U-Pb同位素年代学分析,结果给出了(114±1)Ma,(114±2)Ma,(118±1)Ma,(122±1)Ma和(112±1)Ma的主体谐和年龄。结合区域沉积-构造接触关系,本文将盆地内火山-沉积序列分为上、下2个组合:下火山-沉积组合包括馆头组和朝川组,其形成时代在124~112 Ma;上火山-沉积组合以方岩组为代表,其时代在104~91 Ma。这两套岩石组合的形成记录了盆地两期伸展断陷事件。结合区域构造变形和古构造应力场反演结果,本文认为丽水盆地早白垩世经历了两个伸展-挤压旋回的构造演化过程,每一旋回的古构造应力场均以NW-SE伸展和NWSE挤压应力场的交替演化为特征。NW-SE伸展事件控制了盆地的初始张开、断陷和沉积物充填作用,其产生的动力背景与古太平洋板块俯冲过程中因俯冲板片后撤(roll-back)诱发的弧后扩张作用有关。NW-SE挤压事件导致盆地的构造反转,下白垩统普遍褶皱,并形成区域角度不整合面,其形成与俯冲板片的深部几何学变化或大陆碰撞的远程效应有关。丽水盆地伸展-挤压事件的幕式交替反映了弧后扩张过程中复杂的深部动力学背景。     

从同震和震后形变分析1668年M8.5级郯城地震对周边地震活动性的影响

以山东郯城1668年大地震为例,以前人地表地质调查结果为约束,利用弹性位错理论初步获取了该地震的同震破裂模型;在此基础上,基于粘弹性分层模型分析了该地震的同震和震后形变,同时以主震断层为接收断层计算了库仑应力分布,进一步讨论了地幔不同粘滞性系数对地表形变和库仑应力变化的影响。计算结果显示,该地震是一个右旋走滑为主兼有一定逆冲性质的地震,其同震位移巨大,能量释放较彻底;同震破裂造成震中郯城县西北、东北和南部部分断层库仑应力增加,而震后形变使得这些断层库仑应力进一步增加,在单县、宿迁和日照等地,地震后350 a库仑应力变化量达到+1bar-+1MPa量级;地幔粘滞性系数不同,形变量和库仑应力变化达到稳定的时间不同,但最终趋于稳定的数值基本一致。     

放养密度对大杂交鲟生长性能的影响及生理应答机制

为探讨放养密度对鱼类生长及生理应答机制的影响规律和作用,作者以大规格大杂交鲟(达氏鳇(Huso dauricus)♀×施氏鲟(Acipenser schrenckii)♂)为实验材料,研究了平均初始体质量约为243 g/尾,放养密度分别为6(SD1组)、9(SD2组)、12(SD3组)、15 kg/m3(SD4组)条件下,不同放养密度处理70 d后的实验鱼生长性能变化及生理应答机制。结果显示,放养密度对大杂交鲟肥满度影响不显著,SD2组鱼类具有最大的特定生长率和生长效率,随着放养密度增加,日增质量显著降低(P0.05),特定生长率和生长效率下降。测定了血液甲状腺素(T4)、三碘甲腺原氨酸(T3)和皮质醇水平变化,发现放养密度能引起大杂交鲟3个血液生理指标发生显著改变;随着养殖时间推移,T3和皮质醇浓度显著升高,T4浓度显著下降(P0.05)。这些结果说明神经内分泌活动的变化引起大杂交鲟血液生理指标变化,进而影响实验鱼生长性能。因此,在该养殖条件下推荐的养殖密度为9 kg/m3。