A critical state interpretation for the cyclic liquefaction resistance of silty sands

Contrary to many laboratory investigations, common empirical correlations from in situ tests consider that the increase in the percentage of fines leads to an increase of the cyclic liquefaction resistance of sands. This paper draws upon the integrated Critical State Soil Mechanics framework in order to study this seemingly not univocal effect. Firstly the effect of fines on the Critical State Line (CSL) is studied through a statistical analysis of a large data set of published monotonic triaxial tests. The results show that increasing the content of non-plastic fines practically leads to a clockwise rotation of the CSL in (e–ln p) space. The implication of this effect on cyclic liquefaction resistance is subsequently evaluated with the aid of a properly calibrated critical state elasto-plastic constitutive model, as well as a large number of published experimental results and in situ empirical correlations. Both sets of data show clearly that a fines content, less than about 30% by weight, may prove beneficial at relatively small effective stresses (p₀<50–70 kPa), such as the in situ stresses prevailing in most liquefaction case studies, and detrimental at larger confining stresses, i.e. the stresses usually considered in laboratory tests. To the extent of these findings, a correction factor is proposed for the practical evaluation of liquefaction resistance in terms of the fines content and the mean effective confining stress.     

Optimum multiple tuned mass dampers for structures under the ground acceleration based on the uniform distribution of system parameters

The five MTMD models, with natural frequencies being uniformly distributed around their mean frequency, have been recently presented by the first author. They are shown to have the near‐zero optimum average damping ratio (more precisely, for a given mass ratio there is an upper limit on the total number, beyond which the near‐zero optimum average damping ratio occurs). In this paper, the eight new MTMD models (i.e. the UM‐MTMD1～UM‐MTMD3, US‐MTMD1～US‐MTMD3, UD‐MTMD1 and UD‐MTMD2), with the system parameters (mass, stiffness and damping coefficient) being, respectively, uniformly distributed around their average values, have been, for the first time here, proposed to seek for the MTMD models without the near‐zero optimum average damping ratio. The structure is represented by the mode‐generalized system corresponding to the specific vibration mode that needs to be controlled. Through minimization of the minimum values of the maximum dynamic magnification factors (DMF) of the structure with the eight MTMD models (i.e. through the implementation of Min.Min.Max.DMF), the optimum parameters and values of Min.Min.Max.DMF for these eight MTMD models are investigated to evaluate and compare their control performance. The optimum parameters include the optimum mass spacing, stiffness spacing, damping coefficient spacing, frequency spacing, average damping ratio and tuning frequency ratio. The six MTMD models without the near‐zero optimum average damping ratio (i.e. the UM‐MTMD1～UM‐MTMD3, US‐MTMD1, US‐MTMD2 and UD‐MTMD2) are found through extensive numerical analyses. Likewise, the optimum UM‐MTMD3 offers the higher effectiveness and robustness and requires the smaller damping with respect to the rest of the MTMD models in reducing the responses of structures subjected to earthquakes. Additionally, it is interesting to note, by comparing the optimum UM‐MTMD3 with the optimum MTMD‐1 recently investigated by the first author, that the effectiveness and robustness for the optimum UM‐MTMD3 is almost identical to that for the optimum MTMD‐1 (without inclusion of the optimum MTMD‐1 with the near‐zero optimum average damping ratio). Recognizing these performance benefits, it is preferable to employ the optimum UM‐MTMD3 or the optimum MTMD‐1 without the near‐zero optimum average damping ratio, when installing the MTMD for the suppression of undesirable oscillations of structures under earthquakes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

星载加速度传感器的在轨运动影响

加速度传感器测量卫星所受非引力加速度的精度是利用该技术精确恢复重力场的重要指标。根据卫星运动理论 ,给出了轨道升交点赤经摄动、近升距摄动、卫星运动、坐标轴旋转引起的加速度性质以及相应表达式。针对CHAMP卫星轨道 ,讨论了各项的影响量级     

软土路基沉降与软土层厚度及填土高度的关系分析

本文就路基沉降观测资料进行深入分析,总结出路基沉降与软土层厚度及填土高度的关系和规律,并分析了原因,推导出计算路基沉降的公式,提出了判断填土速率快慢和填土高度变化大小的新方法。     

慢地震慢前兆的机制研究

通过岩石高温高压破裂实验与有机玻璃破裂试验的应力—应变曲线对比、地震波形记录(观测资料)与试样破裂波形(实验资料)对比、地震前后定点应变与主破裂前后应变形态变化的对比，认为慢地震是临界或亚临界破裂或预先滑动所致，是低频应变波动。它是材料屈服、弱化或塑性变化的必然结果。而慢前兆则是临近大地震(大破裂)前出现的诸如形变、低频地震波(破裂弹性波)等的短期及临震前兆现象，它比较可靠。但由于许多岩石主破裂前并无明显的临界破裂或预滑动现象，也并非所有岩石都一定出现明显屈服，所以也并非每个地震前都有慢地震，因此，也就不一定都出现低频波动。从而，也并不一定都出现相同的短期、临震前兆现象。     

从断裂强度到临界点──重整化群理论在地震预报中的应用述评

介绍了临界自组织现象和重整化群方法的基本原理，对地震的自组织临界行为作了较为深入的讨论，并就这一领域中的一些概念和观点发表了作者自己的见解。     

RILL EROSION PROCESS ON STEEP SLOPE LAND OF THE LOESS PLATEAU

IntheLoessPlateau,alongtheslopelengthfromthetoptothebottom,soilerosionischaracterizedbyobviousverticalzonaldivision,thatis,sheeterosionzone,sheeterosionandrillerosionzone,rillerosionandshallowgullyerosionzoneandgullyerosionzone.Inthesheetandrillero..sionzone,rillerosionamounttakesup70%ofthetotalsoilloss[TANGKenetal.,1983,ZHENGFenlietal.,19871;intherillandshallowgullyerosionzone,rillerosionamountaccountsfor30--40%ofthetotalsoilloss.Sorillerosionisamajorerosionpatternonsteepslopeland.Riller…     

水库诱发地震的地震动特征

利用新丰江、美国奥洛维尔和蒙蒂赛洛水库地震极近场地面运动资料，研究了水库诱发地震的地震动峰值加速度衰减。结果表明，水库地震的峰值加速度高，衰减快。利用国内水库地震资料研究了水库地震烈度。水库地震烈度与同级天然地震烈度相比，一般是烈度高，衰减慢。水库地震的地震动反应谱频率高，地震动持续时间短     

孕震系统中的1/f噪声行为

根据自组织临界现象理论,研究7海城、唐山等7个大地震前、后中小地震的活动特征,计算了不同孕震时期地震活动的功率谱特征.初步结果表明描述地震活动的谱幂律指数p值在大震发生前有明显的增高倾向.主震前一年及主震当年,p值一般落在闪变噪声的谱域,其他时间一般很小.最后讨论了地震孕育的物理过程及孕震系统的稳定性.