Effect of macropore tortuosity and morphology on preferential flow through saturated soil: A Lattice Boltzmann study

Unlike micropores where water moves upward or downward based on hydraulic gradient, in macropores, water flows predominantly downward due to the gravity. Therefore, models based on capillary flow are not capable of simulating macropore flow. There are attempts to model the macropore flow using two domains, one for capillary flow and another one for macropores. These models use Richard’s equation for capillary flow and Poiseuille’s law for macropores in which the macropore is approximated to be cylindrical or planar. This study quantifies the magnitudes of the errors induced by this assumption. Influence of macropore shapes and tortuosity was quantified by using a 3D Lattice Boltzmann model, which is capable of simulating fluid flow in micropores as well as macropores of cracked clays. Artificial macropores of constant sectional area and volume, but different shapes were generated in 3D and the influence of macropore shapes, shape related parameters, and tortuosity were systematically investigated. Macropore flow rate decreases with different shapes compared to cylindrical macropores and increase in aspect ratio of sectional shape leads to decrease in macropore flow rate. The maximum effect of bends/turnings along the tortuous macropore was about 25% on overall decrease of flow rate due to tortuosity. However, more detailed study is required on the influence of bends on macropore flow rate. The macropore flow rate reduces by about 70% for tortuosity of 1.41. A prediction equation is verified to predict the flow rate of different shapes and tortuous macropores based on straight cylindrical macropore using aspect ratio and tortuosity factor.     

DEM simulation of the behaviour of geogrid stabilised ballast fouled with coal

Geogrids are commonly used in railway construction for reinforcement and stabilisation. When railway ballast becomes fouled due to ballast breakage, infiltration of coal fines, dust and subgrade soil pumping, the reinforcement effect of geogrids decreases significantly. This paper presents results obtained from Discrete Element Method (DEM) to study the interface behaviour of coal-fouled ballast reinforced by geogrid subjected to direct shear testing. In this study, irregularly-shaped aggregates (ballast) were modelled by clumping together 10–20 spheres in appropriate sizes and positions. The geogrid was modelled by bonding a large number of small spheres together to form the desired grid geometry and apertures. Fouled ballast with 40% Void Contaminant Index (VCI) was modelled by injecting a predetermined number of miniature spheres into the voids of fresh ballast. A series of direct shear tests for fresh and fouled ballast reinforced by the geogrid subjected to normal shear stresses varying from 15 kPa to 75 kPa were then simulated in the DEM. The numerical results showed a good agreement the laboratory data, indicating that the DEM model is able to capture the behaviour of both fresh and coal-fouled ballast reinforced by the geogrid. The advantages of the proposed DEM model in terms of capturing the correct stress–displacement and volumetric behaviour of ballast, as well as the contact forces and strains developed in the geogrids are discussed.     

Parametric study for optimal design of large piled raft foundations on sand

In designing piled raft foundations, controlling the total and differential settlements as well as the induced bending moments of the raft is crucial. The majority of piled raft foundations have been designed by placing piles uniformly. In such a design method, the settlements of the piled rafts are likely to be large, which leads to an increase of the pile length and/or number of piles required to reduce the settlements. However, this increase does not satisfy the requirement for economical design. On the basis of a parametric study, this paper contributes a framework for considering an economical design methodology in which piles are placed more densely beneath the column positions when the piled raft is subjected to column loads. The analysis uses PLAXIS 3D software, and the validity of the parametric study is examined through the results of centrifuge model tests conducted by the authors. The study shows that the concentrated pile arrangement method can help to considerably reduce the total and differential settlements as well as the induced bending moments of the raft. Moreover, the effects of parameters, such as pile length, pile number, raft thickness and load types, on the piled raft behavior are investigated. This study can help practicing engineers choose pile and raft parameters in combination with the concentrated pile arrangement method to produce an economical design.     

Pore orientation of granular materials during biaxial compression

The local pore spaces in granular materials tend to be aligned parallel to the major principal stress direction upon particle mobilization. Manifestation of this response has been numerically validated in our previous studies with the aid of discrete element method modeling and image processing techniques during creep and shearing. We now extend the modeling of pore geometry, constructed with spherical particles, to assemblies of particle clumps. Two-dimensional simulations are performed for both loose and dense assemblies of spherical particles and particle clumps. Each particle packing is bound by rigid or flexible walls and subjected to biaxial compression and the particle mobilization effect on the evolution of pore orientation is explored. Randomly shaped pores surrounded by adjacent particles are geometrically quantified by Delaunay tessellation and fitted with ellipses. Results show that localization is apparent in dense assemblies, in particular for clumped particle packing, while loose assemblies exhibit diffusive failure. Small pores within well-defined shear bands tend to align either parallel to the direction of the shear band or perpendicular to the major principal stress. On the other hand, small pores within the blocks and large pores have a tendency to become elongate towards the major principal stress direction. This study reveals for the first time that pore orientation is dependent upon particle shape, pore size, and assembly conditions on the pore and global scales.     

Discrete modeling of strain accumulation in granular soils under low amplitude cyclic loading

An advanced understanding of the strain accumulation phenomenon in granular soils subjected to low amplitude cyclic loading with relatively high frequency is needed to enhance the ability to predict the settlement of granular soils induced by vibrations. In the current study, the discrete element method is used to study this phenomenon. A loose and a medium dense sample composed of a relatively large number of spheres are considered. A series of stress controlled cyclic triaxial tests with different excitation amplitudes and frequencies is performed on these samples at different static stress states. The response of these samples at the macroscopic and microscopic scales is analyzed. The sample density, the cyclic stress amplitude and the static stress state importantly affect strain accumulation. However, the cyclic excitation frequency has a small effect on strain accumulation. At the microscopic scale, frictional sliding occurring at a few contacts continuously dissipates energy and the fraction of these contacts varies periodically during cyclic loading. The coordination number of these samples increases slightly as strain accumulates. However, the anisotropy remains almost constant during low amplitude cyclic excitation. A qualitatively good agreement between numerical and experimental results is found.     

Discrete element modelling of material non‐coaxiality in simple shear flows

We investigate the quasi‐static simple shear flow of a two‐dimensional assembly of cohesionless particles using discrete element method (DEM) simulations. We focus on the unsteady flow regime where the solid would experience significant evolution of stresses, mobilised shear strength and dilation. We construct the DEM model using a discretised‐wall confined granular cell where the apparent boundary is allowed to dilate or contract synchronously with the confined solid. A rather uniform simple shear field is achieved across the whole assembly, which benefits rheological studies in generalising constitutive laws for continuum methods. We examine two aspects of the simple shear behaviour: macroscopic stress and strain rate evolution, particularly the non‐coaxiality between the principal directions of the two; and micromechanics such as evolution of fabric. For an initially anisotropic specimen sheared under constant normal pressure, the direction of principal stress rotates towards that of the principal strain rate, gradually reducing the degree of non‐coaxiality from about 45° to fluctuating around 0°. The rate in approaching coaxiality is slower in samples with larger initial porosity, stress ratio and mean stress. Generally, a faster rate in approaching coaxiality in simple shear is observed in a more dilatant sample, which often shows a larger degree of mobilised fabric anisotropy, suggesting the possible important role of instantaneous internal friction angle. The evolution of principal fabric direction resembles that of the principal stress direction. © 2013 The Authors. International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

塔河油田6~7区孔洞型碳酸盐岩储层建模

塔河油田6~7区奥陶系碳酸盐岩储层受岩溶作用影响,非均质性极强。因此,准确地刻画储集体的形态及三维空间展布对油气田的勘探开发至关重要。在对研究区奥陶系缝洞型碳酸盐岩储层纵向发育规律的认识的基础上,首次提出采用"多点统计学"进行储集相建模的基本思路。根据地震属性与孔洞型储层之间的对应关系优选"特征属性",建立基于"特征属性"的"训练图像";以钻井、地震识别以及测井解释成果作为硬数据,地震波阻抗的溶洞发育概率体作为软数据,进行"储集相"模拟。结果表明:该方法不仅实现了对孔洞型储集体形态的模拟,而且再现了孔洞型储集体的复杂结构及空间分布,同时模拟结果与该类型储集体的纵向发育规律相符。     

湖南金船塘锡铋矿床石榴子石原位LA-ICP-MS稀土元素分析及其意义

金船塘锡铋矿床是东坡矿田内一以锡铋为主的大型矽卡岩型多金属矿床。本文在详细野外地质考察、镜下观察以及电子探针分析的基础上,利用高精度LA-ICP-MS对该矿床的矽卡岩内石榴子石原位的微量元素进行了系统的分析。结果表明,金船塘锡铋矿床的钙铝榴石(Gro)大体上具重稀土(HREE)富集、轻稀土(LREE)亏损,负Eu异常的特征;而钙铁榴石(And)不同样品之间存在一定差异性,有的样品显示HREE富集、LREE亏损的特征,有的则轻重稀土分异不明显,除了多数呈Eu负异常外,还有部分表现为弱的正Eu异常,这可能是受钙铝-钙铁榴石混合物中的静电作用所导致。并且,上述不同石榴子石REE分配的差异还进一步指示,钙铝榴石(Gro)矿物生长速率较低,与孔隙流体之间基本保持动态平衡,水/岩(W/R)比值较低,其REE的化学行为主要受到晶体化学等机制的影响;钙铁榴石(And)矿物生长速率较高,具有较高的水/岩(W/R)比值,吸附作用在REE配分模式中起到重要作用。总体上,矽卡岩内的石榴子石的REE的分配呈HREE富集、LREE亏损,负Eu异常的特征,与千里山花岗岩REE分配模式一致,指示了金船塘锡铋矿床的成矿作用可能与千里山花岗岩体具有密切的成因联系。     

东南极拉斯曼丘陵镁铁质麻粒岩的变质作用演化

拉斯曼丘陵（Larsemann Hills）位于东南极普里兹构造带的中部,研究该区麻粒岩的变质作用演化对于理解普里兹带的构造属性至关重要。通过对该区含石榴石镁铁质麻粒岩转石详细的岩相学观察表明,峰期前进变质阶段矿物组合（M1）由角闪石+斜方辉石+单斜辉石+斜长石+黑云母+钛铁矿±石英±磁铁矿组成,其峰期矿物组合（M2）为石榴石+斜方辉石+单斜辉石+角闪石+钛铁矿±磁铁矿±石英,而代表后期与降压有关的叠加变质组合（M3）为斜方辉石+斜长石+单斜辉石+黑云母+钛铁矿±磁铁矿。矿物化学分析,结果显示其中石榴子石和斜方辉石具有弱的成分环带特征。利用THERMOCALC软件在NCFMASHTO体系下对该麻粒岩进行了详细的热力学模拟,结合传统温压计和平均温压计算结果,得出不同阶段温压条件分别为650~750℃/5.5~6.5kb （M1）,850~950℃/8~8.5kb （M2）,800~900℃/5.5~7.5kb （M3）。其变质作用演化为典型的峰期后近等温减压的（ITD）顺时针P-T轨迹。通过区域上镁铁质麻粒岩的对比分析,我们认为该镁铁质麻粒岩可能来源拉斯曼丘陵基岩露头。结合已有的年代学资料,表明该镁铁质麻粒岩的峰期变质事件可能对应于晚元古代格林威尔期构造事件,而后期退变质作用与早古生代的泛非期构造事件有关,意味着泛非期普里兹带可能是陆内造山带。     

基于Solidworks的钻机底座有限元分析

根据5000 m钻机底座的实际结构和特点,建立三维模型,使用ANSYS Workbench对底座模型加载,在不同工况下对底座进行有限元分析,完成钻机底座的整体静态特性分析,判定底座是否满足强度、刚度需求。