Geotechnical evaluation of slope and ground failures during the 8 October 2005 Muzaffarabad earthquake, Pakistan

A large devastating earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 struck in Kashmir on Oct. 8, 2005. The largest city influenced by the earthquake was Muzaffarabad. Balakot town was the nearest settlement to the epicenter, and it was the most heavily damaged. The earthquake caused extensive damage to housing and structures founded on loose deposits or weathered/sheared rock masses. Furthermore, extensive slope failures occurred along Neelum and Jhelum valleys, which obstructed both river flow and roadways. In this article, failures of natural and cut slopes as well as other ground failures induced by the earthquake and their geotechnical evaluation are presented, and their implications on civil infrastructures and site selection for reconstruction and rehabilitation are discussed. It is suggested that if housing and constructions on soil slopes containing boulders as observed in Balakot and Muzaffarabad are allowed, there should be a safety zone between the slope crest and allowable construction boundary.     

Features of seismicity in Xinjiang and its possible reason after the Yutian MS7.4 earthquake, 2008

The paper discusses quantitatively the influence of the Yutian M_S7.4 earthquake of March 21, 2008 and Wuqia M_S6.9 earthquake of October 5, 2008 on regional seismicity in Xinjiang, and explains primarily the possible reason of earthquake activity feature in Xinjiang after the Yutian M_S7.4 earthquake by analyzing the static Coulomb failure stress change produced by the Yutian M_S7.4 earthquake and Wuqia M_S6.9 earthquake, and the seismicity feature of M_S?≥3 earthquakes in the positive Coulomb stress change region of Kashi-Wuqia joint region, the central segment of Tianshan Mountain and Kalpin block. The result shows that the Yutian M_S7.4 earthquake of March 21, 2008, may encourage the Wuqia M_S6.9 earthquake of October 5, 2008, and the Yutian M_S7.4 earthquake and Wuqia M_S6.9 earthquake may change the seismicity state in the central segment of Tianshan Mountain, Kalpin block and Kashi-Wuqia joint region, and encourage the subsequent M_S?≥3 earthquakes.

     

砂土中等截面桩的上拔机制分析

桩的上拔承载性能的宏观力学现象与桩周土细观结构变化相关,应用细观力学的颗粒流（PFC2D）数值模拟方法对承受上拔荷载作用的桩基进行了分析,数值模拟了上拔荷载作用的桩及桩周土的细观力学特征,研究了桩侧摩阻力的分布、桩周土剪切带的形成过程,较好的再现了桩的荷载－位移关系的实验结果,并与宏观物理实物试验的位移实测结果作了对比分析。分析了土体中剪切带形成过程中的颗粒间的细观变化及其形成过程,当上拔荷载达到极限时,上拔桩的剪切带形成原因是密砂的应变软化效应;颗粒流数值模拟的颗粒接触力与实物物理试验桩侧摩阻力是同一的,数值模拟的荷载-位移曲线与实物物理试验的荷载-位移曲线一致;桩侧摩阻力、桩上拔过程中剪切带的形成过程、桩上拔荷载-位移关系与颗粒流数值模拟的颗粒分布、速度、接触力的细观参数的变化密切相关。桩承受荷载过程中土颗粒细观结构变化的颗粒流仿真,是关于细观力学特征与宏观力学响应的初步研究。     

Evolution of a bank failure along the River Danube at Dunaszekcső, Hungary

The banks of the River Danube are one of the most susceptible areas to mass wasting in Hungary. In 2007, a large slump began to develop along the Danube at Dunaszekcső and jeopardized properties on land and navigation in the river. Several factors such as geological, hydrogeological and morphological conditions, recurrent flooding and erosion by the Danube led to a gradual development of the large rotational slide. Slope failure has been monitored using GPS, precise levelling techniques and tiltmeters since October 2007. The expected location of the maximum lateral displacement and extrusion was indicated by GPS measurements from the middle of November 2007. The main phase of the slope failure evolution, i.e. the rapid movement on 12 February 2008 was indicated by accelerated tilting of the southern moving block prior to slumping. Small rise of the relatively stable part of the slope was measured after the rapid movements, which may be explained either by the elastic rebound along the slip surface, or by the intrusion of some plastic material into the lower section of the slope.Comparison of geodetic datasets and field observations with the timing of rainfall and water level changes of the Danube suggested that hydrological properties (subsurface flow processes, soil physical properties, infiltration, and perched water table) were primarily responsible for initiation of the studied slump. A model of slope failure evolution is proposed here based on the monitoring and field observations.     

Collapse of a nonductile concrete frame: Evaluation of analytical models

The current paper presents nonlinear dynamic analyses that simulate shaking table tests performed on a four‐column reinforced concrete frame described in a companion paper. The frame consists of two ductile and two nonductile columns interconnected by a stiff beam. In order to validate existing analytical models for nonductile concrete columns, a blind comparison of the test data and results of the analysis is performed. The analysis adequately captures the drift response and correctly detects collapse of the structure; however, strength degradation due to cover spalling is exaggerated in the analytical model. Refinement of the analysis by changing the concrete cover model results in an excellent agreement between the test data and analysis results at the initiation of shear failure and collapse of the frame. The experimental data are further compared with lumped‐plasticity nonlinear models used in engineering practice. The results suggest that the sudden strength degradation used in ASCE/SEI 41‐06 results in an exaggerated estimate of the displacement demands. It is also observed that ignoring the strength degradation, using an elastic‐perfectly‐plastic model, provides a good estimate of the displacement demands when strength degradation is not severe. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sensitivity of seismically isolated structures

In this paper we study the sensitivity of seismically isolated structures to a small variability of the earthquake excitation and of some structural properties with respect to the probability of failure and floor spectra. In particular, the influence of the nonlinear behaviour of the isolated superstructure on the vulnerability and on the floor spectra is investigated by means of a series of Monte Carlo simulations of simple two degrees‐of‐freedom systems. Several types of passive and active isolation systems are examined and three different idealized nonlinear constitutive laws are considered for the superstructure. It is found that, in general, the probability of failure does not depend on the specific cyclic behaviour of the assumed constitutive law and general trends regarding the impact of different isolation devices on vulnerability are established. As for the floor spectra, the influence of moderate nonlinear behaviour of isolated superstructures, with the exception of the case of a non‐dissipative elastic nonlinear law, is negligible, contrary to the case of conventional structures. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrodynamic characteristics of the Tam Pokhari glacial lake outburst flood in the Mt. Everest region,Nepal

The Tam Pokhari glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), which occurred in 1998 in the Mt. Everest region of Nepal, was evaluated using hydrodynamic models to gain a better understanding of the flow behaviour. The flood wave was analysed separately under rigid and erodible boundary conditions. In both cases, the calculated dam‐breach hydrograph, which had a peak discharge of about 10 000 m³/s, was routed through the Inkhu River, which originates from the lake. The morphologic changes along the river were also analysed and the results were compared with satellite images, field observations and recorded data. In the case of rigid boundaries, the routing procedure gradually attenuated the peaks of the hydrographs to account for hydraulic pooling in narrow gorges and storage in the channel. In the case of erodible boundaries, such effects were minimized due to the increment in channel capacity associated with erosion by debris flow. The study revealed that the GLOF event produced a large‐scale debris flow. Additionally, the results revealed that erosion and deposition took place intermittently, but that approximately 440 000 m³ of sediment was deposited about 14 km downstream from the lake mouth. The calculated peak of the water and sediment mixture at 14·4 km was found to be 30 000 m³/s, which is almost 6 times as large as that observed when the rigid boundary conditions were used. Further, the increase in the peaks of the hydrographs due to sediment transport was the primary reason for the destruction associated with the GLOF. These findings suggest that the local sedimentology and topography, as well as other geo‐hazard conditions in the area, should be carefully evaluated before recommending any control measures against GLOFs in the Himalayan region. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Catalan seismic crisis (1427 and 1428; NE Iberian Peninsula): Geological sources and earthquake triggering

The Catalan seismic crisis of the years 1427 and 1428 is one of the most destructive seismic episodes that happened in the northeastern Iberian Peninsula in historical times. The main earthquakes of this crisis occurred on March 19th 1427 in the zone around Amer (I_EMS-98 = VIII), May 15th 1427 in the vicinity of Olot (I_EMS-98 = VIII) and on February 2nd 1428 in the area close to Camprodon (I_EMS-98 = IX). There is much evidence that the Amer fault produced the first two events of this crisis, but is still uncertain which fault generated the earthquake on February 2nd 1428. Using newly available macroseismic data, the earthquake area sources of the three main earthquakes of the crisis have been obtained and they corroborate that the Amer fault may be the origin of the first two events. However, the area source corresponding to the last earthquake of the crisis cannot be associated to a single fault and indicates three possible candidates: the Vallfogona and Ribes-Camprodon thrusts and the Amer normal fault. Modeling of the Coulomb failure stress transfer has been performed to help determine the best candidate responsible for the February event. The results of the modeling points to: (a) a triggering relationship between the three main events of the crisis and (b) the Amer fault, or a similar extensional fault close and parallel to it, as the most probable origin of the earthquake on February 2nd 1428.     

网络故障短信报警在地震信息网络中的实现与应用

地震信息网络专网要求为测震、前兆、GPS观测手段提供全年24小时不间断的数据通信和信息共享服务。采用网络管理软件对全省网络中每个重要的网络通信节点进行状态轮询,将故障记录到后台日志数据库．然后利用已有的移动短信发布机．按设定间隔读取网络管理软件的后台日志数据库,将网络故障报警信息通过短信形式发送到网络管理人员的手机上,以达到快速发现、定位网络故障,进而快速排除故障的目的。     

Flow-induced vegetation uprooting in a meandering bend:Experimental investigation

Vegetation uprooting is a complex process which depends on many interrelated factors. In this paper,attention is focused on the flow-induced uprooting in river bends, where the flow characteristics vary as effected by the channel’s curvature and its continuous changing in the downstream direction. Results are presented by an experimental work done in a high-amplitude meandering flume with mature herbaceous vegetation on the bed. In the first part of the paper, the variation along the bend of the...