Numerical modeling of block structure dynamics: dependence of a synthetic earthquake flow on the structure separateness and boundary movements

A seismically active region is modelled as a system of absolutely rigid blocks separated by infinitely thin plane faults. The interaction of the blocks along the fault planes and with the underlying medium is viscous-elastic. The system of blocks moves as a consequence of prescribed motion of the boundary blocks and of the underlying medium. When for some part of a fault plane the ratio of the stress to the pressure exceeds a certain strength level a stress-drop (a failure) occurs (in accordance with the dry friction model), and it can cause a failure in other parts of the fault planes. In the model the failures represent earthquakes. As a result of the numerical simulation a synthetic earthquake catalog is produced. The numerical modelling was carried out for three types of structures with increasing of the structure separateness inside of each type and for two types of boundary movements. A synthetic earthquake flow is characterised by several features including the frequency-magnitude relation (the Gutenberg-Richter curve). When the structure separateness increases the slope of the curve changes monotonously in the same direction for all considered types of structures if the boundary movement is the same. The directions of changing of the slope are opposite for two considered boundary movements.     

Seismogeological acceptance criteria for geological repositories for spent nuclear fuel

Qualitative geological acceptance criteria and quantitative seismological acceptance criteria for radioactive waste disposals are developed. The background material for the initiation of site selection and for its earthquake hazard assessment is discussed. The recent movements of the Earth's surface as well as the other mechanical properties of geological media, hydrological conditions of geological blocks, their groundwater chemistry, geochemical rheology, petrological analyses of rocks, etc., have to be taken into account. A new comprehensive integrated safety analysis of the final underground disposal of spent nuclear fuel has been underway in the Czech Republic since 1991. In accordance with these seismogeological acceptance criteria regions for building underground final radioactive waste disposals are singled out in the Czech Republic.     

Beyond techno-science: Transgenic maize in the fight over Mexico’s future

Disputes about genetically engineered crops are linked to wider debates about the globalization of agro-food systems and its consequences for food security, social equity, and rural life. Biotechnology expert discourse rarely addresses these wider issues. An exception is the assessment of transgenic maize by the NAFTA Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC), which recommended a moratorium on Mexican imports of US-grown maize. Controversy about “contamination” of indigenous maize varieties by US-grown transgenic corn has been intensified by rising Mexican discontent with the terms of regional economic integration. In this context, scientists and officials were pressured to consider not only risks to maize biodiversity but also the ecological, and cultural characteristics of maize in its Mexican settings and the implications of asymmetric power in North American agricultural trade. In contrast to most narrowly-framed biotechnology risk assessments, the review took account of interventions by rural social movements. While the new moratorium was not adopted by the state, continuing conflicts over GMOs in Mexico have blocked introduction of transgenic maize and have enlarged the political space for debate over Mexico’s development direction. These conflicts reflect the differing interests of various state actors and economic sectors with regard to trade liberalization. They also reveal contrasting food-system paradigms: further agricultural modernization, export competition, and food-import dependence versus an alternative vision of revitalized rural life, farmers’ rights, and national food sovereignty.     

Strategies of Successful Anti-Dam Movements: Evidence from Myanmar and Thailand

Scholars are rarely able to examine anti-dam movements that result in project suspensions or cancellations since these cases are rare empirically. Yet, they are central to understanding how anti-dam movements can succeed. This paper analyzes the movements against Myanmar’s Myitsone Dam and Thailand’s Kaeng Suea Ten Dam. Likely the most successful anti-dam movements in Southeast Asia in recent years, they achieved suspension over 6 and 37 years, respectively. The research is based on 60 semistructured interviews carried out over a period of 8 months. Leveraging thinking from both the constructionist and structural schools within the field of social movement studies, it is found that the framing of the Myitsone Dam as a project threatening the national cultural heritage of Myanmar (in combination with political change in the country in 2010/2011) largely explains the movement’s success. Meanwhile, the set of sophisticated tactics (including inter alia demonstrations, Thai Baan research, 24/7 monitoring of the dam site, and spiritual activities) was decisive for the efficacy of the movement against Thailand’s Kaeng Suea Ten Dam.     

Managing urban water supplies in developing countries - Climate change and water scarcity scenarios

Urban areas of developing countries are facing increasing water scarcity and it is possible that this problem may be further aggravated due to rapid changes in the hydro-environment at different scales, like those of climate and land-cover. Due to water scarcity and limitations to the development of new water resources, it is prudent to shift from the traditional ‘supply based management’ to a ‘demand management’ paradigm. Demand management focuses on measures that make better and more efficient use of limited supplies, often at a level significantly below standard service levels. This paper particularly focuses on the intermittent water supplies in the cities of developing countries. Intermittent water supplies need to be adopted due to water scarcity and if not planned properly, results in inequities in water deliveries to consumers and poor levels of service. It is therefore important to recognise these realities when designing and operating such networks.The standard tools available for design of water supply systems often assume a continuous, unlimited supply and the supplied water amount is limited only be the demand, making them unsuitable for designing intermittent supplies that are governed by severely limited water availability. This paper presents details of new guidelines developed for the design and control of intermittent water distribution systems in developing countries. These include a modified network analysis simulation coupled with an optimal design tool. The guidelines are driven by a modified set of design objectives to be met at least cost. These objectives are equity in supply and people driven levels of service (PDLS) expressed in terms of four design parameters namely, duration of the supply; timings of the supply; pressure at the outlet (or flow-rate at outlet); and others such as the type of connection required and the locations of connections (in particular for standpipes). All the four parameters are calculated using methods and techniques that recognise the relationship between outflow at a water connection and the pressure experienced at that connection. The paper presents a case study where it is demonstrated that the new guidelines can provide an equitable and acceptable level of service throughout the design horizon of the project.     

隧道开挖地表移动计算软件SASMD的开发

从随机介质理论出发,简述了隧道开挖引起地表位移与变形计算所采用的理论与方法,介绍了基于随机介质理论而研制的隧道开挖引起地表位移与变形计算软件SASMD的设计思想、整体结构和主要特点,列举了若干个用SASMD软件所计算的工程实例。通过与实测值的比较,证明了基于随机介质理论而研制的SASMD软件具有精确度高、结果可靠、使用方便的特点,适于科技人员在分析隧道开挖引起地表位移与变形时使用。     

皖浙赣相邻区中生代以来构造活动及古应力场特征

皖浙赣相邻区位于中国东南大陆边缘,中生代以来经历多期强烈构造作用,是研究中生代以来构造运动的理想区域。本文以皖浙赣相邻区中生代以来的脆性断层为研究对象,通过系统的野外构造观测和运动学研究,在区内划分出了4期主要断裂构造,确定了各期断裂的运动学特征,恢复了古构造应力场。第一期构造大致发生于早侏罗世-中侏罗世末,应力场为近南北向挤压,可能与华南板块与华北板块碰撞最后阶段的挤压作用相关,第二期构造出现在早白垩世,应力场为近北东-南西向挤压,可能与太平洋板块向南-南西俯冲有关,第三期构造大致发生在晚白垩世末,应力场为北西-南东向挤压,与太平洋板块向欧亚大陆的北西向正向俯冲有关,第四期构造应力场为东西向挤压,可能与太平洋板块弧后扩张产生的向西侧向挤压及印度板块俯冲碰撞产生的向东挤出共同作用有关。     

Three‐dimensional finite element analyses of passive pile behaviour

Piles may be subjected to lateral soil pressures as a result of lateral soil movements from nearby construction‐related activities such as embankment construction or excavation operations. Three‐dimensional finite element analyses have been carried out to investigate the response of a single pile when subjected to lateral soil movements. The pile and the soil were modelled using 20‐node quadrilateral brick elements with reduced integration. For compatibility between the soil–pile interface elements, 27‐node quadrilateral brick elements with reduced integration were used to model the soil around the pile adjacent to the soil–pile interface. A Mohr–Coulomb elastic–plastic constitutive model with large‐strain mode was assumed for the soil. The analyses indicate that the behaviour of the pile was significantly influenced by the pile flexibility, the magnitude of soil movement, the pile head boundary conditions, the shape of the soil movement profile and the thickness of the moving soil mass. Reasonable agreement is found between some existing published solutions and those developed herein. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of the construction process on the deformation behaviour of diaphragm walls in soft clayey ground

Conventional numerical predictions of deep excavations normally neglect the construction process of the retaining structure and choose the earth pressure at rest as initial condition at the beginning of the simulation. The presented results of simulation and measurements during the construction process of the Taipei National Enterprise Center show, that such an assumption leads to an underestimation of the horizontal wall deflection, the surface ground settlements as well as the loading of the struts in case of normally to slightly over‐consolidated clayey soil deposits. The stepwise installation process of the individual diaphragm wall panels results in a substantial modification of the lateral effective stresses in the adjacent ground. Especially the pouring process of the panel and the fresh concrete pressure causes a partial mobilization of the passive earth pressure and a distinct stress level increase in the upper half of the wall. As a consequence of the increased stresses prior to the pit excavation, up to 15% greater ground and wall movements are predicted. Moreover, the increased stress level due to the installation process of the diaphragm wall leads to substantial higher strut loadings during the excavation of the pit. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of turbulent exchange and coherent structures in the stable atmospheric boundary layer based on tower observations

Using data collected at the Spanish low troposphere research centre CIBA (Centro de Investigación de la Baja Atmósfera) and at the Cabauw Experimental Site for Atmospheric Research (CESAR) in the Netherlands, we analyzed the most significant features of different coherent structures occurring in the stable atmospheric boundary layer. In particular, we used both the Reynolds and wavelet methods to analyze a solitary wave, a gravity wave, a density current and a low-level jet. For each of these structures, we found that wavelet analysis had the capacity to distinguish the different scales involved in these events due to the different timing and heights of the thermal instabilities and downdrafts associated with the disturbances. In addition, the wavelet method highlights the different roles of turbulence and coherent structures in the transfer of heat, moisture and CO₂ in the nocturnal boundary layer.