Environmental records of carbonaceous fly-ash particles from fossil-fuel combustion

Analysis of fly-ash particles in lake sediments has become increasingly important in studies of environmental pollution and lake acidification history. Most fly-ash studies have concerned black spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCP)(>5 m) produced from oil and coal combustion. This review paper provides a summary of this technique and its application, and focusses on our investigations in Sweden between 1979 and 1993. It consists of five parts: i) preparation and analysis methods, ii) historical trends in atmospheric deposition, iii) geographical surveys of atmospheric deposition, iv) sediment dating, and v) studies of sedimentation processes in lakes. Methods for preparation and analyses of SCP have been developed and applied to investigations using sediment, soil and snow samples. Stratigraphic trends of SCP concentrations in lake-sediment cores reflect the consumption history of fossil fuels. A characteristic temporal SCP pattern, with a marked concentration increase beginning after the 1940's and a peak in the early 1970's, has been recognized in most Swedish lakes and elsewhere in Europe. A survey of SCP concentrations in surface sediments of >100 lakes covering Sweden demonstrated that polluted areas in southern Sweden had >100 times higher SCP concentrations than clean areas in the north. The spatial distribution of SCP over Sweden is similar to the deposition pattern of long-range transported airborne pollutants, such as excess sulphate monitored by network stations. SCP also accumulate in soils, and soil analyses can be used for determining the integrated historical deposition of SCP at the local or regional scale. Finally, SCP have been used for indirect dating of sediment cores and as a marker to assess sediment distribution patterns within lake basins.     

A highlight of environmental and engineering geology in Fargo, North Dakota, USA

Several unfavorable environmental and engineering geologic conditions exist in Fargo, North Dakota. Dominantly, the behavior of smectitic clays within the proglacial Lake Agassiz sediments of the Sherack and Brenna Formations creates subsoil instability beneath engineered structures in the Fargo area and slope instability within cutbank meanders of the Red River of the North. Unfavorable engineering geologic conditions encountered include: the elastic deformation of clayey glaciolacustrine soils, shrink-swell properties, inadequate bearing capacities, and mass movements. These conditions are responsible for structural failures including the Fargo Grain Elevator in 1955 and the Northern Pacific railroad grade. Bank failures along the Red River are common due to the inherent instability of Brenna Formation smectitic clays which are subject to plastic deformation in the subsurface, with resultant block failure of overlying Sherack Formation. Recent alluvial sediments due to typical fluvial action and the continued seasonal saturation of cutbank meanders within the floodplain also add to soil instability.     

Influence of Cyclic Wetting Drying on Collapse Behaviour of Compacted Residual Soil

The climatic zones where residual soils occur are often characterized by alternate wet and dry seasons. Laboratory studies of earlier workers have established that the alternate wetting and drying process affects the swell-shrink potentials, water content, void ratio and particle cementation of expansive soils. The influence of cyclic wetting and drying on the collapse behaviour of residual soils has not been examined. This paper examines the influence of alternate wetting and drying on the collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil specimens from Bangalore District. Results of such a study are useful in anticipating changes in collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil fills. Experimental results indicated that the cyclic wetting and drying process increased the degree of expansiveness of the residual soils and reduced their collapse tendency. Changes in the swell/collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil specimens from wetting drying effects are attributed to reduction in water content, void ratio and possible growth of cementation bonds.     

Compressibility and shear strength of a residual soil

A detailed study was performed to investigate the compressibility and the shear strength of a residual soil in Omdurman, Sudan. The soil resulted from weathering of sandstone and mudstone. The soil is classified as sandy clayey silt (MH-CH) and is generally partially saturated. Consolidation tests were performed to study the compressibility of the soil and UU, CIU and insitu tests (CPT and SPT) were performed to study the shear strength characteristics of the soil. The characteristics of this residual soil can generally be predicted using correlations proposed in the literature for transported soils. The soil is of low to medium compressibility and exhibits slight apparent overconsolidation behavior. The soil dilates during shear and shows no long term effective cohesion. Problems associated with open cuts in this soil are attributed to loss of strength upon saturation.     

Comparison of magnetic parameters with vehicular Br levels in urban roadside soils

Chemical methods are generally chosen to monitor soil pollution but magnetic measurements proved to yield additional information at low cost and less time consumption. In this investigation, the novel use of rapid and non-destructive magnetic measurements to characterize Br levels in Xuzhou (China) urban roadside soils was reported. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) was used to quantify Br in the soil samples. Data from 21 roadside soil samples confirm Br contamination, with a mean level of 4.36 mg kg⁻¹ and a range of 2.4–8.7 mg kg⁻¹. These values are higher than that of unpolluted soils in Xuzhou that averages 1.1 mg kg⁻¹. Hierarchical clustering analysis shows Br in Xuzhou roadside soils is mainly from road traffic. Clear correlations between Br levels and simple magnetic parameters [mass specific susceptibility (χ _LF), susceptibility of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (χ _ARM), saturation isothermal remanence (SIRM)] are observed. The present study shows that these three magnetic parameters can be used as a proxy for Br levels in Xuzhou urban roadside soils.     

冻融作用对地气系统能量交换的影响分析

通过对温度波在地层内传播过程问题的分析研究, 讨论土在冻结和融化过程对地气系统能量交换的影响, 并以亚粘土为例应用近似方法计算了在冻结和融化过程地气系统能量交换和地温变化特征, 同时将相同条件下发生冻融作用与不发生冻融作用情况地气系统热交换量进行了比较. 结果表明, 冻融作用使地气系统热交换加强, 同时吸热和放热的过程也发生了改变.     

饱和土一维简谐响应解析解的求解和应用：II 应用

将相关论文[1]中得到的饱和土一维简谐响应解析解，应用到饱和土中两类压缩波的独立作用、饱和土中波的传播速度、u-p方程的适用范围等研究中。在两类压缩波的独立作用研究中，克服了以前文献中的数学不严密性。研究了饱和土各参数对三种体波波速的影响。通过比较u-w和u-p方程的解答，定量地说明了u-p方程的适用范围。     

国道219线新-藏公路改建工程地质灾害评价

国道219线新-藏区界至红土达坂路段全长109．55km。大部分路段穿越湖盆槽谷中央部位，部分线路沿湖盆边缘台地布设，海拔高度介于5000-5400m之间，地势平坦开阔，多年冻土发育，工程地质条件较差；现有公路路基高度低，几乎没有排水设施。冬季易产生路基冻胀和涎流冰危害，春、夏季因冻土融化，常引起路基沉陷和翻浆，严重危害公路运输安全甚至阻断交通。公路工程修建活动将极大地改变冻土环境，使天然状态下的水分循环发生改变，导致多年冻土退化，上限加深，进一步诱发冻胀、融沉、热融滑塌等冻土灾害，加剧风沙灾害、诱发公路边坡失稳破坏。在即将进行的公路改、扩建工程中，应采取保护冻土的设计原则，优选线路，加强侧向排水，合理设置取弃土场。     

Inelastic displacement ratios for evaluation of existing structures

Results of a detailed statistical study of constant relative strength inelastic displacement ratios to estimate maximum lateral inelastic displacement demands on existing structures from maximum lateral elastic displacement demands are presented. These ratios were computed for single‐degree‐of‐freedom systems with different levels of lateral strength normalized to the strength required to remain elastic when subjected to a relatively large ensemble of recorded earthquake ground motions. Three groups of soil conditions with shear wave velocities higher than 180m/s are considered. The influence of period of vibration, level of lateral yielding strength, site conditions, earthquake magnitude, distance to the source, and strain‐hardening ratio are evaluated and discussed. Mean inelastic displacement ratios and those associated with various percentiles are presented. A special emphasis is given to the dispersion of these ratios. It is concluded that distance to the source has a negligible influence on constant relative strength inelastic displacement ratios. However, for periods smaller than 1s earthquake magnitude and soil conditions have a moderate influence on these ratios. Strain hardening decreases maximum inelastic displacement at a fairly constant rate depending on the level of relative strength for periods of vibration longer than about 1.0s while it decreases maximum inelastic displacement non‐linearly as the period of vibration shortens and as the relative‐strength ratio increases for periods of vibration shorter than 1.0s. Finally, results from non‐linear regression analyses are presented that provide a simplified expression to be used to approximate mean inelastic displacement ratios during the evaluation of existing structures built on firm sites. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

冻土路基表面的融化指数与冻结指数

在冻土层之上筑路，由于会改变地-气界面的热物理特性，进而影响冻土层的热力→动力稳定性，故而修筑一定高度的路基成为保护冻土层所采取的一种常规措施．在修筑路基之后，与路基边坡的朝向有关的热效应是冻土路基工程保护措施必须考虑的问题．在数理分析与数值模拟分析的基础上，给出了可根据气温的年最大和最小月平均值计算路基表面的融化指数与冻结指数以及有关热状况参数的方法，并以青藏铁路北麓河段2002年为例进行了计算分析．实例分析表明，即便是没有修筑道路，北麓河地区的冻土也已经处于临界状态；路基相对的两个坡面，由于朝向不同会造成温度分布的强非均匀性，其中南和偏南方向与北和偏北方向的路基坡面热状况差异最大，有必要对路基相对的两个坡面采用不同的防护措施，一方面改善就地取土修筑路基对其下伏冻土层的直接不良影响，同时也尽可能减小路基表面温度分布的非均匀性，以避免纵向裂缝的发生。