Numerical analysis of the geotechnical behaviour of energy piles

Energy geostructures are rapidly gaining acceptance around the world; they represent a renewable and clean source of energy that can be used for the heating and cooling of buildings and for de‐icing of infrastructures. This technology couples the structural role of geostructures with the energy supply, using the principle of shallow geothermal energy. The geothermal energy exploitation represents an additional thermal loading, seasonally cyclic, which is imposed on the soil and the structure itself. Because the primary role of the piles is the stability of the superstructure, this aspect needs to be ensured even in the presence of the additional thermal load. The goal of this paper is to numerically investigate the behaviour of energy pile foundations during heating–cooling cycles. For this purpose, the finite element method is used to simulate both a single and a group of energy piles. The piles are subjected to a constant mechanical load and a seasonally cyclic thermal load over several years, imposed in terms of injected–extracted thermal power. The soil and the pile–soil interface behaviours are reproduced using a thermoelastic‐thermoplastic constitutive model. The thermal‐induced stresses inside the piles and the additional displacements of the foundations are discussed. The group model is used to investigate the interactions between the piles during thermo‐mechanical loading. The presented results are specific to the studied cases but lead to the conclusion that both the thermal‐induced displacements and stresses, despite being acceptable under normal working conditions, deserve to be taken into account in the geotechnical design of energy piles. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Scale invariance and self‐similarity in kinematic wave overland flow in space and time

Fractals are famous for their self‐similar nature at different spatial scales. Similar to fractals, solutions of scale invariant processes are self‐similar at different space–time scales. This unique property of scale‐invariant processes can be utilized to translate the solution of the processes at a much larger or smaller space–time scale (domain) based on the solution calculated on the original space–time scale. This study investigates scale invariance conditions of kinematic wave overland flow process in one‐parameter Lie group of point transformations framework. Scaling (stretching) transformation is one of the one‐parameter Lie group of point transformations and it has a unique importance among the other transformations, as it leads to the scale invariance or scale dependence of a process. Scale invariance of a process yields a self‐similar solution at different space–time scales. However, the conditions for the process to be scale invariant usually dictate various relationships between the scaling coefficients of the dependent and independent variables of the process. Therefore, the scale invariance of a process does not assure a self‐similar solution at any arbitrary space and time scale. The kinematic wave overland flow process is modelled mathematically as initial‐boundary value problem. The conditions to be satisfied by the system of governing equations as well as the initial and boundary conditions of the kinematic wave overland flow process are established in order for the process to be scale invariant. Also, self‐similarity of the solution of the kinematic wave overland flow under the established invariance conditions is demonstrated by various numerical example problems. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design of bridges against large tectonic deformation

The engineering community has devoted much effort to understanding the response of soil-structure systems to seismic ground motions, but little attention to the effects of an outcropping fault offset. The 1999 earthquakes of Turkey and Taiwan, offering a variety of case histories of structural damage due to faulting, have （re）fueled the interest on the subject. This paper presents a methodology for design of bridges against tectonic deformation. The problem is decoupled in two analysis steps： the first （at the local level） deals with the response of a single pier and its foundation to fault rupture propagating through the soil, and the superstructure is modeled in a simplified manner; and the second （at the global level） investigates detailed models of the superstructure subjected to the support （differential） displacements of Step 1. A parametric study investigates typical models of viaduct and overpass bridges, founded on piles or caissons. Fixed-head piled foundations are shown to be rather vulnerable to faulting-dnduced deformation. End-bearing piles in particular are unable to survive bedrock offsets exceeding 10 cm. Floating piles perform better, and if combined with hinged pile-to-cap connections, they could survive much larger offsets. Soil resilience is beneficial in reducing pile distress. Caisson foundations are almost invariably successful. Statically-indeterminate superstructures are quite vulnerable, while statically-determinate are insensitive （allowing differential displacements and rotations without suffering any distress）. For large-span cantilever-construction bridges, where a statically determinate system is hardly an option, inserting resilient seismic isolation bearings is advantageous as long as ample seating can prevent the deck from falling off the supports. An actual application of the developed method is presented for a major bridge, demonstrating the feasibility of design against tectonic deformation.     

节理岩体大型地下洞室群稳定性分析

深入研究了加锚节理面的变形特点和节理面附近锚杆的变形特点;把断裂力学与损伤力学相结合,采用应变能等效的方法,建立了加锚断续节理岩体在压剪应力作用下的本构关系;按自洽理论的方法,得到了加锚断续节理岩体在拉剪应力状态下的本构关系,并将其理论模型应用于某大型地下厂房的三维稳定性分析中。应用加锚断续节理岩体断裂损伤模型模拟锚杆的支护效应,锚杆通过与围岩的联合作用,有效地限制了围岩变形,改善了围岩的应力状态,阻止了围岩破损区的发展演化,从而提高了围岩的稳定性。将断裂损伤计算结果与一般弹塑性（FLAC3D）计算结果进行了对比分析。相比于普通的弹塑性模型,加锚断续节理岩体断裂损伤模型考虑了岩体中节理裂隙对洞室围岩稳定性的影响,以及锚杆针对节理裂隙的加固作用,能更好地反映裂隙岩体洞室围岩稳定性特征,从而验证了该模型的有效性和优越性。     

气浮结构相似性分析

提出了有关气浮结构的环境压力相似判据问题,指出了在模型试验时要达到完全相似的困难。计算结果表明,对尺度比为0．1的模型,若不考虑环境压力的相似,恢复力矩的误差可接近50％。根据4筒和25筒气浮结构的计算结果,给出了将实验结果转换到原型的修正方法。     

未达到破坏的单桩极限承载力的灰色预测

如何利用未达到破坏的试桩资料来确定其极限承载力是一个重要的工程问题。根据灰色系统理论的预测模型,建立了预测单桩竖向极限承载力的非等步长GM(1,1)模型群。工程实例表明,该模型能够满足工程的需要,且带有残差修正的自调整非等步长GM(1,1)模型的精度最高。     

群桩荷载位移特性研究

将杆系结构有限单元法与荷载传递迭代法相耦合,形成一桩基沉降分析计算的混合法。采用近似解析解中Randolph and Wroth’Model与双曲线模型相结合,模拟桩身与桩周介质边界上剪切滑移的非线性。桩间相互作用在采用弹性理论Mindlin方程解答计算,并考虑了桩间“加筋与遮帘”作用。桩周土介质非均质性特征,采用指数函数模拟。分析了刚性承台下群桩桩数、桩长、桩间距和桩土模量比等群桩工作特性的影响。尤其是桩台基础沉降对群桩相互作用影响机制的研究,对桥梁拼接等对桩基础沉降要求严格的工程有重要的借鉴意义。     

建筑联合体整体平移的基础处理技术

结构整体平移技术为旧城改造提供了一种新的技术手段。以焦作矿务局建筑联合体的平移为工程背景,详细地介绍了建筑联合体平移过程中的基础处理技术,包括平移前对旧基础的改造、行走基础的设计和平移后新基础的设计和新地基的处理,特别地分析了上部结构框架柱与后浇混凝土基盘之间的冲切薄弱面的冲切破坏机理,并提出了抗冲切的设计方法,通过试验研究和有限元分析,说明所采取的技术措施是可行的。     

隶属度判别法在水土流失快速评估中的应用

引入隶属度判别法对水土流失快速评估方法进行改进。在GIS的支持下,选取标准参照区域对反映水土流失状况的表现因子--输沙模数进行聚类,建立标准参照组,计算由各个环境因子特征值决定的水土流失对标准参照组的隶属度;采用特尔菲法确定选取的环境因子对表现因子的影响权重向量;对待测区域的环境因子进行分析,确定待测区域对标准参照组的隶属度矩阵和标准化隶属度向量;依据经验公式确定待测区域的输沙模数。以陕西省安塞县纸坊沟小流域为例进行了方法应用,结果表明该方法在小流域尺度上对输沙模数有较好的预测精度和较快的预测速度。     

群桩效应有限元分析

利用有限元方法,对竖向荷载作用下复合桩基的群桩效应进行了计算分析,讨论了桩长L、桩距与桩径之比Sa/d、桩数n、土类等对群桩效应及群桩效应系数η的影响。结果表明：复合桩基中各个基桩的极限承载力Qu及η随L增大而增大;当Sa/d小于某个数值时,Qu,η随Sa/d增大而增大;当Sa/d大于某个数值时,Qu,η随Sa/d增大而减小。群桩效应及η与土类有关;η存在极大值,随n增多而减小,但减幅不大。