Anisotropic damage of rock joints during cyclic loading: constitutive framework and numerical integration

This work describes a constitutive framework for modeling the behavior of rough joints under cyclic loading. Particular attention is paid to the intrinsic links between dilatancy, surface degradation, and mobilized shear strength. The framework also accounts for the important effect of shear‐induced anisotropy. The resulting approach is fully three‐dimensional and is not restricted to plane‐displacement kinematics. Both the governing formulation and an algorithm for implicit numerical integration are presented. While the proposed methods are general, we also postulate a specific model that is compared with experimental data. It employs relatively few free parameters but shows good agreement with laboratory tests. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three‐dimensional shakedown solutions for anisotropic cohesive‐frictional materials under moving surface loads

Previous work on three‐dimensional shakedown analysis of cohesive‐frictional materials under moving surface loads has been entirely for isotropic materials. As a result, the effects of anisotropy, both elastic and plastic, of soil and pavement materials are ignored. This paper will, for the first time, develop three‐dimensional shakedown solutions to allow for the variation of elastic and plastic material properties with direction. Melan's lower‐bound shakedown theorem is used to derive shakedown solutions. In particular, a generalised, anisotropic Mohr–Coulomb yield criterion and cross‐anisotropic elastic stress fields are utilised to develop anisotropic shakedown solutions. It is found that shakedown solutions for anisotropic materials are dominated by Young's modulus ratio for the cases of subsurface failure and by shear modulus ratio for the cases of surface failure. Plastic anisotropy is mainly controlled by material cohesion ratio, the rise of which increases the shakedown limit until a maximum value is reached. The anisotropic shakedown limit varies with frictional coefficient, and the peak value may not occur for the case of normal loading only. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A plasticity constitutive model for unsaturated,anisotropic, nonexpansive soils

The paper describes and evaluates an incremental plasticity constitutive model for unsaturated, anisotropic, nonexpansive soils (CMUA). It is based on the modified Cam-Clay (MCC) model for saturated soils and enhances it by introducing anisotropy (via rotation of the MCC yield surface) and an unsaturated compressibility framework describing a double dependence of compressibility on suction and on the degree of saturation of macroporosity. As the anisotropic and unsaturated features can be activated independently, the model is downwards compatible with the MCC model. The CMUA model can simulate effectively: the dependence of compressibility on the level of developed anisotropy, uniqueness of critical state independent of the initial anisotropy, an evolving compressibility during constant suction compression, and a maximum of collapse. The model uses Bishop's average skeleton stress as its first constitutive variable, favouring its numerical implementation in commercial numerical analysis codes (eg, finite element codes) and a unified treatment of saturated and unsaturated material states.     

Weakness and mechanical anisotropy of phyllosilicate-rich cataclasites developed after mylonites of a low-angle normal fault (Simplon Line,Western Alps)

The Simplon Fault Zone is a late-collisional low-angle normal fault (LANF) of the Western Alps. The hanging wall shows evidence of brittle deformation only, while the footwall is characterized by a c. 1 km-thick shear zone (the Simplon Fault Zone), which continuously evolved, during exhumation and cooling, from amphibolite facies conditions to brittle-cataclastic deformations. Due to progressive localization of the active section of the shear zone, the thermal-rheological evolution of the footwall resulted in a layered structure, with higher temperature mylonites preserved at the periphery of the shear zone, and cataclasites occurring at the core (indicated as the Simplon Line). In order to investigate the weakness of the Simplon Line, we studied the evolution of brittle/cataclastic fault rocks, from nucleation to the most mature ones. Cataclasites are superposed on greenschist facies mylonites, and their nucleation can be studied at the periphery of the brittle fault zone. This is characterized by fractures, micro-faults and foliated ultracataclasite seams that develop along the mylonitic SCC′ fabric, exploiting the weak phases mainly represented by muscovite and chlorite. Approaching the fault core, both the thickness and frequency of cataclasite horizons increase, and, as their thickness increases, they become less and less foliated. The fault core itself is represented by a thicker non-foliated cataclasite horizon. No Andersonian faults or fractures can be found in the footwall damage zone and core zone, whilst they are present in the hanging wall and in the footwall further from the fault. Applying a stress model based on slip tendency, we have been able to calculate that the friction coefficient of the Simplon Line cataclasites was <0.25, hence this fault zone is absolutely weak. In contrast with other fault zones, the weakening effect of fluids was of secondary importance, since they accessed the fault zone only after an interconnected fracture network developed exploiting the cataclasite network.     

The behavior of a multilayered porous thermo-elastic medium with anisotropic thermal diffusivity and permeability

With the aid of integral transform techniques, this paper presents an extended precise integration solution for thermal consolidation problems of a multilayered porous thermo-elastic medium with anisotropic thermal diffusivity and permeability due to a heat source. From the fundamental governing equations, ordinary differential equations are derived by employing Laplace–Hankel transforms. By applying the extended precise integration method, equations in the transformed domain can be solved, and the actual solutions are further obtained by adopting a numerical inverse transformation. The accuracy and feasibility of the proposed theory is demonstrated by contrastive analysis with existing studies. Finally, several examples are carried out to investigate the influence of heat source’s type, axial distance, burial depth of heat source, ratio of thermo-permeability, permeability anisotropy, thermal diffusivity anisotropy and stratification on the thermal consolidation process.     

Characteristic and Geological Significance of Microbially Induced Sedimentary Structures(MISS) in Terrestrial P-T Boundary in Xingyang,Western He’nan Province

Microbially Induced Sedimentary Structures (MISS) are primary sedimentary structures that arise syndepositionally from microbial community activity. Especially valuable are MISS for the analysis of early Archean (and extraterrestrial) deposits. However, most reports of MISS have focused on the Precambrian and Phanerozoic mass extinction marine sediments, and only a few and terrestrial MISS have been studied. The MISS presented in this paper, which mainly consists of mat growth feature, mat destruction feature and mat decay feature, are well preserved in terrestrial clastic rocks around the P-T boundary in Xiyang area, western Henan. Large U ridges, oriented sand quartz, mica grains and thin clayey laminae arranged parallel to bedding plane are the main features visible under the microscope. Several lines of evidence indicate that the Xingyang MISS are of biogenic origin. Abundant MISS in Xingyang may indicate the degradation of terrestrial ecosystems and proliferation of microbial mats immediately after the severe Permian-Triassic mass extinction. Study aiming at MISS helps to analyze their space distribution in the globe and to probe into links between microbial proliferation and environmental stresses following the end-Permian mass extinction in terrestrial ecosystems.     

小入射角下海浪后向散射系数不对称性和各向异性分析验证

基于北京遥测技术研究所机载波谱仪实测数据以及ECMWF提供的风场数据,分析了不同风速条件下小入射角海浪平均后向散射系数不对称性与各向异性随入射角的变化特性,并对导致这一现象的原因进行了初步分析。结果表明:小入射角下,海浪平均后向散射系数随入射角增大呈现递减趋势并在18°时达到某一稳定值,之后基本维持不变;海浪后向散射系数不对称性与各向异性均随入射角增大呈现递增趋势,同样在18°增大至某一稳定值,之后基本维持不变;低风速条件下,海浪不对称性和各向异性与风速有关,且风速越大不对称性与各向异性越明显。     

Novel shape indices for vector landscape pattern analysis

The formation of an anisotropic landscape is influenced by natural and/or human processes, which can then be inferred on the basis of geometric indices. In this study, two minimal bounding rectangles in consideration of the principles of mechanics (i.e. minimal width bounding (MWB) box and moment bounding (MB) box) were introduced. Based on these boxes, four novel shape indices, namely MBLW (the length-to-width ratio of MB box), PAMBA (area ratio between patch and MB box), PPMBP (perimeter ratio between patch and MB box) and ODI (orientation difference index between MB and MWB boxes), were introduced to capture multiple aspects of landscape features including patch elongation, patch compactness, patch roughness and patch symmetry. Landscape pattern was, thus, quantified by considering both patch directionality and patch shape simultaneously, which is especially suitable for anisotropic landscape analysis. The effectiveness of the new indices were tested with real landscape data consisting of three kinds of saline soil patches (i.e. the elongated shaped slightly saline soil class, the circular or half-moon shaped moderately saline soil, and the large and complex severely saline soil patches). The resulting classification was found to be more accurate and robust than that based on traditional shape complexity indices.     

非均匀各向异性储层地震AVAZ响应模拟及分析

基于波动理论的各向异性反射率方法能够充分考虑地震波动力学特征。对单界面理论模型、实际非均匀各向异性模型分别进行正演模拟及分析,比较Ruger理论与反射率方法模拟结果的波动力学特征。结果表明,对于界面模型两种方法均能得到相同的计算结果,但对于实际非均匀各向异性介质,基于Ruger理论的算法受时间采样率的影响,而基于波动理论的反射率方法输入实际空间域模型,计算结果不受时间采样率的限制。     

Preliminary seismic anisotropy in the upper crust of the south segment of Xiaojiang faults and its tectonic implications

The Xiaojiang faults,striking north-to-south(NS),and the Honghe faults,striking north-to-west(NW),are first-order block boundaries that intersect to form a concentrated stress zone at an acute angle in the southern part of the Sichuan-Yunnan rhombic block(SYB).It is also a crucial zone for material escaping from the Tibetan Plateau(TP)due to the collision between the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate.In December 2017,the Institute of Earthquake Forecasting of the China Earthquake Administration(CEA)deployed a linear temporary seismic broadband array,the Honghe-Xiaojiang temporary Seismic Array(HX Array),across first-order block boundaries in the southern SYB.By using the waveform data of small earthquakes recorded by stations in the HX Array across Xiaojiang faults from 2017 to 2019,and by permanent seismic stations of the China National Earthquake Networks from 2012 to 2019,this paper adopts the systematic analysis method of shear-wave splitting(SWS),SAM method,to obtain preliminary results for seismic anisotropy in the upper crust.The study area can be divided into two subzones according to the spatial distribution of the directions of polarization of the fast shear-wave(PFS)at the stations:the northern zone(zone A,where the HX Array is located)and the southern zone(zone B,to the south of the HX Array).The results show that the directions of the PFS at stations in zone A were highly consistent,dominant in the NE direction,correlated with the in-situ principal compressive stress,and were seemingly unaffected by the Xiaojiang faults.The directions of the PFS as recorded at stations in zone B were more complicated,and were dominant in the NS direction parallel to that of the regional principal compressive stress.This suggests the joint influence of complex tectonics and regional stress in this narrow wedge area.By referring to the azimuthal anisotropy derived from seismic ambient noise in the southeast margin of the TP,the NS direction of the PFS in the middle and lower crust,and its EW direction in the upper mantle,this paper concludes that azimuthal anisotropy in the upper crust differed from that in the lower crust in the south segment of Xiaojiang faults,at least beneath the observation area,and azimuthal anisotropy in the crust was different from that in the upper mantle.The results support the pattern of deformation of ductile flow in the lower crust,and the decoupling between the upper and lower crusts as well as that between the crust and the mantle in the study area.The crustal directions of the PFS appeared to be independent of the Xiaojiang faults,suggesting that the influence of the South China block on the SYB passed through the Xiaojiang faults to the Yimen region.The results of this study indicate that anisotropic studies based on data on the dense temporary seismic array can yield clearer tectonic information,and reveal the complex spatial distribution of stress and deformation in the upper crust of the south segment of Xiaojiang faults.