Discrete element method modeling of inherently anisotropic rocks under uniaxial compression loading

A new numerical approach is proposed in this study to model the mechanical behaviors of inherently anisotropic rocks in which the rock matrix is represented as bonded particle model, and the intrinsic anisotropy is imposed by replacing any parallel bonds dipping within a certain angle range with smooth‐joint contacts. A series of numerical models with β = 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90° are constructed and tested (β is defined as the angle between the normal of weak layers and the maximum principal stress direction). The effect of smooth‐joint parameters on the uniaxial compression strength and Young's modulus is investigated systematically. The simulation results reveal that the normal strength of smooth‐joint mainly affects the behaviors at high anisotropy angles (β > 45°), while the shear strength plays an important role at medium anisotropy angles (30°–75°). The normal stiffness controls the mechanical behaviors at low anisotropy angles. The angle range of parallel bonds being replaced plays an important role on defining the degree of anisotropy. Step‐by‐step procedures for the calibration of micro parameters are recommended. The numerical model is calibrated to reproduce the behaviors of different anisotropic rocks. Detailed analyses are conducted to investigate the brittle failure process by looking at stress‐strain behaviors, increment of micro cracks, initiation and propagation of fractures. Most of these responses agree well with previous experimental findings and can provide new insights into the micro mechanisms related to the anisotropic deformation and failure behaviors. The numerical approach is then applied to simulate the stress‐induced borehole breakouts in anisotropic rock formations at reduced scale. The effect of rock anisotropy and stress anisotropy can be captured. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The role of climate change and human interventions in affecting watershed runoff responses

Identifying the role of the two main driving factors—climate change and human interventions—in influencing runoff processes is essential for sustainable water resources management. For this purpose, runoff regime change detection methods were used to divide the available hydroclimatic variables into a baseline and a disturbed period. We applied hydrological modelling and the climate elasticity of runoff method to determine the contribution of climate change and human interventions to changes in runoff. The hydrological model, SWAT, was calibrated during the baseline period and used to simulate the naturalized runoff pattern for the disturbed period. Significant changes in runoff in the study watershed were detected from 1982, suggesting that human interventions play a dominant role in influencing runoff. The combined effects of climate change and human interventions resulted in a 41.3 mm (23.9%) decrease in runoff during the disturbed period, contributing about 40% and 60% to the total runoff change, respectively. Furthermore, analysis of changes in land cover dynamics in the watershed over the past four decades supported these changes in runoff. Contrary to other decades, the discrepancy between naturalized and observed runoff was small in the 2010s, likely due to increased baseflow as a result of storage and/or release of excess water during the dry season. This study contributes to our understanding of how climate change and human interventions affect hydrological responses of watersheds, which is important for future sustainable water management and drought adaptation.     

Constitutive and numerical framework for modeling joints and faults in rock

A three‐dimensional constitutive model for joints is described that incorporates nonlinear elasticity based on volumetric elastic strain, and plasticity for both compaction and shear with emphasis on compaction. The formulation is general in the sense that alternative specific functional forms and evolution equations can be easily incorporated. A corresponding numerical structure based on finite elements is provided so that a joint width can vary from a fraction of an element size to a width that occupies several elements. The latter case is particularly appropriate for modeling a fault, which is considered simply to be a joint with large width. For small joint widths, the requisite equilibrium and kinematic requirements within an element are satisfied numerically. The result is that if the constitutive equation for either the joint or the rock is changed, the numerical framework remains unchanged. A unique aspect of the general formulation is the capability to handle either pre‐existing gaps or the formation of gaps. Representative stress–strain plots are given to illustrate both the features of the model and the effects of changes in values of material parameters. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Elastoplastic model with loading memory surfaces (LMS) for monotonic and cyclic behaviour of geomaterials

A new elastoplastic model called loading memory surface based on the critical state concept and the multi‐surface framework is proposed for geomaterials. The model uses a hypoelastic formulation and two plastic mechanisms. The formulations of the model are made in three‐dimensional stress–strain space and work under both monotonic and cyclic loadings. A newly introduced formalism makes it possible to obtain the cyclic response directly from the monotonic loading one. This formalism gives a three‐dimensional generalization of the well‐known Masing rule. The model has been validated against test results of Hostun sand under several conditions: monotonic and cyclic, drained and undrained, tests in compression and in extension, and at different confining pressures and different densities. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A bounding surface model for anisotropically overconsolidated clay incorporating thermodynamics admissible rotational hardening rule

A bounding surface model is formulated to simulate the behavior of clays that are subject to an anisotropic consolidation stress history. Conventional rotational hardening is revisited from the perspective of thermodynamics. As the free energy cannot be accumulated infinitely upon critical state failure, the deviatoric back stress must vanish. This requires the rotated yield surface to be turned back to eventually align on the hydrostatic axis in the stress plane. Noting that most of the previous propositions violate this restriction, an innovative rotational hardening rule is formulated that is thermodynamically admissible. The bounding surface framework that employs the modified yield surface is applied to simulate elastoplastic deformations for overconsolidated clays, with which the overprediction of strength on the “dry” side can be greatly improved with reasonable results. Other important features, including contractive or dilative response and hardening or softening behavior, can also be well-captured. It has been shown that the model can simulate three types of reconstituted clays that are sheared with initial conditions over a wide range of anisotropic consolidation stress ratios and overconsolidation ratios under both triaxial undrained and drained conditions. Limitations and potential improvement of the model regarding the fabric anisotropy at critical state have been discussed.     

Borehole failure analysis in a sandstone under anisotropic stresses

Borehole failure under anisotropic stresses in a sandstone is analyze numerically for various borehole sizes using a nonlinear elastic–plastic constitutive model for a Cosserat continuum. Borehole failure is identified as macroscopic failure of the borehole through the development of shear bands and breakouts. The results compare well both qualitatively and quantitatively with experimental results from polyaxial tests on Red Wildmoor sandstone. They show that the hole size effect of the borehole failure strength is independent of the far‐field stress anisotropy and follows a ? power law of the hole size. A similar scale effect equation with a ? power law is proposed for the scale effect of the maximum plastic shear strain at failure. This equation can be useful for better predicting hole‐size‐dependent failure with standard codes based on classical continua. The effect of stress anisotropy on the borehole failure stress is found to be independent of the hole size. The failure stress decreases linearly to 40% as the stress anisotropy increases. However, the maximum plastic shear strain at failure is stress anisotropy independent and therefore the critical plastic shear strain for failure is only hole‐size dependent. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

采空区输气管道弹性变形分析

近年来输气管道工程的大规模建设,其不可避免地要通过一些煤矿采空沉陷区和地质构造复杂区域。煤矿采空沉陷区的地表移动变形必然会使上覆的输气管道发生变形、甚至破坏,因此,分析与预测煤矿采空区地埋输气管道的安全性具有重要意义。本文以西气东输一线为例,依据弹性理论分析计算,当管道下伏分别为土体和岩体时,输气管道破坏时的岩土体垮塌宽度,并统计在垮塌影响范围一定的条件下,岩土体垮塌宽度与管道变形及最小曲率半径之间的规律。结果表明,管道的弯曲变形与垮塌宽度之间呈递增关系。     

A geometric-based approach for road matching on multi-scale datasets using a genetic algorithm

Object matching is used in various applications including conflation, data quality assessment, updating, and multi-scale analysis. The objective of matching is to identify objects referring to the same entity. This article aims to present an optimization-based linear object-matching approach in multi-scale, multi-source datasets. By taking into account geometric criteria, the proposed approach uses real coded genetic algorithm (RCGA) and sensitivity analysis to identify corresponding objects. Moreover, in this approach, any initial dependency on empirical parameters such as buffer distance, threshold of spatial similarity degree, and weights of criteria is eliminated and, instead, the optimal values for these parameters are calculated for each dataset. Volunteered geographical information (VGI) and authoritative data with different scales and sources were used to assess the efficiency of the proposed approach. According to the results, in addition to an efficient performance in various datasets, the proposed approach was able to appropriately identify the corresponding objects in these datasets by achieving higher F-Score.     

流速分布及锚链自身刚度对弹性单锚链系统变形和受力的影响

在锚链系统中,锚链本身的刚度和水流对其作用是影响锚链变形和受力的主要因素。应用分段外推的数值方法,分别对不同刚度和同一弹性锚链在均匀流作用以及同一弹性锚链在不同流速分布(流速在水深方向呈抛物线分布、对数分布)的水流作用下的变形和受力进行了分析和计算,得出了锚链自身的不同刚度及不同流速对锚链的变形及受力的影响情况。结果表明,刚度对锚链受力及变形影响明显,不同流速分布对锚链的偏移量几乎无影响,但对锚链的受力影响较大,选取抛物线型流速分布对锚链安全有利。     

线性向量半参数模型与标量半参数模型最小二乘估计的比较

研究了最小二乘准则下线性向量半参数模型的核估计、近邻估计及样条估计3种估计方法,分析了向量半参数模型与标量半参数模型在这几种估计方法中的差异。