Centrifuge evaluation of the influential factors in the uplift capacity of suction foundations in clay

The passive suction of suction foundations plays a significant role in pull-out resistance. The factors influencing the uplift capacity include stress state, embedment ratio, and loading rate. This article investigates the effect of embedment ratio and loading rate on the bearing behavior of suction foundations using centrifuge testing. A series of uplift tests on a suction foundation in clay were performed using a beam centrifuge. During the tests, uplift displacement, suction, and loading rate were monitored. The suction was obtained by measurement of water pressure. To compare the influence of different factors on uplift capacity due to passive suction, two types of uplift tests were conducted; the first was on the closed caisson and the second was on the vented caisson. The results show that the pull-out resistance increased with an increase of the uplift loading rate, which was induced by the suction. The maximum resistance occurred when the upward displacements reached 14%D under a ratio of skirt length (L) to diameter (D) (L/D) of 0.5 and 17%D under an L/D ratio of 2. These findings provide a way for suction caissons to resist pull-out load or for structures to be removed from the seabed.     

Effects of the roots of Cynodon dactylon and Schefflera heptaphylla on water infiltration rate and soil hydraulic conductivity

Water infiltration rate and hydraulic conductivity in vegetated soil are two vital hydrological parameters for agriculturists to determine availability of soil moisture for assessing crop growths and yields, and also for engineers to carry out stability calculations of vegetated slopes. However, any effects of roots on these two parameters are not well‐understood. This study aims to quantify the effects of a grass species, Cynodon dactylon, and a tree species, Schefflera heptaphylla, on infiltration rate and hydraulic conductivity in relation to their root characteristics and suction responses. The two selected species are commonly used for ecological restoration and rehabilitation in many parts of the world and South China, respectively. A series of in‐situ double‐ring infiltration tests was conducted during a wet summer, while the responses of soil suction were monitored by tensiometers. When compared to bare soil, the vegetated soil has lower infiltration rate and hydraulic conductivity. This results in at least 50% higher suction retained in the vegetated soil. It is revealed that the effects of root‐water uptake by the selected species on suction were insignificant because of the small evapotranspiration (<0.2 mm) when the tests were conducted under the wet climate. There appears to have no significant difference (less than 10%) of infiltration rates, hydraulic conductivity and suction retained between the grass‐covered and the tree‐covered soil. However, the grass and tree species having deeper root depth and greater Root Area Index (RAI) retained higher suction. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

沿深度强度增加软土中吸力锚循环承载力模型试验

采用分层底部真空预压技术,在模型试验箱内制备强度沿深度增加的模型试验土层;进而利用自行开发的电动伺服加载装置,在荷载控制方式下,针对水平破坏模式,进行两种直径的吸力锚在最佳系泊点受倾斜方向静荷载与循环荷载共同作用下的承载力模型试验。试验结果表明,循环荷载作用过程中锚的循环变形没有明显增加,导致锚破坏的是循环累积变形。强度沿深度增加软土和均一强度软土中吸力锚循环承载力的相对变化规律一致,当循环破坏次数为100时,循环承载力是静承载力的90%左右;当循环破坏次数增加至2 000时,循环承载力减小至静承载力的70%左右。锚径的变化只影响循环承载力的大小,不影响其相对变化。强度沿深度增加土层中的吸力锚,其循环荷载下竖向阻力弱化程度大于水平阻力弱化程度,这与均一强度土层中吸力锚受循环荷载作用时的性态一致。     

瓦斯抽采过程中孔壁的动态响应分析

将含瓦斯煤岩体简化为气饱和的各向同性均质体,基于混合物理论建立了含瓦斯煤岩体的物理方程、几何方程、连续方程和动力控制方程。瓦斯抽采孔的长度远大于直径,将瓦斯抽采过程中抽采负压引起的孔壁的动态响应问题简化为二维平面应变问题,借助Laplace变换和Laplace逆变换分别建立了相关问题的频域和时域解答。以河南省某煤矿的煤岩体瓦斯参数为例,对孔边的动态响应进行了数值计算,分析了无量纲径向位移、径向应力和环向应力等的变化规律,结果表明：径向位移和径向应力等动态响应主要集中在孔边的一定区域内,且该区域随着抽采时间的增大而扩大;孔壁产生波动较大的环向应力,且该环向应力随着抽采负压的增大而增大。     

基于太沙基土拱效应考虑基质吸力影响的松动土压力计算模型

传统的土拱效应理论是基于上覆土体为无黏性土或饱和黏性土建立的,但非饱和状态是实际土体的常见情形,其力学特性受自然环境变化的影响。针对这一问题,基于太沙基（Terzaghi）平面土拱效应分析模型和土体单元主应力轴旋转理论,建立了考虑基质吸力的土拱效应松动土压力分析模型。依次给出了基质吸力在上覆土体内呈均匀分布、梯形分布、正三角分布和倒三角分布时的松动土压力和侧压力系数表达式。为验证该分析模型的正确性,采用FLAC建立了Trapdoor数值模型,理论计算与FLAC模拟结果非常吻合。最后,着重分析了上覆土体的饱和度、厚度、Trapdoor宽度、地下水上升和降雨等因素对松动土压力的影响。研究发现,松动土压力随土体饱和度先减小后增大,当达到进气值所对应的饱和度时松动土压力最小。     

NaCl溶液对土体持水特性影响的试验研究

分别采用不同浓度的NaCl溶液对低塑性黏土进行饱和,然后进行压力板和蒸汽平衡法试验,获得整个吸力范围内的土-水特征曲线（SWCC）。分析不同浓度的孔隙溶液对SWCC的影响规律,结果表明：盐分对基质吸力的影响较小,对总吸力影响较大,这主要是因为盐溶液引起的渗透吸力所致。在蒸汽平衡法试验中,随着含水率的降低,孔隙浓度增大,渗透吸力增大。然而,基质吸力随着含水率的减小迅速增大,使得渗透吸力所占的比例逐渐减小。在非饱和土中,总吸力包括基质吸力和渗透吸力;基质吸力包括毛细部分和吸附部分,当土体中含水率较低时,主要是吸附效应在起作用;渗透吸力与溶液浓度有关。根据试验结果深入分析了吸附水膜和土颗粒之间的相互作用,得出由于溶质的存在对分子间吸附力的影响规律。根据表面化学原理,建立了分子间作用力和吸附水膜厚度之间的关系,以描述处于吸附状态的土-水特征曲线。     

疏浚耙齿松土机制及土体孔压响应试验

耙吸式挖泥船在疏浚过程中主要采用机械切削方式将海床土体耙松,其土体切削阻力形成机制一直是疏浚技术改进的关键科研问题之一。针对海床土体切削阻力的形成机制,应用自行研制的耙齿切削土体监测装置,对黄骅港粉土进行了耙齿切削试验。试验可直观再现和测试土体被耙齿切削的动态过程及其孔隙水压力演化规律,结果显示,土体在耙齿切削过程中,由于土体在短时间内发生挤压、剪切变形,外部水体难以完成内外流体的交换,致使其土体因剪胀效应而孔隙水压力骤减（甚至成为负压）,土体有效应力骤升,使得切削阻力成倍增加。     

考虑膨胀效应UH模型的有限元实现

高庙子膨润土已被确定为我国高放废物地质处置的首选缓冲/回填材料,进行其力学特性及应用模拟研究对合理设计处置库具有十分重要的意义。考虑膨胀效应的UH模型是在超固结非饱和土本构模型（非饱和土UH模型）的基础上提出的,因引入了土体团粒的吸水膨胀作用,使其适用于非饱和膨润土。基于有限元软件ABAQUS的二次开发平台,利用Fortran语言编制模型的UMAT（user-difined material）材料子程序,进行了考虑膨胀效应UH模型的有限元实现。然后针对高放废物处置概念模型,利用编制的模型子程序对高放废物处置系统进行了三维有限元模拟,并对渗流场和应力场的演化规律进行了初步探究。模拟结果显示处置系统中膨润土的内应力增加,土体的稳定性较好,说明选择高庙子膨润土作为缓冲/回填材料的合理性,也同时验证了程序的正确性。     

Analysis Procedure of the Cyclic Bearing Capacity for Suction Anchors in Soft Clays

This article presents a procedure to calculate the bearing capacity of suction anchors subjected to inclined average and cyclic loads at the optimal load attachment point using the undrained cyclic shear strength of soft clays based on the failure model of anchors proposed by Andersen et al. The constant average shear stress of each failure zone around an anchor is assumed and determined based on the static equilibrium condition for the procedure. The cyclic shear strength of each failure zone is determined based on the average shear stress. The cyclic bearing capacity is finally determined by limiting equilibrium analyses. Thirty-six model tests of suction anchors subjected to inclined average and cyclic loads were conducted, which include vertical and lateral failure modes. Model test results were predicted using the procedure to verify its feasibility. The average relative error between predicted and test results is 1.7%, which shows that the procedure can be used to calculate the cyclic bearing capacity of anchors with optimal loading. Test results also showed that the anchor was still in vertical failure mode under combined average and cyclic loads if an anchor was in vertical failure mode under static loads. The anchor failure would depend on the vertical resistance degradation under cyclic loads if an anchor was in lateral failure mode under static loads. Cyclic bearing capacities associated with the number of load cycles to failure of 1000 were about 75% and 80% of the static bearing capacity for vertical failure anchors and lateral failure anchors, respectively.     

Investigation of scour effects on lateral behaviors of suction caisson

ABSTRACT

The use of suction caissons can reduce the development costs of offshore wind energy and has broad application prospects. However scour around marine foundations is inevitable, it gravely affects the stability of marine engineering. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study the weakening effects of scour on suction caisson. In this study, the variation trends of remaining soil parameters (the effective unit weight and the peak effective friction angle) after scour are examined with consideration of the dilatancy and stress history of sandy silt. It is found that the parameters of shallow soil change considerably after scour, and the larger the scour depth, the greater is the change in the parameters. However, the deep soil is less affected. On the basis of these findings, scour effects on the ultimate moment capacity of suction caisson are studied. The ultimate moment capacity is found to greatly reduce under scour, and its calculated value is larger than the actual value when the effects of dilatancy and stress history are ignored. To simplify calculation, it is feasible to replace the ultimate moment capacity when both dilatancy and stress history are considered with that when only dilatancy is considered.