Large roots dominate the contribution of trees to slope stability

Tree roots provide surface erosion protection and improve slope stability through highly complex interactions with the soil due to the nature of root systems. Root reinforcement estimation is usually performed by in situ pullout tests, in which roots are pulled out of the soil to reliably estimate the root strength of compact soils. However, this test is not suitable for the scenario where a soil progressively fails in a series of slump blocks – for example, in unsupported soils near streambanks and road cuts where the soil has no compressive resistance at the base of the hillslope. The scenario where a soil is unsupported on its downslope extent and progressively deforms at a slow strain rate has received little attention, and we are unaware of any study on root reinforcement that estimates the additional strength provided by roots in this situation. We therefore designed two complementary laboratory experiments to compare the force required to pull the root out. The results indicate that the force required to pull out roots is reduced by up to 50% when the soil fails as slump blocks compared to pullout tests. We also found that, for slump block failure, roots had a higher tendency to slip than to break, showing the importance of active earth pressure on root reinforcement behaviour, which contributes to reduced friction between soil and roots. These results were then scaled up to a full tree and tree stand using the root bundle and field-measured spatial distributions of root density. Although effects on the force mobilized in small roots can be relevant, small roots have virtually no effect on root reinforcement at the tree or stand scale on hillslopes. When root distribution has a wide range of diameters, the root reinforcement results are controlled by large roots, which hold much more force than small roots. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于费用效益分析的建筑物加固决策体系研究

突发地震灾害往往带来巨大的生命财产损失,对建筑物进行科学合理的震前加固及震后功能快速修复;对降低地震灾害损失具有重要意义。通过定义社会贴现率和残值率等加固效益分析评价参数,基于加固费用模型和地震直接经济损失模型进行了加固费用现值与效益现值计算;采用费用效益比（Cost-Benefit Ratio,CBR）作为评价指标对建筑物进行加固决策分析,并最终建立了相应的加固决策体系。最后将提出的理论、模型及方法集成于课题组研发的"中国地震灾害损失评估系统（CEDLAS）"补充建立加固决策分析模块,进而通过陕西省灞桥区的综合应用示范,验证所建立的加固决策体系的合理性。研究可为政府制定在役建筑物的加固决策提供科学依据。     

新型钢筋搭接灌浆套筒节点力学性能试验及有限元分析

对一种新型钢筋搭接灌浆套筒节点进行了力学性能试验研究和有限元分析。共设计了9组节点试件,变化的参数包括:搭接长度和钢筋直径、套筒壁厚和套筒端部约束方式。通过试验研究得出:套筒壁厚对灌浆料的约束作用较大,壁厚不宜小于5mm;套筒端部不做处理时节点的连接效果更好。基于试验结果采用ABAQUS软件进行了有限元补充分析,通过对比验证了有限元模型各个假设和本构模型取值的合理性。本研究以期为装配式混凝土结构的钢筋连接研究提供参考。     

Effect of different biological solutions on microbially induced carbonate precipitation and reinforcement of sand

Abstract

Sporosarcina pasteurii is widely used in the application of microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) for various applications, such as ground reinforcement, erosion mitigation or stabilization of sand foreshore slopes. This study focuses on the effect of thallus resuspended by the fresh medium (RF) on urea hydrolysis, MICP, and sand reinforcement compared with untreated biological solutions (US) with high microbial concentration. The principle is investigated by tests on thallus resuspended by saline solution [NaCl (0.9%)] (RS) and supernatant (SS). The results indicate that the addition of the fresh medium is insignificant for promoting MICP and even has a slightly negative effect on urea hydrolysis and sand improvement for stationary phase bacteria. The ability of US to hydrolyze urea and MICP is derived from two sources: urease existing in the cell bodies and free urease existing in solution for lysis of partial cells, with urease in cells accounting for the majority. The preferable sand reinforcement of US is primarily due to the high amount of carbonate precipitation and formation of non-biological calcium carbonate located primarily in the pores. The results indicate that the preference of US in various engineering applications with lower cost for the realizable reinforcement.     

Effect of strain-dependent dynamic properties of backfill and foundation soil on the external stability of geosynthetic reinforced waterfront retaining structure subjected to harmonic motion

A simplified method to determine the minimum length of reinforcement required for the external stability of waterfront reinforced soil structures under seismic conditions is presented. In the present analysis, strain-dependent dynamic properties (shear modulus and damping ratio) are used. The results obtained from the present method are well compared with the results of pseudo-static method of analysis. For the set of input parameters, the estimated minimum length of reinforcement required against sliding failure is nearly 27–29% higher for an input normalized frequency of 1.06 and is nearly 22–25% lower for another input normalized frequency of 1.94 when compared with the results of pseudo-static approach. This can be attributed to the mode change behaviour of the waterfront structure. In addition, the effect of foundation type on the external stability of waterfront reinforced soil structures has also been presented and it is found that the foundation type has a significant effect on the same. For the given set of input parameters, the length of minimum reinforcement required for a slope and vertical wall having a flexible foundation are about 26–28% and 32–38% larger than that of a slope and vertical wall with rigid foundation, respectively.     

基于强化学习的锚泊辅助动力定位系统智能决策研究

针对半潜平台锚泊辅助动力定位系统的最优定位点问题,设计了基于强化学习中深度神经网络的Q学习(DQN)控制策略的锚泊辅助动力定位的智能决策系统。该决策系统中DQN方法与比例—积分—微分(PID)控制方法相结合使用,实现系统优化。在基于机器人操作系统(ROS)平台的动力定位时域模拟程序中进行数值仿真,仿真结果验证了该系统在定位点决策问题上的可靠性和有效性,从而使半潜平台在面对未知海况时,均能寻找到最优定位点,在保证锚泊辅助动力定位系统可靠性的同时降低功率消耗,提高经济性。     

Distribution Characteristics of Formed Region of Condensate in Slope Fractured Rock Mass

Taking a high and steep rocky slope in Jixianguan, Anqing city as the research object, combining with the temperature and relative humidity monitoring data within a depth of 4 m in the spring, summer, autumn and winter of the fractured rock mass, we divided the formed region of condensed water by studying the water vapor and heat migration in the fractured rock mass and the changing characteristics of supersaturated frequency of relative humidity. The results showed that the frequency of water vapor supersaturation in fractured rock increased gradually along its migration direction. In summer, from shallow to deep, the fractured rock mass is in the order of water vapor unsaturated zone, near-saturated zone and supersaturated zone and condensate is mainly formed in the deep; in autumn and winter, from shallow to deep, there are unsaturated zones of water vapor, supersaturated zone, near-saturated zone and unsaturated zone and condensate is mainly formed in the shallow part; in spring, the water vapor undersaturated zone, near-saturated zone and supersaturated zone are in order and the distribution range of condensate formed region is large.     

东海陆坡不同类型海底峡谷的分布构造响应

利用1997-2001年在东海海域获得的多波束全覆盖测深数据和收集的部分高分辨率单道地震剖面,对东海陆坡海底峡谷的地形要素,如长度、弯曲度、平均坡度、剖面特征、头部和末端的水深等进行了详细的分析和统计.根据平面形态将海底峡谷划分为3种类型:直线型、蛇曲型和树枝型.海底峡谷主要分布于中段和南段的东海陆坡之上,平面形态特征总体上自北向南趋于复杂(直线型→蛇曲型→树枝型),规模逐渐增大,不同平面类型代表了峡谷不同的演化阶段.峡谷的分布格局和变化趋势主要受控于冲绳海槽扩张背景下的构造活动.     

Fine-grained Pleistocene deepwater turbidite channel system on the slope of Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea

Recently, as oil exploitation has become focused on deepwater slope areas, more multi-channel high resolution 2D and 3D seismic data were acquired in the deepwater part of the Qiongdongnan Basin, northern South China Sea. Based on 3D seismic data and coherence time slice, RMS and 3D visualization, a series of deepwater channels were recognized on the slope that probably developed in the late Quaternary period. These channels trend SW–NE to W–E and show bifurcations, levees, meander loops and avulsions. High Amplitude Reflections (HARs), typical for channel–levee complexes, are of only minor importance and were observed in one of the channel systems. Most of the detected channels are characterized by low-amplitude reflections, and so are different from the typical coarse-grained turbidite channels that had been discovered worldwide. The absence of well data in the study area made it difficult to determine the age and lithology of these channels. Using a neighboring drill hole and published data about such depositional systems worldwide, the lithology of these channels is likely to be dominated by mudstones with interbedded thin sandstones. These channels are formed by turbidity currents originated from the little scale mountain river of mid-Vietnam in SW direction and were probably accompanied by a relative sea level drop in the last glacial age. These channels discovered on the northern South China Sea slope are likely to be fine-grained, mud-dominant and low N:G deposits in a deepwater paleogeographic setting.     

东营凹陷南坡沙河街组四段砂岩地球化学特征

基于东营凹陷南坡沙河街组四段砂岩的某些常量元素和微量元素(包括稀土元素)含量的变化规律,研究了该地区砂岩的地球化学特征。本地区沙河街组四段砂岩类型以岩屑长石砂岩和长石岩屑砂岩为主,部分砂岩为岩屑砂岩和长石砂岩。A-CN-K三角图解反映了砂岩的母岩中斜长石含量要高于钾长石含量,主要在花岗闪长岩和花岗岩(含相应的片麻岩)之间变化。砂岩在风化过程中受到了钾的交代作用。化学风化作用指标(CIW)和化学蚀变作用指标(CIA)反映了该地区砂岩受到了强烈的风化作用,尤以纯梁地区为强。化学组份变化指标(ICV)反映了有些砂岩中含有第一次旋回沉积物。微量元素比值(La/Yb)_N、(La/Lu)_N等也反映了该地区砂岩来源于花岗闪长岩和花岗岩的混合物。