Implementation of DSC model and application for analysis of field pile tests under cyclic loading

The disturbed state concept (DSC) model, and a new and simplified procedure for unloading and reloading behavior are implemented in a nonlinear finite element procedure for dynamic analysis for coupled response of saturated porous materials. The DSC model is used to characterize the cyclic behavior of saturated clays and clay–steel interfaces. In the DSC, the relative intact (RI) behavior is characterized by using the hierarchical single surface (HISS) plasticity model; and the fully adjusted (FA) behavior is modeled by using the critical state concept. The DSC model is validated with respect to laboratory triaxial tests for clay and shear tests for clay‐steel interfaces. The computer procedure is used to predict field behavior of an instrumented pile subjected to cyclic loading. The predictions provide very good correlation with the field data. They also yield improved results compared to those from a HISS model with anisotropic hardening, partly because the DSC model allows for degradation or softening and interface response. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of seasonal flushing on nutrient export characteristics of an urbanizing,remote, ungauged coastal catchment

Urbanization is a primary driver of nutrient export in coastal catchments; however, estimating the rate of export from urbanizing, remote and ungauged communities with episodic rainfall characteristics has rarely been reported in tropical and subtropical areas. In this study, the coastal catchment of Roebuck Bay near Broome, northwestern Australia, was instrumented to elucidate the effect of seasonal flushing on nutrient export. A cost-effective framework involving temporary gauging and community participation led to a quantitative estimate of surface hydrology and nutrient dynamics from this urbanizing, remote and ungauged catchment. The contribution of nutrient export was larger from the older Broome town site sub-catchments compared to sub-catchments that have been progressively urbanized since 2000. A distinctive seasonal first flush phenomenon, with an initial 30% of runoff volume containing 40–70% of the nutrient load was a key feature. This indicates there are opportunities for storm-water management to minimize impacts through adopting water-sensitive urban design principles.     

Cyclic behavior and failure mechanism of self‐centering energy dissipation braces with pre‐pressed combination disc springs

A new type of bracing system composed of friction energy dissipation devices for energy dissipation, pre‐pressed combination disc springs for self‐centering and tube members as guiding elements is developed and experimentally studied in this paper. The mechanics of this system are explained, the equations governing its hysteretic responses are outlined and large‐scale validation tests of two braces with different types of disc springs are conducted under the condition of low cyclic reversed loading. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed bracing system exhibits a stable and repeatable flag‐shaped hysteretic response with an excellent self‐centering capability and effective energy dissipation throughout the loading protocol. Furthermore, the maximum bearing force and stiffness are predicted well by the equations governing its mechanical behavior. Fatigue and destructive test results demonstrate that the proposed bracing system can maintain stable energy dissipation and self‐centering capabilities under large deformation cyclic loading even when the tube members exceed the elastic limit and that a larger bearing capacity is achieved by the system that has disc springs without a bearing surface. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大型智能控制压扭多轴加载试验机的研制

设计和研制一台大型智能控制压扭多轴加载试验机,形成一个集动静加载、扭剪、常规三轴等功能为一体的多功能土动力试验平台。该试验机具有如下特点:(1)试样尺寸大,高度可达600mm,且可根据试验需求更换大小不同的试样及相应传感器;(2)加载自由度多,可独立施加轴力、扭矩、内压、外压、孔压及相应的位移,实现5个不同物理量的独立控制,从而大大拓宽可施加的应力路径范围;(3)控制智能化,可先将拟进行的应力路径或应变路径写入程序中,试验过程中即可由计算机自动控制。测试结果表明,该试验机的控制精度能够满足土工材料试验的要求。     

非对称交通荷载作用下拓宽路堤动力特性分析

针对山西省境内长期承受非对称交通荷载的公路拓宽路堤,采用FLAC~(3D)建立数值模型,土工格栅采用FLAC~(3D)内置土工格栅单元(geogrid)模拟,其余部分均采用实体单元,屈服准则采用Mohr-Coulomb准则。将交通荷载简化为半正弦波荷载,分析非对称交通荷载作用下不加筋和加筋两种工况下拓宽路堤的变形特性及稳定性,进而改变拓宽路堤部分填土参数、交通荷载幅值、频率和行车间隔等参数,分析其对加筋工况下拓宽路堤变形的影响。结果表明:非对称交通荷载作用下,设置土工格栅加筋对新、旧路堤变形的约束作用有限,但能提高路堤的整体稳定性;增大拓宽路堤填土的压缩模量和黏聚力,可减小新、旧路堤沉降差;增大交通荷载一侧幅值会引起新、旧路堤过大差异沉降;增大交通荷载频率和时间间隔,路堤沉降均逐渐减小,但沉降差保持不变。上述结论对受非对称交通荷载拓宽路堤的施工提供了一定的理论依据。     

SIMULATION STUDY OF ROAD-CUT EFFECTS ON SLOPE STABILITY

Landslides and rock falls along the highway are common geological hazards in Southwest China. As an influencing factor on potential landslides behavior, roads or distance to roads have been successfully used in landslide susceptibility assessments in mountainous area. However, the relationship between the road-cut and the slope stability is not clear. Therefore, we performed two-dimensional slope stability calculation using the general limit equilibrium (GLE)method incorporated in the software SLOPE/W of GeoStudio for stability analysis of slopes. Our studies show that the man-made roads influence on the slope stability mainly exists in two ways:One is to create a new steep slope, which will result in rock falls and shallow landslides along the roads; the other is to influence the stability of the original slope, which will result in comparatively huge landslides. For the latter, our simulation study reveals that the road location, namely at which part of a natural slope to construct a road is important for the slope stability. For a natural slope with a potential slip surface, if a road is constructed at or near the slope toe where the potential slip surface surpasses, it will greatly degrade the slope's factor of safety (Fs) and make the slope unstable; however, if a rode-cut is near the top of the slope, it will increase the slope's Fs and make the slope more stable. The safety location is different for different slope angle, steeper slope needs a higher location for a safety road-cut in comparison with gentle slopes. Moreover, the slope stability decreases when loading a seismic force and it varies with the slope angle. Firstly, the Fs decreases when the slope angle increasing, and when the slope angle reaches 45°, the Fs then becomes greater with the slope angle increasing.     

Effects of variation in loading protocol on the strength and deformation capacity of ductile reinforced concrete beams

Understanding the impact of prior earthquake damage on residual capacity is important for postearthquake damage assessment of buildings; however, interpretation of such impact is challenging when based on tests using traditional reversed‐cyclic loading protocols. A new loading protocol, consisting of a dynamic earthquake displacement history followed by quasi‐static reversed‐cyclic loading to failure, is presented as an alternative to traditional simulated seismic loading protocols. Data are analyzed from a set of 12 nominally identical ductile reinforced concrete beams that were tested by using variations of this protocol and traditional reversed‐cyclic and monotonic protocols. Differences in the cycle content of the earthquake displacement histories applied to the test specimens allowed for the effects of load history variation below 2.2% drift to be isolated. It is found that such variation had no effect on the beam deformation capacities. The effects of dynamic loading rates are also analyzed and compared against control quasi‐static specimens. Relative strength increases due to dynamic loading are found to be more significant at yield than at ultimate. Dynamic loading rates led to modest reductions in the beam deformation capacities, but the presence of causality between these variables remains uncertain.     

Modeling RC column flexural failure modes under intensive seismic loading

The aim of this work is to model beam‐column behavior in a computationally effective manner, revealing reliably the overall response of reinforced concrete members subjected to intensive seismic loading. In this respect, plasticity and damage are considered in the predominant longitudinal direction, allowing for fiber finite element modeling, while in addition the effect of inelastic buckling of longitudinal rebars, which becomes essential at later stages of intensive cyclic loading, is incorporated. Α smooth plasticity‐damage model is developed for concrete, accounting for unilateral compressive and tensile behavior, nonlinear unloading and crack closure phenomena. This is used to address concrete core crushing and spalling, which triggers the inelastic buckling of longitudinal rebars. For this reason, a uniaxial local stress‐strain constitutive relation for steel rebars is developed, which is based on a combined nonlinear kinematic and isotropic hardening law. The proposed constitutive model is validated on the basis of existing experimental data and the formulation of the buckling model for a single rebar is developed. The cross section of rebar is discretized into fibers, each one following the derived stress‐strain uniaxial law. The buckling curve is determined analytically, while equilibrium is imposed at the deformed configuration. The proposed models for concrete and rebars are embedded into a properly adjusted fiber beam‐column element of reinforced concrete members and the proposed formulation is verified with existing experimental data under intensive cyclic loading.     

海潮负荷对沿海地区宽幅InSAR形变监测的影响

海岸带地区是全球自然生态环境最为复杂和脆弱的地域之一,合成孔径雷达干涉测量（InSAR）技术可以为全球人类活动、气候变暖和俯冲带剧烈构造运动等背景下的大范围海岸带地理环境变化研究提供重要观测资料.海洋潮汐导致固体地球长周期形变,波长尺度为10²~10³ km的海潮负荷引入mm级至cm级的形变梯度,此类非构造信号对海岸带InSAR精密形变分析（如：大范围、微小、缓慢且非稳态构造过程等）造成显著影响.本文以宽幅模式SAR数据为例,基于多种海潮模型研究了全球典型海岸带地区（福建、智利和阿拉斯加湾）海潮负荷效应对宽幅InSAR形变监测的影响,给出了宽幅InSAR海潮负荷三维分量估计与差分相位提取方法,并进一步讨论了基于不同海潮模型估计海潮负荷位移的差异.海潮负荷影响不仅与研究范围大小有关,其形变梯度变化与研究区域地形特征存在强相关,对于长波长形变分析而言,传统平面或者曲面拟合方法难以有效分离海潮负荷位移.     

高精度重力测量的潮汐改正软件及其评估分析

基于MATLAB GUI界面,采用天顶距直接法和负荷格林函数法编写一套重力固体潮与海洋潮汐负荷改正软件GTIDE,并将其与国际现有软件进行比较。结果表明,GTIDE软件易于操作、便于维护,能有效揭示重力固体潮与海洋潮汐负荷的变化特征,适用于高精度绝对重力与相对重力测量的潮汐改正。