Pseudo-dynamic methods for seismic passive earth pressure behind a cantilever retaining wall with inclined backfill

The designing of retaining walls requires the complete knowledge of earth pressure distribution. Under earthquake conditions the design needs special attention to reduce the devastating effect, but under seismic conditions, the available literature mostly uses the pseudo-static analytical solution as an approximate to the real dynamic nature of the complex problem. This paper shows a detailed study on the seismic passive earth thrust behind a cantilever retaining wall with inclined backfill surface by pseudo-dynamic analysis. A planar failure surface has been considered. The effect of variation of parameters such as soil friction angle, wall friction angle and back fill inclination have been explored. A complete analysis shows that the time dependent non-linear behaviour of the pressure distribution obtained in the present method results in more realistic design values of earth pressures under earthquake conditions. Results are provided in tabular and graphical non-dimensional form and compared thoroughly with the existing values in the literature.     

On the influence of vertical loads on the lateral response of pile foundation

The influence of vertical loads on the lateral response of group piles installed in sandy soil and connected together by a concrete cap is studied through finite elements analyses. The analyses focus on the five piles in the middle row of 3 × 5 pile groups. The vertical load is applied by enforcing a vertical displacement equivalent to 2% of the pile diameter through the pile cap prior to the application of the lateral loads. The results have shown that the lateral resistance of the leading pile (pile 1) does not appear to vary considerably with the vertical load. However, the vertical load leads to 23%, 36%, 64%, and 82% increase in the lateral resistance of piles 2–5, respectively. The increase in the lateral pressures in the sand deposit is the major driving factor to contribute the change in the lateral resistance of piles, depending on the position of the pile in the group. The distribution of lateral loads among piles in the group tends to be more uniform when vertical loads were considered leading to a more economical pile foundation design.     

Slip line theory applied to a retaining wall–unsaturated soil interaction problem

An extension of slip line theory to unsaturated soils is presented and applied to the problem of a rigid retaining wall rotating about its toe into unsaturated soils. Suction is introduced using the effective stress concept. Soil–wall interface friction is defined carefully. The influence of suction on limiting passive earth pressures is analysed for two soils under steady state evaporation and infiltration. Suction increases the limiting passive stress at the soil–wall interface, with a dependence on the steady state flow type. The displacement of the retained soil is studied assuming the wall undergoes a rotation increment. The results show a clear difference in the displacement for evaporation and infiltration.     

Design of drainage blankets for leachate recirculation in bioreactor landfills using two-phase flow modeling

Drainage blankets (DB) are used for leachate recirculation in bioreactor landfills and consist of highly permeable material placed over a large area of the landfill with the leachate injection pipe embedded in the material at specified locations. DBs are generally installed at different depth levels during the waste filling operations. Very limited information is reported on performance of DBs, and that which exists is based on a small number of field monitoring and modeling studies. A rational method for the design of landfills using DBs has not been developed. This study performs a parametric analysis based on a validated two-phase flow model and presents design charts to guide the design of DBs for given hydraulic properties of MSW, the leachate injection rate and the dimensions and locations of the DB as measured from the leachate collection and recirculation system (LCRS) located at the bottom of the landfill cell. Numerical simulations were performed for the two established MSW conditions: homogeneous–isotropic and heterogeneous–anisotropic waste. The optimal levels of leachate saturation, wetted width, wetted area and developed pore water and pore gas pressures were determined, and design charts using the normalized parameters were developed. An example is presented on the use of design charts for typical field application.     

Semi-analytical solution to one-dimensional consolidation for viscoelastic unsaturated soils

This paper presents a semi-analytical solution to one-dimensional consolidation of viscoelastic unsaturated soils with a finite thickness under oedometric conditions and subjected to a sudden loading. The solution is obtained by using Lee’s correspondence principle based on the semi-analytical solution to one-dimensional consolidation of elastic unsaturated soils. The boundary contains the top surface permeable to water and air and the bottom impermeable to water and air. A typical example is given to show the evolution of excess pore-air and pore-water pressures as well as the total degree of consolidation of the soil layer with time for different ratios of air–water permeability coefficient, elastic modulus and viscoelastic coefficient. The one-dimensional consolidation behavior of viscoelastic unsaturated soil is discussed according to the semi-analytical solution. These results contribute to a better understanding of the consolidation behavior of viscoelastic unsaturated soils.     

Low-pressure evolution of arc magmas in thickened crust: The San Pedro–Linzor volcanic chain,Central Andes,Northern Chile

Magmatism at Andean Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ), or Central Andes, is strongly influenced by differentiation and assimilation at high pressures that occurred at lower levels of the thick continental crust. This is typically shown by high light to heavy rare earth element ratios (LREE/HREE) of the erupted lavas at this volcanic zone. Increase of these ratios with time is interpreted as a change to magma evolution in the presence of garnet during evolution of Central Andes. Such geochemical signals could be introduced into the magmas be high-pressure fractionation with garnet on the liquidus and/or assimilation from crustal rocks with a garnet-bearing residue. However, lavas erupted at San Pedro–Linzor volcanic chain show no evidence of garnet fractionation in their trace element patterns. This volcanic chain is located in the active volcanic arc, between 22°00^′S and 22°30^′S, over a continental crust ∼70 km thick. Sampled lavas show Sr/Y and Sm/Yb ratios <40 and <4.0, respectively, which is significantly lower than for most other lavas of recent volcanoes in the Central Andes. In addition, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios from San Pedro–Linzor lava flows vary between 0.7063 and 0.7094. This is at the upper range, and even higher than those observed at other recent Central Andean volcanic rocks (<0.708). The area in which the San Pedro–Linzor volcanic chain is located is constituted by a felsic, Proterozoic upper crust, and a thin mafic lower crustal section (<25 km). Also, the NW–SE orientation of the volcanic chain is distinctive with respect to the N–S orientation of Central Andean volcanic front in northern Chile. We relate our geochemical observations to shallow crustal evolution of primitive magmas involving a high degree of assimilation of upper continental crust. We emphasize that low pressure AFC- (Assimilation Fractional Crystallization) type evolution of the San Pedro–Linzor volcanic chain reflects storage, fractionation, and contamination of mantle-derived magmas at the upper felsic crust (<40 km depth). The ascent of mantle-derived magmas to mid-crustal levels is related with the extensional regime that has existed in this zone of arc-front offset since Late-Miocene age, and the relatively thin portion of mafic lower crust observed below the volcanic chain.     

祁连山造山作用与岩石圈地幔的特型结构构造

本文探讨了祁连山地壳增厚与造山机制。提出新生代以来,由于印度地块向北推进,其延迟的远程效应使祁连地块内4条断裂再次活动,特别是23 Ma以来,分阶段的活动使上地壳缩短了30%,40 km厚的祁连地壳增加到57km厚;并通过柴达木地块下地壳物质的挤入,使祁连地块地壳厚度增加到现今的60~74 km;地壳质量基本平衡表明其下部地壳物质横向迁移较小,即走滑断裂带走的地壳物质较少。依据INDEPTH-V新的宽频地震调查成果,提出祁连地块下岩石圈地幔的复杂结构,南部来的昆仑岩石圈地幔(双层结构)与北部向南俯冲的阿拉善地块下的亚洲岩石圈地幔在祁连地块深部相碰撞,而柴达木—祁连岩石圈地幔则被保存在昆仑岩石圈与亚洲岩石圈地幔碰撞带之上,共形成一倒三角汇聚区;在柴北缘与中祁连北缘岩石圈地幔各出现一条北倾和南倾的正转换震相,可能是老俯冲带残存岩片的显示;在祁连地块岩石圈地幔的两端地壳底部还出现有"双"莫霍"现象",地表见有多条榴辉岩带。以上结果构成了高原最具特色的构造区。     

绳索取心用止水栓塞的研究与应用

研究与应用了绳索取心专用钻孔压水试验止水栓塞,解决了水利水电工程勘探中应用绳索取心钻进后不提大钻进行钻孔压水试验的难题,提高了钻进效率。介绍了该绳索取心专用止水栓塞的材料、膨胀介质、结构设计及其应用情况。     

彰武工区快速钻井工艺技术

针对彰武工区部分断陷地层含砾,易斜、易塌、易漏,研磨性强等特点,通过建立地层可钻性及三压力剖面,推广试验高效钻头、单弯螺杆加PDC钻头复合钻具、新型堵漏材料及堵漏措施等,为快速钻井奠定了基础,并形成了彰武工区快速钻井工艺技术系列。     

大水位落差深井止水修复方案及实施效果分析

以山西潞安集团和顺李阳煤业有限公司大水位落差深井止水修复方案及实施效果为工程实例,对该工程先后实施的管内注浆法、管外注浆法、衬管固井法、同径水泥架桥法、泄压通桥法等止水修复方案进行了详细分析,总结了其成功的经验,可为类似旧井修复工程或新井施工工程提供借鉴和指导。