Application of micropolar plasticity to post failure analysis in geomechanics

A micropolar elastoplastic model for soils is formulated and a series of finite element analyses are employed to demonstrate the use of a micropolar continuum in overcoming the numerical difficulties encountered in application of finite element method in standard Cauchy–Boltzmann continuum. Three examples of failure analysis involving a deep excavation, shallow foundation, and a retaining wall are presented. In all these cases, it is observed that the length scale introduced in the polar continuum regularizes the incremental boundary value problem and allows the numerical simulation to be continued until a clear collapse mechanism is achieved. The issue of grain size effect is also discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Finite element formulation and algorithms for unsaturated soils. Part II: Verification and application

The finite‐element formulation and integration algorithms developed in Part I are used to analyse a number of practical problems involving unsaturated and saturated soils. The formulation and algorithms perform well for all the cases analysed, with the robustness of the latter being largely insensitive to user‐defined parameters such as the number of coarse time steps and error control tolerances. The efficiency of the algorithms, as measured by the CPU time consumed, does not depend on the number of coarse time steps, but may be influenced by the error control tolerances. Based on the analyses presented here, typical values for the error control tolerances are suggested. It is also shown that the constitutive modelling framework presented in Part I can, by adjusting one constitutive equation and one or two material parameters, be used to simulate soils that expand or collapse upon wetting. Treating the suction as a strain variable instead of a stress variable proves to be an efficient and robust way of solving suction‐dependent plastic yielding. Moreover, the concept of the constitutive stress is a particularly convenient way of handling the transition between saturation and unsaturation. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bond rolling resistance and its effect on yielding of bonded granulates by DEM analyses

A discrete element modelling of bonded granulates and investigation on the bond effect on their behaviour are very important to geomechanics. This paper presents a two‐dimensional (2‐D) discrete element theory for bonded granulates with bond rolling resistance and provides a numerical investigation into the effect of bond rolling resistance on the yielding of bonded granulates. The model consists of mechanical contact models and equations governing the motion of bonded particles. The key point of the theory is that the assumption in the original bond contact model previously proposed by the authors (55th CSCE‐ASCE Conference, Hamilton, Ont., Canada, 2002; 313–320; J. Eng. Mech. (ASCE) 2005; 131 (11):1209–1213) that bonded particles are in contact at discrete points, is here replaced by a more reliable assumption that bonded particles are in contact over a width. By making the idealization that the bond contact width is continuously distributed with the normal/tangential basic elements (BE) (each BE is composed of spring, dashpot, bond, slider or divider), we establish a bond rolling contact model together with bond normal/tangential contact models, and also relate the governing equations to local equilibrium. Only one physical parameter β needs to be introduced in the theory in comparison to the original bond discrete element model. The model has been implemented into a 2‐D distinct element method code, NS2D. Using the NS2D, a total of 86 1‐D, constant stress ratio, and biaxial compressions tests have been carried out on the bonded granular samples of different densities, bonding strengths and rolling resistances. The numerical results show that: (i) the new theory predicts a larger internal friction angle, a larger yielding stress, more brittle behaviour and larger final broken contact ratio than the original bond model; (ii) the yielding stress increases nonlinearly with the increasing value of β, and (iii) the first‐yield curve (initiation of bond breakage), which define a zone of none bond breakage and which shape and size are affected by the material density, is amplified by the bond rolling resistance in analogous to that predicted by the original bond model. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Size and shape evolution of pores in a viscoplastic matrix under compression

The frequent use of soils and earth materials for hydraulic capping and for geo‐environmental waste containment motivated our interest in detailed modelling of changes in size and shape of macro‐pores to establish links between soil mechanical behaviour and concurrent changes in hydraulic and transport properties. The objective of this study was to use finite element analysis (FEA) to test and extend previous analytical solutions proposed by the authors describing deformation of a single macro‐pore embedded in linear viscoplastic soil material subjected to anisotropic remote stress. The FEA enables to consider more complex pore geometries and provides a detailed picture of matrix yield behaviour to explain shortcomings of approximate analytical solutions. Finite element and analytical calculations agreed very well for linear viscous as well as for viscoplastic materials, only limited for the case of isotropic remote stress due to the simplifications of the analytical model related to patterns and onset of matrix‐yielding behaviour. FEA calculations were compared with experimental data obtained from a compaction experiment in which pore deformation within a uniform modelling clay sample was monitored using CAT scanning. FEA predictions based on independently measured material properties and initial pore geometry provided an excellent match with experimentally determined evolution of pore size and shape hence lending credence to the potential use of FEA for more complex pore geometries and eventually connect macro‐pore deformation with hydraulic properties. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fast iterative solution of large undrained soil‐structure interaction problems

In view of rapid developments in iterative solvers, it is timely to re‐examine the merits of using mixed formulation for incompressible problems. This paper presents extensive numerical studies to compare the accuracy of undrained solutions resulting from the standard displacement formulation with a penalty term and the two‐field mixed formulation. The standard displacement and two‐field mixed formulations are solved using both direct and iterative approaches to assess if it is cost‐effective to achieve more accurate solutions. Numerical studies of a simple footing problem show that the mixed formulation is able to solve the incompressible problem ‘exactly’, does not create pressure and stress instabilities, and obviate the need for an ad hoc penalty number. In addition, for large‐scale problems where it is not possible to perform direct solutions entirely within available random access memory, it turns out that the larger system of equations from mixed formulation also can be solved much more efficiently than the smaller system of equations arising from standard formulation by using the symmetric quasi‐minimal residual (SQMR) method with the generalized Jacobi (GJ) preconditioner. Iterative solution by SQMR with GJ preconditioning also is more elegant, faster, and more accurate than the popular Uzawa method. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

GEOCHEMICAL EFFECTS OF MAJOR ELEMENTS DURING FLUID-ROCKS INTERACTION IN MARINWOBO FAULT IN THE SOUTH MARGIN AREAS OF ALTAI MOUNTAINS

There are four types of metamorphic rocks in the Marinwobo fault, i. e, cataclasite, mylonite,mictosite and migmatitic granite, and the formation of these rocks is due to the progressive metamorphism of the pyroclastics. The fluids play a very important role in the metamorphic process of these rocks in the Marinwobo fault, the most important feature is that the fluids not only result in the migration of the major elements of the deformation rocks, but also result in the volume loss of the deformation rocks in the deformation process. Thus the migration laws of the major elements in different stages of the progressive metamorphic process are discussed according to mass balance equations. Finally, the quantitative analysis of the mass loss and volume loss of the different rocks the in Marinwobo fault is discussed in this paper.     

基于GIS的攀西地区铂族元素成矿地质条件初步分析

攀西地区以良好的铂族元素(PGE)成矿地质背景，而成为我国铂族元素找矿热点地区之一。本文在建立攀西地区铂族元素矿床地质概念模型的基础上，用地理信息系统(GIS)分析了该地区的铂族元素成矿地质条件，包括地质构造、峨眉山玄武岩、基性一超基性岩和铂族元素地球化学异常特征。指出研究区的深大断裂对铂族元素的富集表现出很好的控制作用，峨眉山玄武岩为铂族元素的矿源层之一，岩浆岩为铂族元素的富集提供了成矿物质及成矿能量。     

长江中下游地区地下水中Mn元素的背景特征及其形成

该文论述了长江中下游地区地下水锰元素的背景特征及其与地下水的含水介质成分、上覆岩土性质、氧化还原环境、地下水的迳流条件、地下水及土壤酸碱度的关系.研究结果表明,长江中下游地区地下水中Mn元素含量,在区域上分布特点为江汉平原东部区〉长江三角洲南部区〉鄱阳湖区.     

新疆天山表壳元素地球化学特征

根据天山地区(42～44^oN，81～89^oE)1：20万，七探采集的900余个岩石样品的分析结果，基于全样本统计和迭代剔除方法，得到新疆天山地区表壳(出露地壳)的39种元素丰度值；对其中的SiO2、TiO2、Al2O3、TFe2O3、MgO、MnO、CaO、Na2O、K2O、P2O5 10种常量元素，按氧化物之和为100％进行归算。与全球大陆上地壳元素丰度值相比，天山地区表壳元素丰度富集SiO2、MnO和Ag、As、Hj、Sb元素，明显亏损CaO和。Be、Co、Cr、Ni、Mo、Sn，V、W等元素。从元素比值来看，该区表壳的Ba/La、K／La、K／Th、Nb/La、Th/La、Y／La值与全球大陆上地壳相应元素值相当；而K／Na、La／As、La／Sb值明显低于全球大陆上地壳。该区表壳化学成分相当于花岗闪长岩，同时表现出相对富钠和As、Sb元素的特征；这一地球化学特征与区内出露的表壳岩石主要是加里东期和海西期岛弧造山作用的产物有关，相对富钠的成分特征与岛弧岩浆活动中的Adakite质岩浆作用有关。