An improved SPH method for saturated soils and its application to investigate the mechanisms of embankment failure: Case of hydrostatic pore‐water pressure

The method of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) has recently been applied to computational geomechanics and has been shown to be a powerful alternative to the standard numerical method, that is, the finite element method, for handling large deformation and post‐failure of geomaterials. However, very few studies apply the SPH method to model saturated or submerged soil problems. Our recent studies of this matter revealed that significant errors may be made if the gradient of the pore‐water pressure is handled using the standard SPH formulation. To overcome this problem and to enhance the SPH applications to computational geomechanics, this article proposes a general SPH formulation, which can be applied straightforwardly to dry and saturated soils. For simplicity, the current work assumes hydrostatic pore‐water pressure. It is shown that the proposed formulation can remove the numerical error mentioned earlier. Moreover, this formulation automatically satisfies the dynamic boundary conditions at a submerged ground surface, thereby saving computational cost. Discussions on the applications of the standard and new SPH formulations are also given through some numerical tests. Furthermore, techniques to obtain the correct SPH solution are also proposed and discussed throughout. As an application of the proposed method, the effect of the dilatancy angle on the failure mechanism of a two‐sided embankment subjected to a high groundwater table is presented and compared with that of other solutions. Finally, the proposed formulation can be considered a basic formulation for further developments of SPH for saturated soils. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

江苏宜兴东岭逆冲断层带的构造地球化学特征研究

宜兴东岭逆冲断层带是一条脆性剪切带，断层带内不同变形程度的断层岩在构造地球化学特征上有明显的集散规律，随着岩石变形程度的增加，SiO2的含量相对降低，除FeO以外的其它主元素和除Li以外的微量元素则相对富集，即在断层岩变形过程中，SiO2自变形相对强烈的断层带中心向两侧的硅化带迁移，除FeO和Li之外的其它主元素和微量元素则自断层带两侧向中心迁移。这种迁移趋势是受各元素本身构造地球化学特性所制约。     

塔里木盆地北缘兴地断裂构造变形特征

兴地断裂发生在中元古代末期，使中元古巨厚的沉积岩发生了强烈褶皱和隆起，并伴有大量岩浆侵入和区域变质作用。在兴地断裂形成的同时，发生了第一期构造变形，其特点以韧性变形为主，由三个变形幕构成，形成了本区主要构造骨架；晚元古代本区进入晋宁期发展阶段，团结的塔里木地台基底局部裂开，形成一系列近东西向的断陷盆地，发生了第二期变形，形成以塑性变形为主的板劈理和千枚理为其特征。该期变形结束了塔里木基底发展，进入了稳定盖层沉积发展阶段；进入早古生代，兴地断裂控制了该时期的沉积作用，之后发生第三期变形，以脆性变形为主，形成一系列碎裂岩和脆性变形组构，使兴地断裂形成几十米乃至上百米宽的破碎带，从而改造了早期的糜棱岩；至中、新生代，兴地断裂再次活动，形成断裂两侧南升北降的扭动形迹。通过对兴地断裂的深入探讨，笔者认为：该断裂具有线性特征明显，活动时间漫长，构造变形复杂，是塔里木盆地北缘规模巨大的复活大断裂。     

Low Electrical Resistivity And Seismic Velocity At The Base Of The Upper Crust As Indicator Of Rheologically Weak Layer

Conductivity models were compiled in two geological provinces with thinsediments. The first province is the margin of the Precambrian East EuropeanPlatform. The second one is the Phanerozoic Rhenish Massif as a part of CentralGermany Hercinicum. In both provinces, a conducting layer was revealed at thebase of the upper crust by the magnetotelluric soundings. Its depth is around10 km in the East European Platform and around 15 km in the Rhenish Massif.The conductance of the layer reaches a few tens of Siemens in the first provinceand is almost an order of magnitude greater in the second one.A good correlation between the conductor and a seismic wave-guide (low-velocityzone) exists at the base of the upper crust. Simultaneous decrease of both electricalresistivity and seismic velocity, suggests an increase of porosity and permeability inpresence of saline water. The depth of rheological weak layer in the PhanerozoicRhenish Massif corresponds to the commonly accepted depth of the thermallyinduced brittle/ductile transition. Contrary similar layer in the Precambrian EasternEuropean Platform is much shallower than the thermally induced transition. Somenew mechanism should be considered.     

Development of grabens and associated fault-drags: An experimental study

Experiments on extensional faulting were performed with semi-brittle talc-sand beds resting on a ductile clay base. The experiments show that the development of graben in the talc-sand beds is controlled by the deformation in the ductile basement. Graben-like structures form only when there is a non-uniform stretching in the basement. Uniform extension at the basement level fails to produce any such structures. Grabens initiate as large synclinal structures (sag). The sag is generated either by a downward flexing of the talc-sand bed on a ductile basement or by non ****-uniform thinning of beds. Listric master faults bounding the grabens intersect the basement at high angles. The master faults that initiate as curved shear planes rotate further with continued extension. At the initial stage, the graben structures are associated with normal drags, and with progressive deformation, drag patterns change from normal to a reverse one.     

青藏高原东北缘大陆岩石圈现今变形和位移

川青地块在地貌上为川西高原，亦是青藏高原东北边缘最重要的构造单元。新的GPS监测资料表明，在欧亚框架内，川青地块及其邻近的龙门山带和华南地块西缘的地壳运动水平速度，具有自西向东由25．66mm／a递变下降到6．99mm／a的总趋势。速度矢量表现出顺时针涡旋转动。川青地块内具有局部应变积累的非均一的区域剪切。横切鲜水河断裂带中段新的GPS量结果揭示，两侧地块间的平均左旋滑动速率约8mm／a；由于局部应变积累，断裂系南西侧的主断裂的移动速率为9．3mm／a，其间为拉分盆地和小的横向伸展断裂。鲜水河断裂系的左旋断裂滑动作用，调节了川青地块与／11滇地块之间的相对运动。     

青藏高原东北缘大陆岩石圈现今变形和位移

川青地块在地貌上为川西高原,亦是青藏高原东北边缘最重要的构造单元。新的GPS监测资料表明,在欧亚框架内,川青地块及其邻近的龙门山带和华南地块西缘的地壳运动水平速度,具有自西向东由25.66mm/a递变下降到6.99mm/a的总趋势。速度矢量表现出顺时针涡旋转动。川青地块内具有局部应变积累的非均一的区域剪切。横切鲜水河断裂带中段新的GPS测量结果揭示,两侧地块间的平均左旋滑动速率约8mm/a;由于局部应变积累,断裂系南西侧的主断裂的移动速率为9.3mm/a,其间为拉分盆地和小的横向伸展断裂。鲜水河断裂系的左旋断裂滑动作用,调节了川青地块与川滇地块之间的相对运动。     

Transient creep and semibrittle behavior of crystalline rocks

We review transient creep and semibrittle behavior of crystalline solids. The results are expected to be pertinent to crystalline rocks undergoing deformation in the depth range 5 to 20 km, corresponding to depths of focus of many major earthquakes. Transient creep data for crystalline rocks at elevated temperatures are analyzed but are poorly understood because of lack of information on the deformation processes which, at low to moderate pressure, are likely to be semibrittle in nature. Activation energies for transient creep at high effective confining pressure are much higher than those found for atmospheric pressure tests in which thermally-activated microfracturing probably dominates the creep rate. Empirical transient creep equations are extrapolated at 200° to 600°C, stresses from 0.1 to 1.0 kbar, to times ranging from 3.17×10² to 3.17×10⁸ years. At the higher temperatures, appreciable transient creep strains may take place but the physical significance of the results is in question because the flow mechanisms have not been determined. The purpose of this paper is to stimulate careful research on this important topic.     

Development in modeling cyclic loading of sands based on kinematic hardening

In this paper, there is presented an elastoplastic constitutive model to predict sandy soils behavior under monotonic and cyclic loadings. This model is based on an existing model (Cambou‐Jafari‐Sidoroff) that takes into account deviatoric and isotropic mechanisms of plasticity. The flow rule used in the deviatoric mechanism is non‐associated and a mixed hardening law controls the evolution of the yield surface. In this research the critical state surface and history surface, which separates the virgin and cyclic states in stress space, are defined. Kinematic hardening modulus and stress–dilatancy law for monotonic and cyclic loadings are effectively modified. With taking hardening modulus as a function of deviatoric and volumetric plastic strain and with defining the history surface and stress reversal, the model has the ability to predict the sandy soils' behavior. All of the model parameters have clear physical meanings and can be determined from usual laboratory tests. In order to validate the model, the results of homogeneous tests on Hostun and Toyoura sands are used. The results of validation show a good capability of the proposed model. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.