Constitutive modelling of fine-grained gassy soil: A composite approach

Fine-grained marine sediments containing large undissolved gas bubbles are widely distributed around the world. Presence of the bubbles could degrade the undrained shear strength (s_u ) of the soil, when the gas pressure u_g is relatively high as compared with the effective stress in the saturated soil matrix. Meanwhile, the addition of bubbles may also increase s_u when the difference between u_g and pore water pressure u_w becomes smaller than the water entry value, causing partial water drainage from the saturated matrix into the bubbles (bubble flooding) during globally undrained shearing. A new constitutive model for describing the two competing effects on the stress-strain relationship of fine-grained gassy soil is proposed within the framework of critical state soil mechanics. The gassy soil is considered as a three-phase composite material with compressible cavities, which allows water entry from the saturated matrix. Bubble flooding is modelled by introducing an additional positive volumetric strain increment of the saturated clay matrix, which is dependent on the difference between pore gas and pore water pressure based on experimental observations. A modified hardening law based on that of the modified Cam clay model is employed, which in conjunction with the expression for bubble flooding, can describe both the detrimental and beneficial effects of gas bubbles on soil strength and plastic hardening in shear. Only two extra parameters in addition to those in the modified Cam clay model are used. It is shown that the key features of the stress-strain relationship of three fine-grained gassy soils can be reproduced satisfactorily.     

Review and enhancement of 3D concrete models for large‐scale numerical simulations of concrete structures

The present paper focuses on selected plasticity and damage‐plasticity models for describing the 3D material behavior of concrete. In particular, a plasticity model and a damage‐plasticity model are reviewed and evaluated. Based on the results of the evaluation, enhancements are proposed, aiming at improving the correspondence between predicted and observed material behavior and aiming at implementing a robust and efficient stress update algorithm in a finite element program for performing large‐scale 3D numerical simulations of concrete structures. The capabilities of the concrete models are demonstrated by 3D numerical simulations of benchmark tests with combined bending and torsional loading and combined compression and shear loading and by a large‐scale 3D finite element analysis of a model test of a concrete arch dam. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Testing and modeling of the mechanical behavior of dolomite in the Wudongde hydropower plant

In order to understand the mechanical behaviours of the surrounding rocks in the underground caverns of the Wudongde hydropower plant, triaxial tests are performed on a type of dolomite. It is revealed that damage induced by crack development is the main factor controlling the nonlinear plastic deformation and failure behaviour of the dolomite in both pre- and post-peak regimes. Based on this understanding, a coupled elastoplastic damage model is developed for capturing the dolomite’s mechanical behaviours. In the model, the effects of plasticity and damage on rocks is described by introducing plastic hardening and damage softening commonly in the plastic yield surface. Which are both derived from a suitable Helmholtz free energy function. The model is used to simulate the triaxial tests. Comparisons between test results and the numerical modelling show that the developed model is capable of describing the macro mechanical behaviours of the Wudongde dolomite.     

土体动力一维非线性本构关系剖析与评价

土体动力一维非线性本构关系是场地及地基动力响应、土工数值分析的关键。回顾和总结了国内外的发展状况及研究进展,对其分析方法、等幅循环荷载到不规则荷载的扩展及应用规则、试验阻尼比的等效、滞回曲线形状等核心问题进行剖析、评价和探讨,并对各种模型的优缺点进行了比较和讨论,着重介绍了最近研究结果。最后指出未来发展方向及有待进一步研究的问题。     

Elastic-plastic analysis for pile-anchor supporting system of deep foundation pit

By using numerical analysis methods to simulate the deep excavation, a lot of analyses are established on the basis of two-dimensional plane strain, ignoring the fact that foundation pit possesses three dimensions. For soil constitutive relation, people always take linear and nonlinear model, without considering the plastic behavior of soil. Using plastic-elastic hardening model to simulate constitutive relation of soil characteristics, the authors carried out mechanical analysis for pit excavation and support. The results show that the analysis for the stress state of pile anchor system is an effective way which provides theoretical basis for calculation of soil displacement.     

黄斑篮子鱼去毒相关基因的克隆与肝脏组成型表达分析

从基因水平探讨海洋鱼类对海洋藻毒素的去毒分子机理。采用RT-PCR法成功克隆了黄斑篮子鱼Siganus oramin肝脏I时相代谢酶细胞色素P450 1A(CYP1A)、II时相代谢酶alpha型谷胱甘肽S-转移酶(GSTA)和rho型谷胱甘肽S-转移酶(GSTR)、热休克蛋白70 (HSP70)、alpha 1型钠钾ATP酶(ATP1A1)及β-肌动蛋白(beta-actin, ACT)基因cDNA核心序列,序列分别长879 bp、582 bp、588 bp、660 bp、749 bp和554 bp。序列同源性分析发现,属鲈形目的黄斑篮子鱼CYP1A、GSTA和GSTR与同属鲈形目的牙鲆Paralichthys olivaceus、欧洲鲽Pleuronectes platessa、真鲷Pagrus major、鲤形目的斑马鱼Brachydanio rerio 相应氨基酸序列同源性较高,CYP1A和GSTA与非洲爪蟾(两栖类)、鸡(鸟类)、小鼠、大鼠和人(哺乳类)相应氨基酸序列同源性低,这可能与鱼类I、II时相去毒酶基因承担水环境毒素去毒代谢的特殊功能有关;而HSP70、ATP1A和β-肌动蛋白在鱼类、两栖类、鸟类、哺乳类中均有较高的同源性,这可能与这些基因在机体中承担的最基本的生命功能相关。应用半定量RT-PCR的方法,以β-肌动蛋白作为外参照,在指数期增长范围内分别得到了CYP1A、GSTA、GSTR、HSP70和ATP1A1 mRNA与β-肌动蛋白mRNA (%)的比值,确定黄斑篮子鱼肝脏去毒相关基因的组成型表达水平。其中,黄斑篮子鱼肝脏CYP1A、GSTA和GSTR基因组成型表达相对较高,HSP70和ATP1A1基因组成型表达相对较低,这可能与不同基因在黄斑篮子鱼海洋藻毒素去毒分子机理中承担的作用相关,为海洋藻毒素在海洋鱼类中的积聚及代谢去毒分子机制的研究提供了相关数据。     

Explicit stress–strain equations for modeling frictional materials

In this paper, a comprehensive study on simulating the shearing behavior of frictional materials is performed. A set of two explicit equations, describing the relationship among the shear stress ratio and the distortional strain and the volumetric strain, are formulated independently. The equations contain three stress parameters and three strain parameters and another parameter representing the nonuniformity of stress and strain during softening. All the parameters have clear physical significance and can be determined experimentally. It is demonstrated that the proposed equations have the capacity of simulating the complicated shearing behavior of many types of frictional materials including geomaterials. The proposed equations are used to simulate the stress–strain behavior for 27 frictional materials with 98 tests. These materials include soft and stiff clays in both reconstituted and structured states, silicon sands and calcareous sands, silts, compacted fill materials, volcanic soils, decomposed granite soils, cemented soils (both artificially and naturally cemented), partially saturated soils, ballast, rocks, reinforced soils, tire chips, sugar, wheat, and rapeseed. It has been demonstrated that the proposed explicit constitutive equations have the capacity to capture accurately the shearing behavior of frictional materials both qualitatively and quantitatively. A study on model parameters has been performed.     

Degradation of rock fracture asperities in unloading,reloading, and reversal

Among the constitutive models for rock fractures developed over the years, Barton's empirical model has been widely used. Although Barton's failure criterion predicts peak shear strength of rock fractures with acceptable precision, it has some limitations in estimating the peak shear displacement, post‐peak shear strength, dilation, and surface degradation. The first author modified Barton's original model in order to address these limitations. Barton proposed his model for degradation of fracture asperities in unloading, reloading, and shear displacement reversal based on just one cyclic direct shear test. In this study, a database of results of 18 cyclic direct shear tests available in the literature was collected and analyzed. Modifications were made to Barton's original model (in terms of fracture cyclic shearing) to make it consistent with the modified model proposed by the first author. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selection of sand models and identification of parameters using an enhanced genetic algorithm

Numerous constitutive models of granular soils have been developed during the last few decades. As a consequence, how to select an appropriate model with the necessary features based on conventional tests and with an easy way of identifying parameters for geotechnical applications has become a major issue. This paper aims to discuss the selection of sand models and parameters identification by using genetic algorithm. A real‐coded genetic algorithm is enhanced for the optimization with high efficiency. Models with gradually varying features (elastic‐perfectly plastic modelling, nonlinear stress–strain hardening, critical state concept and two‐surface concept) are selected from numerous sand models as examples for optimization. Conventional triaxial tests on Hostun sand are selected as the objectives in the optimization. Four key points are then discussed in turn: (i) which features are necessary to be accounted for in constitutive modelling of sand; (ii) which type of tests (drained and/or undrained) should be selected for an optimal identification of parameters; (iii) what is the minimum number of tests that should be selected for parameter identification; and (iv) what is the suitable and least strain level of objective tests to obtain reliable and reasonable parameters. Finally, a useful guide, based on all comparisons, is provided at the end of the discussion. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.