Engineering geology of loess and loess-like deposits: a commentary on the Russian literature

Loess and loess-like deposits were much studied in the Soviet Union, and are currently under investigation in Russia and surrounding countries. There is a vast literature in Russian, which touches on all aspects of loess science and technology. In particular, the studies of the origin of collapsibility are almost totally in Russian, and of course studies on the various regions of Russia and the countries of the Former Soviet Union FSU appear in Russian. This review looks at the literature in Russian and attempts to pick out key contributors, major topics and works and to identify the critical regions and zones of investigation. Because so many regions of the FSU had people living on loess ground, there is a vast literature on engineering geology and ground engineering topics, and this tends to dominate all the literature on loess in Russian. Following Russian practice, the fine-grained deposits under consideration are divided into loess and loess-like deposits. Three main topics are recognised across the whole spectrum of loess research: formation and distribution of loess deposits; stratigraphy, cyclicity and palaeoclimatology; and engineering topics, in particular hydrocollapse and subsidence, and we concentrate on the engineering geology topics. An attempt is made, based on the map of Abelev and Abelev [Abelev, Yu.M., Abelev, M.Yu., 1968. Fundamentals of design and construction on collapsible macroporous soils, 2nd ed. Stroiizdat, Moscow, 431 pp. (in Russian)] of collapsing loess deposits, to define seven loess regions within the geographical limits of the old USSR. The seven regions are those where geotechnical problems might be expected.     

Geomechanical Properties of Shear Zones in the Eastern Aar Massif,Switzerland and their Implication on Tunnelling

Summary ¶Rock zones containing a high fracture density and/or soft, low cohesion materials can be highly problematic when encountered during tunnel excavation. For example in the eastern Aar massif of central Switzerland, experiences during the construction of the Gotthard highway tunnel showed that heavily fractured areas within shear zones were responsible for overbreaks in the form of chimneys several metres in height. To understand and estimate the impact of the shear zones on rock mass behaviour, knowledge concerning the rock mass strength and deformation characteristics is fundamental. A series of laboratory triaxial tests, performed on samples from granite- and gneiss-hosted shear zones revealed that with increasing degree of tectonic overprint, sample strength decreases and rock behaviour shows a transition from brittle to ductile deformation. These trends may be explained by increasing fracture densities, increasing foliation intensity, increasing thickness of fine-grained, low cohesion fracture infill, and increasing mica content associated with the increasing degree of tectonic overprint. As fracture density increases and the influence of discrete, persistent discontinuities on rock mass strength decreases, behaviour of the test samples becomes more and more representative of rock mass behaviour, i.e. that of a densely fractured continuum. For the purpose of numerical modeling calculations, the shear zones may be subdivided with respect to an increasing fracture density, foliation intensity and mica content into a strongly foliated zone, a fractured zone and a cohesionless zone, which in turn exhibit brittle, brittle-ductile and ductile rock mass constitutive behaviour, respectively.Received December 17, 2001; accepted January 9, 2003 Published online April 29, 2003     

Wave-influenced deltas: geomorphological implications for facies reconstruction

ABSTRACT A process‐based facies model for asymmetric wave‐influenced deltas predicts significant river‐borne muds with potentially lower quality reservoir facies in prodelta and downdrift areas, and better quality sand in updrift areas. Many ancient barrier‐lagoon systems and ‘offshore bars’ may be better reinterpreted as components of large‐scale asymmetric wave‐influenced deltaic systems. The proposed model is based on a re‐evaluation of several modern examples. An asymmetry index A is defined as the ratio between the net longshore transport rate at the mouth (in m³ year^?1) and river discharge (in 10⁶ m³ month^?1). Symmetry is favoured in deltas with an index below ≈ 200 (e.g. Tiber, lobes of the Godavari delta, Rosetta lobe of the Nile, Ebro), whereas deltas with a higher index are asymmetric (e.g. Danube – Sf. Gheorghe lobe, Brazos, Damietta lobe of the Nile). Periodic deflection of the river mouth for significant distances in the downdrift direction occurs in extreme cases of littoral drift dominance (e.g. Mahanadi), resulting in a series of randomly distributed, quasi‐parallel series of sand spits and channel fills. Asymmetric deltas show variable proportions of river‐, wave‐ and tide‐dominated facies both among and within their lobes. Bayhead deltas, lagoons and barrier islands form naturally in prograding asymmetric deltas and are not necessarily associated with transgressive systems. This complexity underlines the necessity of interpreting ancient depositional systems in a larger palaeogeographic context.     

岩体工程质量分级应用研究

岩体质量评价采用的测试技术包括地质勘察、弹性波检测和室内岩石力学试验。结合水布垭水利枢纽大坝建基岩体工程质量评价实例,对岩体工程质量分级的应用进行了研究。     

新世纪的科技和岩土工程发展

从科技的发展谈论了人才的需求;以三峡工程、青藏铁路、西气东输、南水北调典型工程为例,论述了现代岩土工程与发展;并就21世纪岩土工程研究热点发表了自己的看法。     

自动变形监测系统在地铁结构变形监测中的应用

介绍了以TCA自动化全站仪为基础组成的自动变形监测系统和广州地铁“非地铁施工时地铁结构变形监测”项目的现场方案及优化设计。实际应用表明，该系统稳定可靠，可以胜任地铁结构变形监测的工作。     

控制网优化设计中的蒙特卡罗法

介绍了蒙特卡罗法的基本步骤以及伪随机数的检验方法；结合工程控制网的设计给出了一个实际算例，算例的结果表明该方法切实有效。     

冷冲模CAD系统中的工程数据库系统

为了解决工程CAD系统中数据处理效率低及方便工程CAD软件的开发维护，介绍了基于Windows平台开发的冷冲模CAD系统的面向对象工程数据库系统，讨论了工程数据库系统的数据模型、逻辑设计、系统的体系结构和功能实现。     

DB16智能大型岩土工程无损检测仪及其应用

介绍一种智能大型岩土工程无损检测仪及其应用。该仪器以大功率稀土超磁致伸缩换能器作震源，以与计算机并行接口连接的高速数据传输的16通道DB16数据采集系统进行声波采集，以高灵敏度的低频压电陶瓷(PZT)换能器作接收，用声波层析成像(CT)技术进行数据处理，检测结果用彩色等高图表示。该仪器从参数的设置到数据的采集、保存、CT数据的处理、CT成像等全在一专用软件中完成，操作方便快捷。给出了利用本仪器对某大型水库的泄流深孔挑流鼻坎混凝土浇注质量无损检测的应用实例。     

回顾与展望

本文对４年来我国工程地质的发展进行了总结，通过长江三峡及黄河小浪底工程施工开挖说明了施工工程地质的重要意义，阐述了地质工程的理论与应用上的发展，环境工程地质及灾害地质研究所取得的进展与不足。对今后工程地质的发展提出了建议。