Poroelastic-plastic consolidation — analytical solution

Consolidation of a poroelastic material that yields according to Drucker–Prager or Mohr–Coulomb criteria leads to a Stefan problem for time-dependent pore fluid pressure. The solution to the Stefan problem for a column of infinite depth is known and is adapted to poroelastic/plastic consolidation of a weightless material under a uniform surface load applied instantaneously and subsequently maintained constant. In this approach, the plastic potential and yield criterion need not be the same. If yielding occurs concurrently with application of load, then collapse is instantaneous. Otherwise, yielding may occur during the consolidation period. If so, then the elastic–plastic zone first appears at the surface and subsequently moves down the column. Depth to the elastic–plastic boundary is given by the simple expression Z = 2β√t where β is a constant determined from continuity conditions at the elastic–plastic boundary. Time-dependent surface displacement that occurs during consolidation is directly proportional to Z. There is little difference between elastic–plastic and purely elastic results in a numerical example because there is little difference in the respective consolidation coefficients. Elastic–plastic finite element results obtained from a column of finite depth are in close agreement with analytical results as long as the pore pressure at the bottom of the column does not change significantly from the value induced by application of the surface load. The analytical solution provides for: (1) efficient evaluation of material properties effects on consolidation, including strength and fluid compressibility, and (2) an accurate way of validating poroelastic/plastic computer codes that are based on Drucker–Prager and Mohr–Coulomb criteria. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial considerations when monitoring reef fishes

Spatial dependence can obscure relationships between response and explanatory variables because of structuring within the residuals reducing variance and biasing coefficient estimates. Here, we highlight the influence of the spatial component, in the presence of spatial dependence, on abundance trends. This is illustrated using abundance data for a Critically Endangered reef fish, dageraad Chrysoblephus cristiceps, which were obtained from a long-term monitoring programme in the Tsitsikamma National Park marine protected area, South Africa. Correlograms illustrate distinct spatial structuring in the abundance data, and spatial variables were determined as more important than temporal variables when ranked according to predictive power using a random forest analysis. A generalised additive model (GAM) that did not account for spatial dependencies was compared to a generalised additive mixed model (GAMM) that incorporated a spatial residual correlation structure. Results derived from the spatially explicit GAMM differed considerably from the GAM lacking a spatial component, with the latter deemed to produce over-precise and partially biased abundance trends. The study emphasises the importance of space in accurately modelling abundance estimates, particularly temporal trends, and provides an introduction to the minimal statistical requirements necessary to address the violations associated with spatial autocorrelation.     

溞类(Daphnia)反捕食的表型可塑性及其研究进展

表型可塑性指的是生物体在生物或非生物环境发生变化时会呈现出不同的表型能力,是生物在不稳定的生活环境中维持生存的一种主要策略.在淡水生态系统,大量研究表明浮游动物能通过捕食者释放的化学信息物质感知捕食风险的存在,从而导致反捕食的表型可塑性反应的发生.溞类是一类很好的研究浮游动物对捕食者释放的信息素产生表型可塑性反应的模式生物.本文综述了捕食者释放的化学信息素对溞类的生活史、形态特征、行为活动以及生理指标等表型的影响,探讨了其形成机制和生态意义.溞类对捕食风险信息素的表型可塑性是特定种群与捕食者长期相互作用下适应性进化产生的.加强这些研究对了解物种的形成和生物的进化有非常重要的意义.     

Linking the recruitment and survivorship of a freshwater stream-specialist fish species to flow metrics in Mediterranean climate temporary streams

Novel modelling was utilised in the present study to reveal significant relationships between the abundance of the Australian freshwater stream-specialist fish Galaxias olidus and metrics defining flow regimes across a region dominated by temporary streams. It was revealed that increases in total abundance were linked to metrics (both 1- and 3-year periods) that indicate greater water availability and the persistence of water in pools across the year, namely the average duration of zero-flow days over the low-flow season (negatively) and total duration of bankfull flows across the year (positively). The analysis identified 3-year metrics as being more important to the abundance of 0+ fish rather than annual ones. Taken together, these findings describing the flow requirements of a stream specialist will help to guide implementation of environmental flows, but will also highlight the need for continued exploration of flow–ecology relationships.     

Modelling non‐linear ground response of non‐liquefiable soils

A non‐linear finite element (FE) model is presented to account for soil column effects on strong ground motion. A three‐dimensional bounding surface plasticity model with a vanishing elastic region, appropriate for non‐liquefiable soils, is formulated to accommodate the effects of plastic deformation right at the onset of loading. The elasto‐plastic constitutive model is cast within the framework of a FE soil column model, and is used to re‐analyse the downhole motion recorded by an array at a Large‐Scale Seismic Test (LSST) site in Lotung, Taiwan, during the earthquake of 20 May 1986; as well as the ground motion recorded at Gilroy 2 reference site during the Loma Prieta earthquake of 17 October 1989. Results of the analysis show maximum permanent shearing strains experienced by the soil column in the order of 0.15 per cent for the Lotung event and 0.8 per cent for the Loma Prieta earthquake, which correspond to modulus reduction factors of about 30 and 10 per cent respectively, implying strong non‐linear response of the soil deposit at the two sites. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A cap model for partially saturated soils

The present paper deals with the extension of a cap model in order to describe the material behavior of partially saturated soils, in particular, of partially saturated sands and silts. The soil model is formulated in terms of two stress state variables, using net stress and matric suction and, alternatively, the average soil skeleton stress and suction, the latter playing the role of a stress‐like plastic internal variable. The yield surface, consisting of a shear failure surface and a hardening cap surface, the plastic potentials for the non‐associated flow rule and the hardening law for the cap are extended by taking into account the effects of matric suction on the material behavior. Furthermore, the third invariant of the deviatoric stress tensor is taken into account in the formulation of the yield surfaces. The developed model is validated by the numerical simulation of an extensive series of suction controlled tests for a silty sand, which were conducted at different constant values of suction. Although both versions of the soil model yield identical results for stress paths at constant values of matric suction, differences are encountered for stress paths involving wetting. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A model for pore‐fluid‐sensitive rock behavior using a weathering state parameter

Chalk and other porous rocks are known to behave differently when saturated with different pore fluids. The behavior of these rocks varies with different pore fluids and additional deformation occurs when the pore fluid composition changes. In this article, we review the evidence that behavior in porous rocks is pore‐fluid‐dependent, present a constitutive model for pore‐fluid‐dependent porous rocks, and present a compilation of previously published data to develop quantitative relationships between various pore fluids and mechanical behavior. The model proposed here is based on a state parameter approach for weathering and has similarities to models previously proposed for weathering‐sensitive rocks in that the values for parameters that characterize material behavior vary as a function of weathering. Comparisons with published experimental data indicate that the model is capable of reproducing observed behavior of chalk under a variety of loading conditions and changes in pore fluid composition. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Non‐uniqueness of critical state line in compression and extension conditions

Experimental evidence has indicated that the critical state line determined from undrained compression tests is not identical to that determined from undrained extension tests. The purpose of this paper is to investigate a modelling method that accounts for the non‐uniqueness of critical state lines in the compression and the extension testing conditions. Conventional elastic–plastic cap models can predict only a unique critical state line for the compression and the extension tests. A new micromechanical stress–strain model is developed considering explicitly the location of critical state line. The model is then used to simulate undrained triaxial compression and extension tests performed on isotropically consolidated samples with different over‐consolidated ratios. The predictions are compared with experimental results as well as that predicted by models with kinematic hardening of yield surface. All simulations demonstrate that the proposed micromechanical approach is capable of modelling the undrained compression and the undrained extension tests. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Formulation of a three‐dimensional rate‐dependent constitutive model for chalk and porous rocks

Rate‐dependent behaviour of chalk and other porous rocks has undergone widespread study in geomechanics due to its implications on the performance of engineering structures. We present a rate‐dependent constitutive model for chalk and other porous rocks with several new features. The model formulation is based on a viscoplastic rate‐lines approach in which the axial strain rate depends on the proximity of the stress point to an elliptical reference surface. A non‐associated viscoplastic potential surface and an axial scaling algorithm are used to determine the viscoplastic strain components. The model predicts that axial yields stress varies as a power function of applied axial strain rate, as shown by published laboratory data. Comparisons with published experimental data indicate that the model is capable of reproducing observed rate‐dependent behaviour of chalk under a variety of loading conditions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.