Influence of seepage undercutting on the stability of root‐reinforced streambanks

Several mechanisms contribute to streambank failure including fluvial toe undercutting, reduced soil shear strength by increased soil pore‐water pressure, and seepage erosion. Recent research has suggested that seepage erosion of noncohesive soil layers undercutting the banks may play an equivalent role in streambank failure to increased soil pore‐water pressure. However, this past research has primarily been limited to laboratory studies of non‐vegetated banks. The objective of this research was to utilize the Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM) in order to determine the importance of seepage undercutting relative to bank shear strength, bank angle, soil pore‐water pressure, and root reinforcement. The BSTEM simulated two streambanks: Little Topashaw Creek and Goodwin Creek in northern Mississippi. Simulations included three bank angles (70° to 90°), four pore‐water pressure distributions (unsaturated, two partially saturated cases, and fully saturated), six distances of undercutting (0 to 40 cm), and 13 different vegetation conditions (root cohesions from 0·0 to 15·0 kPa). A relative sensitivity analysis suggested that BSTEM was approximately three to four times more sensitive to water table position than root cohesion or depth of seepage undercutting. Seepage undercutting becomes a prominent bank failure mechanism on unsaturated to partially saturated streambanks with root reinforcement, even with undercutting distances as small as 20 cm. Consideration of seepage undercutting is less important under conditions of partially to fully saturated soil pore‐water conditions. The distance at which instability by undercutting became equivalent to instability by increased soil pore‐water pressure decreased as root reinforcement increased, with values typically ranging between 20 and 40 cm at Little Topashaw Creek and between 20 and 55 cm at Goodwin Creek. This research depicts the baseline conditions at which seepage undercutting of vegetated streambanks needs to be considered for bank stability analyses. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical modeling of two-phase flow in heterogeneous permeable media with different capillarity pressures

Contrast in capillary pressure of heterogeneous permeable media can have a significant effect on the flow path in two-phase immiscible flow. Very little work has appeared on the subject of capillary heterogeneity despite the fact that in certain cases it may be as important as permeability heterogeneity. The discontinuity in saturation as a result of capillary continuity, and in some cases capillary discontinuity may arise from contrast in capillary pressure functions in heterogeneous permeable media leading to complications in numerical modeling. There are also other challenges for accurate numerical modeling due to distorted unstructured grids because of the grid orientation and numerical dispersion effects. Limited attempts have been made in the literature to assess the accuracy of fluid flow modeling in heterogeneous permeable media with capillarity heterogeneity. The basic mixed finite element (MFE) framework is a superior method for accurate flux calculation in heterogeneous media in comparison to the conventional finite difference and finite volume approaches. However, a deficiency in the MFE from the direct use of fractional flow formulation has been recognized lately in application to flow in permeable media with capillary heterogeneity. In this work, we propose a new consistent formulation in 3D in which the total velocity is expressed in terms of the wetting-phase potential gradient and the capillary potential gradient. In our formulation, the coefficient of the wetting potential gradient is in terms of the total mobility which is smoother than the wetting mobility. We combine the MFE and discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods to solve the pressure equation and the saturation equation, respectively. Our numerical model is verified with 1D analytical solutions in homogeneous and heterogeneous media. We also present 2D examples to demonstrate the significance of capillary heterogeneity in flow, and a 3D example to demonstrate the negligible effect of distorted meshes on the numerical solution in our proposed algorithm.     

Wind flow and wind loads on the surface of a towershaped building: Numerical simulations and wind tunnel experiment

Flow structure and wind pressure distribution caused by obtuse obstacles are usually the focuses in Computational Wind Engineer researches (CWE). By solving the non-hydrostatical dynamic equations, PUMA model (Peking University Model of Atmospheric Environment) was developed and applied to simulating the flow structure and wind pressure distribution around a tower-shaped building. Evaluation about the wind environment and wind loads around the building was obtained through the analysis of the numerical simulation results and wind tunnel data. Comparisons between the simulation and wind tunnel study indicate that numerical simulation results agree well in the flow field and wind pressure distribution around the tower-shaped building. On the other hand, the horizontal grid interval of 2 m and the vertical grid of 3 m were still too crude to simulate the flow structure and wind pressure distribution on the building surface more exactly in detail; and the absence of suitable pressure perturbation parameterization scheme between the solid and the adjacent space also limits the accuracy of the numerical simulation. The numerical simulation model can be used to evaluate the wind environment and wind load around high buildings.     

碱渣土的振动排水固结特性试验研究

在土动三轴仪上模拟碱渣土压滤排水条件的基础上进行振动排水固结试验,根据不同固结压力、振幅和频率情况的试验与静压排水固结试验的比较,分析了振动排水固结特性以及振动排水效应,总结出振动排水的作用机制。试验表明,振动作用可明显地提高排水速度,增加排水量;固结压力、振幅和频率对碱渣土的振动排水效应产生明显影响。由此试验结果分析了现行碱渣土压滤技术脱水效果不佳的原因。给出的试验结果和振动排水的机制分析,对改进当前碱渣土压滤脱水技术及其工艺设计具有重要的指导意义和实用价值。     

刚性挡土墙主动土压力颗粒流模拟

将土体离散为具有滑动连接模型的刚性条块,用颗粒流PFC2D程序数值从细观力学角度模拟了墙体平移(T)、绕墙底转动(RB)和绕墙顶转动(RT)位移模式下不同位移大小时刚性挡土主动土压力分布。模拟结果表明：刚性挡墙主动土压力非线性分布、墙土间外摩擦角和土体剪切角或内摩擦角对土压力有很大影响;墙体绕顶部转动时,大约0.3倍墙高以上的主动土压力大于静止土压力产生土拱效应;模拟计算值与模型试验实测数据吻合比较好,具有一定的理论价值。     

动载荷作用下岩石破坏过程的数值试验研究

采用基于细观损伤力学基础上开发的动态版RFPA2D数值模拟软件,对动载荷作用下应力波延续时间、应力波峰值和围压对岩石试样破坏的影响进行了数值研究,结果表明,应力波延续时间较短,则尾随应力波波前的高应力区范围较窄,应力波衰减较快;相反,应力波延续时间较长,则紧跟应力波波前的高应力区范围较大,岩石处于破坏状态的时间延长,岩石的破碎程度加大。此外,存在一个合适的应力波延续时间,过分地加大应力波延续时间,反而不利于岩石裂隙的发育。动载荷的峰值越大,试样的破坏程度越大,当峰值达到一定值时,试样顶部呈现粉碎状,试样从上到下破坏程度逐渐减弱。在冲击载荷作用下的岩石随着围压的增加更难破碎,但当围压增大到一定程度时,岩石会突然失稳破坏。     

脆性岩石侧向变形特征及损伤机理研究

进行了三峡花岗岩常规三轴压缩、保持轴向应变和保持轴向应力的卸围压试验,研究了脆性岩石在不同应力路径和不同加载控制方式下的侧向变形特征,可见临界侧向应变均稳定在（?0.004 ? 0.000 5）范围内。进一步进行三峡花岗岩的全过程应力-应变曲线和损伤力学分析,发现脆性岩石在不同应力路径和不同加载控制方式下均以侧向损伤为主,且侧向损伤曲线的形态近似,达到临界破坏状态时损伤值稳定在0.7?0.8左右。最后以侧向损伤变量表征花岗岩脆性破坏过程,建立了基于应变空间的、可以考虑卸荷应力路径的损伤模型和应变型破坏准则。     

堆载条件下单桩负摩阻力模型试验研究

通过对粉土中混凝土单桩竖向静载荷的模型试验,分析了在桩周土堆载条件下,端承桩、摩擦端承桩在桩周土含水率变化时,桩侧摩阻力、桩端阻力的变化规律及不同土层的沉降、“中性点”位置和下拽力的变化。研究发现,摩擦端承桩“中性点”位置随桩周土含水率、堆载等级的变化而变化,在最优含水率附近,土层的下陷量较大,致桩体沉降量也大,故“中性点”的位置会有所上升;随着桩周土堆载的增大,桩周土对桩侧的下拽力也增大,桩体进一步下陷,使桩土相对位移反而减少,“中性点”有所上升。     

蒲石河抽水蓄能电站地下厂房三维初始应力场反演分析

采用三维非线性有限元反演回归分析计算方法,提出侧压力系数函数拟合方法,考虑了地质构造,地形地貌以及实测应力对初始应力场的影响。对蒲石河抽水蓄能电站地下厂房区域初始地应力场进行反演回归分析研究,实测点处附近应力分布的局部特性证明反演计算方法是合理的。     

深基坑双排桩支护结构上的变形和土压力研究

根据某大型深基坑工程的实测资料,对双排桩支护结构上的截面弯矩、变形和土压力分布特征进行了研究,并对基坑开挖的空间效应、冠梁刚度对土压力的影响、支护结构变形与土压力分布的关系、双排桩支护结构与土的相互作用机制等进行分析。研究表明,深基坑双排桩支护结构上的土压力分布是十分复杂的,用传统的土压力计算方法估算双排桩支护结构上的土压力存在较大偏差。其研究结果为双排桩支护结构上土压力设计计算模式的建立提供了依据。