Influence of heterogeneity on unsaturated hydraulic properties: (1) local heterogeneity and scale effect

Spatial heterogeneity is ubiquitous in nature, which may significantly affect the soil hydraulic property curves. The models of a closed‐form functional relationship of soil hydraulic property curves (e.g. VG model or exponential model) are valid at point or local scale based on a point‐scale hydrological process, but how do scale effects of heterogeneity have an influence on the parameters of these models when the models are used in a larger scale process? This paper uses a two‐dimensional variably saturated flow and solute transport finite element model (VSAFT2) to simulate variations of pressure and moisture content in the soil flume under a constant head boundary condition. By changing different numerical simulation block sizes, a quantitative evaluation of parameter variations in the VG model, resulting from the scale effects, is presented. Results show that the parameters of soil hydraulic properties are independent of scale in homogeneous media. Parameters of α and n in homogeneous media, which are estimated by using the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curve (UHC) or the soil water retention curve (WRC), are identical. Variations of local heterogeneities strongly affect the soil hydraulic properties, and the scale affects the results of the parameter estimations when numerical experiments are conducted. Furthermore, the discrepancy of each curve becomes considerable when moisture content becomes closer to a dry situation. Parameters estimated by UHC are totally different from the ones estimated by WRC. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Monitoring over‐winter soil water dynamics in a freezing and snow‐covered environment using a thermally insulated tensiometer

Water potential below a frozen soil layer was continuously monitored over an entire winter period (using thermally insulated tensiometers sheltered in a heated chamber) along with other soil, snow and atmospheric variables. In early winter, the freezing front advanced under a thin snow cover, inducing upward soil water flow in the underlying unfrozen soil. The freezing front started to retreat when the snow cover became thick enough to insulate the soil, resulting in the reversal of the flow direction in the unfrozen zone. These data provide a clear illustration of soil water dynamics, which have rarely been monitored with a tensiometer. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil‐pile interaction in the pile vertical vibration considering true three‐dimensional wave effect of soil

The dynamic response of an end bearing pile embedded in a linear visco‐elastic soil layer with hysteretic type damping is theoretically investigated when the pile is subjected to a time‐harmonic vertical loading at the pile top. The soil is modeled as a three‐dimensional axisymmetric continuum in which both its radial and vertical displacements are taken into account. The pile is assumed to be vertical, elastic and of uniform circular cross section. By using two potential functions to decompose the displacements of the soil layer and utilizing the separation of variables technique, the dynamic equilibrium equation is uncoupled and solved. At the interface of soil‐pile system, the boundary conditions of displacement continuity and force equilibrium are invoked to derive a closed‐form solution of the vertical dynamic response of the pile in frequency domain. The corresponding inverted solutions in time domain for the velocity response of a pile subjected to a semi‐sine excitation force applied at the pile top are obtained by means of inverse Fourier transform and the convolution theorem. A comparison with two other simplified solutions has been performed to verify the more rigorous solutions presented in this paper. Using the developed solutions, a parametric study has also been conducted to investigate the influence of the major parameters of the soil‐pile system on the vertical vibration characteristics of the pile. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于温度植被干旱指数的电网输电线路走廊干旱分析

以湖北省输电线路走廊地区作为研究区,利用2013年1~9月MODIS卫星影像数据,处理得到月尺度的归一化植被指数(Normalized Differential Vegetation Index,NDVI)与地表温度(Land Surface Temperature,LST)数据,构建NDVI-Ts特征空间,计算得到温度植被干旱指数(Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index,TVDI),用TVDI监测结果分析湖北省输电线路走廊区域2013年干旱时空分布情况。结果表明,湖北省输电线路走廊地区TVDI和土壤含水量之间存在显著的负相关,相关系数达到0.525(p0.05),由MODIS卫星影像计算得到TVDI影像可以有效表明湖北省输电线路走廊地区的土壤含水情况。     

GIS下地貌形态特征对土壤水土流失研究的影响

水土流失会导致生态环境恶化、自然灾害频发,近年来,以水土保持为主要内容的生态环境建设越来越受到关注。本文利用SRTM数据,其分辨率为3弧秒,确定模型所需的各种因子,借助地理信息系统软件Arc GIS空间分析平台,处理研究区域的DEM数据,生成研究区坡度、坡向、地表切割深度和平面曲率图、剖面曲率图。利用对这些因子的分析结果,选择美国通用的水土流失方程(USLE)对研究区域的土壤侵蚀强度进行计算,从而确定了地貌形态特征对土壤水土流失的影响。     

局部区域模型重力异常快速算法

地球重力场位系数模型可以用于计算局部重力扰动场元。然而随着地球重力场模型阶次的提高、局域重力场计算范围的增大,其计算速度往往不能满足工程需求。针对这一问题,在对位系数模型泰勒级数展开的基础上提出了采用向量运算、混合编程的方法,同时对连带勒让德函数Belikov递推方法中与经纬度无关的量进行了预先计算,有效提高了计算速度。提出的方法对于利用超高阶次重力场模型快速解算大范围、高分辨率重力场元数据以及累加求和计算具有一定的参考与借鉴意义。     

Mesh-free analysis applied in reinforced soil slopes

One of the most applicable geotechnical structures whose analysis is carried out through iterative procedures is the reinforced soil slope. In this regard, the most successful method for the reinforced slope analysis through numerical methods is the finite element method whose updating mesh may result in some difficulties. In this study, the Natural Element Method (NEM), which is a mesh-free method, in conjunction with conventional limit equilibrium is implemented to find the slip surface in the reinforced slopes. Results demonstrate the convergence and preciseness of the present method in comparison with the other numerical methods and conventional limit equilibrium method.     

An efficient quasi-Newton approximation-based SORM to estimate the reliability of geotechnical problems

The first order reliability method (FORM) is efficient, but it has limited accuracy; the second order reliability method (SORM) provides greater accuracy, but with additional computational effort. In this study, a new method which integrates two quasi-Newton approximation algorithms is proposed to efficiently estimate the second order reliability of geotechnical problems with reasonable accuracy. In particular, the Hasofer–Lind–Rackwitz–Fiessler–Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (HLRF–BFGS) algorithm is applied to identify the design point on the limit state function (LSF), and consequently to compute the first order reliability index; whereas the Symmetric Rank-one (SR1) algorithm is nested within the HLRF–BFGS algorithm to compute good approximations, yet with a reduced computational effort, of the Hessian matrix required to compute second order reliabilities. Three typical geotechnical problems are employed to demonstrate the ability of the suggested procedure, and advantages of the proposed approach with respect to conventional alternatives are discussed. Results show that the proposed method is able to achieve the accuracy of conventional SORM, but with a reduced computational cost that is equal to the computational cost of HLRF–BFGS-based FORM.     

四极法电阻率测量在石油管道防腐蚀中的应用

土壤电阻率是地下石油管道一个重要的腐蚀性指标,因为管道的腐蚀程度和土壤电阻率的大小密切相关。本文介绍了四极法电阻率测量的原理和实施过程,并应用于某石油管道周围土壤的勘测,对测试数据做了处理和分析,为输油管道施工设计的防腐蚀提供了科学依据。