An entrainment model for non‐uniform sediment

A model was developed for the prediction of the entrainment rate of non‐uniform sediment considering the movement of bedforms. Laboratory experiments were conducted to advance the formulations of the proposed model and to validate and estimate the model parameters. The model parameters were related to the hydraulic conditions of the flow and the properties of the sediment mixtures using dimensional analysis and gene expression programming. The model incorporated four parameters on its formulation, namely the Shields stress and critical Shields stress to describe the hydraulic and sediment conditions of the flow, the Kramer coefficient of uniformity to describe the grain size distribution of a particular sediment mixture, and the relative position of a particular grain size fraction to the geometric mean to describe the entrainment rate of that fraction within the sediment mixture. The proposed model provided satisfactorily predictions with a deviation less than 25% between the measured and predicted values for most of the fractions, which confirms the validity of the proposed approach and model in predicting of the entrainment rates of various fractions. The model predictions were also compared with other models available for the prediction of the entrainment rate of non‐uniform sediment. The model predictions were within the same order of magnitude of the other models’ predictions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical modeling of bedload and suspended load contributions to morphological evolution of the Seine Estuary (France)

This numerical modeling study (i) assesses the influence of the sediment erosion process on the sediment dynamics and subsequent morphological changes of a mixed-sediment environment, the macrotidal Seine estuary, when non-cohesive particles are dominant within bed mixtures (non-cohesive regime), and (ii) investigates respective contributions of bedload and suspended load in these dynamics. A three dimensional (3D) process-based morphodynamic model was set up and run under realistic forcings (including tide, waves, wind, and river discharge) during a 1-year period. Applying erosion homogeneously to bed sediment in the non-cohesive regime, i.e., average erosion parameters in the erosion law (especially the erodibility parameter, E₀), leads to higher resuspension of fine sediment due to the presence of coarser fractions within mixtures, compared to the case of an independent treatment of erosion for each sediment class. This results in more pronounced horizontal sediment flux (two-fold increase for sand, +30% for mud) and erosion/deposition patterns (up to a two-fold increase in erosion over shoals, generally associated with some coarsening of bed sediment). Compared to observed bathymetric changes, more relevant erosion/deposition patterns are derived from the model when independent resuspension fluxes are considered in the non-cohesive regime. These results suggest that this kind of approach may be more relevant when local grain-size distributions become heterogeneous and multimodal for non-cohesive particles. Bedload transport appears to be a non-dominant but significant contributor to the sediment dynamics of the Seine Estuary mouth. The residual bedload flux represents, on average, between 17 and 38% of the suspended sand flux, its contribution generally increasing when bed sediment becomes coarser (can become dominant at specific locations). The average orientation of residual fluxes and erosion/deposition patterns caused by bedload generally follow those resulting from suspended sediment dynamics. Sediment mass budgets cumulated over the simulated year reveal a relative contribution of bedload to total mass budgets around 25% over large erosion areas of shoals, which can even become higher in sedimentation zones. However, bedload-induced dynamics can locally differ from the dynamics related to suspended load, resulting in specific residual transport, erosion/deposition patterns, and changes in seabed nature.     

A hydro-geochemical analysis of the saturation process with salt water of a bentonite crushed granite rock mixture in an engineered nuclear barrier

A MX-80 sodium bentonite crushed granite rock mixture is being saturated in the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory managed by SKB (the Swedish Company of nuclear waste management) as part of the “Backfill and Plug Test Project”. The Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory is placed in the Swedish Island of Äspö, an underground full-scale laboratory where different testing construction procedures and handling techniques are being studied. The groundwater of Äspö has a variable salt concentration according to the zone considered. The added water during the mixing process of both materials had an average salt concentration of 6 g/L. However, backfill is being saturated with salt water containing higher salt content (up to 16 g/L, 50 / 50 of NaCl and CaCl₂ by mass) to speed up the saturation process. The mixture swelling capacity is small due to the low backfill bentonite content, but its activity is still large if compared with natural clayey soils. A coupled hydro-chemical approach was used to simulate the backfill hydration process, comparing the results with in situ measurements. An intrinsic permeability law, depending on salt concentration in the liquid phase, was incorporated into the model. The retention curve was also determined taking into account the effect of the chemical species on backfill behaviour. The simulation of the saturation process shows the importance of studying these problems with a HC (hydro-chemical) formulation, especially if long term behaviour of such mixtures is going to be reproduced.     

三维极限平衡法在原位水平推剪试验中的应用

原位水平推剪试验是一种常用的试验方法,但由于在对类似与土石混合体这类极度不均匀的岩土体进行试验时,其滑动面通常极为不规则.作者在三维极限平衡理论分析的基础上,推导出了野外大型原位水平推剪试验在考虑三维滑动面时的强度参数计算方法,并采用VC++.NET编制了相应的数据处理系统(HPT-3D),为原位水平推剪试样提供了新的处理技术.将该法应用于虎跳峡龙蟠右岸土石混合体的现场水平推剪试验中,得到了一些有益的结论.     

虎跳峡龙蟠右岸土石混合体粒度分形特征研究

应用分维理论对虎跳峡龙蟠右岸分布的土石混合体粒度分布的分维规律进行了研究分析,建立了平均粒径与相应的分维数之间的定量关系模型。通过研究表明,土石混合体具有良好的统计自相似性,由于其本身为级配不良土,在分维曲线上表现为双重分形分布,这种特殊的分维分布与土石混合体的成因及形成过程有关。     

FRACTIONAL TRANSPORT OF SEDIMENT MIXTURES

A new method based on the Transport Capacity Fraction (TCF) concept is proposed to compute the fractional transport rates for nonuniform sediment mixtures in sand-bed channels. The TCF concept is derived from the understanding that the measurements and predictions of bed-material load are more accurate and reliable than the measurements and predictions of fractional loads. First the bed-material load is computed using an appropriate equation, then the fractional transport rates are determined by distributing the bed-material load into size groups through a transport capacity distribution function. For the computation of bed-material loads, the Ackers and White, Engelund and Hansen, and Yang equations are used in this study. Two new transport capacity distribution functions are developed for flows in sand-bed channels. The new expressions presented in this paper account for the sheltering and exposure effects that exist in mixtures. Comparisons with measured data show that the proposed method can signifi     

Mechanical properties and time-dependent behaviour of sand-granulated rubber mixtures

The use of granulated recycled rubber as a lightweight material in civil engineering applications has been widely growing over the past 20 years. Processed waste tires mixed with soils have been introduced as lightweight fills for slopes, retaining walls, and embankments. It has also been considered as a damping material under foundations in seismic zones. Understanding the properties of sand-rubber mixtures is essential to evaluate its performance in geotechnical applications. Isotopically consolidated drained (CD) triaxial tests were conducted to investigate the effect of rubber size, content and saturation condition on the mechanical properties of sand-rubber mixtures. Moreover, the compressibility of the sand-rubber mixtures under sustained loading was investigated through one dimensional consolidation tests. The unit weight, shear strength and stiffness of sand-rubber mixtures decreased whereas deformability increased at increased rubber content. A non-linear stress-strain response was observed, that changed from brittle to ductile behaviour at increased rubber content. Sand-rubber mixtures, under one dimensional loading, exhibited significant settlement that increased as rubber content increased.     

基于反转法的O2 -CO2 输运性质预测

采用反转法计算得到了O₂-CO₂混合气体新的势能参数.在此基础上,根据分子动力学理论,计算了混合气体在零密度下的输运性质,包括黏度系数、热扩散系数和热扩散因子,计算的温度范围为273.15—3273.15 K.与实验值比较表明,计算结果可以满足实际工程应用.     

Toxicity of metal mixtures to the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei postlarvae

According to the literature, the safe level of a toxic substance for any given organism may be calculated from its median lethal concentration multiplied by a suitable application factor (AF: usually 0.1 and 0.01). The medial lethal concentrations for Litopenaeus vannamei postlarvae exposed to the mixtures in equitoxic proportions of Cd–Hg, Hg–Zn and Hg–Pb were close to one order of magnitude lower than the values calculated from individual toxicity tests, indicating a synergistic effect, while the mixture Cd–Zn showed an antagonistic effect. Exposure to the mixture of Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cd, Hg and Pb caused 63.3% and 100% mortality after 21 and 13 days for 0.05 and 0.1 AF, showing that environmental safe concentrations of toxicants should not be calculated from individual toxicity tests.