Robust design in geotechnical engineering – an update

This paper presents an update for the robust geotechnical design (RGD) methodology, which seeks an optimal design with respect to design robustness and cost efficiency, while satisfying the safety requirements. In general, the design robustness is achieved if the system response is insensitive to the variation in the uncertain input parameters (called “noise factors”). In other words, a design is considered robust if the system response exhibits little variation, even though there is high variation in the input parameters. Robust design achieves this desirable outcome by carefully adjusting ‘design parameters’ (i.e., the parameters that can be controlled by the designer, such as the geometry and dimensions) without reducing the uncertainty in the noise factors. In this paper, the existing RGD methodology is updated with a gradient-based robustness measure and a simplified procedure for seeking the knee point. The RGD methodology and its simplified version (with new updates) are illustrated with three design examples. The results presented in this paper show that the RGD methodology and its simplified version are effective design tools that considers safety, cost and design robustness simultaneously. The advantages of the simplified RGD approach are discussed.     

Numerical evaluation of soft inter‐slab joint in concrete‐faced rockfill dam with dual mortar finite element method

Recently constructed concrete‐faced rockfill dams (CFRDs) often use soft inter‐slab joints to prevent axial compression‐induced extrusion damage in the concrete face. Due to the complexity of the multibody contact and the lack of information on the actual behavior of soft joints, it is highly challenging to numerically assess the effect of soft joints in CFRDs. In this paper, we present a numerical approach for the three‐dimensional modeling of CFRDs with hard and soft joints. A dual mortar finite element method with Lagrange multiplier is developed to treat the multibody contact in hard joints with impenetrability condition. The soft joint slab‐filler‐slab contact system is modeled using an equivalent contact interface approach, where the soft contact constraints are imposed using a perturbed Lagrange formulation. Through a series of laboratory tests, the mechanical behavior of soft joint is investigated. An extrusion model for the soft joint is presented and implemented in the dual mortar finite element method. The proposed numerical method is applied to the three‐dimensional analysis of Tianshengqiao‐1 CFRD. Despite the complex multibody contact and strong material and geometry nonlinearities in the CFRD, the proposed method is stable and capable of capturing salient characteristics of the CFRD. Numerical results show that in Tianshengqiao‐1, the employment of soft joints can effectively reduce the axial compression stress, thus greatly alleviating the risk of extrusion damage in the concrete face.     

Probabilistic calibration of a coupled hydro-mechanical slope stability model with integration of multiple observations

Multiple types of responses, such as displacements, ground water level, pore water pressures, water contents, etc., are usually measured in comprehensive monitoring programmes for rainfall-induced landslide prevention. In this study, a probabilistic calibration method for coupled hydro-mechanical modelling of slope stability is presented with integration of multiple types of measurements. A numerical example of a soil slope under rainfall infiltration is illustrated to compare the effects of single and multiple types of responses on parameter estimation and model calibration. The results show that the soil parameters can be estimated with less uncertainty and total uncertainty bounds are narrower with multiple types of responses than with a single type of response. Model calibration based on multiple types of responses can compromise different responses and hence the means and standard deviations of model error are the smallest. A feasible correlation coefficient between soil modulus and permeability can be obtained from model calibration with multiple types of responses and single type of response as long as the responses include displacement data.     

基于边坡渐进破坏特征对传统极限平衡法几点假设的合理分析

边坡的渐进破坏特征一直以来是边坡计算仿真中的一个难点。实际边坡的破坏很少是一个整体达到极限状态,突然滑动的过程,往往是逐步发展由局部破坏到最终整体失稳,即临界状态小扰动导致的链式多米洛骨牌式失稳。利用颗粒流软件,设计了0.1 m粒径高10 m土坡的数值模型,粒间黏聚力为36 kPa,摩擦系数为0.36。初始模型在重力作用下不会发生破坏,通过单独折减粒间黏聚力到18 kPa使得边坡破坏,监测竖向颗粒组group的变化获取每20 000个时间步的边坡破坏形态,实现200 000个时间步内边坡的渐进破坏过程。边坡总是从局部开始破坏,坡体物质的运移造成次一级破坏,形成最终的近似弧形的滑动面,说明滑体不是整体下滑,不是刚体,不是整体达到极限状态;坡体内应力的变化也不是单调的,有涨有落,均区别于当前极限平衡法中有限条块的刚体假设;滑动面上同时达到极限状态假设,问题本身是静不定的,通过给出条间力的传递方式使之静定可解;整体分析不能考虑破坏的局部化和渐进特征。这说明边坡计算方法的未来在于能反映动力问题和材料破坏特征的离散元方法。     

浅析山区高等级公路中的边坡工程岩体

随着山区高等级公路建设的飞速发展，各类边坡工程岩体问题也日益增多。从卸荷岩体力学的基本观点入手，探讨了边坡工程岩体的变形破坏特性、稳定性评价方法以及开挖设计理论。研究表明，边坡工程岩体的变形破坏特性完全符合卸荷岩体力学行为，不同于常规的加载岩体行为；边坡工程岩体的稳定性分析计算中必须重视水力学因素和卸荷作用的影响，并得到了有意义的表达式；边坡工程岩体的开挖设计应在充分认识其工程力学性状的基础上，针对边坡岩体地质特性，结合已有各类稳定边坡的资料，进行既经济又可靠的优化设计。     

Special Issue Devoted to Petroleum Geology in Marginal Sea Deepwater Settings—Take the South China Sea as an Example Preface

High‐resolution tomographic images of the belt crossing the Japan Trench‐Changbai Mountains‐Dong Ujimqin Qi are represented in this paper, revealing the shape of a subducted slab in the western Pacific region and characteristics of the lithospheric structures under the Changbai Mountains and the Da Hinggan Mountains. Studies of the spatial distribution, subduction time and the time‐lag between the subduction and magmatism, combined with petrology and isotope geochemistry of the Late Mesozoic volcano‐plutonic rocks from the Da Hinggan Mountains‐Yanshan Mountains have further proved the independence of magmatic activities from the subduction of the Pacific plate. The Mesozoic tectono‐thermal evolutionary history and structural characteristics of the lithosphere in the Da Hinggan Mountains and North China suggest that the formation and evolution of magma have probably a close relationship with the delamination and thinning of the continental lithosphere and the underplating resulting from the consequent upwelling of the asthenosphere. On the other hand, the large‐scale strike‐slip fault system, resulting from sinistral shearing of the Pacific plate relative to the Asian continent in the Mesozoic, is responsible for the formation and emplacement of magma on the continental margin. It was the intense crust‐mantle interaction, together with structural deformation at the shallower levels that led to the large tectono‐magmatic belt in the East Asian continental margin.     

Seismic performance of a 3D full‐scale high‐ductile steel–concrete composite moment‐resisting frame—Part II: Test results and analytical validation

This paper presents the results of a multi‐level pseudo‐dynamic seismic test program that was performed to assess the performance of a full‐scale three‐bay, two‐storey steel–concrete composite moment‐resisting frame built with partially encased composite columns and partial‐strength beam‐to‐column joints. The system was designed to develop a ductile response in the joint components of beam‐to‐column joints including flexural yielding of beam end plates and shear yielding of the column web panel zone. The ground motion producing the damageability limit state interstorey drift caused minor damage while the ultimate limit state ground motion level entailed column web panel yielding, connection yielding and plastic hinging at the column base connections. The earthquake level chosen to approach the collapse limit state induced more damage and was accompanied by further column web panel yielding, connection yielding and inelastic phenomena at column base connections without local buckling. During the final quasi‐static cyclic test with stepwise increasing displacement–amplitudes up to an interstorey drift angle of 4.6%, the behaviour was ductile although cracking of beam‐to‐end‐plate welds was observed. Correlations with numerical simulations taking into account the inelastic cyclic response of beam‐to‐column and column base joints are also presented in the paper together. Inelastic static pushover and time history analysis procedures are used to estimate the structural behaviour and overstrength factors of the structural system under study. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

斜坡稳定性分析的模糊综合评判应用初探

采用两级模糊综合评判方法，在对评判实例的稳定性因素的定性分析基础上，选取主要因素四类１４项作为稳定性评价指标并将其定量化，按稳定，较稳定，较不稳定和不稳定四个级别进行综合评判，评判结果与斜坡的实际情况有较好的一致性。     

单一滑面边坡的非稳定蠕变模型分析

对单一滑面边坡的非稳定蠕变分析是边坡稳定性研究的基础。文中对岩质边坡单一滑面的流变变形机制进行了分析，提出了一种能较好反映这一变形机制的非稳定蠕变模型。特别是描述单一滑面边坡的非稳定蠕变破坏阶段，并对其稳定性进行了讨论。结合一些工程实例进行了对比验证，为滑坡灾害的预测和防治提供依据。     

Micro‐geomorphology determines community structure of biological soil crusts at small scales

Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are ubiquitous communities of diminutive organisms such as cyanobacteria, green algae, lichens, mosses and others associated closely with particles of surface soil, forming a cohesive thin horizontal layer. The ecological roles of BSCs affecting soil nutrient cycling, stability and hydrological processes, influencing the germination and establishment of vascular plants, and serving as habitats for numerous arthropods and microorganism have been well documented. We tested the hypothesis that micro‐geomorphological features determine the spatial distribution of BSCs by reallocating related abiotic resources at small‐ and medium‐scales in the Tengger Desert. Our results showed that higher soil pH and higher total potassium content in topsoil positively correlated with the colonization of cyanobacteria and algae in the earliest successional stages of BSCs, while increasing dust deposition onto the topsoil enhanced the development of lichen and mosses in the later stages of BSCs. Increasing soil moisture raised the proportion of mosses and lichen in BSCs, this will possibly change the ecological functions of BSCs, such as nitrogen‐fixation by cyanobacteria, due to the conversion from a complex to relative simple type of BSC. Micro‐geomorphology has created various habitats at a small‐scale affecting colonization and development of cryptogams. This paper considers the contribution of micro‐geomorphology to biodiversity in the extreme arid desert systems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.