3D stability of unsaturated soil slopes with tension cracks under steady infiltrations

Most classical approaches for evaluating the stability of soil slopes with cracks are performed under two-dimensional (2D) condition. Three-dimensional (3D) effect and suction-induced effect of unsaturated soils are generally neglected in assessing the slope stability. This paper develops a 3D limit analysis method to evaluate the stability of an unsaturated soil slope with tension cracks under steady infiltrations. The boundary-value problem is formulated based on the 3D rotational failure mechanism by taking the effects of suction, effective unit weight, and tension crack into account. A simplified method is proposed to calculate the work rate of unsaturated soil weight. A layer-wise summation method is developed based on the divergence theorem to calculate the internal energy dissipation rate. Detailed discussions are conducted to investigate the effects of suction and Poisson's ratio on the stability of unsaturated soil slopes. Examples are given to illustrate the 3D effect, the suction-induced effect as well as the effects of infiltration and water in cracks on the slope stability.     

Fine structure on the surface of bare strange stars

The surface fine structure of bare strange stars is determined. The distribution of electrons and quarks in the surface layer is determined using a phenomenological Thomas-Fermi model. For the MIT bag model, the quark density at the free surface is found to fall off continuously to zero in a layer of finite thickness. Unlike the results of other authors, here the electric field in the transition layer changes direction. The coefficient of surface tension of the quark matter is determined in terms of this model. Depending on the model parameters, it is 60–150 MeV/Fm².Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 48, No. 1, pp. 139–150 (February 2005).     

Effects of in-situ conditions on relative permeability characteristics of CO2-brine systems

Carbon dioxide capture and geological storage (CCGS) is an emerging technology that is increasingly being considered for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere. Deep saline aquifers provide a very large capacity for CO₂ storage and, unlike hydrocarbon reservoirs and coal beds, are immediately accessible and are found in all sedimentary basins. Proper understanding of the displacement character of CO₂-brine systems at in-situ conditions is essential in ascertaining CO₂ injectivity, migration and trapping in the pore space as a residual gas or supercritical fluid, and in assessing the suitability and safety of prospective CO₂ storage sites. Because of lack of published data, the authors conducted a program of measuring the relative permeability and other displacement characteristics of CO₂-brine systems for sandstone, carbonate and shale formations in central Alberta in western Canada. The tested formations are representative of the in-situ characteristics of deep saline aquifers in compacted on-shore North American sedimentary basins. The results show that the capillary pressure, interfacial tension, relative permeability and other displacements characteristics of CO₂-brine systems depend on the in-situ conditions of pressure, temperature and water salinity, and on the pore size distribution of the sedimentary rock. This paper presents a synthesis and interpretation of the results.     

Free vibrations of three-dimensional extensible marine cables with specified top tension via a variational method

This paper presents a model formulation that can be used for analyzing the three-dimensional vibration behaviours of an inclined extensible marine cable. The virtual work-energy functional, which involves strain energy due to axial stretching of the cable and virtual work done by external hydrostatic forces is formulated. The coupled equations of motion in the Cartesian coordinates of global systems are obtained by taking into account the difference between Euler’s equations and equilibrium equations. The method of Galerkin finite element is used to obtain the mass and stiffness matrices which are transformed into the local coordinate systems. Then the eigenvalue problem is solved to determine its natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes. The model formulation developed herein is conveniently applied for the cases of specified top tension. The numerical investigations are carried out to demonstrate the validity of the model and to explore in details the influence of various parameters on the behaviours of marine cables. Results for the frequency avoidance phenomenon, maximum dynamic tension and coupled transverse mode shapes are presented and discussed.     

芳烃／海水界面张力的研究──1．苯及甲苯与海水界面张力的研究

首次用滴体积法比较系统地测定苯、甲苯与海水在不同温度（２０～３５℃）、不同盐度（０～４０．５）范围内的界面张力。测定值相对误差小于０．５％。用统计方法得出这两个芳烃与海水界面张力分别与温度和盐度的经验公式。指出：公式计算值与实验测定值之间平均标准偏差＜０．１ｍＮ／ｍ。     

四川盆地东部茅口组白云岩成因: 来自岩石学、矿物学和地球化学的证据*

四川盆地中二叠统茅口组白云岩中蕴藏丰富的天然气资源,但是这套白云岩的成因多年来一直存在争议。盆地东部茅口组白云岩储集层多发育在茅三段中下部,纵向上厚度介于3.0~46.8 m之间,平面上沿北西—南东向基底断裂呈带状展布。野外和钻井岩心观察发现,白云岩内发育交织状张性裂缝,将岩石切割呈角砾状,裂缝多被粗晶方解石、白云石充填或半充填。根据围岩和裂缝中白云石晶体形貌和产出状态,在显微镜下识别出4类不同组构的白云石: 第1类为灰泥基质中“星散状”自形粉晶—细晶白云石; 第2类为半自形面状组构细晶白云石,呈他形—半自形镶嵌状; 第3类为具“雾心亮边”的自形晶面状组构细晶—粗晶白云石,具糖粒状结构,晶间孔隙发育; 第4类为脉体充填的粗晶鞍状双晶白云石。背散射照片显示前3类白云石的“雾心”部分晶面混浊、表面分布方解石残斑及微孔, 而第3类白云石的“亮边”部分与第4类鞍状粗晶白云石脉则晶体明亮、洁净、致密,属新生矿物。上述4类白云石的成分均具有富Ca和贫Fe、Mn、Sr的特点,MgO含量变化较大,其中前两类白云石MgO含量总体低于白云石标准计量,而后两类白云石的MgO含量则接近或略高于标准计量。岩石学、矿物学和地球化学特征表明:茅口组白云岩主要经历了2期白云化作用,初次白云化作用形成第1类、第2类白云石及“雾心”白云石,二次白云化作用形成“亮边”白云石和粗晶白云石脉体; 2期白云化作用均发生得很早,可能始于同沉积期至浅埋藏期。白云石原位微量元素和原位锶同位素分析表明,白云化作用流体具有混源的特点,流体可能由富Ca地下水以及与火山活动有关的热液混合而成。推测中二叠世末期峨眉山地幔柱的喷发引起四川盆地内基底断裂再次活动,造成茅口组内张性构造裂缝发育,这为白云化流体混合及运移提供了通道。     

Macroporosity and infiltration in blanket peat: the implications of tension disc infiltrometer measurements

Little is known about the processes of infiltration and water movement in the upper layers of blanket peat. A tension infiltrometer was used to measure hydraulic conductivity in a blanket peat in the North Pennines, England. Measurements were taken from the surface down to 20 cm in depth for peat under four different vegetation covers. It was found that macropore flow is a significant pathway for water in the upper layers of this soil type. It was also found that peat depth and surface vegetation cover were associated with macroporosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity. The proportion of macropore flow was found to be greater at 5 cm depth than at 0, 10 and 20 cm depth. Peat beneath a Sphagnum cover tends to be more permeable and a greater proportion of macropore flow can occur beneath this vegetation type. Functional macroporosity and matrix flow in the near‐surface layers of bare peat appear to have been affected by weathering processes. Comparision of results with rainfall records demonstrates that infiltration‐excess overland flow is unlikely to be a common runoff‐generating mechanism on blanket peat; rather, a saturation‐excess mechanism combined with percolation‐excess above much less permeable layers dominates the runoff response. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

长珲高速公路某边坡锚索受力分析及选型

压力分散型锚索以其合理的受力机理及其在软弱土体中能更有效地发挥土体承载能力的优势取得了在本工程中的优选。主要介绍了该类型锚索的特点、作用机理和张拉程序，同时对工程的施工情况作了简述。     

岷江较场台地地震裂缝形成机制及其边坡稳定影响

岷江上游的大、小海子是两个相连的地震滑坡、崩塌堰塞湖。几十年来对湖泊东岸较场镇台地的认识不一，其岸坡稳定问题是利用该天然湖泊建设水电站的关键。通过现场调查与钻探、测试，发现岷江上游的较场台地是一个向岷江凸出的、1万a前形成的湖相沉积台地。1933年，在强烈地震作用下，较场台地发生了强烈裂陷，未发生大规模的滑移，在台地上形成了两组近于垂直的地裂缝。进一步研究表明，这两组地裂缝虽然是在同一诱发因素下，在同一时间、同一地点形成的，但它们的形成机制却不同。一组走向近SN，是在强烈地震作用下，追踪岩体中原有的两组构造节理进一步裂开的产物，可称为地震构造追踪型地裂缝；另一组走向近EW，是顺向边坡中的层状岩体，在地震作用下沿软弱层发生层间滑动，地面被拉开、沉陷而形成的，可称为地震层间滑动型地裂缝。两种类型的地裂缝与层面的空间组合，控制着台地的稳定与演化。特别是当遇到类似1933年那样的地震，甚至由于两种地震地裂缝与层间错动面的存在，不需要那么高强度的地震，就可能诱发大规模的边坡稳定问题。这应该引起天龙湖水电站与213国道等管理部门的重视。     

On the Measurement of the Tensile Strength of Soft Rocks

Summary. This paper reports on a comparative study of various types of experimental tests for measuring the tensile strength of rocks and rock-like materials. A critical assessment is presented of some widely used laboratory techniques on the basis of experimental data from the literature and from the laboratory investigation performed in this study.Tests were carried out using a triaxial apparatus recently set up at Milan University of Technology. This was designed to reduce random misalignments between specimen and loading frame, which are typical of conventional triaxial cells with external tie bars. The apparatus was then modified to perform various types of tests for determining the tensile strength of materials. An artificial building stone and a natural calcarenite of the Gravina di Puglia geological formation, sampled at Montescaglioso (Matera-Italy) were tested in this research. The experimental investigation included various types of tests, namely the uni-axial, the Brazilian, the ring, the three and four points bending and the Luong test. Specimens of both materials were also compressed to failure in unconfined conditions and loaded cyclically in unconfined tension and compression, Young’s moduli being measured by means of local instrumentation.