A practical co-simulation approach for multiscale analysis of geotechnical systems

The particulate nature of granular soils can be accurately simulated at a microscale level. However, due to the huge spatial extent of geotechnical systems, a model fully constructed at such a scale is almost impossible with current computing technologies. Hence, continuum-based approaches are considered as the practical scale for modeling the majority of problems. Combining both scales enables benefiting from the advantages of both techniques while trying to overcome their drawbacks. Although a significant number of publications have addressed coupling both scales, only a few provide information regarding implementing the proposed procedures. In this study, an efficient co-simulation framework for conducting multiscale analysis is introduced. The framework is based on integrating existing continuum and micromechanical modeling software packages and therefore benefitting from already existing codes. A computational simulation of a rigid pile in contact with granular soil demonstrating the capabilities of such technique is presented. The near-field zone surrounding the pile is modeled using DEM whereas FEM is utilized to model far-field zones that are not affected by the presence of the pile. Results of conducted simulations resemble those obtained from experimental results. The proposed approach appears to be a very effective and promising tool to model boundary value problems of geotechnical systems.     

Influences of overburden pressure and soil dilation on soil nail pull-out resistance

Soil nailing is the most popular technique for stabilizing newly formed and existing sub-standard slopes in Hong Kong because of its economic and technical advantages. The nail–soil interface shear resistance is an important parameter in design of soil nailed structures. A three-dimensional finite element model was established and used for simulating soil nail pull-out tests. The finite element model was verified by comparing simulated results with measured data. The agreement between the experimental and simulated results in terms of both average pull-out shear stress and stress variation was very good. Using this finite element model, a parametric study was carried out to study the influences of the overburden pressure and soil dilation angle on the soil nail pull-out resistance. The simulated peak pull-out resistance was not directly related to the overburden pressure, which was coincident with the observations in laboratory pull-out tests. The simulated pull-out resistance increased significantly with the increase in dilation angle of the shearing zone. This analysis indicated that the constrained dilatancy of the nail–soil interface and the soil surrounding the nail contributed a lot to the development of peak pull-out resistance.     

含水砂层对堆积体稳定性的影响研究

受复杂地质环境的影响,我国西南岷江上游沿岸普遍发育一种前缘多分布有一层或多层具一定厚度含水砂层的特殊堆积体。大量工程实践表明,工程开挖的扰动可导致砂层出现明显侧向变形,进而导致整个堆积体的失稳破坏。本文采用数值计算的方法,结合某典型堆积体对开挖条件下砂层影响其整体稳定性的作用机理进行了较为深入的分析和探讨。     

基于FMM算法的夏秋季登陆中国热带气旋路径分类及特征分析

利用有限混合模型FMM聚类算法,将1951—2012年夏秋季(6—11月)登陆我国的热带气旋(Tropical Cyclone,TC)路径数据集分为三类,并对三类不同路径TC的季节变化、发生频数、环流形势等特征进行对比分析。研究表明,每类TC存在明显的特征差异:1)在夏季,第一、二类TC出现频数高于第三类,但在秋季第三类TC发生频数最高。2)第一类TC生成位置偏北,强度较强,生命史较长,路径略有向北发展的趋势,影响区域最广;第二类TC生命史最短,主要影响我国两广、福建一带;第三类TC生命史最长,路径略向西北方向发展。3)第一类TC在生成和消亡时的辐合程度最强,且副高脊线西伸脊点位置偏北;第二类TC在消亡时低层辐合最弱,且副高脊线西伸脊点位置偏西;第三类TC在生成时纬向风垂直切变最强,且副高脊线西伸脊点位置偏东南。     

1976年唐山地震震时和震后变形的模拟

本文采用三维粘弹性有限元方法拟合唐山地区１９７６—１９８５年观测到的地震震时和震后的水平与垂直地形变,反演华北板块下方深部物质的流变学性质．模型采用多层弹性覆盖层与线性粘弹性层的有限块体,发展断层面上存在着位错运动,并用正交设计法拟合观测数据．模拟计算表明,华北板块下方软流层粘度为７．１×１０１８Ｐａ·ｓ;上地幔粘度为２．１×１０１９Ｐａ·ｓ．     

A Note on Standing Internal Inertial Gravity Waves of Finite Amplitude

The effects of finite amplitude are examined in two-dimensional, standing, internal gravity waves in a rectangular container which rotates about a vertical axis at frequency f/ 2. Expressions are given for the velocity components, density fluctuations and isopycnal displacements to second order in the wave steepness in fluids with buoyancy frequency, N , of general form, and the effect of finite amplitude on wave frequency is given in an expansion to third order. The first order solutions, and the solutions to second order in the absence of rotation, are shown to conserve energy during a wave cycle. Analytical solutions are found to second order for the first two modes in a deep fluid with N proportional to sech( az ), where z is the upward vertical coordinate and a is scaling factor. In the absence of rotation, results for the first mode in the latter stratification are found to be consistent with those for interfacial waves. An analytical solution to fourth order in a fluid with constant N is given and used to examine the effects of rotation on the development of static instability or of conditions in which shear instability may occur. As in progressive internal waves, an effect of rotation is to enhance the possibility of shear instability for waves with frequencies close to f . The analysis points to a significant difference between the dynamics of standing waves in containers of limited size and progressive internal waves in an unlimited fluid; the effect of boundaries on standing waves may inhibit the onset of instability. A possible application of the analysis is to transverse oscillations in long, narrow, steep-sided lakes such as Loch Ness, Scotland.     

Three－dimensional Global Scale Permanent－wave Solutions of the Nonlinear Quasigeostrophic Potential Vorticity Equation and Energy Dispersion

The three-dimensional nonlinear quasi-geostrophic potential vorticity equation is reduced to a linear form in the stream function in spherical coordinates for the permanent wave solutions consisting of zonal wavenumbers from 0 to n and rn vertical components with a given degree n. This equation is solved by treating the coefficient of the Coriolis parameter square in the equation as the eigenvalue both for sinusoidal and hyperbolic variations in vertical direction. It is found that these solutions can represent the observed long term flow patterns at the surface and aloft over the globe closely. In addition, the sinusoidal vertical solutions with large eigenvalue G are trapped in low latitude, and the scales of these trapped modes are longer than 10 deg. lat. even for the top layer of the ocean and hence they are much larger than that given by the equatorial β-plane solutions. Therefore such baroclinic disturb-ances in the ocean can easily interact with those in the atmosphere.Solutions of the shallow water potential vorticity equation are treated in a similar manner but with the effective depth H = RT / g taken as limited within a small range for the atmosphere.The propagation of the flow energy of the wave packet consisting of more than one degree is found to be along the great circle around the globe both for barotropic and for baroclinic flows in the atmosphere.     

A Hybrid Spectral/Finite-Volume Algorithm for Large-Eddy Simulation of Scalars in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Pseudospectral methods are frequently used in the horizontal directions in large-eddy simulation of atmospheric flows. However, the same approach often creates unphysical oscillations for scalar fields if there are horizontal heterogeneities in the sources and/or sinks, as is usual in air pollution problems. A hybrid approach is developed to combine the use of pseudospectral representation of the velocity field and bounded finite-volumes for the scalar concentration. An interpolation scheme that yields a divergence-free interpolated velocity field is derived and implemented, and its importance is illustrated by two sample applications.     

Elastic models of seismic failure in the Valley of Mexico

Restricted parts of the Valley of Mexico have been plagued by swarms of small earthquakes during recent years. The cause of these events is puzzling, but they may relate to massive artificial changes in the hydrology of the lake-bed which underlies most of Mexico City. If the valley responds elastically, plane strain finite element calculations can be used to relate geologic and seismic structure to observed seismicity and overall stability of the valley. These calculations show that unstable zones and areas of local seismicity coincide if the triggering mechanism of the seismicity is related to variations of pore pressure and water load.In order to make such a connection it is necessary to ascribe the generating mechanism of the seismicity to the density and elastic modulus anomalies associated with the valley structure, and to suggest that the phenomenon that triggers this seismicity is related to changes in water content of the near surface formations.