Process identification at a slow‐moving landslide in the Vorarlberg Alps

A fine‐grained slope that exhibits slow movement rates was investigated to understand how geohydrological processes contribute to a consecutive development of mass movements in the Vorarlberg Alps, Austria. For that purpose intensive hydrometeorological, hydrogeological and geotechnical observations as well as surveying of surface movement rates were conducted during 1998–2001. Subsurface water dynamics at the creeping slope turned out to be dominated by a three‐dimensional pressure system. The pressure reaction is triggered by fast infiltration of surface water and subsequent lateral water flow in the south‐western part of the hillslope. The related pressure signal was shown to propagate further downhill, causing fast reactions of the piezometric head at 5·5 m depth on a daily time scale. The observed pressure reactions might belong to a temporary hillslope water body that extends further downhill. The related buoyancy forces could be one of the driving forces for the mass movement. A physically based hydrological model was adopted to model simultaneously surface and subsurface water dynamics including evapotranspiration and runoff production. It was possible to reproduce surface runoff and observed pressure reactions in principle. However, as soil hydraulic functions were only estimated on pedotransfer functions, a quantitative comparison between observed and simulated subsurface dynamics is not feasible. Nevertheless, the results suggest that it is possible to reconstruct important spatial structures based on sparse observations in the field which allow reasonable simulations with a physically based hydrological model. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Creep of saturated materials as a chemically enhanced rate‐dependent damage process

Material behaviour that exhibits characteristics of creep induced by a spontaneous mineral dissolution enhanced by material damage is studied. It is believed that the characteristic rates of the chemical processes involved determine the time‐rate dependence of the resulting strain. A basic model of a combined chemo‐plastic softening and chemically enhanced deviatoric strain hardening for saturated geomaterials is presented. Chemical softening is postulated to occur as a consequence of the net mass removal resulting from dissolution and precipitation of specific minerals occurring at the damage‐generated inter‐phase interfaces. Closed and open systems are discussed. In the former case, deformation at constant stress results entirely from a local compensation mechanism between the chemical softening and strain hardening. The classical three stages of creep are interpreted in terms of mechanisms of dissolution and precipitation, as well as the variation in the reaction surface areas involved in the mass exchange. In an open system, the above local mechanism is enhanced by the removal of mass via diffusion of species affecting the mass balance. Such a system is addressed via a boundary value problem as shown in an example. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The relationship between rock glacier and contributing area parameters in the Front Range of Colorado

Rock glaciers are an end unit of the coarse debris system that links frost weathering and rockfall to debris transport in mountainous environments. By examining topographic and climatic controls on creep, a better understanding of rock glacier formation and evolution could be obtained. A series of statistical tests were run comparing contributing area parameters (width, length, area, slope, headwall height, etc.) and rock glacier variables (width, length, area, thickness, slope, creep and temperature) in the Front Range of Colorado. Results showed that rock glacier width had the strongest correlation with contributing area width due to an abundance of lobate rock glaciers (r = 0.78). Rock glacier area and contributing area size were also related (r = 0.74), but are also a function of talus production factors. Mean surface velocity appears to be better correlated with thickness (r = 0.58) and length (r = 0.62), rather than slope (r = 0.33). Mean annual air temperature had a stronger exponential relationship with maximum velocities (r = 0.76) compared to mean annual velocity (r = 0.60). Front Range rock glacier velocities tend to decrease with warming, suggesting that the volume of ice and debris, rates of shear in plastic layers, or melt water may have a greater influence on deformation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discrete modelling of time‐dependent rockfill behaviour

This modelling study deals with the time‐dependent behaviour of rockfill media, which is of particular interest during the life of rockfill dams. Breakage of rock blocks and crack propagation are the main processes responsible for rockfill creep and collapse. The modelling procedure presented here is performed on two scales: on the rock block scale, where the grain is taken to be an assembly of rigid particles initially endowed with cohesive bonds, and on the rockfill scale, which is taken to involve a set of breakable grains interacting via contact and friction processes. The grain breakage process is described in term of a thermodynamically consistent damage interface model, where the damage is a gradual delayed process. This model was implemented in a non‐smooth contact dynamics code. The effects of the main parameters involved were analysed by performing numerical studies. The ability of the model to predict the creep behaviour of rockfill media is confirmed by presenting several simulations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

中原油田高压注水诱发的油水井套管损坏原因分析

中原油田高压注水开发35年,套管损坏严重,严重的影响了油田的开发效果。据研究,油田水井套管损坏主要有错断、变形及破漏等三类,平面上主要分布在断层发育区、高地层水矿化度区、泥岩层和盐膏层发育区,剖面上主要分布在盐膏层段和主力生产井段。提出断层活动、地应力非均质演化、盐岩蠕变、油田开发历程和开采方式及油气流场、化学场演化是中原油田套损的主要控制因素,建立油田油藏油井多参数动态模式,优选与油藏模式匹配的开采方式及增产措施,改造套管动力学环境和化学环境将能防治套损地质灾害的发生。     

Consolidation and creep behaviors of two typical marine clays in China

This paper presents an experimental investigation into the deformation characteristics of two typical marine clays obtained from Dalian and Shanghai, respectively, in China. Three kinds of laboratory tests, i.e. conventional oedometer tests, one-dimensional and triaxial creep tests were carried out. The results obtained from consolidation tests demonstrate linear v e ？ log？ relationships for Shanghai clay at normally consolidated state, while partly or even global non-linearrelationships for Dalian clay. The compression index c C for both clays follows the correlation of Cc=0.009（WL-10）where WL is the liquid limit of soil. The relationship between v log Kv （ Kv is the hydraulic conductivity of soil） and voidratio e is generally linear and the hydraulic conductivity change index kv C can be described by their initial void ratio forboth clays. The secondary compressibility of Dalian clay lies in medium to high range and is higher than that of Shanghaiclay which lies in the range of low to medium. Furthermore, based on drained triaxial creep tests, the stress-strain-timerelationships following Mesri＇s creep equation have been developed for Dalian and Shanghai clays which can predict thelong-term deformation of both clays reasonably well.     

低频循环荷载下盐岩轴向蠕变的Burgers模型分析

为了研究盐岩在低频循环荷载作用下的蠕变特性,采用恒轴压、循环围压的应力加载方式对盐岩开展了低频循环荷载蠕变试验。试验结果显示,当蠕变时间较短时,盐岩轴向蠕变曲线近似为平滑曲线,波动性不大;当时间增加到一定程度以后,盐岩变形随围压变化而发生明显的波动。总体来看,循环荷载下盐岩轴向蠕变曲线与Burgers模型蠕变曲线较为相似。将Burgers模型分解为Maxwell模型和Kelvin模型,忽略材料的疲劳效应,分别推导了恒轴压、循环围压应力加载方式下Maxwell模型和Kelvin模型的轴向蠕变方程,分析了荷载循环周期对模型蠕变性的影响规律;将循环荷载下Maxwell模型和Kelvin模型的轴向蠕变方程进行叠加,得到了循环荷载下Burgers模型的轴向蠕变方程,并利用盐岩蠕变试验结果对其合理性进行了验证。结果表明:拟合曲线和试验曲线吻合良好,该模型能够较好地反映盐岩在循环荷载作用下的蠕变特性和荷载变化对盐岩蠕变性的重要影响,特别是能够反映出不同荷载循环周期下盐岩变形随荷载变化而发生的明显的波动现象。     

鲜水河断裂带现今断层运动短周期事件的发现与初步研究

根据鲜水河断裂带上连续动态地壳形变台阵数据，首次揭示了中国大陆板内断层现今运动的短周期现象，包括蠕变阶、蠕变坡和脉动等，其持续时间为数分钟至数十小时。发现其空间分布与断层分段（闭锁或活动段）有关；其时间分布与强地震孕育过程有关。蠕变过程符合Ｌｏｍｎｉｚ提出的对数蠕变函数，可能是断层面不均匀结构中的局部流变行为。断层短周期事件对揭示断层不均匀结构和微破裂过程动力学有重要意义，并可能发展为一种新的地震前兆     

地壳脆塑性转化带非稳态流变与震后松弛变形机制

大陆浅源地震密集分布层称为地震层,该深度处于石英脆塑性转化带,其变形除受温度控制外,地震周期各阶段变形随应变速率和应力发生变化,从间震期的稳态蠕变转化为同震破裂和震后松弛阶段非稳态蠕变。与间震期长期蠕变相关的野外塑性变形和稳态流变实验研究非常多,而与震后松弛相关的地壳深部脆塑性转化和非稳态蠕变研究非常有限,更缺少非稳态流变的本构方程。震后松弛阶段的断层滑动研究和基于GPS观测数据反演地壳形变研究都依赖于非稳态蠕变实验数据及其流变模型。本文介绍了野外断层脆塑性转化带非稳态流变和高温高压非稳态流变实验研究进展,分析震后松弛阶段断层脆塑性转化带的变形特征与变形模式,讨论了非稳态流变与脆塑性转化带强度定量化研究中存在的问题。     

钙质砂一维蠕变分形破碎特性宏微观试验研究

钙质砂是远洋地区港口、机场和民用建筑等构筑物的天然地基材料。通过钙质砂一维压缩蠕变试验和微观结构测试,发现了蠕变前后表面孔隙面积减小且呈分散分布的规律以及试验过程中试样瞬时变形、快速变形和衰减变形特征与粒径的高度相关性;利用基于分形理论改进的相对颗粒破碎率和质量分形维数描述了蠕变前后颗粒破碎程度,得到了分形维数和蠕变与时间的衰减形态曲线关系以及宏观质量分形维数和微观表面分形维数的线性关系,并在此基础上对单一粒径组钙质砂蠕变过程中的分形破碎行为进行了多尺度分析和宏微观跨尺度关联性研究,获得了蠕变过程中颗粒破碎发展以及微观孔隙变化规律,证明了钙质砂蠕变过程中的颗粒重组排列、破碎和研磨行为,揭示了钙质砂蠕变机制。