Forests and floods: Using field evidence to reconcile analysis methods

The extent to which forests, relative to shorter vegetation, mitigate flood peak discharges remains controversial and relatively poorly researched, with only a few significant field studies. Considering the effect purely of change of vegetation cover, peak flow magnitude comparisons for paired catchments have suggested that forests do not mitigate large floods, whereas flood frequency comparisons have shown that forests mitigate frequencies over all magnitudes of flood. This study investigates the apparent inconsistency using field-based evidence from four contrasting field programmes at scales of 0.34–3.1 km². Repeated patterns are identified that provide strong evidence of real effects with physical explanations. Magnitude and frequency comparisons are both relevant to the impact of forests on peak discharges but address different questions. Both can show a convergence of response between forested and grassland/logged states at the highest recorded flows but the associated return periods may be quite variable and are subject to estimation uncertainty. For low to moderate events, the forested catchments have a lower peak magnitude for a given frequency than the grassland/logged catchments. Depending on antecedent soil saturation, a given storm may nevertheless generate peak discharges of the same magnitude for both catchment states but these peaks will have different return periods. The effect purely of change in vegetation cover may be modified by additional forestry interventions, such as road networks and drainage ditches which, by effectively increasing the drainage density, may increase peak flows for all event magnitudes. For all the sites, forest cover substantially reduces annual runoff.     

中国城市抗御地震灾害研究的发展与实践

城市是社会发展的产物,它具有人口密集、经济发达、基础设施集中等特点。城市安全一直是人们普遍关心的问题,城市地震安全受到政府和社会的广泛关注,并且是学术界研究的热点问题之一。唐山大地震后,在反思惨痛震害教训的同时,中国政府和学术界开始了长达40余年的城市抗御地震灾害的研究与实践,形成了有中国特色的城市抗震防灾技术和方法。本文简要地归纳了破坏性地震对城市的影响,从我国先后开展的城市抗震防灾规划、防震减灾规划和韧性城市3个方面系统地总结了中国城市抗御地震灾害研究和实践的发展历程,讨论和评述了在这一研究领域存在的问题。本文对韧性城市的定义、研究内容、特征、评价指标和方法进行了较为详细的介绍,在此基础上,提出了在城市抗震中应重点加强研究的5个方面的问题和今后的研究方向。     

A novel bidirectional pendulum tuned mass damper using variable homogeneous friction to achieve amplitude-independent control

Passive tuned mass dampers (TMDs) are widely used in controlling structural vibrations. Although their principle is well established, the search for improved arrangements is still under way. This effort has recently produced an innovative paradigm of bidirectional pendulum TMD (BTMD) that, moving along a specially designed three-dimensional (3D) surface, can simultaneously control two in-plane orthogonal structural modes. In existing versions of BTMDs, energy dissipation is provided either by ordinary horizontal viscous dampers or by an original arrangement of vertical friction dampers. In this paper, a new paradigm is proposed, in which energy dissipation comes from the tangential friction arising along the pendulum surface out of an optimal spatially variable friction coefficient pattern. Within this paradigm, if the friction coefficient is taken proportional to the modulus of the pendulum surface gradient, the dissipation model results nonlinear homogeneous in the small-displacement domain, and the performance of the absorber, herein called the homogeneous tangential friction BTMD (HT-BTMD), results independent from the excitation level. The present work introduces this concept, derives the analytical model of the HT-BTMD, establishes a method for its optimal design, and numerically verifies its seismic effectiveness in comparison with viscously damped devices. The validity and feasibility of the concept are demonstrated through experimental tests on a small-scale lab prototype, which also show the efficacy of a stepwise approximation of the homogeneous friction pattern. The new device proves a competing alternative to existing BTMDs, and homogeneous tangential friction proves a promising new paradigm to provide pendular systems with amplitude-independent structural damping.     

基于浪潮组合的台风暴潮强度等级划分

为准确定位风暴的强弱及灾害的大小,文中提出了泊松-二维对数正态分布,并将其用于海岸地区台风暴潮致灾强度的长期预测。选取青岛地区建国以来所出现的主要台风暴潮作为观测资料,以水位和显著波高系列组成样本,进行了台风暴潮重现期的统计推算。提出了判别台风暴潮致灾强度的新标准。实例显示,新标准概念清楚,简单易行,适用于青岛地区台风暴潮的强度确定。基于新模式的风暴潮强度随机分析方法对我国其它海岸地区的防潮减灾具有参考意义。     

AN ANALYSIS OF THE SEISMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF STEEL-JACKETED CIRCULAR BRIDGE COLUMNS

The current approach for seismic retrofit of deficient bridge columns in California involves extensive use of steel jacketing. In this paper, the influence of steel jacketing on the lateral response of circular bridge columns is studied; particularly, the enhancement of the ultimate compressive strain of concrete, the increase in curvature ductility capacity and the increase in lateral stiffness are investigated. The current steel jacket thickness used in California is shown to enhance the ultimate compressive strain of concrete by 4–9 times the spalling strain of unconfined concrete. For larger steel jacket thickness, the ultimate limit state of steel-jacketed columns may be governed by the low-cycle fatigue fracture of the longitudinal reinforcement instead of the ultimate compressive strain of concrete. Steel jacketing is also expected to increase significantly the lateral stiffness of columns if full-height steel jackets are used. The increase in lateral stiffness of flexural columns (3⩽L/D⩽9) is estimated to be 35–60 per cent using current jacket thickness. Inelastic dynamic analyses of steel-jacketed columns using ground motions recorded during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake indicated that the current steel jacket thickness provides adequate protection against the damage potential of the ground motions with comparable spectral acceleration as that specified in current design spectra, and the damage sustained by the steel-jacketed column is likely to be repairable.     

改性黏土法消除球形棕囊藻赤潮的现场实验与效果评估

球形棕囊藻是一种具有复杂异型生活史的有毒有害赤潮生物,近年来在我国近海频繁暴发成灾,形成的巨大囊体为国内外罕见。迄今还未见到有效消除囊体型球形棕囊藻赤潮的方法报道。本文通过海上围隔实验和现场赤潮消除工程跟踪监测,考察了喷洒改性黏土消除囊体型球形棕囊藻赤潮的可行性与效率,并分析了改性黏土法治理赤潮时对水体及沉积环境的可能影响。围隔实验结果表明,喷洒改性黏土可以有效消除水体中过量的微藻细胞,其中以少量多次喷洒方法的效果最好,生物量(chl a)去除率90%。在对2016年2月广西防城港附近海域球形棕囊藻赤潮消除时的跟踪监测结果表明,改性黏土法适用于工程化消除赤潮作业,能够快速消除水体中的大量球形棕囊藻囊体,随改性黏土絮凝体沉入海底的赤潮藻可以快速分解而失去活性。喷洒改性黏土对于赤潮水体的主要理化指标影响不显著,所监测的水体COD、pH和不同形态氮、磷、硅等生源要素浓度都在原有水质水平范围内波动。     

利马气候大会成果分析与展望

利马气候大会达成的《利马气候行动号令》明确了《联合国气候变化框架公约》所有原则,尤其是共同但有区别的责任原则适用于拟于2015年巴黎会议达成的新协议。会议还就“国家自主决定的贡献”等做出了决定。利马大会成果对2015年巴黎气候大会达成气候变化新协议具有重要推动作用。面对2020年后的新挑战,中国需尽快制定应对气候变化法,建立碳排放交易机制,促进对应对气候变化先进技术投资,以及加大参与治理国际气候变化事务力度。     

AIMS AND SCOPE

正This journal is established by the Institute of Engineering Mechanics(IEM),China Earthquake Administration,to promote scientific exchange between Chinese and foreign scientists and engineers so as to improve the theory and practice of earthquake hazards mitigation,preparedness,and recovery.To accomplish this purpose,the journal aims to attract a balanced number of papers between Chinese and international authors by publishing original papers and invited papers addressing state-of-the-art knowledge and     

Liquefaction mitigation in silty soils using composite stone columns and dynamic compaction

The objective of this study is to develop an analytical methodology to evaluate the effectiveness ofvibro stone column (S. C.) and dynamic compaction (D.C.) techniques supplemented with wick drains to densify and mitigate liquethctionin saturated sands and non-plastic silty soils. It includes the following: (i) develop numerical models to simulate and analyze soil densification during S.C. installation and D.C. process, and (ii) identify parameters controlling post-improvement soil density in both cases, and (iii) develop design guidelines for densification of silty soils using the above techniques. An analytical procedure was developed and used to simulate soil response during S.C. and D.C. installations, and the results were compared with available case history data. Important construction design parameters and soil properties that affect the effectiveness of these techniques, and construction design choices suitable for sands and non-plastic silty soils were identified. The methodology is expected to advance the use of S.C. and DC. in silty soils reducing the reliance on expensive field trials as a design tool. The ultimate outcome of this research will be design charts and design guidelines for using composite stone columns and composite dynamic compaction techniques in liquefaction mitigation of saturated silty soils.     

A systematic model for artificial reef site selection

Although artificial reefs are commonly used throughout the world as tools to mitigate for habitat alteration, their development is rarely subjected to a rigorous site selection process. We developed a simple site selection model using the following seven systematic steps: exclusion mapping, depth and slope verification, surficial substrate assessment, data weighting and the subsequent ranking analysis, visual transect surveys, benthic air‐lift sampling, and larval settlement collector deployment. American lobster (Homarus americanas) was selected as the target species for these investigations owing to the local commercial importance of the species. Results from each step in this process ultimately allowed us to select a site for an artificial reef at a target depth that received little wave action, had no slope, and possessed a surficial substrate type that could support the weight of a reef. The site also had the presence of a natural larval supply and low species diversity before reef installation. Each step in this site selection model was designed for easy adaptation to suit the needs of various artificial reef projects.