Quantifying particle aggregation in sediments

Sediments often occur as non‐normal size distributions composed of discrete, partially aggregated particle populations. These populations reflect provenance, dispersal pathways and their depositional environments. Recent experimental laboratory studies describing mud flocculation in turbulent marine systems prompted this investigation of the potential of aggregates to record size‐sensitive transport dynamics in a terrestrial fluvial system. Here, sediment‐size distributions in their natural condition of particle–aggregate mixtures are analysed by parametric statistics. A practical and freely available decompositional approach is outlined and field tested, which allows sediment to be viewed in both its conventional particulate form and as its naturally occurring mixture of transport‐stable aggregates and elementary particles. From a sequence of upward‐fining slack water couplets in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia, it is demonstrated that the characteristics, provenance and depositional history of fine‐grained sediments consisting of particle‐aggregate mixtures can best be understood fully by quantifying aggregation.     

太阳射电尖峰爆的非线性调制过程

本文论述了在太阳射电尖峰爆中研究观测量之间统计关系的重要性。并在非线性参量稳定性模型的基础上，给出尖峰爆中尖峰出现重复率Ｒ与爆发流量密度ｓ及尖峰的调制幅度△ｓ与ｓ之间统计关系的理论预期。Ｒ－Ｓ统计关系的理论预期与观测结果符合得很好。     

半参数回归与平差模型

从数据处理几种回归模型出发，对参数、非参数、半参数回归模型进行了讨论，指出了它们的适用前提条件。论证了半参数回归模型的最小二乘核估计与附加系统参数平差、补偿最小二乘准则与最小二乘配置之间的联系与区别，阐述了半参数回归估计在测量平差中的应用前景。     

Estimates of changes in design rainfall values for Canada

Annual maximum rainfall data from 51 stations in Canada were analyzed for trends and changes by using the Mann–Kendall trend test and a bootstrap resampling approach, respectively. Rainfall data were analyzed for nine durations ranging from 5 min to 24 h. The data analyzed are typically used in the development of intensity‐duration‐frequency (IDF) curves, which are used for estimating design rainfall values that form an input for the design of critical water infrastructure. The results reveal more increasing than decreasing trends and changes in the data with more increasing changes and larger changes, noted for the longer rainfall durations. The results also indicate that a traditional trend test may not be sufficient when the interest is in identifying changes in design rainfall quantiles. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

大跨度斜拉桥横桥向减震研究

斜拉桥在横桥向采用塔-梁、墩-梁固结的约束体系,导致其整体刚度增加,地震惯性力增大,给边墩及其基础的抗震设计造成困难。分别采用位移相关型(方案1)和速度相关型(方案2)两类减震装置对一座斜拉桥的横桥向进行了减震研究。方案1在边墩-主梁间设置位移相关型减震装置,并对其屈服荷载进行了参数分析;方案2对速度相关型减震装置的安装位置和数量进行了优化分析,并对其参数取值进行了参数分析;对横桥向固结体系和减震体系的地震反应进行了对比。结果表明:地震作用下两类减震装置发生滞回变形,延长了结构在横桥向的周期,有效降低了边墩的地震剪力和弯矩反应;横桥向墩-梁间的相对位移会增大,可通过减震装置参数的选取将其控制在合理的范围内;塔底的地震剪力和弯矩反应变化不明显。2种方案均可用于斜拉桥横向减震。     

临近既有地铁车站的基坑变形性状研究

通过36组二维有限元数值模拟,研究了不同参数（基坑与地铁车站距离D,基坑开挖深度 ）组合下临近既有地铁车站的基坑变形性状,并与邻近无车站时的基坑变形性状进行对比分析。研究结果表明：（1）当邻近存在地铁车站时,靠近车站一侧的地下连续墙最大侧移量减小,另一侧的地下连续墙最大侧移量增加;（2）当基坑开挖深度接近或超过地铁车站底板埋深时,车站对远离车站侧的基坑墙后地表沉降的影响显著,但不明显改变地表沉降影响范围和最大沉降值位置;（3）D较小时,随着 的增大,地铁车站的“遮拦效应”越来越显著。而当D逐渐增大时, 对地铁车站“遮拦效应”的影响逐渐减弱。（4）地铁车站的存在与否对基坑远离车站侧最大地表沉降和最大地下连续墙侧移的比值（δevm / δehm）几乎没有影响,并且,该值受D与 的影响较小。     

Hysteretic energy dissipation capacity and the cyclic to monotonic drift ratio for rectangular RC columns in flexure

Predictions of energy dissipation capacity and of the deterioration of deformation capacity due to cumulative damage have been made by means of a non‐parametric empirical approach, called the conditional average estimator method, using empirical data on rectangular reinforced concrete columns that failed in flexure. Five input parameters were used: axial load index, index related to confinement, shear span index, concrete compressive strength, and longitudinal reinforcement index. The energy capacity was expressed in three different normalized forms and the deterioration of deformation capacity was defined as the ratio of the cyclic to the monotonic ultimate drift. The longitudinal reinforcement index, the index related to confinement, and the axial load index are the most influential input parameters in the case of energy capacity, whereas the latter two indices exhibit the most significant influence in the case of the drift ratio. Energy capacity decreases with an increasing axial load index, whereas it increases with increasing longitudinal reinforcement and with better confinement. In the case of the shear span index, the trend is more complex. Normal concrete has a higher energy dissipation capacity than high‐strength concrete. Similar trends are observed for the drift ratio, with the exception of the influence of the axial load index, where the trend is opposite. The dispersion of the results is high. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Low impact surface hardness testing (Equotip) on porous surfaces – advances in methodology with implications for rock weathering and stone deterioration research

The Equotip surface hardness tester is becoming a popular method for rock and stone weathering research. In order to improve the reliability of Equotip for on‐site application this study tested four porous limestones under laboratory conditions. The range of stone porosity was chosen to represent likely porosities found in weathered limestones in the field. We consider several key issues: (i) its suitability for soft and porous stones; (ii) the type of probe required for specific on‐site applications; (iii) appropriate (non‐parametrical) statistical methods for Equotip data; (iv) sufficient sampling size. This study shows that the Equotip is suitable for soft and porous rock and stone. From the two tested probes the DL probe has some advantages over the D probe as it correlates slightly better with open porosity and allows for more controlled sampling in recessed areas and rough or curved areas. We show that appropriate sampling sizes and robust non‐parametric methods for subsequent data evaluation can produce meaningful measures of rock surface hardness derived from the Equotip. The novel Hybrid dynamic hardness, a combination of two measuring procedures [single impact method (SIM) and repeated impact method (RIM)], has been adapted and is based on median values to provide a more robust data evaluation. For the tested stones in this study we propose a sample size of 45 readings (for a confidence level of 95%). This approach can certainly be transferred to stone and rock with similar porosities and hardness. Our approach also allows for consistent comparisons to be made across a wide variety of studies in the fields of rock weathering and stone deterioration research. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mapping gamma radiation and its uncertainty from weathering products in a Tasmanian landscape with a proximal sensor and random forest kriging

The radionuclides of potassium (⁴⁰ K), uranium (²³⁸U) and thorium (²³²Th) emit from the land surface gamma radiation that is characteristic of the underlying rocks and the distribution of their weathering products in the landscape. We measured the radiation along widely separated transects using a mobile proximal sensor over a 10 000‐ha region of Tasmania. We supplemented the transect data with information from soil and geological maps and dense data from LandSat and SPOT imagery, a digital elevation model and terrain attributes on a grid at 30‐m intervals so as to map the radionuclides. We used a sequence of steps, starting with a spatial bootstrap and random forests to predict emissions across the study area and at sampling points excluded from the bootstrap samples. The predictions at the sampling points were compared with the observed values to obtain residuals, which were then used to krige them at all points on the 30 m grid. We combined the random forest and kriging predictions on the 30‐m grid to obtain our random forest kriging predictions. Repeating the procedure 100 times provided confidence limits on our results and predictions. The resulting maps of the radionuclides accord well with what we know of the soil, lithology and topography of the region from other sources. Alluvial deposits with large amounts of potassium extend from the foot slopes of the Great Western Tiers and along the flood plains of the Meander River, providing evidence of previous widespread weathering and deposition of the material. The fertile Red Ferrosols (roughly equivalent to Ferralic Nitisols in the World reference base (WRB) classification) on the extensive Tertiary basalt plateau emit little gamma radiation as a result of deep weathering and of potassium movement and accumulation down its talus slopes. The maps show the complexity of the region in terms of soil, lithology and terrain, and they show the merits of gamma radiometry for mapping and understanding the distribution of materials in such regions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.