Constitutive modelling of fine-grained gassy soil: A composite approach

Fine-grained marine sediments containing large undissolved gas bubbles are widely distributed around the world. Presence of the bubbles could degrade the undrained shear strength (s_u ) of the soil, when the gas pressure u_g is relatively high as compared with the effective stress in the saturated soil matrix. Meanwhile, the addition of bubbles may also increase s_u when the difference between u_g and pore water pressure u_w becomes smaller than the water entry value, causing partial water drainage from the saturated matrix into the bubbles (bubble flooding) during globally undrained shearing. A new constitutive model for describing the two competing effects on the stress-strain relationship of fine-grained gassy soil is proposed within the framework of critical state soil mechanics. The gassy soil is considered as a three-phase composite material with compressible cavities, which allows water entry from the saturated matrix. Bubble flooding is modelled by introducing an additional positive volumetric strain increment of the saturated clay matrix, which is dependent on the difference between pore gas and pore water pressure based on experimental observations. A modified hardening law based on that of the modified Cam clay model is employed, which in conjunction with the expression for bubble flooding, can describe both the detrimental and beneficial effects of gas bubbles on soil strength and plastic hardening in shear. Only two extra parameters in addition to those in the modified Cam clay model are used. It is shown that the key features of the stress-strain relationship of three fine-grained gassy soils can be reproduced satisfactorily.     

Temporal stability of soil moisture in an oasis of northwestern China

Temporal stability of soil moisture has been widely used in hydrological monitoring since it emerged. However, the spatial analysis of temporal stability at the landscape scale is often limited because of insufficient sampling numbers. This work made an effort to investigate the spatial variations of temporal stability of soil moisture in an oasis landscape. The specific objectives of the study were to explore the spatial patterns of temporal stability and to determine the controlling factors of temporal stability in the desert oasis. A time series of soil moisture measurements were gathered on 23 occasions at 118 locations over 3 years in a rectangular transect of approximately 100 km². The nonparametric Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, standard deviation of relative difference (SDRD), and mean absolute bias error (MABE) were used to quantify the temporal stability of soil moisture. Results showed that the temporal stability of soil moisture was depth dependent and season dependent. The spatial pattern of soil moisture in a deep soil layer and between two same seasons generally had a high temporal stability. SDRD and MABE were spatially autocorrelated and exhibited strong spatial structures in the geographic space. The concept of temporal stability can be extended to describe the time‐stable areas of soil moisture with geostatistics. There were great differences between SDRD and MABE in describing the temporal stability of soil moisture and in identifying the controlling factors of temporal stability. In this case, MABE was a better alternative to estimate the areal mean soil moisture using representative locations than SDRD. Land use type, soil moisture condition, and soil particle composition were the dominant controls of temporal stability in the oasis. These insights could help to better understand the essence of temporal stability of soil moisture in arid regions.     

Displacement velocity effects on rock fracture shear strengths

Triaxial shear tests are performed to assess the effects of displacement velocity and confining pressure on shear strengths and dilations of tension-induced fractures and smooth saw-cut surfaces prepared in granite, sandstone and marl specimens. A polyaxial load frame is used to apply confining pressures between 1 and 18 MPa with displacement velocities ranging from 1.15 × 10⁻⁵ to 1.15 × 10⁻² mm/s. The results indicate that the shearing resistances of smooth saw-cut surfaces tend to be independent of the displacement velocity and confining pressure. Under each confinement the peak and residual shear strengths and dilation rates of rough fractures increase with displacement velocities. The sheared-off areas increase when the confining pressure increases, and the displacement rate decreases. The velocity-dependent shear strengths tend to act more under high confining pressures for the rough fractures in strong rock (granite) than for the smoother fractures in weaker rocks (sandstone and marl). An empirical criterion that explicitly incorporates the effects of shear velocity is proposed to describe the peak and residual shear strengths. The criterion fits well to the test results for the three tested rocks.     

SAR影像与光学影像的高斯伽玛型边缘强度特征匹配法

提出了一种基于影像边缘强度图描述的SAR影像与光学影像匹配方法。首先对影像进行粗纠正,消除影像之间的尺度和旋转变化;其次,改进相位一致性特征检测方法,提取对影像相干斑噪声稳健的特征点;然后基于高斯伽玛型双边窗口比值算子计算影像边缘强度图,在此基础上构造不变特征描述符;最后联合几何约束条件,实现SAR影像与光学影像匹配。试验结果证明,与现有方法相比,本文方法能够大幅提高SAR影像与光学影像匹配结果中的正确匹配特征数量以及影像配准精度。     

层状边坡滑动边界强度参数取值方法研究

滑坡滑带土强度参数取值的准确性,决定了滑坡稳定性计算的可靠程度。因此获得准确、可靠的滑动边界强度参数至关重要。然而在实际情况中,由于取样位置试样的代表性,以及试样转运过程中保存条件的限制,现场所取得的滑带土在室内试验得到的强度参数已经不能完全反映真实环境下的抗剪强度。因此考虑软弱夹层、滑带土各种物理和力学指标间存在必然联系,并表现出特定的规律性,尝试通过试验,揭示指标间的关联规律,并建立了相关性好的关系式,据此评价滑动边界的抗剪强度参数。     

架子台沟低品位铅锌矿原生晕地球化学特征及深部矿产预测

对架子台沟一带1:50 000化探异常检查中,地表发现有铅锌矿化显示,经对激电测深异常深部钻探验证发现有低品位锌矿(化)体。通过系统采集0号勘探线上的2个钻孔中岩石、矿石样品,进行原生晕特征研究分析表明:矿体近矿元素为Ag、Pb、Zn、Cd,尾矿元素为W、Sn、Bi;轴向分带序列由上至下为:Pb-Au-Ag-Mo-Bi-Sn-Cu-Cd-W-Zn。对成矿元素与相关金属元素进行聚类分析、因子分析,并结合激电测深结果,认为在矿体的侧部、深部仍可能有盲矿体。     

Residual compressive strength of inclined steel tubular members with local corrosion

In jacket-type offshore structures, corrosion damage affects the structural performance under compressive loading, which is created by the working and design loads of the main system. In this study, the effects of corrosion damage on the compressive structural behavior and strength of steel tubular members were investigated. Artificial corrosion damage was applied to the tubular specimens via mechanical processing and hand drilling to replicate the inclined nature of jacket-type offshore structures. The damage was applied to either half or all of the circumference of the specimens. The compressive failure modes of the artificially corroded tubular members were affected by the corrosion conditions. The compressive strengths were also affected by the level of corrosion. From the results of this study, the residual compressive strengths of corroded tubular steel members can be estimated based on the condition of the damaged sectional areas.     

Ontogenic variation and effect of collection procedure on leaf biomechanical properties of Mediterranean seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

Leaf mechanical traits are important to understand how aquatic plants fracture and deform when subjected to abiotic (currents or waves) or biotic (herbivory attack) mechanical forces. The likely occurrence of variation during leaf ontogeny in these traits may thus have implications for hydrodynamic performance and vulnerability to herbivory damage, and may be associated with changes in morphologic and chemical traits. Seagrasses, marine flowering plants, consist of shoot bundles holding several leaves with different developmental stages, in which outer older leaves protect inner younger leaves. In this study we examined the long‐lived seagrass Posidonia oceanica to determine ontogenic variation in mechanical traits across leaf position within a shoot, representing different developmental stages. Moreover, we investigated whether or not the collection procedure (classical uprooted shoot versus non‐destructive shoot method: cutting the shoot without a portion of rhizome) and time span after collection influence mechanical measurements. Neither collection procedure nor time elapsed within 48 h of collection affected measurements of leaf biomechanical traits when seagrass shoots were kept moist in dark cool conditions. Ontogenic variation in mechanical traits in P. oceanica leaves over intermediate and adult developmental stages was observed: leaves weakened and lost stiffness with aging, while mid‐aged leaves (the longest and thickest ones) were able to withstand higher breaking forces. In addition, younger leaves had higher nitrogen content and lower fiber content than older leaves. The observed patterns may explain fine‐scale within‐shoot ecological processes of leaves at different developmental stages, such as leaf shedding and herbivory consumption in P. oceanica.     

全珊瑚骨料海水混凝土力学性能试验研究

为了探讨全珊瑚骨料海水混凝土的基本力学性能,并比较其与普通混凝土和轻集料混凝土的差异,通过实验系统测定了珊瑚混凝土的基本力学性能,建立了其轴心抗压强度(f_(c,m))、劈裂抗拉强度(f_(sp,m))、抗折强度(f_(t,m))与立方体抗压强度(f_(cu,m))之间的线性关系与计算公式。结果表明:在强度等级C20~C50的范围内,珊瑚混凝土的f_(c,m)和f_(sp,m)分别比普通混凝土的f_(c,m)和f_(sp,m)高出10%~48%和9%~33%,随着强度等级的提高,两种混凝土之间的差距在减小。珊瑚混凝土的f_(t,m)与普通混凝土的ft,m之间的差异规律与强度等级有关,较低强度等级的C30珊瑚混凝土ft,m比普通混凝土的f_(t,m)要高4%,而较高强度等级的C55珊瑚混凝土f_(t,m)比普通混凝土的f_(t,m)低13%。较高强度等级的C50珊瑚混凝土f_(c,m)、f_(sp,m)和f_(t,m)分别比页岩陶粒轻集料混凝土的f_(c,m)、f_(sp,m)和f_(t,m)低11%、0.9%和4%。     

南海某导管架海洋平台倒塌分析

针对在役老龄导管架平台进行倒塌计算分析,确定极限承载力进而评估老龄导管架的安全裕度。采用非线性有限元方法,考虑平台的波流载荷及桩-土的非线性相互作用,利用SACS软件建立导管架整体三维有限元计算分析模型,并用逐步加载的方式,对南海某导管架平台进行了全过程非线性倒塌分析。计算分析表明,该导管架平台极限强度很高,具有较大的安全裕度;导管架倒塌过程呈逐步破坏形式,先是撑杆屈服,造成局部结构破坏,然后是钢桩发生屈服,降低结构承载力,最后节点逐步失效,造成结构倒塌。揭示了导管架平台结构失效倒塌的机理,给出了倒塌分析的可行方法和步骤。