Estimation of regional material yield from coastal landslides based on historical digital terrain modelling

High‐resolution historical (1942) and recent (1994) digital terrain models were derived from aerial photographs along the Big Sur coastline in central California to measure the long‐term volume of material that enters the nearshore environment. During the 52‐year measurement time period, an average of 21 000 ± 3100 m³ km^?1 a^?1 of material was eroded from nine study sections distributed along the coast, with a low yield of 1000 ± 240 m³ km^?1 a^?1 and a high of 46 700 ± 7300 m³ km^?1 a^?1. The results compare well with known volumes from several deep‐seated landslides in the area and suggest that the processes by which material is delivered to the coast are episodic in nature. In addition, a number of parameters are investigated to determine what influences the substantial variation in yield along the coast. It is found that the magnitude of regional coastal landslide sediment yield is primarily related to the physical strength of the slope‐forming material. Coastal Highway 1 runs along the lower portion of the slope along this stretch of coastline, and winter storms frequently damage the highway. The California Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining this scenic highway while minimizing the impacts to the coastal ecosystems that are part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This study provides environmental managers with critical background data on the volumes of material that historically enter the nearshore from landslides, as well as demonstrating the application of deriving historical digital terrain data to model landscape evolution. Published in 2005 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Establishment of apparent quantum yield and maximum ecosystem assimilation on Tibetan Plateau alpine meadow ecosystem

The alpine meadow is widely distributed on the Tibetan Plateau with an area of about 1.2×106kn2. Damxung County, located in the hinterland of the Tibetan Plateau, is the place covered with this typical vegetation. An open-path eddy covariance system was set up in Damxung rangeland station to measure the carbon flux of alpine meadow from July to October,2003. The continuous carbon flux data were used to analyze the relationship between net ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange (NEE) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), as well as the seasonal patterns of apparent quantum yield (α) and maximum ecosystem assimilation (Pmax).Results showed that the daytime NEE fitted fairly well with the PAR in a rectangular hyperbola function, with α declining in the order of peak growth period (0.0244 μmolCO2 · μmol-1pAR) ＞early growth period ＞ seed maturing period ＞ withering period (0.0098 μmolCO2 · μmol-1pAR).The Pmax did not change greatly during the first three periods, with an average of 0.433mgCO2· m-2· s-1, i.e. 9.829 μmolCO2· m-2· s-1. However, during the withering period, Pmax was only 0.35 mgCO2 · m-2 · s-1, i.e. 7.945 μmolCO2 · m-2 · s-1. Compared with other grassland ecosystems, the α of the Tibetan Plateau alpine meadow ecosystem was much lower.     

Environmental variables related to wheat yields in the semiarid pampa region of Argentina

The current paper analyses various environmental parameters in relation to wheat yields in Bordenave, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The variables used are: precipitation (ppt), maximum (Tx) and minimum temperature (Tmi) as well as those obtained by applying the Palmer model. Decadic and phenological scales are used for data corresponding to the period 1977–2000. The stepwise method is used to obtain a multi-variate equation to calculate yield taking into account environmental variables only. For a five variates model the coefficient of determination, R² equals 95.79% and the standard error of estimation is 129.0 kg ha⁻¹. In the sample yields, the incidence of total variability for thermal variables is 42.7% and for hydrological variables, 53%. The value and sign of the correlation coefficients were analysed throughout the cultivation cycle. The α coefficient is mainly responsible for yield variance during tillering and stem elongation. There is good correlation with the values of Palmer's Drought Severity Index (PDSI) for the flowering and grain filling stages.     

深层搅拌桩强度影响因素探讨

为提高水泥土强度,通过对影响深层搅拌桩水泥土强度（水泥掺入比、水泥土养护龄期、水泥强度等级、土体自身物理力学性质,外掺剂以及施工工艺等）诸因素进行探讨,对各参数的取值进行优化。当水泥土的掺入比在7％～15％,养护龄期90d,加入外掺剂,且施工采用复搅法和喷搅法时,水泥土强度可以得到不同程度的提高。     

工程滑坡滑带土抗剪强度与地形坡度的关系

对 12个滑坡滑带土的抗剪强度和相应地形坡角进行了回归分析 ,发现滑带土的抗剪强度与地形坡角之间呈直线关系。     

石灰改良高液限土强度特性的函数模型研究

针对广西荔玉高速路基沿线产生的大量高液限土弃方问题,采用生石灰对高液限土进行改良处理。选取弃土场的高液限土,分别配制不同初始含水率、不同石灰掺量的试样进行侧限压缩试验和快剪试验,采用基本初等数学函数模型拟合不同饱和状态、不同初始含水率下石灰掺量对试件压缩特性和抗剪强度影响。结果表明：(1)高液限土的压缩系数随石灰掺量增加呈指数形式减小;(2)不同饱和状态试件的黏聚力和内摩擦角随石灰掺量增加呈二次函数形式变化;(3)高液限土具有水敏性,饱和素土试件最大抗剪强度对应的含水率较击实试验最大干密度对应的含水率高3%～6%;(4)当初始含水率不高于26.73%时,建议石灰掺量不低于6%,否则改良高液限土的石灰掺量不低于8%,可在满足经济性的前提下达到较好的改良效果。     

Sediment transfer in an extremely low-gradient,low-relief and highly buffered system: Darwin Harbour catchment,northern Australia

Abstract

Sediment yields from and sediment transfer within catchments of very low relief and gradient, which make up about 50% of Earth’s surface, are poorly documented and their internal sediment dynamics are poorly known. Sediment sources, their proportionate contributions to valley floors and sediment yield, and storage are estimated using fallout radionuclides ²¹⁰Pb_(ex) and ¹³⁷Cs in the catchments that drain into Darwin Harbour, northern Australia, an example of this understudied catchment type that appears to be globally at the extreme end of this category of catchments. Unchannelled grassy valley floors (dambos, or seasonal wetlands) trap ～90% of the sediment delivered from hillslopes by sheet and rill erosion. Further down valley, small channels transport ～10% of the sediment that escapes from the dambos, and the remaining sediment comes from erosion of the channels. In this case, the fractional sediment storage is very high as a result of the existence of dambos, a landform that depends for its existence on low gradients.     

基于性能的抗震设计方法在剪力墙结构中的应用

本文对基于性能的抗震设计方法中最具有代表性的直接基于位移的设计方法在剪力墙结构中的应用进行了研究。采用结构非线性分析程序探讨了墙厚、混凝土强度等级、纵筋配筋率、钢筋级别、轴压比、墙长等因素对单肢剪力墙屈服位移的影响,从而对现有的屈服曲率计算公式进行了改进。另外将按顶点荷载作用下的屈服位移计算公式求出的屈服位移与实际倒三角形荷载作用下的剪力墙屈服位移进行了比较,,从而推导出倒三角形荷载作用下的屈服位移计算公式。     

Flexural performances of prestressed high strength concrete piles reinforced with hybrid GFRP and steel bars

Abstract

This study developed prestressed high-strength concrete (PHC) piles reinforced with high-strength materials (glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars) for flexural performance enhancement. Flexural strengths and behaviors of PHC piles reinforced with hybrid GFRP and steel bars were experimentally investigated, respectively. Large-scale specimens with total lengths of 12,000?mm and diameters of 600?mm were constructed and tested under bending, accompanied by evaluation of effects of non-prestressed reinforcement type and longitudinal reinforcement ratio. J-factors were calculated to evaluate deformability of all the specimens. PHC piles reinforced with GFRP bars were demonstrated to have much higher flexural capacity than those reinforced with steel bars. Moreover, strains at the midspans of cross sections of all the specimens basically conformed to the assumption of plane section. Failure of PHC piles reinforced with GFRP bars was attributable to gradual concrete crushing, while that of PHC piles reinforced with steel bars resulted from steel yielding. Results of this study were expected to provide theoretical basis for wide engineering applications of PHC piles reinforced with hybrid GFRP bars and steel bars in marine structures.     

Dynamic characteristics of marine soft clay under variable phase difference and initial static shear stress

Abstract

Under seismic loading, the soil layer is subjected to multidirectional cyclic shear stress with different amplitudes and frequencies because of the coupling of multiple shear waves and the soil element within a slope or behind a retaining wall is subjected to initial static shear stress before subjected to cyclic loading. Due to the complexity of seismic loading propagation, a phase difference exists between the initial static shear stress and cyclic shear stress. To investigate the influence of the phase difference and initial static shear stress on cyclic shear strain, cyclic modulus, and cyclic strength, a series of laboratory tests are performed on Wenzhou marine soft clay by multi-directional simple shear system, which can simulate the actual state better by controlling the horizontal cyclic stress in the x and y directions simultaneously. As the phase difference varies from 0° to 90°, the dynamic shear modulus increases and cyclic strain accumulation decreases with an increasing number of cycles. The shear strain increases with the initial shear stress.