Geo-engineering properties of expansive soil treated with xanthan gum biopolymer

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the effectiveness of xanthan gum (XG) biopolymer in stabilising the expansive soil. The XG biopolymer is mixed with expansive soil in different proportions such as 0%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.8% and 1.0% by weight of the dry soil mass. The plasticity, compaction, swelling, compressibility, hydraulic conductivity, strength and durability characteristics of the treated and un-treated expansive soil are examined. Results show that the plasticity index of the treated soil mass initially increases but beyond 0.5% biopolymer addition it decreases sharply. The optimum moisture content and maximum dry density of treated soil, found out from light and heavy compaction tests, do not follow any definite trend. It is also found that increasing XG content increases compressibility slightly but, it reduces swelling pressure, differential free swelling value and hydraulic conductivity remarkably. On the other hand, time-dependent compressive strength and resistance to mass loss increases with increasing XG content. Microscopic examination confirms the formation of gel-like linkage, which brings about the modifications in the treated expansive soil.     

右江高阶地胀缩土成因初探

研究胀缩土的成因,为地表建筑物防灾减灾,有一定的现实意义。根据胀缩土的工程地质特征,平面和垂向分布规律,右江高阶地胀缩土为冲洪积成因。     

中国地震速报台网走时残差分析与走时修正

使用了３０个速报台站的观测数据,计算了１００多个中国境内外的地震事件初至波走时残差。在此基础上分析各台所记录的所有地震事件的残差随方位角和震中距的分布,及产生这些残差的地球深部非流体静力平衡状态和地球表面构造等方面的原因,并给出了不同区域地震走时的平均校正值,从而提高了地震定位精度。     

软岩的强度—变形—时间之间关系的试验分析

对软岩和有不连续面的软岩试样进行一系列固结不排水三轴压缩和蠕变试验,测定并分析了它们在正常固结和超固结状态下的应变软化性状、蠕变特性和残余强度的变化规律。探讨了软岩中存在的不连续面对应力－应变关系、残余强度特性和蠕变应变速率的影响。     

香港大屿山残坡积土的残余强度试验研究

粘性土的残余强度是边坡稳定性评价、桩基与土的相互作用机理研究及填土边坡设计中的重要参数。本文在综述大量文献的基础上,结合香港大屿山火山岩风化残坡积土的残余强度试验研究,分析了残余强度的测试方法和影响残余强度的因素。研究结果表明,残余强度与有效法向应力间具有明显的非线性关系;与单剪测试结果相比,多级剪测试结果明显偏高。     

Managing Soil Erosion Potential by Integrating Digital Elevation Models with the Southern China＇s Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation——A Case Study for the West Lake Scenic Spots Area of Hangzhou, China

In China, many scenic and tourism areas are suffering from the urbanization that results from physical development of tourism projects, leading to the removal of the vegetative cover, the creation of areas impermeable to water, in-stream modifications, and other problems. In this paper, the risk of soil erosion and its ecological risks in the West Lake Scenic Spots （WLSS） area were quantitatively evaluated by integrating the revised universal soil loss equation （RUSLE） with a digital elevation model （DEM） and geographical information system （GIS） software. The standard RUSLE factors were modified to account for local climatic and topographic characteristics reflected in the DEM maps, and for the soil types and vegetation cover types. An interface was created between the Areinfo software and RUSLE so that the level of soil erosion and its ecological risk in the WLSS area could be mapped immediately once the model factors were defined for the area. The results from an analysis using the Areinfo-RUSLE interface showed that the risk value in 93 % of the expanding western part of the WLSS area was moderate or more severe and the soil erosion risk in this area was thus large compared with that in the rest of the area. This paper mainly aimed to increase the awareness of the soil erosion risk in urbanizing areas and suggest that the local governments should consider the probable ecological risk resulting from soil erosion when enlarging and developing tourism areas.     

A laboratory study on capillary sealing efficiency of Iranian shale and anhydrite caprocks

Caprock has the most important role in the long term safety of formation gas storage. The caprocks trap fluid accumulated beneath, contribute to lateral migration of this fluid and impede its upward migration. The rapid upward passage of invasive plumes due to buoyancy pressure is prevented by capillary pressure within these seal rocks. In the present study, two main seal rocks, from the Zagros basin in the southwest of Iran, a shale core sample of Asmari formation and an anhydrite core sample of Gachsaran formation, were provided. Absolute permeabilities of shale and anhydrite cores, considering the Klinkenberg effect, were measured as 6.09 × 10⁻¹⁸ and 0.89 × 10⁻¹⁸ m², respectively. Capillary sealing efficiency of the cores was investigated using gas breakthrough experiments. To do so, two distinct techniques including step by step and residual capillary pressure approaches were performed, using carbon dioxide, nitrogen and methane gases at temperatures of 70 and 90 °C, under confining pressures in the range 24.13–37.92 MPa. In the first technique, it was found that capillary breakthrough pressure of the cores varies in the range from 2.76 to 34.34 MPa. Moreover, the measurements indicated that after capillary breakthrough, gas effective permeabilities lie in range 1.85 × 10⁻²¹ – 1.66 × 10⁻¹⁹ m². In the second technique, the minimum capillary displacement pressure of shale varied from 0.66 to 1.45 MPa with the maximum effective permeability around 7.76 × 10⁻²¹ – 6.69 × 10⁻²⁰ m². The results indicate that anhydrite caprock of the Gachsaran formation provides proper capillary sealing efficacy, suitable for long term storage of the injected CO₂ plumes, due to its higher capillary breakthrough pressure and lower gas effective permeability.     

象山港余流特征数值研究

基于Delft3D-Flow模块建立了象山港海域的三维斜压潮流数值模型,结合实测水文资料,研究了象山港的潮(余)流特征,对欧拉余流场的时空分布进行了定量的比较和分析,并与潮流测站计算分析得到的欧拉余流分布对比,很好的模拟了象山港的余流特征。结果表明:由湾外至湾顶,余流呈减小的趋势,湾外余流最大为33 cm/s,湾顶最小,余流平均仅5 cm/s。垂向上,表层余流大于底层余流,表层余流指向湾外,而底层余流则指向湾内。对比斜压、正压两种模式下的欧拉余流分布,可以看出湾顶附近主要受径流控制,两种模式得到的结果基本一致,口门至西沪港区域受径流和潮流的共同影响,斜压模式更准确地模拟出了水体层化和垂向余环流结构。     

点蚀损伤下桩基式平台腿柱轴压极限承载力研究

采用圆柱体点蚀损伤模型,建立含细观尺度点蚀损伤的桩基式平台腿柱多尺度精细化数值模型,研究壁厚损伤度、点蚀损伤强度以及点蚀体积损伤强度影响平台腿柱轴压极限承载力的规律。研究结果表明,壁厚损伤度及点蚀损伤强度明显削弱平台腿柱的极限强度,且随点蚀损伤强度增大壁厚损伤度的影响加剧;点蚀体积损伤强度由于综合考虑了壁厚损伤度和点蚀损伤强度的耦合因素,相比于独立考虑后两者,其更能合理地描述点蚀损伤对平台腿柱极限强度的影响,故点蚀体积损伤强度体现了点蚀损伤的关键特征。本方法不仅适用于研究点蚀损伤构件的极限承载力,其所提出的点蚀损伤模型的构建方法,可拓展于研究受点蚀损伤的整体平台结构的极限承载力,且确定点蚀体积损伤强度为描述点蚀损伤特征的关键参数后,有望将其用于修正点蚀损伤平台腿柱的承载力设计公式。