Probabilistic impedance of foundation: Impact of the seismic design on uncertain soils

In the linear seismic design of buildings, the (deterministic) substructure method is a customary and efficient approach. However, the existence of spatial variability in the parameters of the mechanical model of the soil, as well as parametric errors, calls for the use of probabilistic approaches in order to provide a reliable design of the structure. The construction of probabilistic models of the soil impedance matrix provides a natural path to such approaches within the context of the substructure method. Two main techniques are described in this paper: a parametric one, typically using the stochastic finite element method, and a nonparametric one, which was introduced more recently. The latter is explored more specifically, and the possibilities it offers in terms of seismic design are presented. In particular, it is shown that it allows for the estimation of quantiles of the quantities of interest, rather than confidence intervals, which lead to highly conservative design. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

二维黄金分割法在抗滑桩截面优化设计中的应用

在对抗滑桩截面宽度和截面高度与抗滑桩费用之间的关系进行综合讨论分析的基础上,引入二维黄金分割法与计算机编程方法,编制了专门的计算软件对抗滑桩截面进行优化设计,以实现满足抗滑要求的前提下使单抗滑桩工程总费用达到最低的优化目的.在三峡库区某工程的实例应用表明,该方法具有良好的社会经济效益,对滑坡的治理设计具有较重要的实际应用价值.     

Analysis of settlement and lateral deformation of soft clay foundation beneath two full-scale embankments

In 1986, the Malaysian Highway Authority constructed a series of trial embankments on the Muar Plain (soft marine clay) with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of various ground improvement techniques. This study investigates the effect of two such ground improvement schemes: (a) preloading of foundation with surface geogrids and synthetic vertical drains and (b) sand compaction piles. The paper is focused on the finite element analysis of settlements and lateral displacements of the soft foundation. In scheme (a), the numerical predictions are compared with the field measurements. In scheme (b), only the numerical analysis is presented and discussed in the absence of reliable measurements due to the malfunctioning of the electronic extensometer and inclinometer system during embankment construction. The current analysis employs critical state soil mechanics, and the deformations are predicted on the basis of the fully coupled (Biot) consolidation model. The vertical drain pattern is converted to equivalent drain walls to enable plane strain modelling, and the geogrids are simulated by linear interface slip elements. The effect of sand compaction piles is investigated considering both ideal drains and non-ideal drains, as well as varying the pile stiffness. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

面向对象的湿地景观遥感分类——以杭州湾南岸地区为例

在ENVIEX软件的Feature Extraction平台上,利用LandsatTM影像数据,采用面向对象方法对杭州湾南岸地区湿地景观进行遥感影像分类;通过与基于最大似然法、人工神经网络法、支持向量机法等传统像元方法的相应分类结果进行比较,系统分析了面向对象方法在中低分辨率遥感影像的湿地景观生态分类中的有效性。研究结果表明:①较之单一依据像元光谱值进行分类的传统方法,面向对象方法综合考虑了对象的光谱、空间、纹理、色彩等多种属性特征,因而对于类型复杂多样、分布界限模糊、光谱混淆与混合像元现象严重的沿海滩涂、湖泊、河流等湿地景观具有更好的鉴别能力,也因此获得更高的分类精度(研究区景观分类总精度为88.80%,Kappa系数为0.8765);②面向对象方法在分类中提取的是由同质性像元组成的"对象",且在合理的影像分割下得到的对象破碎化程度较低,因而能在较大程度上减小分类结果中的"椒盐噪声"干扰;而基于像元方法提取的景观类型以离散像元形式组成,难以清晰表征景观的边界、形状等信息,所以分类结果中会有明显的噪声现象;③影像分割在运用面向对象方法进行遥感影像分类过程中具有重要影响,实验结果表明,60%的分割尺度和归并尺度组合较有利于中低分辨率影像的遥感分类;④面向对象分类过程中诸如影像分割精度的评价、最优分割尺度的选取、特征空间的优化等问题,则有待今后进一步探讨。     

Analysis of formation pressure test results in the Mount Elbert methane hydrate reservoir through numerical simulation

Targeting the methane hydrate (MH) bearing units C and D at the Mount Elbert prospect on the Alaska North Slope, four MDT (Modular Dynamic Formation Tester) tests were conducted in February 2007. The C2 MDT test was selected for history matching simulation in the MH Simulator Code Comparison Study. Through history matching simulation, the physical and chemical properties of the unit C were adjusted, which suggested the most likely reservoir properties of this unit. Based on these properties thus tuned, the numerical models replicating “Mount Elbert C2 zone like reservoir”, “PBU L-Pad like reservoir” and “PBU L-Pad down dip like reservoir” were constructed. The long term production performances of wells in these reservoirs were then forecasted assuming the MH dissociation and production by the methods of depressurization, combination of depressurization and wellbore heating, and hot water huff and puff. The predicted cumulative gas production ranges from 2.16 × 10⁶ m³/well to 8.22 × 10⁸ m³/well depending mainly on the initial temperature of the reservoir and on the production method.This paper describes the details of modeling and history matching simulation. This paper also presents the results of the examinations on the effects of reservoir properties on MH dissociation and production performances under the application of the depressurization and thermal methods.     

Evaluation of stress strain non-uniformities in the laboratory direct simple shear test specimens using 3D discrete element analysis

The direct simple shear (DSS) device is one of the commonly used laboratory element testing tools to characterize the shear behaviour of soil. The interpretation of results from an element test requires understanding of the degree of stress and strain non-uniformities in a given test specimen. So far, studies on stress and strain non-uniformities in the DSS test have been conducted using direct boundary measurements of stresses in laboratory specimens supported by a continuum based analytical approach. Discrete element modelling now provides a means of modelling the soil behaviour in a realistic manner using a particulate approach. Accordingly, the performance of a DSS specimen was modelled using discrete element modelling with emphasis on assessing stress and strain non-uniformities in the specimen during shearing. The approach allowed for the numerical determination of stresses not only at the boundaries, but also within the DSS specimen. It was shown that mobilised stress ratio distribution throughout the shearing phase for the majority of specimen volume at locations near the central planes parallel and perpendicular to the direction of shearing is fairly uniform. Finally, it was noted that the potential for particle slippage at locations near the specimen centre can result in non-uniform shear strain distributions.     

The Working Mechanism and An Analytic Method of the Deep Embedded Large Cylinder Structure

The large cylinder is a new-type structure that has been applied to harbor and offshore engineering. An analytic method of the relationship between loads and the structure displacement is developed based on the failure mode of deep embedded large cylinder structures. It can be used to calculate directly the soil resistance and the ultirnate bearing capacity of the structure under usage. A new criterion of the large cylinder structure, which discriminates the deep embedded cylinder from the shallow embedded cylinder, is defined. Model tests prove that the proposed method is feasible for the analysis of deep embedded large cylinder structures.     

Variogram Model Selection via Nonparametric Derivative Estimation

Before optimal linear prediction can be performed on spatial data sets, the variogram is usually estimated at various lags and a parametric model is fitted to those estimates. Apart from possible a priori knowledge about the process and the user's subjectivity, there is no standard methodology for choosing among valid variogram models like the spherical or the exponential ones. This paper discusses the nonparametric estimation of the variogram and its derivative, based on the spectral representation of positive definite functions. The use of the estimated derivative to help choose among valid parametric variogram models is presented. Once a model is selected, its parameters can be estimated—for example, by generalized least squares. A small simulation study is performed that demonstrates the usefulness of estimating the derivative to help model selection and illustrates the issue of aliasing. MATLAB software for nonparametric variogram derivative estimation is available at http://www-math.mit.edu/~gorsich/derivative.html. An application to the Walker Lake data set is also presented.     

中巴资源卫星影像HR数据在煤矿矿区地面塌陷调查中的应用

首次应用具有我国自主知识产权的中巴资源卫星影像数据对煤矿矿区采煤地面塌陷进行遥感调查研究。煤矿采空区地面塌陷随着时间日趋严重,面积不断扩大,兼有渐变和突变的特点,用常规方法定点观测难以适应其发展,确定其边界分布非常困难。文章应用中巴资源卫星HR高分辨率影像数据,以六道湾一铁厂沟煤矿矿区为例,通过已知塌陷区的基本特点,建立塌陷区的遥感影像地物解译标志体系,通过人机交互遥感影像解译,圈定地面塌陷的边界并获得塌陷区的有关数据,为该地区环境地质灾害治理提供依据。     

福建地区波速比分布特征

选取福建地震台网"十五"观测系统2009—2015年记录的748个M_L≥1.0地震事件,采用多台和达法计算福建区域波速比值和泊松比值,并绘制二者空间等值线图,分析其分布特征,讨论波速比值高低与震级大小和震源深度的关系,结果发现,波速比大小与二者关系不大。