Consolidation of double‐layered ground with vertical drains

Vertical drains are usually installed in subsoil consisting of several layers. Due to the complex nature of the problem, over the past decades, the consolidation properties of multi‐layered ground with vertical drains have been analysed mainly by numerical methods. An analytical solution for consolidation of double‐layered ground with vertical drains under quasi‐equal strain condition is presented in this paper. The main steps for the computation procedure are listed. The convergence of the series solution is discussed. The comparisons between the results obtained by the present analytical method and the existing numerical solutions are described by figures. The orthogonal relation for the system of double‐layered ground with vertical drains is proven. Finally, some consolidation properties of double‐layered ground with vertical drains are analysed. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A continuum‐discrete hydromechanical analysis of granular deposit liquefaction

A coupled continuum‐discrete hydromechanical model was employed to analyse the liquefaction of a saturated loose deposit of cohesionless particles when subjected to a dynamic base excitation. The pore fluid flow was idealized using averaged Navier–Stokes equations and the discrete element method was employed to model the solid phase particles. A well established semi‐empirical relationship was utilized to quantify the fluid–particle interactions. The conducted simulations revealed a number of salient micro‐mechanical mechanisms and response patterns associated with the deposit liquefaction. Space and time variation of porosity was a major factor which affected the coupled response of the solid and fluid phases. Pore fluid flow was within Darcy's regime. The predicted response exhibited macroscopic patterns consistent with experimental results and case histories of the liquefaction of granular soil deposits. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Porphyroblast inclusion-trail orientation data: eppure non son girate*!

Extensive examination of large numbers of spatially orientated thin sections of orientated samples from orogens of all ages around the world has demonstrated that porphyroblasts do not rotate relative to geographical coordinates during highly non-coaxial ductile deformation of the matrix subsequent to their growth. This has been demonstrated for all tectonic environments so far investigated. The work also has provided new insights and data on metamorphic, structural and tectonic processes including: (1) the intimate control of deformation partitioning on metamorphic reactions; (2) solutions to the lack of correlation between lineations that indicate the direction of movement within thrusts and shear zones, and relative plate motion; and (3) a possible technique for determining the direction of relative plate motion that caused orogenesis in ancient orogens.     

Use of multi‐platform,multi‐temporal remote‐sensing data for calibration of a distributed hydrological model: an application in the Arno basin,Italy

Images from satellite platforms are a valid aid in order to obtain distributed information about hydrological surface states and parameters needed in calibration and validation of the water balance and flood forecasting. Remotely sensed data are easily available on large areas and with a frequency compatible with land cover changes. In this paper, remotely sensed images from different types of sensor have been utilized as a support to the calibration of the distributed hydrological model MOBIDIC, currently used in the experimental system of flood forecasting of the Arno River Basin Authority. Six radar images from ERS‐2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors (three for summer 2002 and three for spring–summer 2003) have been utilized and a relationship between soil saturation indexes and backscatter coefficient from SAR images has been investigated. Analysis has been performed only on pixels with meagre or no vegetation cover, in order to legitimize the assumption that water content of the soil is the main variable that influences the backscatter coefficient. Such pixels have been obtained by considering vegetation indexes (NDVI) and land cover maps produced by optical sensors (Landsat‐ETM). In order to calibrate the soil moisture model based on information provided by SAR images, an optimization algorithm has been utilized to minimize the regression error between saturation indexes from model and SAR data and error between measured and modelled discharge flows. Utilizing this procedure, model parameters that rule soil moisture fluxes have been calibrated, obtaining not only a good match with remotely sensed data, but also an enhancement of model performance in flow prediction with respect to a previous calibration with river discharge data only. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Size and shape evolution of pores in a viscoplastic matrix under compression

The frequent use of soils and earth materials for hydraulic capping and for geo‐environmental waste containment motivated our interest in detailed modelling of changes in size and shape of macro‐pores to establish links between soil mechanical behaviour and concurrent changes in hydraulic and transport properties. The objective of this study was to use finite element analysis (FEA) to test and extend previous analytical solutions proposed by the authors describing deformation of a single macro‐pore embedded in linear viscoplastic soil material subjected to anisotropic remote stress. The FEA enables to consider more complex pore geometries and provides a detailed picture of matrix yield behaviour to explain shortcomings of approximate analytical solutions. Finite element and analytical calculations agreed very well for linear viscous as well as for viscoplastic materials, only limited for the case of isotropic remote stress due to the simplifications of the analytical model related to patterns and onset of matrix‐yielding behaviour. FEA calculations were compared with experimental data obtained from a compaction experiment in which pore deformation within a uniform modelling clay sample was monitored using CAT scanning. FEA predictions based on independently measured material properties and initial pore geometry provided an excellent match with experimentally determined evolution of pore size and shape hence lending credence to the potential use of FEA for more complex pore geometries and eventually connect macro‐pore deformation with hydraulic properties. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Generalized strain probing of constitutive models

Advanced material constitutive models are used to describe complex soil behaviour. These models are often used in the solution of boundary value problems under general loading conditions. Users and developers of constitutive models need to methodically investigate the represented soil response under a wide range of loading conditions. This paper presents a systematic procedure for probing constitutive models. A general incremental strain probe, 6D hyperspherical strain probe (HSP), is introduced to examine rate‐independent model response under all possible strain loading conditions. Two special cases of HSP, the true triaxial strain probe (TTSP) and the plane‐strain strain probe (PSSP), are used to generate 3‐D objects that represent model stress response to probing. The TTSP, PSSP and general HSP procedures are demonstrated using elasto‐plastic models. The objects resulting from the probing procedure readily highlight important model characteristics including anisotropy, yielding, hardening, softening and failure. The PSSP procedure is applied to a Neural Network (NN) based constitutive model. It shows that this probing is especially useful in understanding NN constitutive models, which do not contain explicit functions for yield surface, hardening, or anisotropy. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of a non‐associated flow rule on the calculation of the factor of safety of soil slopes

This paper presents a method that incorporates a non‐associated flow rule into the limit analysis to investigate the influence of the dilatancy angle on the factor of safety for the slope stability analysis. The proposed method retain's the advantage of the upper bound method, which is simple and has no stress involvement in the calculation of the energy dissipation and the factor of safety. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A stepwise method for determining the number of component distributions in a mixture

This paper considers the problem of estimatingm, the number of components in a finite mixture of distributions from a parametric family. A step-up procedure using the bootstrap method is proposed. Some properties of the procedure are illustrated with simulation studies. An example of the method, applied to orientation of beach clasts, is given.     

A comparative study of the zooplankton in two adjacent embayments,Port Phillip and Westernport Bays,Australia

We report on a year's study of spatial and seasonal patterns of zooplankton abundance in Port Phillip and Westernport Bays, July 1982 to August 1983. These two bays, closely adjacent on the southern coast of Victoria, Australia, differ in several respects: Port Phillip is a nearly landlocked bay with a broad basin, while Westernport is an open tidal embayment with extensive mud and seagrass banks. Both bays have a resident zooplankton fauna distinct from that of Bass Strait. Although these resident communities have many species in common, patterns of abundance and dominance are quite different. We found that the holoplankton of Port Phillip was about half copepods, mostly Paracalanus indicus, with 23% Caldocera and 21% larvaceans. Westernport Bay zooplankton was dominated by Acartia tranteri, with no resident cladoceran fauna. Bass Strait species were more often found in Westernport than in Port Phillip Bay, but the resident community of Port Phillip Bay was more similar to that of Bass Strait than to that of Westernport.Although this study was undertaken in an exceptionally dry year, the available historical data show that the overall patterns found in 1982–1983 are typical for these bays. The differences in community composition probably relate to differences in depth profile, predator abundance, and suspended matter between the bays.     

Sonar acoustic facies and sediment distribution on an area of the deep ocean floor

Long-range sidescan sonar can be used to map sediment distributions over wide expanses of deep ocean floor. Seven acoustic facies that arise from differing sediment or rock types have been mapped over the low-relief Saharan continental rise and Madeira abyssal plain. These have been calibrated with sampling, profiling and camera studies and the facies can be traced confidently on a regional scale using the sidescan data. The mapping of the sediment distribution shows that a complex interplay of turbidity current and debris flow processes can occur at a continental rise/abysaal plain transition over 1000 km from the nearest continental slope.