Uniaxial Compression of Synthetic, Poorly Consolidated Granular Rock with a Bimodal Grain-size Distribution

Summary. We attempted to gain some insight into the mechanical properties of poorly consolidated granular rock by preparing and testing synthetic rock specimens in which different cement content and bimodal grain-size distributions were used. We mixed various proportions of fine and coarse sand, Portland cement, and water. The mixture was cast in a mold and left pressure-free during curing, thus ensuring that the final material was poorly consolidated. The specimens were tested in a uniaxial press. During these tests, the static Youngs modulus was measured by performing small stress excursions at discrete intervals along the stress-strain curve. We observed significant non-linear elasticity (i.e., Youngs modulus increased with stress) in all the specimens. As expected, the uniaxial compressive strength increased with increasing cement content. Furthermore, we observed a transition from grain-size sensitivity of strength at cement contents less than 20–30% to grain-size independence above this value. At high cement content, the measured values of Youngs modulus are relatively well explained by a model based on rigid inclusions embedded in a soft matrix. At low cement content, we suggest that modelling the individual cemented grain-to-grain contacts becomes necessary. But this could not be done here for lack of microstructural information.     

Relations of Rock Structure and Composition to Petrophysical and Geomechanical Rock Properties: Examples from Permocarboniferous Red-Beds

Summary. This study relates textural properties to physical and mechanical properties of coarse grained sedimentary rocks of Permocarboniferous age. As an equivalent to rock texture the principle of geomechanical order is applied. The geomechanical order describes a rock as a function of its structural and compositional order which are derived from petrological analyses. Our results indicate that rock properties like density and porosity are stronger dependent on the structural order, while strength properties additionally depend on the compositional order. The ultrasonic wave velocity responds to both structural and compositional properties. These evidences imply that the geomechanical order is not an independent parameter but a variable function of structural or compositional features, which needs specification for correlation purposes to distinct physical and mechanical rock properties.     

Geotechnical properties of municipal sewage sludge

The geotechnical properties of municipal sewage sludge, in particular those pertinent to the handling and landfilling of the material, are presented. Index, drying, compaction, shear strength and consolidation tests were conducted on the material at different states of biodegradation. The organic content and specific gravity of solids were found to be inversely related, with typical organic contents of 50–70% and specific gravity of solids values of 1.55–1.80. The density of the compacted material was low in comparison with mineral soils. Standard Proctor compaction yielded a maximum dry density of 0.56 tonne/m³ at 85% water content. Laboratory vane-shear and triaxial compression tests indicated that, below about 180% water content, the shear strength of the sludge material increased exponentially with reducing water content. Consolidated-undrained triaxial compression tests on the pasteurised sludge material indicated an effective angle of shearing resistance of 32° for the moderately degraded material and 37° for the strongly degraded material. Biogas was produced at rates of up to 0.33 L/day/kg slurry due to ongoing biodegradation and the resulting pore pressure response must be taken into account in any stress analysis. Consolidation tests using the hydraulic consolidation cell, oedometer and triaxial apparatus indicated that the sludge material was highly compressible although practically impermeable, for example the coefficient of permeability for the moderately degraded slurry was of the order of 10⁻⁹m/s. However, creep deformation was significant with typical coefficient of secondary compression values of 0.02–0.08 for the compacted material. A more free-draining material was produced at higher states of biodegradation.     

Climato-hydrological environment inferred from Lake Baikal sediments based on an automatic orbitally tuned age model

We propose a new automatic orbital tuning algorithm to adjust climatic signals to insolation. This can tune two signals with periodicity only without shape similarity. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) is used as an optimizing method. The new age model for the Brunhes epoch in Lake Baikal core BDP98 defined climatic shifts at about 250 kyr B.P., 350 kyr B.P. and 700 kyr B.P. The sedimentation rate for the interval from 350 kyr B.P. to 700 kyr B.P. was comparatively low and stable. This new model also indicates that there was a stadial during the super interglacial period (MIS 11), and that the terrestrial response to climate change was complex in this period.     

江苏省露采矿山地质环境综合评价研究

本文以江苏省露采矿山地质环境调查资料为基础,采用层次分析法,通过露采矿山地质灾害易发性和自然环境影响程度两方面的12个评价指标,建立江苏省露采矿山地质环境综合评价体系。在确定各评价指标权重和评价分级标准的基础上,以ARCGIS作为系统运行平台,生成江苏省露采矿山地质灾害易发性区划图、自然环境影响程度区划图、矿山地质环境综合区划图。     

水电工程地质信息管理系统的开发探讨

从西南某大型水电工程地质研究及管理系统现状入手,在充分分析水电工程地质数据信息的基础上,提出了较为合理的水电工程地质信息管理系统结构,并将信息管理系统设计为系统维护、数据库查询、图形图像管理、统计分析、报表等五大模块。系统的成功开发不仅为水电工程地质研究工作节约了大量的人力和物力,还为主管部门的决策提供了方便,也为水电工程地质数据信息的共享奠定了基础。     

内蒙古二连盆地岩性圈闭早期形成和多期形成特征分析

根据盆地内部储层和盖层的临界条件,利用盖层排替压力曲线和储层物性曲线联合确定了岩性圈闭的发育层段,发现多个层位可发育岩性圈闭。如果盖层排替压力和储层物性随埋深的变化是按现今各曲线有规律地演化,则可以推测在盆地的埋藏早期就可以形成岩性圈闭,并且在演化过程中存在多个圈闭形成时期。二连盆地若干凹陷的实际资料也证实了岩性圈闭存在早期形成和多期形成的基本特征。岩性圈闭形成期与油气运聚史相结合对研究岩性圈闭成藏过程十分重要。     

四川盆地地质构造演化特征与可地浸砂岩型铀矿找矿前景

本文通过对四川盆地地质构造演化特征的分析,指出由于该盆地基底、盖层结构横向分块的不均一性,在盆地中构造活化弱的地段或抬升剥蚀较早的地段构造形变弱,深埋时间相对短,岩石固结程度较低;其隆坳过渡部位有条件形成较大范围的自流斜坡,有利于形成长期渗入的水文地质条件,是寻找可地浸砂岩型铀矿的目标区。赋存疏松砂体的三叠纪和侏罗纪地层是找矿的目的层。     

河南省西部四道沟银-铅矿区地质特征及找矿远景分析

通过对河南省西部熊耳山地区四道沟银-铅矿区区域地质背景、矿区地质特征和矿体特征、矿化富集特点的分析,综合该区地球物理、地球化学特征,提出四道沟银-铅矿区具有大型银-铅矿的找矿前景.     

浙江省长兴县煤山盆地地球化学异常特征及环境质量初步评价

农业地质环境调查是新兴的地学研究领域。文章以长兴县农业地质环境调查结果为依据，结合区域浅层、深层土壤及浅层地下水测试分析数据的统计特征，圈定了煤山盆地土壤中Cd、Hg、As、Ni、Pb等重金属和与采煤有关的S、Br、Cl、F等不同元素的地球化学异常图，重点分析了异常的空间表现特征，并对土壤、浅层地下水环境质量进行初步评价。结果表明由于大量的煤矸石露天堆放，随着雨水的冲刷，煤矸石中的有毒、有害元素已进入土壤并发生表层富集现象，致使煤山镇、葆青煤矿一带15．5k^2土壤达到轻度一中度污染程度；煤矿矿灯厂虽然已在20世纪80年代停产关闭，但在长达30多年的生产过程中残渣、废液的排放，与之有关的Cu、Pb等有害元素对其周围1km^2左右范围内的土壤造成的重度污染，至今仍然存在。另一方面，盆地中虽然大量煤矸石的堆放已对局部土壤环境质量造成污染，但与煤矸石有关的有毒、有害物质尚未对浅层地下水造成影响。