A Procedure for Determining the Reaction Curve of Shotcrete Lining Considering Transient Conditions

Summary The mechanical behaviour of a shotcrete lining is analysed in this paper using the convergence-confinement approach. A calculation procedure is presented which is able to provide the reaction curve of a lining with increasing stiffness, by taking into account the variability due to time of the shotcrete stiffness and strength, as well as the face advancement rate. The proposed procedure is also able to provide the change of the safety factor of the lining in time. This results to be a very useful tool for understanding the behaviour of this widely used support and for assigning its thickness to guarantee stability (also in transient conditions), with a known safety factor, during tunnel excavation. Received May 25, 2001; accepted July 18, 2002; Published online January 21, 2003 Acknowledgements The author would like to thank Prof. S. Pelizza and Dr. S. Xu for the help given during the preparation of this paper. The help of the Editor G. Barla is also acknowledged. Authors' address: Dr. P. P. Oreste, Department of Earth Resources and Land, Politecnics di Torino, corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 1-10129 Torino, Italy; e-mail: oreste@polito.it     

A new numerical approach to the hyperstatic reaction method for segmental tunnel linings

This paper proposes a numerical approach to the hyperstatic reaction method (HRM) for the analysis of segmental tunnel linings. The influence of segmental joints has been considered directly using a fixity ratio that is determined on the basis of the rotational stiffness. The parameters necessary for the calculation are presented. A specific implementation has been developed using a FEM framework. This code is able to consider the three‐dimensional (3D) effect of segment joints in successive rings on the tunnel lining behaviour. The present HRM allows one to take an arbitrary distribution of segment joints along the tunnel boundary into consideration. In addition, the rotational stiffness of segment joints has been simulated using nonlinear behaviour, as it is closer to the true behaviour of a joint than linear or bilinear behaviour. The numerical results of three hypotheses on ring interaction, which allow the 3D effect of a segmental tunnel lining to be taken into account, have been compared with data obtained from the shield‐driven tunnel of the Bologna–Florence high‐speed railway line project. The numerical results presented in the paper show that the proposed HRM can be used to effectively estimate the behaviour of a segmental tunnel lining. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A minimal dynamical model for tidal synchronization and orbit circularization

We study tidal synchronization and orbit circularization in a minimal model that takes into account only the essential ingredients of tidal deformation and dissipation in the secondary body. In previous work we introduced the model (Escribano et al. in Phys. Rev. E, 78:036216, 2008); here we investigate in depth the complex dynamics that can arise from this simplest model of tidal synchronization and orbit circularization. We model an extended secondary body of mass m by two point masses of mass m/2 connected with a damped spring. This composite body moves in the gravitational field of a primary of mass M ≫ m located at the origin. In this simplest case oscillation and rotation of the secondary are assumed to take place in the plane of the Keplerian orbit. The gravitational interactions of both point masses with the primary are taken into account, but that between the point masses is neglected. We perform a Taylor expansion on the exact equations of motion to isolate and identify the different effects of tidal interactions. We compare both sets of equations and study the applicability of the approximations, in the presence of chaos. We introduce the resonance function as a resource to identify resonant states. The approximate equations of motion can account for both synchronization into the 1:1 spin-orbit resonance and the circularization of the orbit as the only true asymptotic attractors, together with the existence of relatively long-lived metastable orbits with the secondary in p:q (p and q being co-prime integers) synchronous rotation.     

2D Tunnel Numerical Investigation: The Influence of the Simplified Excavation Method on Tunnel Behaviour

Tunnel excavation is a three-dimensional (3D) problem. However, despite recent advances in computing resources, 3D models are still computationally inefficient and two-dimensional (2D) simulations are therefore often used. Modelling the tunnelling process in a 2D plane strain analysis requires a specific approach that allows a 3D tunnelling effect to be taken into consideration. As far as the urban tunnels are concerned, most cases reported in the literature have focused on estimating the applicability of these equivalent approaches that are based on the evaluation of the settlement that develops on the ground surface, without considering the influence of segment joints. The main objective of this study was to provide a 2D numerical investigation to highlight the influence of two equivalent approaches, that is, the convergence-confinement method (CCM) and the volume loss method (VLM), on the behaviour of a tunnel built in an urban area, in terms of not only the surface settlement but also the structural lining forces, taking into account the effect of segment joints. A technique that can be used to simulate the tunnel wall displacement process, based on the principles of the VLM, has been developed using the FLAC^3D finite difference program (Itasca in FLAC fast Lagrangian analysis of continua, version 4.0; User’s manual, http.itascacg.com, 2009). A comparison with 3D numerical results has been introduced to estimate the precision of these 2D equivalent approaches. The results have shown a significant influence of the tunnel boundary deconfinement technique and segment joints on the tunnel lining behaviour and surface settlements. The structural forces obtained by means of the CCM are often smaller than those determined with the VLM for the same surface settlement. Generally, the structural lining forces determined by the CCM are in better agreement with the 3D numerical results than the ones obtained with the VLM. However, in order to obtain an accurate estimation of the structural forces, the impact of the construction loads during tunnelling should be taken into account.     

Influence of lunar phases,winds and seasonality on the stranding of mesopelagic fish in the Strait of Messina (Central Mediterranean Sea)

The shore stranding of mesopelagic fauna is a recurrent phenomenon in the Strait of Messina (Central Mediterranean Sea). The aim of this paper is to test the influence of lunar phases, winds and seasons upon the frequency of occurrence of strandings of mesopelagic fish. Species abundance in relation to these factors was quantified for the first time. Specimens were collected stranded on the shore along the Sicilian coast of the Strait of Messina between 2008 and 2016. Overall 32 species belonging to seven families (Gonostomatidae, Microstomatidae, Myctophidae, Paralepididae, Phosichthyidae, Sternoptychidae, Stomiidae) were found stranded. Myctophidae was the family including the highest number of species (16), whereas Gonostomatidae was the most abundant in terms of total number of individuals (47.2%), mainly thanks to the species Cyclothone braueri. The moon, which influences the strength of currents (highest during full and new moon phases) and irradiance (higher in some lunar phases, such as the full moon), affected the abundance of stranded mesopelagic fish in the study area. The highest number of stranding events was recorded during the new moon: 34.6% of the total relative abundance of stranded mesopelagic fish. Wind blowing from the sea towards the coastline (southeasterly and easterly winds) created the best conditions for strandings. The highest abundance of stranded specimens was recorded during the winter season.     

Multiplatform observation of the surface circulation in the Gulf of Naples (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea)

The Gulf of Naples (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) is a highly urbanised area, where human activities and natural factors (e.g. river runoff, exchanges with adjacent basins) can strongly affect the water quality. In this work we show how surface transport can influence the distribution of passively drifting surface matter, and more in general if and how the circulation in the basin can promote the renovation of the surface layer. To this aim, we carried out a multiplatform analysis by putting together HF radar current fields, satellite images and modelling tools. Surface current fields and satellite images of turbidity patterns were used to initialise and run model simulations of particle transport and diffusion. Model results were then examined in relation to the corresponding satellite distributions. This integrated approach permits to investigate the concurrent effects of surface dynamics and wind forcing in determining the distribution of passive tracers over the basin of interest, identifying key mechanisms supporting or preventing the renewal of surface waters as well as possible areas of aggregation and retention.     

Wave groupiness and spectral bandwidth as relevant parameters for the performance assessment of wave energy converters

To date the estimation of long-term wave energy production at a given deployment site has commonly been limited to a consideration of the significant wave height H_s and mean energy period T_e. This paper addresses the sensitivity of power production from wave energy converters to the wave groupiness and spectral bandwidth of sea states. Linear and non-linear systems are implemented to simulate the response of converters equipped with realistic power take-off devices in real sea states. It is shown in particular that, when the converters are not much sensitive to wave directionality, the bandwidth characteristic is appropriate to complete the set of overall wave parameters describing the sea state for the purpose of estimating wave energy production.     

Plio-Quaternary segmentation of the south Tyrrhenian forearc basin

The structural elements constituting the forearc basin of the Calabrian Arc–Sicily orogenic system are recognizable on land and in the Tyrrhenian offshore. The Plio–Pleistocene retreat of the Ionian subduction hinge, coeval with the roll-back of the Africa continental crust, leads to segmentation of the forearc basin and southeastward migration of the Calabrian Arc due to its higher degree of mobility compared to Sicily, where, on the contrary, continental collision takes place. The analysis of geological data collected in three areas of the orogenic belt and the integration with offshore geophysical data show evidence of two phases of subduction hinge retreat: (1) Late Pliocene–Early Pleistocene southeastward migration accompanied by the development of N120°E trending tear-faults and NE–SW-trending extensional systems, (2) Middle–Late Pleistocene SSE-ward migration with development of NNW–SSE-trending tear-faults and N70°E-trending collapse systems. The data presented here provide an innovative framework for the interpretation of this most seismically active area of the Mediterranean. In particular, in the Messina Strait area, the more recent N70°E lineaments could be associated with the faults that generated the 1783 Calabria earthquake and are coherent with the focal mechanism of the 1908 Messina earthquake, confirmed also by the analysis of frequency diagrams of the elongation directions of the isoseists.     

Gezira Scheme between state and market: some remarks on the privatization of irrigation in Sudan

This paper is a study of so-called privatization of the great Sudanese Gezira Scheme, under the structural and budgetary problems of the country. Nothwithstanding the official declaration, in reality privatization affected the project just in nominal way. Indeed, two factors play against it: the resistance of the State, which wants to hold the management of the national strategic resources, and the resistance of the territory itself which — as autopoietic system — reacts against any attempt to change its own structure. The islamic renewal(tajdid) can be considered as a way to solve the dilemma between development and social consent, under these new conditions.     

Factors Controlling Seismic Susceptibility of the Sele Valley Slopes: The Case of the 1980 Irpinia Earthquake Re-Examined

Most of the documented slope failures triggered by the 1980 Irpinia earthquake (M_s 6.9) occurred in the upper Sele valley epicentral area (southern Italy). The early investigations revealed some puzzling characteristics of the slope failure distribution, i.e., (i) the higher landslide concentration on the valley slopes located farther away from the earthquake fault; (ii) the predominance of re-activations over first-time movements. The analyses of factors controlling the landslide concentrations indicates that the differences in hydrological setting and in slope were the two main causal factors whereas the seismic shaking, according to the radiation pattern modelling, could have been characterised by a relatively low rate of decrease across the valley. The aspect of the slopes did not play a significant role. The differences in groundwater conditions between the western and eastern valley sides were probably enhanced by the earthquake. In addition to the probable pore-water pressure rise, the seismic shaking caused large increases in the flow of springs draining the western aquifer, and this made the adjacent flysch slopes more prone to landsliding. Data from the available literature suggest that the effects of earthquake-induced groundwater release on seismic landslide distribution is especially important for normal-fault events. The Sele valley case also indicates that the slope of the pre-existing landslides is an important factor controlling their susceptibility to seismic re-activations.