Reliability assessment of granular filters in embankment dams

Empirical criteria have been used successfully to design filters of most embankment large dam projects throughout the world. However, these empirical rules are only applicable to a particular range of soils tested in laboratory and do not take into account the variability of the base material and filter particle sizes. In addition, it is widely accepted that the safety of fill dams is mainly dependent on the reliability of their filter performance. The work herein presented consists in a new general method for assessing the probability of fulfilling any empirical filter design criteria accounting for base and filter heterogeneity by means of first‐order reliability methods (FORM), so that reliability indexes and probabilities of fulfilling any particular criteria are obtained. This method will allow engineers to estimate the safety of existing filters in terms of probability of fulfilling their design criteria and might also be used as a decision tool on sampling needs and material size tolerances during construction. In addition, sensitivity analysis makes possible to analyse how reliabilities are influenced by different sources of input data. Finally, in case of a portfolio risk assessment, this method will allow engineers to compare the safety of several existing dams in order to prioritize safety investments and it is expected to be a very useful tool to evaluate probabilities of failure due to internal erosion. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Overtopping Discharge of Wind-Waves on Simple Slope Dikes

An empirical formula for estimating the overtopping discharge of wind-waves on a smooth-impermeable-simple slope dyke is derived through model tests in this paper, it can be adopted by related design departments in the determination of the crest elevation of the dyke.     

顾及地貌特征的矿区地表塌陷DEM的生成方法

地下煤炭资源开采导致矿区地表塌陷和矿区地形的变化,直接由开采沉陷下沉预计数据生成的DEM不能表现矿区地表塌陷后的地形状况。通过在开采沉陷下沉预计程序中增加高程修正计算功能,对矿区原始地貌高程进行下沉修正计算,生成矿区地表塌陷高程数据文件,由该数据文件可以生成顾及地貌特征的矿区地表塌陷DEM。该方法操作和实现简单,生成的DEM精度可靠,能够表现矿区地表塌陷后的地形状况,可以作为矿区地理信息系统的基础数据,对于指导开采沉陷的防治和治理具有重要意义。     

Detection and evaluation of horizontal fractures in earth dams using the self-potential method

The self-potential method can be applied to evaluate the degree of water seepage into earth or rockfill dams. Spatial distribution of measured self-potential data can indicate possible anomalous water flow. Phenomena, such as piping, can be modelled as cylindrical bodies. Internal erosion can develop structures, which can be represented by a sphere or point source. Differential settlement in the dam structure occasionally creates horizontal fractures, which require equivalent geometrical body formula. An equation, which allows the calculation of a self-potential profile over a horizontal contact, was developed. This equation can also be applied to the inspection of water flow into horizontal drainage filters. When inverse interpretation returns bodies of relatively small amplitudes, then their probability can be tested statistically. A test, based on cross-correlation between a modelled curve and field data, can be used to evaluate their existence at a given probability level. An acceptance criterion is computed, using the concept of likelihood coefficient. The equation was applied to two case histories. The first is an example of water flow evaluation into a horizontal drainage filter. Several anomalous bodies were interpreted from residual self-potential data, i.e. from the difference between the theoretical response of the filter and the measured self-potential values, then, most of the interpreted bodies were statistically tested. The second case deals with detection and evaluation of a horizontal fissure. The interpreted parameters of the detected body corresponded well to a horizontal fracture found when the water level in the reservoir was lowered.     

Peak discharge of a Pleistocene lava-dam outburst flood in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA

The failure of a lava dam 165,000 yr ago produced the largest known flood on the Colorado River in Grand Canyon. The Hyaloclastite Dam was up to 366 m high, and geochemical evidence linked this structure to outburst-flood deposits that occurred for 32 km downstream. Using the Hyaloclastite outburst-flood deposits as paleostage indicators, we used dam-failure and unsteady flow modeling to estimate a peak discharge and flow hydrograph. Failure of the Hyaloclastite Dam released a maximum 11 × 10⁹ m³ of water in 31 h. Peak discharges, estimated from uncertainty in channel geometry, dam height, and hydraulic characteristics, ranged from 2.3 to 5.3 × 10⁵ m³ s⁻¹ for the Hyaloclastite outburst flood. This discharge is an order of magnitude greater than the largest known discharge on the Colorado River (1.4 × 10⁴ m³ s⁻¹) and the largest peak discharge resulting from failure of a constructed dam in the USA (6.5 × 10⁴ m³ s⁻¹). Moreover, the Hyaloclastite outburst flood is the oldest documented Quaternary flood and one of the largest to have occurred in the continental USA. The peak discharge for this flood ranks in the top 30 floods (>10⁵ m³ s⁻¹) known worldwide and in the top ten largest floods in North America.     

三峡库区滑坡治理工程设计中推力荷载计算方法初探

随着三峡水利工程的逐步实施，淹没区移民及新城镇建设等人类工程活动的加剧，以滑坡为主的环境地质问题日益突出。本文从稳定系数、安全系数入手，对铁道、公路等部门常用的设计计算原理进行了研究，并由此类比分析研究了三峡区回水后或库水位正常运行条件下，滑坡治理工程设计计算方法。     

相对湿度对静电收集型连续测氡仪检定结果的影响

NR－667A（Ⅲ）型快速连续测氧仪是目前环境氡测量时间响应最短的一种仪器。该仪器在核工业第六研究所标准氡室进行检定时发现，环境相对相对度对仪器检定结果有很大影响。在相对湿度为80％－99％的标准氡室内分别对仪器进行检定，结果在相对湿度为80％时仪器检定合格，而在相对湿度为99％时仪器检定不合格。本从仪器工作原理对检定结果进行。并提出有效的解决方法，当相对湿度太大时，可在仪器进气口安装干燥器对进气进行除湿。     

改进的灰色模型在中国能源消费及其CO2排放预测中的研究

中国高速的经济发展导致了快速的能源消费和地球温暖化气体的排放量。本文应用灰色理论建立了中国的终端能源消费量的动态预测模型，同时应用等维递补及带有马尔科夫链符号估计的残差修正，对原始模型进行了改进。后验检验的结果证明了改进的预测模型具有较高的计算精度。预测结果表明，两种经济发展情况（高速及低速）下，从2000年到2030年期间的终端能源消费量的平均增长率将分别达到3．06％和2．18％，2030年CO2 的排放量将分别达到2000年的 2． 15及 1．60倍。其中工业及居民生活的能源消费量的增加速度快于其他部门。这表明了中国将要加快其工业化及都市化的进程．终端消费中，煤炭的消费量所占的比例将要逐年减少，而电力的比例则将逐年增大。     

戈壁荒漠区金异常检查评价中存在问题探讨--合理采样介质及采样方法研究

本文通过对甘肃北山-新疆东天山地区化探金异常检查评价过程中遇到的诸多问题进行探讨研究,如采样介质、粒度、采样方式等,初步总结出在戈壁荒漠景观条件下开展化探异常检查评价的合理工作采样方法.     

岷县高炮防雹效果分析

根据甘肃省岷县1959-1998年的年雹日和受灾面积、历史资料，用统计学方法分析检验高炮防雹效果。经序列、wolch检验发现，高炮防雹后“年雹日”减少32．8％，“受灾面积”减少33．6％，显著性水平达到0．05．可信度达95％以上。