Dynamic modelling of retrogressive landslides with emphasis on the role of clay sensitivity

This paper presents a detailed numerical study of the retrogressive failure of landslides in sensitive clays. The dynamic modelling of the landslides is carried out using a novel continuum approach, the particle finite element method, complemented with an elastoviscoplastic constitutive model. The multiwedge failure mode in the collapse is captured successfully, and the multiple retrogressive failures that have been widely observed in landslides in sensitive clays are reproduced with the failure mechanism, the kinematics, and the deposition being discussed in detail. Special attention has been paid to the role of the clay sensitivity on each retrogressive failure as well as on the final retrogression distance and the final run‐out distance via parametric studies. Moreover, the effects of the viscosity of sensitive clays on the failure are also investigated for different clay sensitivities.     

Smeared crack approach: back to the original track

This paper briefly reviews the formulations used over the last 40 years for the solution of problems involving tensile cracking, with both the discrete and the smeared crack approaches. The paper focuses on the smeared approach, identifying as its main drawbacks the observed mesh‐size and mesh‐bias spurious dependence when the method is applied ‘straightly’. A simple isotropic local damage constitutive model is considered, and the (exponential) softening modulus is regularized according to the material fracture energy and the element size. The continuum and discrete mechanical problems corresponding to both the weak discontinuity (smeared cracks) and the strong discontinuity (discrete cracks) approaches are analysed and the question of propagation of the strain localization band (crack) is identified as the main difficulty to be overcome in the numerical procedure. A tracking technique is used to ensure stability of the solution, attaining the necessary convergence properties of the corresponding discrete finite element formulation. Numerical examples show that the formulation derived is stable and remarkably robust. As a consequence, the results obtained do not suffer from spurious mesh‐size or mesh‐bias dependence, comparing very favourably with those obtained with other fracture and continuum mechanics approaches. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strain localization in sand: an overview of the experimental results obtained in Grenoble using stereophotogrammetry

Experimental results are presented from the extensive program of drained plane strain compression tests on sand carried out in Grenoble over the last two decades. Systematic analysis of photographs of the deforming specimen allowed for measuring deformations and determining strain fields throughout the test, that is: prior to, at, and after the onset of strain localization. The principles, details and accuracy of the procedure are described, as well as its suitability to properly depict the patterns of deformation. Findings concerning the occurrence and progression of strain localization are discussed. The issues of shear band orientation and thickness are addressed, as well as temporary and persistent complex localization patterns, and the volumetric behaviour inside a band after its formation. The influence of such variables as initial state of the sand (effective stress and relative density), specimen size and slenderness, as well as grain size, is discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd     

Strain softening of K0-consolidated Changi sand under plane-strain conditions

Experimental results are presented in this paper to study the strain softening behaviour of a marine dredged sand under plane-strain conditions. K₀ consolidated drained and undrained tests were conducted using a new plane-strain apparatus to characterize the strain softening behaviour of the sand under plane-strain conditions. For medium dense specimens, strain softening and shear bands were observed to occur under both drained and undrained conditions. For very loose specimens, no shear bands were observed and critical states were reached within the homogeneous deformation region in both drained and undrained tests. Strain softening was observed to occur at small strain for very loose specimens under undrained conditions. Two types of strain softening, the homogenous softening and banding softening, were identified and the conditions for strain softening were established. The results obtained from this study were compared with the studies by Han and Vardoulakis (Géotechnique 41(1):49–78, 1991), Finno et al. (J Geotech Eng ASCE 122(6):462–473, 1996, Géotechnique 47(1):149–165, 1997) and Mokni and Desrues (Mech Cohes-Frict Mat 4:419–441, 1998).     

Relationship of Uncertainty and Line Segment for Between Polygon Segment Spatial Data in GIS

The mathematic theory for uncertainty model of line segment are summed up to achieve a general conception, and the line error hand model of εσ is a basic uncertainty model that can depict the line accuracy and quality efficiently while the model of εm and error entropy can be regarded as the supplement of it. The error band model will reflect and describe the influence of line uncertainty on polygon uncertainty. Therefore, the statistical characteristic of the line error is studied deeply by analyzing the probability that the line error falls into a certain range. Moreover, the theory accordance is achieved in the selecting the error buffer for line feature and the error indicator. The relationship of the accuracy of area for a polygon with the error loop for a polygon boundary is deduced and computed.     

山西北部至晋冀蒙交界地区几次中强地震前4.0级地震活动的研究

对山西北部至晋冀蒙交界地区中强地震前的 4 .0级地震进行了研究 ,得出其特征为异常增强—异常平静—信号地震的结论 ,认为该区某些 4 .0级地震活动似可作为某些中强地震的前兆地震而进行进一步的研究。     

内蒙古达茂旗北部奥陶纪花岗岩类特征及其构造意义

研究区奥陶纪花岗岩分布于乌兰布拉格 -哥舍深大断裂 (槽台断裂 )以北 ,岩石类型主要有闪长岩、石英闪长岩、斜长花岗岩和花岗闪长岩。岩石中 Si O2 质量分数为 5 6.76%～ 69.2 4 % ,Al2 O3较高 (多 >1 6% ) ,富 Na2 O贫 K2 O,A/ CNK均 <1 .1 ,为准铝质的钙碱性岩石系列。稀土总量普遍较低 ,为 (63 .4 1～ 1 4 0 .61 )× 1 0 - 6 ,轻重稀土分馏强烈 ,铕异常不明显 (δEu=0 .95～1 .2 2 6)。痕量元素特征与典型的火山弧花岗岩相似。结合区域地质背景 ,认为该套花岗岩类为与洋壳消减有关的岛弧型花岗岩 ,岩浆起源于加厚陆壳的底部。从花岗岩的分布及迁移规律推测 ,华北陆块与其北缘增生带之间的早古生代洋壳可能是由南西向北东的斜向消减     

内蒙古喀喇沁早白垩世橄辉云煌岩岩筒

探寻地幔物质上涌的通道口，是大陆岩石圈研究所感兴趣的，它将为人们提供更多的岩石圈深部信息。本文报道的是在内蒙古喀喇沁黑龙潭火山颈中发现的橄辉云煌岩，其K-Ar同位素年龄为124Ma。火山活动明显受到中生代构造活动控制。火山岩的元素地球化学特征反映岩浆来自富集地幔，在源区存在陆壳的混染作用。     

内蒙古东部森林沼泽区1∶20万区域化探工作回顾

通过对内蒙古东部森林沼泽区开展1∶20万区域化探4个不同阶段工作方法技术及效果的回顾和总结,认为在不同时期的工作方法技术随着对森林沼泽区这一特殊景观的认识不断加深,其工作方法技术也在不断改进,发现矿点8处、矿化点17处,其中,银锌矿17处、金矿1处,取得了较好的地球化学勘查成果,所完成图幅较客观地反映了工作区区域构造、成岩成矿作用的表层地球化学面貌,大大提高了地球化学信息的可靠性和真实性。     

岩石受压破裂的ULF和LF电磁前兆信号

实验观测到了4类岩性、18块样品在单轴压力下直至破裂发生全过程中的ULF和LF电磁前兆信号。这些不同频率的信号是零散出现的，其形态为一组组脉冲，宽度为4ms～16ms，幅度为0．1mV～1．4mV。实验发现具同一谐振频率的天线收到的信号频次与其相对于裂缝的位置和方位有关。结果还表明，电磁前兆信号的频度与岩样强度有关，抗压强度高的岩样电磁前兆信号多。微破裂可能产生了偶电层，在破裂过程中向外辐射，产生了LF频段的磁信号，ULF磁信号则主要由压磁效应产生。