Structural modeling and testing of a concrete canoe

A finite element model is set up and experimental tests are performed to help understand the behavior of a concrete canoe and subsequently optimize its design. First, the performance criteria that must be satisfied to participate at the annual ASCE/Master Builders competition are described. Then, the finite element model and the different loading cases that were studied are presented. Results from these loading cases are discussed and used to optimize the material properties as well as the thickness of the hull and the dimensions of the gunwale and reinforcing ribs. Static and dynamic experimental tests were also conducted to validate the results of the finite element analyses. The results indicate that the main stresses and strains are caused by the static load cases. The additional stresses caused during races are small.     

Multicollinearity and correlation among local regression coefficients in geographically weighted regression

Present methodological research on geographically weighted regression (GWR) focuses primarily on extensions of the basic GWR model, while ignoring well-established diagnostics tests commonly used in standard global regression analysis. This paper investigates multicollinearity issues surrounding the local GWR coefficients at a single location and the overall correlation between GWR coefficients associated with two different exogenous variables. Results indicate that the local regression coefficients are potentially collinear even if the underlying exogenous variables in the data generating process are uncorrelated. Based on these findings, applied GWR research should practice caution in substantively interpreting the spatial patterns of local GWR coefficients. An empirical disease-mapping example is used to motivate the GWR multicollinearity problem. Controlled experiments are performed to systematically explore coefficient dependency issues in GWR. These experiments specify global models that use eigenvectors from a spatial link matrix as exogenous variables.This study was supported by grant number 1 R1 CA95982-01, Geographic-Based Research in Cancer Control and Epidermiology, from the National Cancer Institute. The author thank the anonymous reviewers and the editor for their helpful comments.     

An experimental study on the shallow-level migmatization of ferrogabbros from the Fuerteventura Basal Complex, Canary Islands

Spectacular shallow-level migmatization of ferrogabbroic rocks occurs in a metamorphic contact aureole of a gabbroic pluton of the Tierra Mala massif (TM) on Fuerteventura (Canary Islands). In order to improve our knowledge of the low pressure melting behavior of gabbroic rocks and to constrain the conditions of migmatization of the TM gabbros, we performed partial melting experiments on a natural ferrogabbro, which is assumed as protolith of the migmatites. The experiments were performed in an internally heated pressure vessel (IHPV) at 200 MPa, 930–1150 °C at relatively oxidizing conditions. Distinct amounts of water were added to the charge.

From 930 to 1000 °C, the observed experimental phases are plagioclase (An_60–70), clinopyroxene, amphibole (titanian magnesiohastingsites), two Fe–Ti oxides, and a basaltic, K-poor melt. Above 1000 °C, amphibole is no longer stable. The first melts are very rich in normative plagioclase (>70 wt.%). This indicates that at the beginning of partial melting plagioclase is the major phase which is consumed to produce melt. In the experiments, plagioclase is stable up to high temperatures (1060 °C) showing increasing An content with temperature. This is not compatible with the natural migmatites, in which An-rich plagioclase is absent in the melanosomes, while amphibole is stable. Our results show that the partial melting of the natural rocks cannot be regarded as an “in-situ” process that occurred in a closed system. Considerable amounts of alkalis probably transported by water-rich fluids, derived from the mafic pluton underplating the TM gabbro, were necessary to drive the melting reaction out of the stability range of plagioclase. A partial melting experiment with a migmatite gabbro showing typical “in-situ” textures as starting material supports this assumption.

Crystallization experiments performed at 1000 °C on a glass of the fused ferrogabbro with different water contents added to the charge show that generally high water activities could be achieved (crystallization of amphibole), independently of the bulk water content, even in a system with very low initial bulk water content (0.3 wt.%). Increasing water contents produce plagioclase richer in An, reduces the modal proportion of plagioclase in the crystallizing assemblage and extends the melt fraction. High melt fractions of >30 wt.% could only be observed in systems with high bulk water contents (>2 wt.%). This indicates that the migmatites were generated under water-rich conditions (probably water-saturated), since those migmatites, which are characterized as “in-situ” formations, show generally high amounts of leucosomes (>30 wt.%).     

Experimental evidence for diamond-facies metamorphism in the Dora-Maira massif

The peak metamorphic conditions of subducted continental crust in the Dora-Maira massif (Western Alps) have been revised by combining experimental results in the KCMASH system with petrologic information from whiteschists. Textural observations in whiteschists suggest that the peak metamorphic assemblage garnet+phengite+kyanite+coesite±talc originates from the reaction kyanite+talc↔garnet+coesite+liquid. In the experimentally determined petrogenetic grid, this reaction occurs above 45 kbar at 730 °C. At lower pressures, talc reacts either to orthopyroxene and coesite or, together with phengite, to biotite, coesite and kyanite. The liberated liquid contains probably similar amounts of H₂O and dissolved granitic components. The composition of the liquid in the whiteschists at peak metamorphic conditions, a major unknown in earlier studies, was probably very similar to the liquid composition produced in the experiments. Therefore, the experimentally determined petrogenetic grid represents a good model for the estimation of the peak metamorphic conditions in whiteschists. Experimentally determined Si-isopleths for phengite further constrain peak pressures to 43 kbar for the measured Si=3.60 of phengite in the natural whiteschists. All these data provide evidence that the whiteschists reached diamond-facies conditions.

The fluid-absent equilibrium 4 kyanite+3 CELADONITE=4 coesite+3 muscovite+pyrope has been calibrated on the basis of garnet and phengite compositions in the experiments and serves as a geothermobarometer for ultra-high-pressure (UHP) metapelites. For graphite-bearing metapelites and kyanite–phengite eclogites, forming the country rocks of the whiteschists, peak metamorphic pressures of about 44±3 kbar were calculated from this barometer for temperatures of 750 °C estimated from garnet–phengite thermometry. Therefore, the whole ultra-high-pressure unit of the Dora-Maira massif most likely experienced peak metamorphic conditions in the diamond stability field. While graphite is common in the metapelites, diamond has not been found so far. The absence of metamorphic microdiamonds might be explained by the low temperature of metamorphism, the absence of a free fluid phase in the metapelites and a short residence time in diamond-facies conditions resulting in kinetic problems in the conversion of graphite to diamond.     

地下水对地电前兆影响的实验研究

以含水岩土为样本，研究了不同含水率，不同矿化度，不同压力，不同温度以及岩土层中重力水面的不等高度状态下岩土电阻率的定量变化，实验表明，岩土介质电阻率与所含水的特性有十分密切的关系，该实验首次把地下水前兆与地地前兆作为一个整体，来研究地者之间的内在联系，并分析其相关特征。     

PART II: Comparison of Theoretical and Experimental Estimations of Site Effects

— To check the reliability and the quality of the theoretically estimated ground responses obtained from the 2-D simulation by the application of the hybrid method in PART-I, we compare some of them with those obtained at the same sites from observed data using the Standard Spectral Ratio (SSR). The comparison validates our synthetic modeling and shows that in cases of complex geometries, the use of at least 2-D numerical simulations is required in order to reliably evaluate site effects and thus facilitate the microzonation of the city of Thessaloniki.     

Computation of response spectra from mining tremors using neural networks

Underground coal and copper ore exploitation in two Polish mining regions causes mining tremors and a series of other negative phenomena in the environment. Although these tremors are strictly connected with human activity, they differ considerably from other paraseismic vibrations. The moment of their occurrence is not to be foreseen likewise for earthquakes. The main problem discussed in the paper was formulated as the neural network evaluation of a relation between mining tremor energies, epicentral distances and acceleration response spectra. Back-propagation neural networks with Resilient back-propagation learning method were used. Each input vector included information about the mining tremor energy and the epicentral distance. Values of acceleration response spectrum were expected as the outputs of neural networks. Neurally evaluated spectra were compared with spectra computed on the basis of experimental data. After the network is trained and tested, it can be used for mapping of new data of mining tremor energies and epicentral distances into the spectra. Then, what is the substantial advantage of neural approach, the prediction of acceleration response spectra can be performed without recording of surface vibrations. In the light of the results, it is visible that the presented way of computation of acceleration response spectra can be peculiarly applied to prognosis of mining tremors influences on structures.     

Effects of inertial and kinematic interaction on seismic behavior of pile with embedded foundation

Effects of inertial and kinematic forces on pile stresses are studied based on large shaking table tests on pile-structure models with a foundation embedded in dry and liquefiable sand deposits. The test results show that, if the natural period of the superstructure, T_b, is less than that of the ground, T_g, the ground displacement tends to be in phase with the inertial force from the superstructure, increasing the shear force transmitted to the pile. In contrast, if T_b is greater than T_g, the ground displacement tends to be out of phase with the inertial force, restraining the pile stress from increasing. With the effects of earth pressures on the embedded foundation and pile incorporated in, pseudo-static analysis is conducted to estimate maximum moment distribution in pile. It is assumed that the maximum moment is equal to the sum of the two stresses caused by the inertial and kinematic effects if T_b<T_g or the square root of the sum of the squares of the two if T_b>T_g. The estimated pile stresses are in good agreement with the observed ones regardless of the occurrence of soil liquefaction.     

Analysis of earth dams affected by the 2001 Bhuj Earthquake

An earthquake of magnitude of 7.6 (M_w 7.6) occurred in Bhuj, India on January 26, 2001. This event inflicted damages of varying extents to a large number of small to moderate size multi-zone earth dams in the vicinity of the epicenter. Some of the distress was due to the liquefaction of saturated alluvium in foundation. Liquefaction was relatively localized for the majority of these dams because the earthquake struck in the middle of a prolonged dry season when the reservoirs behind these dams were nearly empty and shallow alluvium soils underneath the downstream portions of the dams were partly dry. Otherwise, liquefaction of foundation soils would have been more extensive and damage to these dams more significant. Six such dams have been examined in this paper. Four of these facilities, Chang, Shivlakha, Suvi, and Tapar were within the 50 km of epicenter region. These dams underwent free-field ground motion with peak ground accelerations between 0.28g to 0.52g. Of these Chang Dam underwent severe slumping, whereas Shivlakha, Suvi, and Tapar Dams were affected severely especially over the upstream sections. Fatehgadh Dam and Kaswati Dam were affected relatively less severely. Foundation conditions underneath these dams were first examined for assessing liquefaction potential. A limited amount of subsurface information available from investigations undertaken prior to the earthquake indicates that, although the foundation soils within the top 2.0 to 2.5 m underneath these dams were susceptible to liquefaction, Bhuj Earthquake did not trigger liquefaction because of lack of saturation of these layers underneath the downstream portions of these dams. These dams were then analyzed using a simple sliding block procedure using appropriate estimates of undrained soil strength parameters. The results of this analysis for these structures were found to be in general agreement with the observed deformation patterns.     

Étude expérimentale de la réactivité du CO2 supercritique vis-à-vis de phases minérales pures. Implications pour la séquestration géologique de CO2

Carbon dioxide sequestration in deep aquifers and depleted oilfields is a potential technical solution for reducing green-house gas release to the atmosphere: the gas containment relies on several trapping mechanisms (supercritical CO₂, CO_2(sc), dissolution together with slow water flows, mineral trapping) and on a low permeability cap-rock to prevent CO_2(sc), which is less dense than the formation water, from leaking upwards. A leakproof cap-rock is thus essential to ensure the sequestration efficiency. It is also crucial for safety assessment to identify and assess potential alteration processes that may damage the cap-rock properties: chemical alteration, fracture reactivation, degradation of injection borehole seals, etc. The reactivity of the host-rock minerals with the supercritical CO₂ fluid is one of the potential mechanisms, but it is altogether unknown. Reactivity tests have been carried out under such conditions, consisting of batch reactions between pure minerals and anhydrous supercritical CO₂, or a two-phase CO₂/H₂O fluid at 200?°C and 105/160 bar. After 45 to 60 days, evidence of appreciable mineral-fluid reactivity was identified, including in the water-free experiments. For the mixed H₂O/CO₂ experiments, portlandite was totally transformed into calcite; anorthite displayed many dissolution patterns associated with calcite, aragonite, tridymite and smectite precipitations. For the anhydrous CO₂ experiments, portlandite was totally carbonated to form calcite and aragonite; anorthite also displayed surface alteration patterns with secondary precipitation of fibrous calcite. To cite this article: O. Regnault et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).