A novel coupled FDM-DEM modelling method for flexible membrane boundary in laboratory tests

Difficulties are involved in discrete element method (DEM) modelling of the flexible boundary, that is, the membranes covering the soil sample, which can be commonly found in contemporary laboratory soil tests. In this paper, a novel method is proposed wherein the finite difference method (FDM) and DEM are coupled to simulate the rubber membrane and soil body, respectively. Numerical plane strain and triaxial tests, served by the flexible membrane, are implemented and analysed later. The effect of the membrane modulus on the measurement accuracy is considered, with analytical formulae derived to judge the significance of this effect. Based on an analysis of stress-strain responses and the grain rotation field, the mechanical performances produced by the flexible and rigid lateral boundaries are compared for the plane strain test. The results show that (1) the effect of the membrane on the test result becomes more significant at larger strain level because the membrane applies additional lateral confining pressure to the soil body; (2) the tested models reproduce typical stress and volumetric paths for specimens with shear bands; (3) for the plane strain test, the rigid lateral boundary derives a much higher peak strength and larger bulk dilatation, but a similar residual strength, compared with the flexible boundary. The latter produces a more uniform (or ‘diffuse') rotation field and more mobilised local kinematics than does the former. All simulations show that the proposed FDM-DEM coupling method is able to simulate laboratory tests with a flexible boundary membrane.     

Revisiting the existence of an effective stress for wet granular soils with micromechanics

A possible effective stress variable for wet granular materials is numerically investigated based on an adapted discrete element method (DEM) model for an ideal three‐phase system. The DEM simulations consider granular materials made of nearly monodisperse spherical particles, in the pendular regime with the pore fluid mixture consisting of distinct water menisci bridging particle pairs. The contact force‐related stress contribution to the total stresses is isolated and tested as the effective stress candidate for dense or loose systems. It is first recalled that this contact stress tensor is indeed an adequate effective stress that describes stress limit states of wet samples with the same Mohr‐Coulomb criterion associated with their dry counterparts. As for constitutive relationships, it is demonstrated that the contact stress tensor used in conjunction with dry constitutive relations does describe the strains of wet samples during an initial strain regime but not beyond. Outside this so‐called quasi‐static strain regime, whose extent is much greater for dense than loose materials, dramatic changes in the contact network prevent macroscale contact stress‐strain relationships to apply in the same manner to dry and unsaturated conditions. The presented numerical results also reveal unexpected constitutive bifurcations for the loose material, related to stick‐slip macrobehavior.     

A continuum‐discrete hydromechanical analysis of granular deposit liquefaction

A coupled continuum‐discrete hydromechanical model was employed to analyse the liquefaction of a saturated loose deposit of cohesionless particles when subjected to a dynamic base excitation. The pore fluid flow was idealized using averaged Navier–Stokes equations and the discrete element method was employed to model the solid phase particles. A well established semi‐empirical relationship was utilized to quantify the fluid–particle interactions. The conducted simulations revealed a number of salient micro‐mechanical mechanisms and response patterns associated with the deposit liquefaction. Space and time variation of porosity was a major factor which affected the coupled response of the solid and fluid phases. Pore fluid flow was within Darcy's regime. The predicted response exhibited macroscopic patterns consistent with experimental results and case histories of the liquefaction of granular soil deposits. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An explicit representation of steady state response of a beam on an elastic foundation to moving harmonic line loads

A closed‐form deflection response of a beam rest is presented in this paper using the integral transform method. The theory of linear partial differential equations is used to represent the deflection of beam subjected to a moving harmonic line load in integration form. The solution is finally carried out using the inverse Fourier transform. To evaluate the integration analytically, poles of the integrand are identified with the help of algebraic equation theory. Residue theorem is then utilized to represent the integration as a contour integral in the complex plane. Closed‐form deflections and numerical results are provided for different combinations of load frequency and velocity. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bond rolling resistance and its effect on yielding of bonded granulates by DEM analyses

A discrete element modelling of bonded granulates and investigation on the bond effect on their behaviour are very important to geomechanics. This paper presents a two‐dimensional (2‐D) discrete element theory for bonded granulates with bond rolling resistance and provides a numerical investigation into the effect of bond rolling resistance on the yielding of bonded granulates. The model consists of mechanical contact models and equations governing the motion of bonded particles. The key point of the theory is that the assumption in the original bond contact model previously proposed by the authors (55th CSCE‐ASCE Conference, Hamilton, Ont., Canada, 2002; 313–320; J. Eng. Mech. (ASCE) 2005; 131 (11):1209–1213) that bonded particles are in contact at discrete points, is here replaced by a more reliable assumption that bonded particles are in contact over a width. By making the idealization that the bond contact width is continuously distributed with the normal/tangential basic elements (BE) (each BE is composed of spring, dashpot, bond, slider or divider), we establish a bond rolling contact model together with bond normal/tangential contact models, and also relate the governing equations to local equilibrium. Only one physical parameter β needs to be introduced in the theory in comparison to the original bond discrete element model. The model has been implemented into a 2‐D distinct element method code, NS2D. Using the NS2D, a total of 86 1‐D, constant stress ratio, and biaxial compressions tests have been carried out on the bonded granular samples of different densities, bonding strengths and rolling resistances. The numerical results show that: (i) the new theory predicts a larger internal friction angle, a larger yielding stress, more brittle behaviour and larger final broken contact ratio than the original bond model; (ii) the yielding stress increases nonlinearly with the increasing value of β, and (iii) the first‐yield curve (initiation of bond breakage), which define a zone of none bond breakage and which shape and size are affected by the material density, is amplified by the bond rolling resistance in analogous to that predicted by the original bond model. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

复杂模型重力位场快速正反演方法及应用

提要 本文详细讨论了一种三维重力位场快速正反演方法。作者在前人工作的基础上,对算法作了行之有效的改进,通过对反演中的不稳定因素进行各种理论模型试算,得出保证迭代反演稳定收敛的准则,编制出可在微型机IBM—PC上运行的人机对话式自动正反演程序。本文还对各种不均质模型进行了模似计算并将该方法应用于某含油气沉积盆地的双层界面构造研究,揭示出了储油有利地段。     

密度和压缩系数的散射层析成像法

本文在速度成像的基础上研究了同时对密度和压缩系数成像的散射波层析成像法.对不同散射角度的计算可以得到一系列反演图像,拟合这些图像,从而可以有效地达到对密度和压缩系数（或速度）成像的目的.与单纯的速度成像相比,增加了反演的难度.首先是对资料的方位性要求增加;其次是对资料的利用率下降.即便如此,从对较少量的炮点和检波点资料的数值计算来看,仍取得了满意的成像结果.我们对组成字母“A”的散射体结构进行了成像计算,结果能够同时再现密度和压缩系数,成像清晰,表明了方法的可行性,并能应用于复杂结构的成像问题.     

用随机介质模型方法描述孔洞型油气储层

孔洞型储集层具有强烈的非均质性,在空间分布上变化剧烈,规律性差,其地球物理参数(如速度、密度、弹性参数等)在空间上的变化很难用传统的层状介质模型进行刻画.本文借助随机模型方法,研究孔洞型储层中不同孔洞尺度、分布密度与模型参数的关系,建立反映实际孔洞油气储层介质地球物理参数空间分布统计特征的随机介质模型,以更方便地对孔洞型油气储层进行描述,并为碳酸盐岩孔洞型储层地震反射特征的研究提供有效的方法途径.     

阿尔金断裂昌马大坝—宽滩山段全新世活动特征

阿尔金断裂是我国西部著名的巨型走滑断裂带之一,也是全新世活动断裂和发震断裂。该断裂昌马大坝—宽滩山段运动方式为以左行走滑占主导,伴有弱的垂直运动;在距今2.7ka以来发生过明显的新构造活动（和地震）。在沙坪—宽滩山段全新世左行走滑位移速率为0.9～2.2mm/a,明显低于阿尔金断裂东段昌马大坝以西地区4～5mm/a和中西段9～11mm/a的位移速率。阿尔金断裂东段在肃北和昌马大坝出现二次位移速率的锐减,锐减的部分分别转化为海原活动断裂西段（党河南山断裂）和祁连山北缘活动断裂西段的左行走滑和逆冲,且在位移速率数值上相互之间具有非常好的对应性。阿尔金断裂在肃北位移速率减少部分（4.6mm/a）与海原活动断裂西段（党河南山断裂）的位移速率（4～5mm/a）非常接近,同样阿尔金断裂在昌马大坝位移速率减少部分（3.2mm/a）与祁连山北缘活动断裂的位移速率（3.0mm/a）也非常接近。