Application of micropolar plasticity to post failure analysis in geomechanics

A micropolar elastoplastic model for soils is formulated and a series of finite element analyses are employed to demonstrate the use of a micropolar continuum in overcoming the numerical difficulties encountered in application of finite element method in standard Cauchy–Boltzmann continuum. Three examples of failure analysis involving a deep excavation, shallow foundation, and a retaining wall are presented. In all these cases, it is observed that the length scale introduced in the polar continuum regularizes the incremental boundary value problem and allows the numerical simulation to be continued until a clear collapse mechanism is achieved. The issue of grain size effect is also discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relict mountain slope deposits of northern Portugal: facies,sedimentogenesis and environmental implications

This paper deals with the formation processes and the palaeoenvironmental significance of relict slope deposits located on the uppermost part of the north Portugal mountains. For this purpose, seven key sites representative of the different lithofacies have been selected and analysed in detail. The data show that three main dynamic processes are responsible for the emplacement of regional fossil slope deposits: runoff, debris flows and dry grain flows. The ubiquity of these processes and the lack of frost‐related features or landforms do not support the existence of severe Pleistocene climates in this part of the lberian Peninsula as postulated by previous work. Pedological data gathered at one of the study sites show that a subalpine environment was probably present at 700–800 m altitude between 29 and 14 kyr. Using data from the Pyrenees Mountains, a 6.5 to 12°C depression in mean annual temperature has been tentatively postulated for this Pleniglacial period. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The influence of a non‐associated flow rule on the calculation of the factor of safety of soil slopes

This paper presents a method that incorporates a non‐associated flow rule into the limit analysis to investigate the influence of the dilatancy angle on the factor of safety for the slope stability analysis. The proposed method retain's the advantage of the upper bound method, which is simple and has no stress involvement in the calculation of the energy dissipation and the factor of safety. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exposure dating and reinterpretation of coarse debris accumulations (‘rock glaciers’) in the Cairngorm Mountains,Scotland

Relict rock glaciers have considerable potential for contributing to palaeoclimatic reconstruction, but this potential is often undermined by lack of dating control and problems of interpretation. Here we reinvestigate and date four proposed ‘rock glaciers’ in the Cairngorm Mountains and show that the morphology of only one of these appears consistent with that of a true rock glacier produced by creep of underlying ice or ice‐rich sediment. All four features comprise rockslide or rock avalanche runout debris, and the possibility that all four represent unmodified runout accumulations cannot be discounted. Surface exposure dating of the four debris accumulations using cosmogenic ¹⁰Be produced uncertainty‐weighted mean ages of 15.4 ± 0.8 ka, 16.2 ± 1.0 ka, 12.1 ± 0.6 ka and 12.7 ± 0.8 ka. All four ages imply emplacement under cold stadial conditions, two prior to the Windermere Interstade of ca. 14.5–12.9 cal. ka BP and two during the Loch Lomond Stade of ca. 12.9–11.5 cal. ka BP. The above ages indicate that paraglacial rock‐slope failure on granite rockwalls occurred within a few millennia after deglaciation. The mean exposure ages obtained for runout debris at two sites – Strath Nethy (16.2 ± 1.0 ka) and Lairig Ghru (15.4 ± 0.8 ka) – are consistent with basal radiocarbon ages from Loch Etteridge, 22 km to the southwest (mean = 15.6 ± 0.3 cal. ka BP) and imply widespread deglaciation of the Cairngorms and adjacent valleys before 15 ka and possibly 16 ka. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

广西中三叠统浊流流向及坡向

通过对广西中三叠统浊积岩系中溢堤流沉积的识别,结合同一鲍马层序Tc段斜层理倾向与其底部槽模走向不一致的分析,以及横向冲刷模、U形障碍冲刷痕等冲蚀构造、大型滑动模等压刻构造的认识,筛选出宽阔水道充填沉积、扇状体及分支水道沉积中底模构造的指向数据,来指示浊流主体流向,并区分出溢堤流流向。从而确定了本区中三叠世时的浊流主体流向为NW向,平均为300°。根据滑塌沉积中滑塌包卷层轴面、滑塌面的测定,确定凤山县金牙处的古坡向平均为322°,与浊流主体流向基本一致。还认为中三叠世时右江盆地沉积物源来自桂东和桂东南蚀源区,海水由其南的越南境内进入。     

Parabolic Wave Propagation Modelling in Orthogonal Coordinate Systems

This paper presents a numerical model study of the propagation of water waves using the parabolic approximation of the mild-slope equation in the orthogonal coordinate system. Two types of coordinate systems are studied: (a) a general form of orthogonal coordinate system and (b) the conformal system, a special form of orthogonal coordinate system. Two typical examples, namely, expanded breakwaters and a circular channel, are studied to validate the model. First, the examples are studied by use of the general orthogonal coordinates. Then the same examples are computed by use of the confonnal system. The computational results show that the confonnal coordinate system generally gives better predictions than the general orthogonal system. A numerical technique for generating the conformal grid is combined with the numerical model to improve the practicability of the model. The comparison between the result from the numerical grid system and that from the analytical grid system shows that reliable computational results can be obtained by use of the numerical confonnal grid system.     

均匀土质边坡稳定性计算的一种新方法

根据土力学原理 ,推导出一种在不考虑渗流力的情况下 ,确定斜坡临界滑动面和计算斜坡稳定系数的新方法。介绍了该方法在若干土石方工程中的应用实例。     

Periodic Intrusion of Cold Water from the Pacific Ocean into the Bottom Layer of the Bungo Channel in Japan

A cold-water intrusion, called a “bottom intrusion”, occurs in the lower layer of the Bungo Channel in Japan. It is an intrusion from the shelf slope region of the Pacific Ocean margin in the south of the channel. In order to reveal the fundamental characteristics of the bottom intrusion, we conducted long-term observations of water temperature at the surface and bottom layers of the channel and 15-day current observations at the bottom of the shelf-break region. The long-term water temperature data indicated that the bottom intrusion occurs repeatedly between early summer and late autumn, and its reiteration between early and mid-summer causes a local minimum of water temperature in the lower layer in mid-summer. Moreover, the data revealed that most of the bottom intrusions occurred in neap tidal periods. The current meter recorded a bottom intrusion with a speed of approximately 15 cm⋅s⁻¹. The current meter also revealed that the intruded cold water slowly retreated back to the shelf slope region after the intrusion. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Examination of empirical formulas for wave shoaling and breaking on steep slopes

Estimation of the wave height transformation of shoaling and breaking is essential for the nearshore hydrodynamics and the design of coastal structures. Many empirical formulas have been well recognized to the wave height transformation, but most of them were only applicable for gentle slopes. This paper reports the experimental results of wave shoaling and breaking over the steep slopes to examine the applicability of the previous empirical formulas. Two steep bottom slopes of 1/3 and 1/5, and one gentle slope of 1/10 were conducted in the present experiments. Experimental results show that the shoaling distance of steep slopes become short and the surface waves may be partially reflected from the steep bottom, thus the estimation of wave shoaling using the well-known previous formula did not conform completely to the experimental results. The previous empirical formulas for the wave breaking criteria were also examined, and the modified equations to the steep beaches were proposed in this work. A numerical model was finally adopted to calculate the wave height transformation in the surf zone by introducing the modified breaking index.