Size and shape evolution of pores in a viscoplastic matrix under compression

The frequent use of soils and earth materials for hydraulic capping and for geo‐environmental waste containment motivated our interest in detailed modelling of changes in size and shape of macro‐pores to establish links between soil mechanical behaviour and concurrent changes in hydraulic and transport properties. The objective of this study was to use finite element analysis (FEA) to test and extend previous analytical solutions proposed by the authors describing deformation of a single macro‐pore embedded in linear viscoplastic soil material subjected to anisotropic remote stress. The FEA enables to consider more complex pore geometries and provides a detailed picture of matrix yield behaviour to explain shortcomings of approximate analytical solutions. Finite element and analytical calculations agreed very well for linear viscous as well as for viscoplastic materials, only limited for the case of isotropic remote stress due to the simplifications of the analytical model related to patterns and onset of matrix‐yielding behaviour. FEA calculations were compared with experimental data obtained from a compaction experiment in which pore deformation within a uniform modelling clay sample was monitored using CAT scanning. FEA predictions based on independently measured material properties and initial pore geometry provided an excellent match with experimentally determined evolution of pore size and shape hence lending credence to the potential use of FEA for more complex pore geometries and eventually connect macro‐pore deformation with hydraulic properties. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Discriminating between pore‐filling load and bed‐structure load: a new porosity‐based method,exemplified for the river Rhine

Sediments contained in the river bed do not necessarily contribute to morphological change. The finest part of the sediment mixture often fills the pores between the larger grains and can be removed without causing a drop in bed level. The discrimination between pore‐filling load and bed‐structure load, therefore, is of practical importance for morphological predictions. In this study, a new method is proposed to estimate the cut‐off grain size that forms the boundary between pore‐filling load and bed‐structure load. The method evaluates the pore structure of the river bed geometrically. Only detailed grain‐size distributions of the river bed are required as input to the method. A preliminary validation shows that the calculated porosity and cut‐off size values agree well with experimental data. Application of the new cut‐off size method to the river Rhine demonstrates that the estimated cut‐off size decreases in a downstream direction from about 2 to 0·05 mm, covariant with the downstream fining of bed sediments. Grain size fractions that are pore‐filling load in the upstream part of the river thus gradually become bed‐structure load in the downstream part. The estimated (mass) percentage of pore‐filling load in the river bed ranges from 0% in areas with a unimodal river bed, to about 22% in reaches with a bimodal sand‐gravel bed. The estimated bed porosity varies between 0·15 and 0·35, which is considerably less than the often‐used standard value of 0·40. The predicted cut‐off size between pore‐filling load and bed‐structure load (D_c,p) is fundamentally different from the cut‐off size between wash‐load and bed‐material load (D_c,w), irrespective of the method used to determine D_c,p or D_c,w. D_c,w values are in the order of 10^?1 mm and mainly dependent on the flow characteristics, whereas D_c,p values are generally much larger (about 10⁰ mm in gravel‐bed rivers) and dependent on the bed composition. Knowledge of D_c,w is important for the prediction of the total sediment transport in a river (including suspended fines that do not interact with the bed), whereas knowledge of D_c,p helps to improve morphological predictions, especially if spatial variations in D_c,p are taken into account. An alternative to using a spatially variable value of D_c,p in morphological models is to use a spatially variable bed porosity, which can also be predicted with the new method. In addition to the morphological benefits, the new method also has sedimentological applications. The possibility to determine quickly whether a sediment mixture is clast‐supported or matrix‐supported may help to better understand downstream fining trends, sediment entrainment thresholds and variations in hydraulic conductivity.     

Methodology of hydrogeological characterization of deep carbonate aquifers as potential reservoirs of groundwater. Case of study: the Jurassic aquifer of <Emphasis Type="Italic">El Maestrazgo</Emphasis> (Castellón,Spain)

A methodology for the characterization of deep carbonate aquifers has been developed and applied to El Maestrazgo Jurassic aquifer in Castellón, Spain. Characterization of these aquifer formations, located at more than 300 m deep, consisted of a previous phase of compilation, analysis and synthesis of the existing information about the area, followed by a coordinated combination of different speciality studies: geology, stratigraphy, structural analysis, hydrogeology, hydrochemistry, geophysics and remote sensing. Geological studies included geological mapping, definition of stratigraphical units and facies and structural analysis. The aim of the hydrogeology study was to define aquifer formations, recharge area, aquifer points inventory and groundwater flow directions for the establishment of piezometric and water quality observation nets. Special techniques were applied, like thermal infrared aerial images and the evaluation of submarine groundwater discharge by means of natural radium isotopes. Hydrochemical techniques, including majority elements characterization and stable isotopes (¹⁸O, ²H and ³H) determination, allowed classifying hydrochemical facies and establishing a renewal pattern for water within the system. Geophysics was useful in determining the aquifer geometry, the features of the basement and the petrophysical characteristics of the geological formations. Preliminary results show an important tectonic complexity and the possibilities for groundwater uses in the area of study.     

Effect of Cyclic Loading Frequency on Undrained Behaviors of Undisturbed Marine Clay

Based on a series of cyclic triaxial tests, the effect of cyclic frequency on the undrained behaviors of undisturbed marine clay is investigated. For a given dynamic stress ratio, the accumulated pore water pressure and dynamic strain increase with the number of cycles. There exists a threshold value for beth the accumulated pore water pressure and dynamic strain, below which the effect of cyclic frequency is very small, but above which the accumulated pore water pressure and dynamic strain increase intensely with the decrease of cyclic frequency for a given number of cycles. The dynamic strength increases with the increase of cyclic frequency, whereas the effect of cyclic frequency on it gradually diminishes to zero when the number of cycles is large enough, and the dynamic strengths at different frequencies tend to the same limiting minimum dynamic strength. The test results demonstrate that the reasons for the frequency effect on the undrained soil behaviors are beth the creep effect induced by the loading rate and the decrease of sample effective confining pressure caused by the accumulated pore water pressure.     

Inhomogeneous substrate analysis using EM300 backscatter imagery

Backscatter reflectivity from multibeam echo-sounders provides a powerful tool to efficiently characterize seafloor substrates. A comprehensive EM300 bathymetric and backscatter survey has been completed of Cook Strait, in central New Zealand. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the realtime corrections applied to the raw EM300 multibeam data and additional corrections required to compute angular variations of the backscatter strength. The corrections, including the local absorption coefficient, the influence of seafloor topography and sound refraction in the water column, are determined for different Cook Strait seafloor substrates. Modifying MB-System software code, we extracted the backscatter signal parameters in order to quantify the raw backscatter strength and apply additional processing. Profiles of backscatter strength versus incidence angle were computed for a variety of sites characterized by flat seafloor and homogeneous substrates, and for which ground-truth data were available. For each homogeneous site, different but characteristic backscatter profiles are observed that can be interpreted in terms of sediment facies. To analyze heterogeneous substrates, we present a statistical technique, based on a 3-dimensional distribution of (incidence angle, backscatter strength) couples that preserves geological information of the substrate components. This analysis, using backscatter data acquired on a submarine volcano, north of New Zealand, clearly differentiates soft sediments and lava flows within a heterogeneous substrate.     

钛型吸附剂的表面特性

用自装的BET容量法装置测定了几种粒状钛型吸附剂的比表面及其孔径分布。测定是在常温减压下进行的。结果表明:钛型吸附剂在加铀海水中的吸铀量与样品的比表面及孔径分布有一定的内在联系。这种表面性质的研究对吸附剂的筛选有重要的指导意义。     

动荷载作用下海底粉土的孔压响应及其动强度

本文选用近海分布较广的粉土为研究对象 ,利用室内动三轴试验结果 ,找出动荷载作用下粉土的动应力应变关系 ,分析模拟波浪荷载作用下粉土中的孔压响应、临界循环次数 ,确定波浪作用下粉土的应力状态、破坏临界循环次数 ,判断不同深度处的粉土发生液化的可能性及发生液化所需要的时间 ;研究粉土在动荷载作用下的强度降低 ,为海上工程设计和施工提供科学依据。     

耗氧速率(OUR)测量方法的实验研究

目前多采用分批实验法和呼吸测量仪测量耗氧速率,而耗氧速率的测量对于研究活性污泥数学模型中的动力学参数及废水特性鉴定具有重要意义。本文根据OUR测量方法的基本原理设计了1种简易的OUR测量装置,为检验测量装置的有效性,设计了相关实验进行验证。在内源呼吸实验中,测定了所用活性污泥的内源呼吸速率是5.1mgO2/L·h,污泥的衰减系数是0.0137h-1,比文献值略高。基质降解实验对人工配水(葡萄糖和淀粉)的耗氧速率进行了测定,实验结果显示有3个显著不同的耗氧速率,分别为35mg/L·h,13mg/L·h,6mg/L·h,它们各代表葡萄糖降解、淀粉降解和内源呼吸的速率。内源呼吸速率高于前1个实验是由于基质降解过程中污泥量增加所致。并计算出异养菌产率系数Kd为0.63mgVSS/mgCOD,Kd略低于文献值。实验结果证明,该装置能很好的实现测量目的。     

波浪作用下海床的有效应力分析

波浪作用下海床的稳定性分析是海洋工程地质评价的重要内容。海床的稳定性可通过计算分析其随时间变化的有效应力场来评估。本文建议了一个周期荷载作用下土体的本构模型 ,并用于计算波浪作用下海床的应力与变形。采用Biot固结理论和有限单元法 ,分析了海床的动态应力场与孔隙水压力场。波浪作用下两种渗透系数时有效应力的动态变化过程结果对比 ,反映了渗透消散作用对海床有效应力变化的影响     

斑鳢(Channa maculata)微囊藻毒素去毒相关基因sGST的克隆与序列分析

采用RT-PCR技术和RACE技术成功克隆淡水鱼类斑鳢sGST基因cDNA全序列,推测得到氨基酸序列,初步分析其结构功能域及系统进化关系。结果表明,斑鳢sGST基因cDNA序列全长为898bp,编码225个氨基酸。斑鳢sGST与真鲷、金头鲷、鲽、黑头鲦、川鲽、大口黑鲈等最新定名为ρ型的sGST氨基酸同源性较高,ρ型sGST为水生生物所特有并共同占据进化树上独立的分枝;与大鼠、小鼠、人等哺乳动物sGST现有所有类型同源性均很低,并且在进化树上距离也较远,表明本研究成功克隆的sGST基因应属于ρ型,可能在鱼类等水生生物对水栖环境的适应上有重要作用。