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.     

Chaos and elliptical galaxies

Recent results on chaos in triaxial galaxy models are reviewed. Central mass concentrations like those observed in early-type galaxies - either stellar cusps, or massive black holes — render most of the box orbits in a triaxial potential stochastic. Typical Liapunov times are 3–5 crossing times, and ensembles of stochastic orbits undergo mixing on timescales that are roughly an order of magnitude longer. The replacement of the regular orbits by stochastic orbits reduces the freedom to construct self-consistent equilibria, and strong triaxiality can be ruled out for galaxies with sufficiently high central mass concentrations.     

Metamorphic evolution of exhumed middle to lower crustal rocks in the Mojave Extensional Belt, southern California, USA

The Waterman Metamorphic Complex of the central Mojave Desert was exposed as a consequence of early Miocene detachment-dominated extension. However, it has evidence consistent with a more extensive geological history that involves collision of a crustal fragment(s), tectonic thickening by overthrusting and two periods of extension. The metamorphic complex contains granitoid intrusives and felsic mylonitic gneisses as well as polymetamorphic rocks that include marble, calc-silicate, quartzite. mafic granulite, pyribolite, amphibolite, migmatite and biotite schist. The latter group of rocks was affected by an initial series of high-grade metamorphic events (M1 and M2) and a localized lower grade overprint (M3). The initial metamorphism (M1) can be separated into two stages along its high-grade P–T path: M1a, a granulite facies metamorphism at 800–850° C and 7.5–9 kbar and Mlb, an upper amphibolite facies overprint at 750–800° C and 10–12 kbar. M1a developed mineral assemblages and textures consistent with granulite facies conditions at a reduced activity of H₂O and is associated with intense ductile deformation (D1) and minor local partial melting. M1b overprinted the granulite assemblages with a series of hydrous phases under conditions of increasing pressure and H₂O activity and is accompanied by little or no deformation. M2 developed at lower pressures and temperatures (650–750° C, 4.5–5.5 kbar) and is distinguished by a second local overprint of hydrous phases that reflects an input of aqueous fluids probably associated with the intrusion of a series of granitic dykes and veins. Effects of M3 are confined to the Mitchel detachment zone, an anastomosing early Miocene detachment fault, and are characterized by local ductile/brittle deformation (D2) of the pre-existing high-grade rocks and granitoid intrusives and by the production of mylonites and mylonitic gneisses under greenschist facies conditions (300–350° C, 3–5 kbar). The initial overprint (M1a) represents metamorphism, devolatilization and minor partial melting of supracrustal rocks under granulite facies conditions as a consequence of tectonic and, possibly, magmatic thickening. The increasing pressure transition of M1a to M1b reflects a period of continued compressional tectonism, thrusting and influx of H₂O, in part, locally related to crystallization of partial melts. The near isothermal decompression between M1b and M2 probably represents a pre-112-Ma extensional episode that may have been the result of a decompressional readjustment of a thickened crust. Following the initial extensional event, the metamorphic complex remained at depths of 10–17 km for at least 90 Ma until it was uplifted following Miocene extension. M3 develops locally in response to this second extensional period resulting from the early Miocene detachment faulting.     

饱和软黏土动力学特性循环扭剪试验研究

以饱和软黏土的循环扭剪试验研究为基础,阐明不固结不排水条件下饱和软黏土的动力学特性。在循环扭剪和循环三轴两种不同试验应力状态下,通过研究不同围压和不同静、动应力组合下饱和软黏土的应力等效破坏关系和应变等效破坏关系,提出在循环荷载作用下饱和软黏土的循环破坏同样遵循Mises屈服准则,且在Mises屈服准则下,饱和软黏土的循环强度趋于不变量。循环破坏的过程可以等效为一种拟静力弹塑性循环蠕变,建立了饱和软黏土循环累积变形随静荷载、循环荷载以及循环破坏振次之间的关系式。上述结论分别从应力和变形两个方面阐述饱和软黏土的动力学特性,与试验应力状态和围压无关,可以推广到一般应力状态下。     

杭州泗岭铝质A型花岗岩的发现及其构造意义

初步研究表明,以往被认为是典型的S型花岗岩或改造-重熔型花岗岩的泗岭岩体应为铝质A型花岗岩。该岩体高硅、碱、钾而明显贫钙、镁;高(K2O Na2O)/CaO值(平均16.79)和AKI指数(平均0.92);FeO*/MgO比值大(平均13.95),高于M型、S型和I型花岗岩,而与世界A型花岗岩平均值(13.4)相近;岩石为弱碱性、准铝-弱过铝质,富含稀土元素、HFSE元素,高Rb、F和Nb,反映其具A型花岗岩的成分特征。泗岭岩体氧同位素δ18O为 8‰～ 9‰,反映岩浆主要起源于下地壳。该岩体侵位于拉张的构造环境,是晚白垩世早期一次重要的构造-岩浆热事件,同时也反映了区域性孝丰—三门湾大断裂与学川—湖州大断裂在晚白垩世早期处于拉伸阶段。     

冈底斯带东段鲁朗-墨脱地区中新世花岗岩的地球化学、年代学及成因

冈底斯东段的鲁朗-色季拉和墨脱-崩崩拉一带花岗岩的岩石类型主要为二长花岗岩、黑云母花岗岩、花岗闪长岩、石英闪长岩等。墨脱花岗岩的K—Ar年龄为19-22Ma;鲁朗花岗岩的^40Ar—^39Mr年龄为14-18Ma。岩石地球化学研究结果表明,本区花岗岩主要属于高钾钙碱性系列和钙碱性系列,同时具有某些埃达克岩的特征,表现为高SiO2（65．60％-76．40％）、Al2O3（12．32%-17．23％）、Sr／Y（2．41-86．46）、（La／Yb）。（6．65-56．14）比值,低Y（4．23×10^-6-39．40×10^-6）等特点。呈典型的LREE和LILE富集型分配模式．Eu为正到弱负异常。本区中新世花岗岩主要来源于中下陆壳的硅铝质成分和镁铁质成分的重熔,不同于具埃达克岩成分的冈底斯中新世含矿花岗斑岩。以中新世花岗岩侵位为标志,东喜马拉雅构造结地区的初始伸展可能在22Ma左右,早于冈底斯中段（20Ma左右）。     

岩石破坏前后曲线分类及脆-延转换围压研究——蚀变岩常规三轴压缩试验Ⅰ

蚀变岩是工程中少见的软弱岩类,在西南某重大水电工程中,蚀变岩处于工程的重要部位,为保证工程的长期稳定性,对蚀变岩力学特性进行了深入全面的试验研究.通过对孔隙度不同的饱水蚀变岩进行系统的常规三轴压缩试验和总结分析,提出了蚀变岩三轴压缩下破坏前应力.应变曲线可分为3大类,破坏后应力-应变曲线亦可分为3大类的形态模式.并得出结论:蚀变岩的破坏类型受围压与孔隙度的共同影响,在给定的12 MPa围压下蚀变岩以脆性破坏为主,只有孔隙度大于16%且围压大于4 MPa时才有可能进入脆-延转换状态,且脆-延转换围压随孔隙度增加而降低,临界状态应力比随孔隙度增大而增加.     

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.     

南沙西部海域伸缩型右旋走滑双重构造系统及其动力学过程

万纳断裂带为一典型的右旋走滑系统,由其南段前锋的拉奈—沙捞越走滑－收缩叠瓦扇、北段尾端的南海西南次海盆西南端走滑－伸展叠瓦扇和中段的万安盆地走滑－拉分双重构造所组成,其动力主要源自中生代末以来华南—印支陆缘岩石圈的拆沉作用和南海海底扩张,它的走滑拉分作用直接导致了万安盆地的产生,对该海域油气等资源的形成与聚集起了重要的控制作用。     

Comparison of Strain-rate Dependent Stress-Strain Behavior from Ko-consolidated Compression and Extension Tests on Natural Hong Kong Marine Deposits

This article presents results from a series of K_o-consolidated compression and extension triaxial tests on specimens from undisturbed samples of Hong Kong Marine Deposits (HKMD). To investigate the strain-rate effects, a total of seven K_o-consolidated triaxial tests were conducted including four compression tests and three extension tests. After K_o-consolidation, the triaxial test specimens were sheared at step-changed axial strain rates under three different confining pressures of 50 kPa, 150 kPa, and 400 kPa, respectively. The step-changed strain rates were applied in the following order: +2%/h, +0.2%/h, +20%/h, -2%/h (unloading) and +2%/h (reloading) for the four compression tests and -2%/h, -0.2%/h, -20%/h, +2%/h (unloading) and -2%/h (reloading) for the three extension tests. The results are reported and analyzed in the paper. The results show that the strain rate effects, the stress-strain characteristics, and the effective stress paths of the specimens for tests in a compression state are different from those for tests in an extension stage. One order of magnitude increase in axial strain rate causes an average 8.6% increase in undrained shear strength for compression tests and a 12.1% increase for extension tests. It is also found that the failure mode of the specimens in compression is different from that in extension. The stress-strain behavior of specimens shows strain-softening and a clear shear band in compression tests, but strain-hardening without any clear shear band in extension tests for the same absolute value of axial strain.