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.     

Relationship between the seismicity and geologic structure of the Blanco Transform Fault Zone

Morphologic studies of an oceanic transform, the Blanco Transform Fault Zone (BTFZ), have shown it to consist of a series of extensional basins that offset the major strike-slip faults. The largest of the extensional basins, the Cascadia Depression, effectively divides the transform into a northwest segment, composed of several relatively short strike-slip faults, and a southeast segment dominated by fewer, longer faults. The regional seismicity distribution (m _b 4.0) and frequency-magnitude relationships (b-values) of the BTFZ show that the largest magnitude events are located on the southeast segment. Furthermore, estimates of the cumulative seismic moment release and seismic moment release rate along the southeast segment are significantly greater than that of the northwest segment. These observations suggest that slip along the southeast segment is accommodated by a greater number of large magnitude earthquakes. Comparison of the seismic moment rate, derived from empirical estimates, with the seismic moment rate determined from plate motion constraints suggests a difference in the seismic coupling strength between the segments. This difference in coupling may partially explain the disparity in earthquake size distribution. However, the results appear to confirm the relation between earthquake size and fault length, observed along continental strike-slip faults, for this oceanic transform.     

Cretaceous length of day perturbation by mantle avalanche

These last 10 years, numerical models of mantle convection have emphasized the role of the 670 km endothermic phase change in generating avalanches that trigger catastrophic mass transfers between upper and lower mantle. On the other hand, scientists have emphasized the concomitance of large-scale worldwide geophysical and tectonic events, which could find their deep thermal roots in the huge mass transfers induced by the avalanches. In particular, the paleontological records show two periods of length of day (l.o.d.) shortening between 420 and 360, and 200 and 80 Myr BP. This last event is synchronous with a strong true polar wander and a global warming of the upper mantle. In order to study the potential effects of the avalanche on the main component of the Earth’s rotation, the Liouville equation has been solved and the l.o.d. evolution has been calculated from the perturbations of the inertia tensor. The results show that the inertia tensor of the Earth’s is mainly sensitive to the global transfers through the 670 km discontinuity. The l.o.d. perturbations will be synchronous with the global thermal effects of the avalanche. These theoretical results allow proposing a self-consistent physical mechanism to explain periods of the Earth’s rotation acceleration. Within this context, the l.o.d. shortening during the Cenozoic and Cretaceous brings one more clue to the possible participation of a mantle avalanche in generating the concomitant large scale events which have occurred during this very particular period of the Earth’s history.     

公路桥超长群桩的有效桩长研究

针对公路桥梁超长群桩的有效桩长问题,对国内公路桥梁桩基的荷载状况进行统计分析,得出桩顶应力主要分布在6～21 MPa范围。进行了长径比为96的桩间距分别为3D、4.5D和6D的3组不同群桩的超长群桩模型试验,得到3种不同桩间距的超长群桩中单桩轴力随着不同荷载的分布图,按照桩身轴力趋于0的桩截面的深度确定有效桩长,并利用指数函数关系分别拟合了3种不同桩间距的桩顶应力与有效桩长之间的关系。根据竖向荷载作用下群桩模型试验与实际原型之间的相似关系,确定公路桥超长群桩与荷载对应的有效桩长取值范围,研究了超长群桩的有效桩长与桩间距之间的关系,并对桥梁桩基有效桩长的取值与桩间距提出了建议。     

黄土高原半干旱区非均一下垫面粗糙度分析

利用2007年4月17日-2008年4月16日兰州大学半干旱气候与环境观测站边界层气象塔的风速、 风向、 温度、 气压、 湿度等观测资料, 采用经典的廓线法和风速、 风向标准差法, 分别计算了中性大气层结下观测站下垫面粗糙度长度, 并得到了具有黄土高原地理特征的地表粗糙度及其时空变化特征。计算结果表明, 季节变化对粗糙度的影响幅度可达0.159 m, 空间非均一性对粗糙度的影响幅度可达0.155 m。测站附近粗糙度春季为0.017 m, 夏季为0.062 m, 秋季为0.065 m, 冬季为0.018 m。测站西北方向上游粗糙度春季为0.17 m, 夏季为0.22 m, 秋季为0.34 m, 冬季为0.05 m。测站东南方向上游粗糙度春季为0.11 m, 夏季为0.17 m, 秋季为0.19 m, 冬季为0.05 m。该站下垫面粗糙度计算宜选用风速为6±1.5 m·s-1, 风向变化30°范围内的数据。     

植物正构烷烃及其单体氢同位素在古环境研究中的应用

正构烷烃是植物类脂的重要组成部分,主要用来维持叶片表面的水分平衡,其平均碳链长度(ACL)作为植物对水分胁迫程度的生理性反映,与植物进化程度存在表观上的联系。高等植物来源烷烃的ACL高于低等植物和水生藻类,裸子植物高于被子植物,C4植物高于C3植物,因此植物正构烷烃具备粗略的植物分类学意义,并在古环境研究中被广泛应用。在河口和海洋沉积物中主要用来判断水生低等植物和陆地高等植物的相对贡献,在古土壤中则用来区分草本/木本植物的消长变化。植物烷烃中的氢元素主要来自光合作用时吸收的环境水,其δD主要受环境条件和生物化学过程影响,但环境条件、气候状况和植被类型的影响可以在很大程度上相互抵消,使烷烃δD具有记录大气降水δD的潜力,从而可以用来重建大气降水δD并反演气候变化。     

Phases Representing Source Lengths of Tsunami in Tide Gauge Records

We identified a phase representing the source length of tsunami's in the tide gauge records around Japan. This phase was observed at tide stations, located in the direction of the long axis of the sources, for four large tsunamis: 1964 Niigata, 1968 Tokachi-oki, 1983 Nihonkaichubu, and 1993 Hokkaido-nanseioki. The phase consists of two continuous crests starting as the initial arrival and has a time length of 15–47 minutes. This is the time required to propagate across the source area along the long axis. Strong evidence that the phase is generated at the source is the good correlation between waveform observed at one side and time-inversed waveform at another side. The correlation results from the instantaneous generation of the source. The source lengths of 74–254 km were obtained under an assumption of sea depths at the sources and verified to coincide with ones within a relative error of 15% that were previously obtained by other methods.     

低渗透油藏菱形反九点井网不等缝长优化研究

在低渗透油藏开发中广泛使用菱形反九点井网,但针对不同位置生产井及注水井的裂缝缝长配比关系还缺少广泛深入的研究。基于长庆油田某低渗透油藏参数,建立了数值模拟模型,在菱形反九点井网中分别设置不同的边井、角井和注水井裂缝穿透比,研究不同裂缝配置模式对水驱开发效果的影响。流线模拟及数值模拟计算结果表明,在注水开发中,注水井缝长是影响油田产液量及水驱效果的关键因素;边井裂缝较角井裂缝更易见水,对油田综合含水影响较大,在菱形反九点井网中需要进行不等缝长优化设计;边井裂缝缝长对水驱效果的影响分为早、中、晚期(Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ)曲线段,随着注水井裂缝穿透比增加,早期(Ⅰ)曲线段增长,中期(Ⅱ)曲线段缩短,而晚期(Ⅲ)曲线段变化较小;随着角井裂缝穿透比增加,采出程度逐渐增大,当角井裂缝穿透比较大时,存在“反转”现象;随着注水井裂缝穿透比增加,角井裂缝优化穿透比减小,而边井裂缝优化穿透比增加。该研究成果对于指导低渗透油藏菱形反九点井网裂缝优化设计,提高波及系数和开发效果具有重要的指导意义。