Stability analysis of subgrade cave roofs in karst region

According to the engineering features of subgrade cave roof in karst region, the clamped beam model of subgrade cave roof in karst region was set up. Based on the catastrophe theory, the cusp catastrophe model for bearing capacity of subgrade cave roof and safe thickness of subgrade cave roof in karst region was established. The necessary instability conditions of subgrade cave roof were deduced, and then the methods to determine safe thickness of cave roofs under piles and bearing capacity of subgrade cave roof were proposed. At the same time, a practical engineering project was applied to verifying this method, which has been proved successfu1ly. At last, the major factors that affect the stability on cave roof under pile in karst region were deeply discussed and some results in quality were acquired.     

Simulation analysis for O-cell test of pile and the interaction of upper pile and lower pile

In this paper,the soil-pile system of O-cell test of pile is simplified as an axi-symmetric problem.By using aggregation of quadrilateral isoparametric elements to simulate pile and soil,setting Goodman’s elements between pile and soils,a method of numerical simulation analysis on O-cell test of pile is presented with the consideration of nonlinear mechanical behavior of soils and pile-soil interface.The method is applied to the analysis of a case of O-cell test of pile.The load-displacement curves and axial force curves of upper pile and lower pile obtained from the O-cell test of pile are fitted,and parameters of the mechanical model of soils and interface are determined.Analysis results validate that the numerical simulation analysis method put forward in this paper is applicable.Furthermore,the interaction and influence of upper pile and lower pile in the O-cell test are also studied with the method.The result shows that if load box is located in a soil layer with fine mechanical behavior,the interaction of upper pile and lower pile in O-cell test can be ignored generally.     

A computational method for post-construction settlement of high-speed railway bridge pile foundation considering soil creep effect

Based on reasonable assumptions that simplified the calculational model,a simple and practical method was proposed to calculate the post-construction settlement of high-speed railway bridge pile foundation by using the Mesri creep model to describe the soil characteristics and the Mindlin-Geddes method considering pile diameter to calculate the vertical additional stress of pile bottom.A program named CPPS was designed for this method to calculate the post-construction settlement of a high-speed railway bridge pile foundation.The result indicates that the post-construction settlement in 100 years meets the requirements of the engineering specifications,and in the first two decades,the post-construction settlement is about 80% of its total settlement,while the settlement in the rest eighty years tends to be stable.Compared with the measured settlement after laying railway tracks,the calculational result is closed to that of the measured,and the results are conservative with a high computational accuracy.It is noted that the method can be used to calculate the post-construction settlement for the preliminary design of high-speed railway bridge pile foundation.     

Safe roof thickness and span of stope under complex filling body

Longhole caving method was used to mine gently inclined thick orebody step by step in a test stope of tin mine under complex filling body. The problem that the complex filling body around the stope affects the stability of roof thickness, chamber and spacer pillar in actual mining was investigated; meanwhile, the formed goaf during mining is so vulnerable that surrounding rock collapses early. Based on this point, elasticity mechanics and limit span theory were used to study separately the roof thickness and the span limit of goaf formed in mining, and then a reasonable roof thickness of 8 m and goaf span of 14 m are proposed. In addition, the stability of roof thickness, chamber and spacer pillar were investigated and analyzed by using numerical analysis method; meanwhile, the field monitoring on the displacement of caving chamber was conducted. The results show that the maximum compressive stress of surrounding rock is 20 MPa, and the maximum tensile stress is 1.2 MPa, which is less than the ultimate tensile strength of 2.4 MPa. Moreover, plastic zone has little influence on stope stability. In addition, the displacement of 11 mm is also smaller. The displacement monitoring results are consistent with the numerical results. Thus, the roof thickness and span of goaf proposed are safe.     

Non-probabilistic fuzzy reliability analysis of pile foundation stability by interval theory

Randomness and fuzziness are among the attributes of the influential factors for stability assessment of pile foundation. According to these two characteristics, the triangular fuzzy number analysis approach was introduced to determine the probability-distributed function of mechanical parameters. Then the functional function of reliability analysis was constructed based on the study of bearing mechanism of pile foundation, and the way to calculate interval values of the functional function was developed by using improved interval-truncation approach and operation rules of interval numbers. Afterwards, the non-probabilistic fuzzy reliability analysis method was applied to assessing the pile foundation, from which a method was presented for non- probabilistic fuzzy reliability analysis of pile foundation stability by interval theory. Finally, the probability distribution curve of non- probabilistic fuzzy reliability indexes of practical pile foundation was concluded. Its failure possibility is 0.91%, which shows that the pile foundation is stable and reliable.     

Vertical bearing capacity of pile based on load transfer model

The load transfer analytical method is applied to study the bearing mechanism of piles with vertical load in this paper. According to the different hardening rules of soil or rock around the pile shaft, such as work-softening, ideal elasto-plastic and work-hardening, a universal tri-linear load transfer model is suggested for the development of side and tip resistance by various types of soil （rock） with the consideration of sediment at the bottom of the pile. Based on the model, a formula is derived for the relationship between the settlement and load on the pile top to determine the vertical bearing capacity, taking into account such factors as the characteristics of the stratum, the side resistance along the shaft, and tip resistance under the pile tip. A close agreement of the calculated results with the measured data from a field test pile lends confidence to the future application of the present approach in engineering practice.     

Breaking mechanism and control technology of sandstone straight roof in thin bedrock stope

The key problem to be solved urgently is how to avoid the occurrence of support break-off and water inrush in the stoping of sandstone straight roof under the action of load transfer in unconsolidated aquifer. For this reason, taking the thin bedrock 1602(3) working face of Huainan(the middle part of Anhui Province) Panyi Coal Mine as the engineering background, this study establishes the stope mining model by using the discrete element UDEC software and the mathematics mechanical model of the support load,and analyzes the reason of support crushing and decides to re-mining the working face by using the compulsive roof caving method. It is concluded that when the working face of sandstone straight roof is broken, the ‘‘voussoir beam" structure cannot be formed and acts on the support in the form of cantilever beam, but only when it falls to the high key stratum can the ‘‘voussoir beam" structure be formed and at this point, at this time, the bracket bears the weight of the rock layer in the range from the fractured sandstone layer to the lower critical layer. The working resistance of the support increases with the increase of the thickness and the breaking length of straight sandstone roof. When the breaking length of the roof reaches a certain extreme value, the support crushing accidents will occur. Managing roof with compulsive roof caving method can reduce the intensity of rock pressure in the stope, and the working face can be safely stoped, which provides a certain reference for similar conditions.     

Stability classification model of mine-lane surrounding rock based on distance discriminant analysis method

Based on the principle of Mahalanobis distance discriminant analysis （DDA） theory, a stability classification model for mine-lane surrounding rock was established, including six indexes of discriminant factors that reflect the engineering quality of surrounding rock： lane depth below surface, span of lane, ratio of directly top layer thickness to coal thickness, uniaxial comprehensive strength of surrounding rock, development degree coefficient of surrounding rock joint and range of broken surrounding rock zone. A DDA model was obtained through training 15 practical measuring samples. The re-substitution method was introduced to verify the stability of DDA model and the ratio of mis-discrimination is zero. The DDA model was used to discriminate 3 new samples and the results are identical with actual rock kind. Compared with the artificial neural network method and support vector mechanic method, the results show that this model has high prediction accuracy and can be used in practical engineering.     

Buckling analysis of super-long rock-socketed filling piles in soft soil area by element free Galerkin method

In order to discuss the buckling stability of super-long rock-socketed filling piles widely used in bridge engineering in soft soil area such as Dongting Lake, the second stability type was adopted instead of traditional first type, and a newly invented numerical analysis method, i.e. the element-free Galerkin method (EFGM), was introduced to consider the non-concordant deformation and nonlinearity of the pile-soil interface. Then, based on the nonlinear elastic-ideal plastic pile-soil interface model, a nonlinear iterative algorithm was given to analyze the pile-soil interaction, and a program for buckling analysis of piles by the EFGM (PBAP-EFGM) and arc length method was worked out as well. The application results in an engineering example show that, the shape of pile top load-settlement curve obtained by the program agrees well with the measured one, of which the difference may be caused mainly by those uncertain factors such as possible initial defects of pile shaft and the eccentric loading during the test process. However, the calculated critical load is very close with the measured ultimate load of the test pile, and the corresponding relative error is only 5.6%, far better than the calculated values by linear and nonlinear incremental buckling analysis (with a greater relative error of 37.0% and 15.4% respectively), which also verifies the rationality and feasibility of the present method.     

A method for computing unsupported roof distance in roadway advancement and its in-situ application

A reasonable unsupported roof distance(URD) when advancing underground coal mine roadways can contribute greatly to safe and rapid roadway development.A mechanical model of the roof,using the relationship between the roof stress distribution and URD,obtained by the difference method,and roof stability according to the in-situ roof stress and rock mass strength was developed.We subsequently designed a proper range of URD,developed a testing method of URD with the function of mining protection,evaluated roof stability through analyzing the test data and then determined a reasonable URD.Considering the factors of the geological conditions,the immediate roof stability and the efficiency of the labor arrangement system,the URD of the advancing roadway of 9802 working face in Zhangshuanglou coal mine was determined to be 6 m using the proposed method.The results show that,when a 2 m length of roadway was reinforced by temporary support and high pre-stressed bolt support after the roadway advancement of 6 m per cycle,the speed and the security of the roadway development can be achieved and the advance rate can reach more than 400 m per month.     

Response models of weakly consolidated soft rock roadway under different interior pressures considering dilatancy effect

Surrounding rocks of weakly consolidated soft rock roadway show obvious strain softening and dilatancy effects after excavation. A damage coefficient concerning modulus attenuation was defined. Response models of stress and displacement of surrounding rock of soft rock roadway and analytical expressions to calculate plastic zones under different interior pressures and non-uniform original rock stresses were derived based on damage theories and a triple linear elastic-plastic strain softening model. Influence laws of dilatancy gradient on damage development, distributions of stresses and displacement in plastic region were analyzed. Interior pressure conditions to develop plastic region under different origin rock stresses were established and their influences on plastic region distribution were also discussed. The results show that the order of maximum principle stress is exchanged between ~0 and trr with the increase of interior pressure P0, which causes distributions of plastic zone and stress shift. Dilatancy effect which has great influences on the damage propagation and displacements in plastic region has little effect on the size of plastic region and stress responses. The conclusions provide a theoretical basis for a reasonable evaluation of stability and effective supporting of weakly consolidated soft rock roadway.     

Preparation and visible-light photocatalytic property of nanostructu- red Fe-doped TiO2 from titanium containing electric furnace molten slag

Nanostructured Fe-doped titanium dioxide was synthesized from titanium containing electric furnace molten slag （TCEFMS） by using an alkali fusion, followed by a hydrolyzation-acidolysis-cMcination route. The effects of Mkali/slag mass ratio, calcinating temperature, calcinating time, and water/slag mass ratio on the extraction efficiency and purity of products were systematically studied in this paper. It is indicated that the best extraction efficiency of nanostructured Fe- doped titanium dioxide is 99.35%, when the molten slag is calcinated at 700℃ for 1 h with the mass ratio of alkali/molten slag of 1.5：1. The influence of alkali/slag mass ratio on the photocatalytic activity of final products was evaluated by the photodegradation of methyl blue under visible light irradiation. A maximum photodegradation efficiency of 88.12% over 30 min was achieved under the optimum conditions.     

Martensitic transformation and magnetic properties of aged Ni-Fe-Ga-Ti shape memory alloy

This article reports the effect of ageing on the microstructure, martensitic transformation, magnetic properties, and mechanical properties of Ni51FelsGa27Ti4 shape memory alloy. There are five specimens of this alloy aged at 573 up to 973 K for 3 h per each. This range of ageing temperature greatly affects the microstructure of the alloy. As the ageing temperature increased from 573 up to 973 K, the microstructure of Ni51FelsGa27Ti4 alloy gradually changed from the entirely martensitic matrix at 573 K to the fully austenitic microstructure at 973 K. The volume fraction of precipi- tated Ni3Ti particles increased with the ageing temperature increasing from 573 to 773 K. Further increasing the ageing temperature to 973 K decreased the content of Ni3Ti in the microstructure. The martensitic transformation tempera- ture was decreased steadily by increasing the ageing temperature. The magnetization saturation, remnant magnetization, and coercivity increased with the ageing temperature increasing up to 773 K. A further increase in ageing temperature decreased these raagnetic properties. Moreover, the hardness values were gradually increased at first by increasing the ageing temperature to 773 K, and then dramatically decreased to the lowest value at 973 K.     

Microstructural and mechanical properties of A1-4.5wt% Cu rein- forced with alumina nanoparticles by stir casting method

The microstructure and mechanical properties of A1-4.5wt% Cu Mloy reinforced with different volume fractions （1.5vo1%, 3vo1%, and 5vo1%） of alumina nanoparticles, fabricated using stir casting method, were investigated. CMculated amounts of alumina nanoparticles （about ~50 nm in size） were ball-milled with aluminum powders in a planetary ball mill for 5 h, and then the packets of milled powders were incorporated into molten Al-4.5wt% Cu alloy. Microstructural studies of the nanocomposites reveal a uniform distribution of alumina nanoparticles in the A1-4.5wt% Cu matrix. The results indicate an outstanding improvement in compression strength and hardness due to the effect of nanoparticle addition. The aging behavior of the composite is also evaluated, indicating that the addition of alumina nanoparticles can accelerate the aging process of the Mloy, resulting in higher peak hardness values.     

Preparation of CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 system glass from molten blast furnace slag

To use the potential heat of molten blast furnace slag completely, a CaO-Al2O3-SiO2 system glass （MSG） was prepared from the molten industrial slag. The corresponding method proposed in this study utilized both slag and its potential heat, improving the production rate and avoiding the environmental pollution. Using appropriate techniques, an MSG with uniform color and superior performances was produced. Based on the experimental results and phase diagram, the chemical composition of MSG by mass is obtained as follows：CaO 27%-33%, SiO2 42%-51%, Al2O3 11%-14%, MgO 6%-8%, and Na2O＋K2O 1%-4%. Thermodynamic processes of MSG preparation were analyzed, and the phases and microstructures of MSG were investigated by X-ray diffraction （XRD） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The results show that alkali metal oxides serve as the fluxes, calcium oxide serves as the stabilizer, and alumina reinforces the Si-O network. XRD and SEM analyses show that, the prepared MSG displays the glass-feature patterns, the melting process is more complete, and the melt viscosity is lowered with an increase in calcium oxide content;however, a continuous increase in slag content induces the crystalli-zation of glass, leading to the formation of glass subphase. The optimum content of molten slag in MSG is 67.37wt%. With respect to bend-ing strength and acid/alkali resistance, the performance of MSG is better than that of ordinary marble.     

Effect of some operational variables on bubble size in a pilot-scale mechanical flotation machine简

This work aims to provide a relationship of how the key operational variables of frother type and impeller speed affect the size of bubble （D32）. The study was performed using pilot-scale equipment （0.8 m^3） that is up to two orders of magnitude larger than equipment used for studies performed to date by others, and incorporated the key process variables of frother type and impeller speed. The results show that each frother family exhibits a unique CCC95-HLB relationship dependent on n （number of C-atoms in alkyl group） and m （number of propylene oxide group）. Empirical models were developed to predict CCC95 from HLB associated with other two parameters a and ft. The impeller speed-bubble size tests show that D32 is unaffected by increased impeller tip speed across the range of 4.6 to 9.2 m/s （representing the industrial operating range）, although D32 starts to increase below 4.6 m/s. The finding is valid for both coalescing and non-coalescing conditions. The results suggest that the bubble size and bubble size distribution （BSD） being created do not change with increasing impeller speed in the quiescent zone of the flotation.     

Feasibility of developing composite action between concrete and cold-formed steel beam

Cold-formed steel structures are steel structure products constructed from sheets or coils using cold rolling, press brake or bending brake method. These structures are extensively employed in building construction industry due to their light mass, ductility by economic cold forming operations, favorable strength-to-mass ratio and other factors. The utilization of cold formed steel sections with concrete as composite can hugely reduce the construction cost. However, the use of cold formed steel members in composite concrete beams has been very limited. A comprehensive review of developments in composite beam with cold formed steel sections was introduced. It was revealed that employing cold-formed steel channel section to replace reinforcement bars in conventional reinforced concrete beam results in a significant cost reduction without reducing strength capacity. The use of composite beam consisting of cold-formed steel open or close box and filled concrete could also reduce construction cost. Lighter composite girder for bridges with cold-formed steel of U section was introduced. Moreover, types of shear connectors to provide composite action between cold-formed steel beam and concrete slab were presented. However, further studies to investigate the effects of metal decking on the behavior of composite beam with cold-formed steel section and introduction of ductile shear connectors were recommended.     

Effects of Sr2＋ substitution on the structural,dielectric, and piezoelectric properties of PZT-PMN ceramics

This study described the structural, dielectric, and piezoelectric behavior of Pb1-xSrx[（Zr0.52Ti0.48）0.95（Mn1/3Nb2/3）0.05]O3 ceramics （PSZT-PMN, x=0, 0.025, 0.050, and 0.075）, prepared by a semi-wet route. X-ray diffraction, dielectric, and piezoelectric investigations were carried out to analyze the crystal structure. The relative dielectric constant and dielectric loss were both calculated as the functions of temperature. The room-temperature dielectric constant reaches a maximum for a Sr2＋-modified PZT-PMN ceramic with an x value of 0.050, which corresponds to the morphotropic phase boundary （MPB）. Raman spectroscopy studies also confirm the existence of this MPB for x=0.050. The piezoelectric strain coefficients （d33） value shows a maximum response for this composition. In addition, the phase transition temperature decreases significantly when the Sr2＋concentration increases in the PZT-PMN ceramics.     

Pyrolysis characteristics of rubber compositions in medical waste

Thermogravimetric study of rubber compositions （operating glove and catheter） in medical waste was carried out using the thermogravimetric analyser （TGA）,at the heating rate of 20 ℃/min in a stream of N2.The results indicate that the decomposition process of operating glove appears an obvious mass loss stage at 250-485 ℃,while catheter has two obvious stages at 240-510 ℃ and 655-800 ℃,respectively; both samples present endothermic pyrolysis reaction; the decomposition of operating glove and the first mass loss stage of catheter are in agreement with natural rubber pyrolysis; the second mass loss stage of catheter corresponds to CaCO3 decomposition.Based on the experimental results,a novel two-step four-reaction model was established to simulate the whole continuous processes,which could more satisfactorily describe and predict the pyrolysis processes of rubber compositions,being more mechanistic and conveniently serving for the engineering.     

Low temperature sintering and dielectric properties of Ca-Ba-Al-B-Si-O glass/Al2O3 composites for LTCC applications

The effects of various SiO2 contents on both the microstructures and properties of Ca-Ba- A1-B-Si-O glass/Al2O3 cotrtposites were investigated by FTIR, DSC, XRD and SEM. The experimental results show that increasing SiO2 content in the glass leads to the increase of [SIO4] units, increases the continuity of glass network, and decreases the trend to crystallization of composites. The shrinkage of samples rises rapid around the glass softening temperature and the final shrinkage of samples decreases with increasing SiO2 content in the glass. Borosilicate glass/Al2O3 composites with 60wt% SiO2 sintered at 875 ℃ for 15 min show better properties： a bulk density of 3.10 g,cm-3, a porosity of 0.23 %, a er value of 7.55 and a tan 8 value of 0.00053 （measured at 10 MHz） and a well matching with Ag electrodes.