Unsaturated Constitutive Surfaces from Pressuremeter Tests

A methodology to identify the collapse potential of unsaturated soils is proposed in this paper on the basis of pressuremeter test results associated with independent measurements of the in situ matric suction. A solution combining the expansion of a cylindrical cavity to a modified Cam clay critical state model has been introduced and accommodated to the framework of unsaturated soil behavior. This accounts for changes in soil properties induced by suction changes. Interpretation of pressuremeter tests performed under unsaturated and soaked conditions links the amount of collapse to strength and stiffness changes and provides assessment to the constitutive soil parameters that are necessary to define the yield envelopes of the soil. A comprehensive site investigation program comprising field and laboratory tests carried out in two residual soil sites is discussed in order to validate the proposed methodology. Values of shear strength, in situ stress, and yield pressure derived from both field and laboratory data are used as input parameters of a constitutive model adopted for describing the yield envelopes of these unsaturated residual soil sites.     

Interpretation of Secant Shear Modulus Degradation Characteristics from Pressuremeter Tests

Nonlinear shear modulus degradation characteristics are of interest in many geotechnical engineering applications, such as ground deformation caused by seismic shaking and deep excavations in clay, weathered rock, and stabilized soil. This paper presents an approach to derive the secant shear modulus degradation characteristics from in situ pressuremeter tests, which is based on a digital filter algorithm. The algorithm is described, and data preparation procedures are presented. Use of the algorithm is illustrated by means of pressuremeter data for soils stabilized with deep mixing methods on the Boston central artery/tunnel (CA/T). The nonlinear secant shear modulus degradation characteristics from the digital filter approach are shown to be in good agreement with those from the curve fitting and transformed-strain approaches. They also compare favorably with the results of other in situ and laboratory tests performed in conjunction with the CA/T stabilized soils. The algorithm is implemented by a 26-line MATLAB code in an appendix of the paper.     

Undrained Anisotropic Monotonic Behavior of Sand from In Situ Tests

A procedure for estimating the undrained stress-strain behavior of sand from drained self-boring pressuremeter and seismic piezocone penetration tests is proposed in this paper. The procedure offers an inexpensive alternative to laboratory testing and avoids the uncertainty of the empirical methods based on index measurements such as the Standard Penetration Test blow count and the tip resistance in a Piezocone Penetration Test (CPTU). To check its validity, the proposed procedure was used to infer the undrained triaxial stress-strain curves and the results were compared with laboratory triaxial tests on undisturbed samples. The undrained limit equilibrium stability of a dike was also assessed using the inferred stress-strain behavior to illustrate the usefulness of the procedure. The result of the stability analysis was found to be in qualitative agreement with the observed performance of the dike during a recent field experiment attempting to trigger static liquefaction.     

Interpretation of Pressuremeter Tests in Sand using Advanced Soil Model

This paper describes a numerical study of drained pressuremeter tests in sand using a one-dimensional finite-element method in conjunction with an advanced soil model MIT-S1, and input parameters corresponding to Toyoura sand. This soil model is capable of describing realistically the transitions in peak shear strength parameters of cohesionless soils that occur due to changes void ratio and confining pressure. The predicted peak shear strengths can be normalized, at least approximately, by introducing a state parameter that references the initial (preshear) void ratio to the value occurring at large strain critical state conditions at the same mean effective stress. The numerical analyses idealize the pressuremeter test as the expansion of a cylindrical cavity and ignore disturbance effects caused by probe insertion. This idealization is relevant to self-boring pressuremeter tests. Results confirm that there is a linear correlation between the in situ (i.e., preshear) state parameter of the soil and the gradient of the log pressure-cavity strain expansion, as first suggested by Yu in 1994 using a much simpler soil model. Indeed, the linear coefficients derived for Toyoura sand differ only slightly from those obtained previously by Yu for six other sands.     

Liquefaction Resistance of Undisturbed and Reconstituted Samples of a Natural Coarse Sand from Undrained Cyclic Triaxial Tests

The paper deals with an experimental study of the undrained cyclic behavior of a natural coarse sand and gravel deposit located in Gioia Tauro, a town situated on the continental side of the Messina Strait in Italy. The study was conducted through cyclic undrained triaxial tests carried out on both undisturbed and reconstituted samples. Undisturbed samples were recovered by an in situ freezing technique and the sample quality was carefully assessed. Reconstituted samples were prepared by using two different reconstitution methods, namely air pluviation (AP) and water sedimentation (WS), and tested under the same in situ initial relative density and effective overburden stress. Tests were carried out on both isotropically and anisotropically consolidated specimens. The results obtained from this study provide direct evidence that cyclic liquefaction resistance obtained from water sedimented samples closely approximates that exhibited by undisturbed samples in both isotropically and anisotropically consolidated tests. Conversely, AP leads to a marked underestimation. Since the investigated deposit is considered to have been formed by the marine water environment, these results can be regarded as proof that WS closely replicates the in situ fabric of the investigated deposit allowing the substitution of the expensive undisturbed samples with their reconstituted counterparts. Anisotropically consolidated specimens respectively exhibit “cyclic liquefaction” or “cyclic mobility” depending on whether or not they are loaded under the shear stress reversal mode.     

Undrained Stability of Footings on Slopes

Solutions for the ultimate bearing capacity of footings on purely cohesive slopes are obtained by applying finite element upper and lower bound methods. In a footing-on-slope system, the ultimate bearing capacity of the footing may be governed by either foundation failure or global slope failure. The combination of these two factors makes the problem difficult to solve using traditional methods. The importance of a dimensionless strength ratio in determining the footing capacity is broadly discussed, and design charts are presented for a wide range of parameters. In addition, the effect of footing roughness and surface surcharge are briefly quantified.     

Liquefaction and Undrained Response Evaluation of Sands from Drained Formulation

A general approach has been established to assess the undrained stress-strain curve and effective stress path under monotonic loading from drained triaxial tests. An appropriate formulation of a drained and drained rebounded (i.e., overconsolidated) triaxial test response is developed that, in turn, allows the assessment of developing liquefaction and the undrained behavior of saturated sands. The formulation presented is based upon reported experimental drained test results that were obtained from different investigators using different testing techniques. This formulation is a function of the confining pressure and basic properties of the sand, such as relative density, uniformity coefficient, and particle shape (roundness), which can be obtained from visual inspection. The approach is verified by comparing predicted and reported (observed) undrained behavior. The developed formulas allow one to predict the potential of sand to liquefy, the type of liquefaction, the peak and residual strength values, as well as the whole undrained stress-strain curve and effective stress path. The simplicity of this approach makes it an attractive general method to characterize the undrained behavior of sands in a preliminary analysis with no need to run sophisticated experimental tests.     

Effect of Different Ligand Field Strengths on the Oscillator Strengths of Lanthanide Ions

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Undrained Bearing Capacity of Strip Footings on Slopes

The undrained bearing capacity of foundations on or near slopes is commonly calculated using empirical equations or from design charts which have been produced based on limit equilibrium or upper bound plasticity calculations. Many of the available methods do not take account of important parameters that affect the undrained bearing capacity factor, such as the distance of the footing from the slope, the slope height, or the soil properties. This paper presents finite element analyses of strip footings on or near undrained soil slopes performed in order to investigate the influence of the various parameters that affect undrained bearing capacity. The results of the analyses are compared to available methods. It is found that while some of these methods compare well with the finite element results for certain combinations of geometrical parameters and soil properties, they cannot produce sufficiently accurate results as they either do not take account of all of the affecting parameters or are generally not conservative. Based on the finite element results, design charts, equations, and a design procedure are proposed for the calculation of the undrained bearing capacity factor Nc as a function of the undrained shear strength and the bulk unit weight of the soil, the footing width, the distance of the footing from the slope, the slope angle and the slope height.     

Undrained Bearing Capacity of Two-Strip Footings on Spatially Random Soil

A probabilistic study on the interference of two parallel rough rigid strip footings on a weightless soil with a randomly distributed undrained shear strength performed. The problem is studied using the random finite element method, where nonlinear finite element analysis is merged with random field theory within a Monte Carlo framework. The variability of undrained shear strength is characterized by a lognormal distribution and an exponentially decaying spatial correlation length. The estimated bearing capacity statistics of isolated and two footings cases are compared and the effect of footing interference discussed. Although interference between footings on frictionless materials is not very great, the effect is shown to be increased by soil variability and spatial correlation length.     

Assessing Well Drilling Disturbance Effects on Offshore Foundation Piles in Clay

It is widely recognized that hydrocarbon well drilling from offshore platforms affects the surrounding ground. In clays, the level of disturbance can be severe when sections of open well collapse during drilling, impeding fluid return to the seabed (termed “packing-off”), and drilling fluid pressure is increased in order to obtain a breakthrough return path for the fluid. Significant swelling and hydraulic fracturing can take place in the surrounding soil mass. With time the excess pore pressures will dissipate and could cause increases in pore pressures far from the wells, potentially affecting areas occupied by the platform’s foundation piles. There is no established procedure to quantify the impact of such processes on foundation performance. This paper presents a numerical approach that involves a series of finite-element analyses in which drilling disturbance is treated as an idealized fluid injection process. The entry of pressurized drilling water into progressively enlarging fractured disturbed zones, and hence into the surrounding soil mass, is simulated with two- and three-dimensional nonlinear finite-element (FE) models, without modeling the actual hydraulic fracturing processes. The analyses make use of key observations made in the field at a piled offshore platform. The FE analyses predict marginal foundation capacity reductions, as well as significant global vertical and horizontal movements developing around the piles. It is demonstrated that the ground movement predictions are heavily influenced by the degree of geometric idealization.     

Effect of Sand Columns on the Undrained Load Response of Soft Clays

When sand columns are used as vertical drains in soil improvement schemes, the possible reinforcing role that these columns can play in regards to improving the bearing capacity is usually neglected in design. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the degree of improvement in the mechanical properties of soft clays in practical applications involving the use of sand drains or sand columns in clayey soils. For this purpose, 32 isotropically consolidated undrained triaxial tests were performed on normally consolidated kaolin specimens. The parameters that were varied were the diameter of the sand columns, the height of the columns, the type of columns (geotextile encased versus nonencased), and the effective confining pressure. Test results indicated that sand columns improved the undrained strength significantly even for area replacement ratios that were less than 18%. The increase in undrained strength was accompanied by a decrease in pore pressure generation during shear and an increase in Young’s modulus. The drained shear strength parameters were found to be relatively unaffected by the sand column reinforcement, except for fully penetrating columns with high area replacement ratios.     

旁压试验在港区码头工程地质勘查中的应用

旁压试验具有测试深度大,不受水位影响,可用于较难测试的松软土层等优点,广泛应用于港口、桥梁、建筑等地基的地质勘查中.本文介绍了法国梅纳旁压仪的工作原理,并将其应用于港区地质勘查工程.通过对旁压试验成果进行分析,确定了码头岸壁工程的地基承载力、变形参数、强度指标等,与标贯试验得到的强度指标进行了对比分析,为工程可行性分析及设计提供土性参数.并通过大量试验数据统计分析,给出旁压试验参数与标准贯入击数的经验关系式,可为类似工程提供参考.     

Strengths and weaknesses of organizational consulting from a clinical psychology background.

Argues that whatever their specific area, organizations combine employees or members into teams for effectiveness in providing goods and services. This requires a task orientation. Within psychology, it is the industrial/organizational stance that most readily fits this emphasis on providing goods and services. As more clinical psychologists engage in organizational consulting, it is important to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the ego versus task orientation they bring with them. As to strengths, adding an ego orientation can strengthen organizations by training employees in areas such as coping and social support that will lead to enhanced performance and health. Hardiness training at Illinois Bell Telephone is used as a case study example. As to weaknesses, an excessive emphasis on ego orientation can backfire through erosion of team functioning in favor of personal preoccupation. In these times of accelerating change, organizations need to be flexible and adaptable. This requires proactive, innovative employees and underscores the importance in psychological consulting of a true combination of ego and task orientations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pile Spacing Effects on Lateral Pile Group Behavior: Load Tests

To investigate group interaction effects as a function of pile spacing, full-scale cyclic lateral load tests were performed on pile groups in stiff clay spaced at 3.3, 4.4, and 5.65 pile diameters in the direction of loading with as many as five rows of piles. Group interaction effects decreased considerably as pile spacing increased from 3.3 to 5.65D. Lateral resistance was a function of row location in the group, rather than location within a row. For a given deflection, the leading (first) row piles carried the greatest load, while the second and third row piles carried successively smaller loads. Fourth and fifth row piles carried about the same load as the third row piles. For a given load, the maximum bending moments in the trailing row piles were greater than those in the lead row, but these effects decreased as spacing increased. Cyclic loading reduced the peak load by about 15% after 15 cycles; however, distribution of load within the pile group was essentially the same as at the peak load. Gaps significantly reduced resistance for small deflections.     

Effect of Microfabric on Undrained Static and Cyclic Behavior of Kaolin Clay

Microfabric plays an important role in the engineering behavior of soils. Although many studies are available in the literature on the effect of microfabric on the static behavior of soils, the effect on the cyclic behavior is less understood. In the present study, samples with different microfabric were prepared in the laboratory by reconstituting commercially available kaolin clay with different pore fluids under a consolidation pressure of 100?kPa. Consolidated undrained triaxial tests were carried out on these samples under static and cyclic loading conditions. Dispersed samples were found to have monotonic stress-strain behavior with a peak deviatoric stress and higher peak undrained shear strength than the flocculated samples. However, the dispersed samples were found to offer less resistance to cyclic loading. When subjected to cyclic loading, dispersed samples failed within a few cycles under a cyclic stress ratio (defined as the ratio of cyclic deviatoric stress to the undrained shear strength) close to 0.6, whereas in flocculated samples, sudden failure was not observed even at a higher cyclic stress ratio of 0.9, although strains and pore pressures accumulated to higher values. Postcyclic monotonic tests conducted on samples that did not fail under cyclic loading showed an apparent overconsolidation effect caused by cyclic loading in a similar manner, as reported in the literature.     

Predicting Age-Related Dual-Task Effects With Individual Differences on Neuropsychological Tests.

This study examined the relation of dual-task performance to individual differences on neuropsychological tests. Neuropsychological test scores from 16 young and 16 older participants were simultaneously submitted to a factor analysis that yielded 2 factors (Attention/Executive and Memory) that differed by age and 2 (Motor Speed and Cognitive Status) that did not. Regression analyses revealed that these factors were significant predictors of performance on a delayed visual recognition task, but the relationship varied as a function of task condition. The Memory and Motor Speed factors were the strongest predictors of single-task performance, but the Attention/Executive factor was the most important predictor of dual-task performance. The authors conclude that compromised central executive may underlie age-related decline in dual-task performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

威尔兹法初级氧化锌煅烧脱杂试验

论述威尔兹法初级氧化锌在煅烧脱杂过程中的一系列物理化学变化，介绍回转窑煅烧脱杂试验所取得的技术经济指标及工业应用前景。