Tensile Strength Characteristics of Unsaturated Sands

Tensile strength characteristics of unsaturated sands are examined through a combined theoretical and experimental study. The characteristics of tensile strength in all three water retention regimes of pendular, funicular, and capillary are examined. A simple direct tensile strength apparatus is employed to determine tensile strength for sands with a broad range of particle sizes from silty sand to fine sand and medium sand over a full range of degree of saturation. Tensile strength characteristic curves (TSCC) are established experimentally for these sands and are used to validate the existing theories for tensile strength in the pendular regime. The TSCC for sand characteristically exhibits two zeros at 0 and near 100% saturation, and two peak values occurring in the pendular and capillary regimes, respectively. A minimum tensile strength is observed in the dense fine sand, indicating that either water bridges or pore pressure contributes exclusively to the tensile strength in the funicular regime of this sand. The maximum tensile strength for the silty sand is 1,448?Pa, the fine sand is 1,416?Pa, and the medium sand is 890?Pa. Comparison between the soil–water characteristic curves obtained for these sands indicates that the peak tensile strength in the capillary regime is highly correlated to the air-entry pressure. Photographs of the failure surfaces clearly delineate distinct geometric characteristics for different water retention regimes. Analysis of the patterns of failure surfaces in different water retention regimes indicates that the effective stress principle is valid for tensile stress failure in unsaturated sands.     

Key Parameters for Strength Control of Artificially Cemented Soils

Often, the use of traditional techniques in geotechnical engineering faces obstacles of economical and environmental nature. The addition of cement becomes an attractive technique when the project requires improvement of the local soil. The treatment of soils with cement finds application, for instance, in the construction of pavement base layers, in slope protection of earth dams, and as a support layer for shallow foundations. However, there are no dosage methodologies based on rational criteria as exist in the case of the concrete technology, where the water/cement ratio plays a fundamental role in the assessment of the target strength. This study therefore aims to quantify the influence of the amount of cement, the porosity and the moisture content on the strength of a sandy soil artificially cemented, as well as to evaluate the use of a water/cement ratio and a voids/cement ratio to assess its unconfined compression strength. A number of unconfined compression tests, triaxial compression tests, and measurements of matric suction were carried out. The results show that the unconfined compression strength increased linearly with the increase in the cement content and exponentially with the reduction in porosity of the compacted mixture. The change in moisture content also has a marked effect on the unconfined compression strength of mixtures compacted at the same dry density. It was shown that, for the soil-cement mixture in an unsaturated state (which is usual for compacted fills), the water/cement ratio is not a good parameter for the assessment of unconfined compression strength. In contrast, the voids/cement ratio, defined as the ratio between the porosity of the compacted mixture and the volumetric cement content, is demonstrated to be the most appropriate parameter to assess the unconfined compression strength of the soil-cement mixture studied.     

Pullout Behavior of Granular Pile-Anchors in Expansive Clay Beds In Situ

Granular pile anchors (GPA) are one of the recent innovative foundation techniques devised for mitigating the problems posed by swelling clay beds. In a granular pile anchor, the footing is anchored to an anchor plate at the bottom of the granular pile. This makes the granular pile tension resistant and enables it to absorb the tensile force caused on the foundation by the swelling clay. An understanding of the amount of uplift resistance offered by the GPA is important in the design of granular pile-anchor foundations in field situations causing tensile forces on foundations, such as in expansive clay beds. This paper presents the results of a field-scale test program conducted to study the pullout response of GPAs embedded in expansive clay beds. Pullout load tests were conducted on GPAs of varying lengths and diameters. It was found from the field pullout load tests that granular pile anchors of larger surface area resulted in higher pullout capacity. Of the various single granular pile anchors with l/d values between 2.5 and 10, the GPA of length 1000?mm and diameter 200?mm (l/d = 5) showed the best pullout load response when tested alone, resulting in a failure uplift capacity of 14.71?kN. Increase in diameter and length of granular pile anchor increased the uplift capacity. When the length of the GPA was increased from 500 to 750 and 1000?mm, the percentage increase in the uplift load required for an upward movement of 25?mm was 33.3 and 55.5% respectively. The pullout load of the GPA when tested under group was 18?kN as against a 12?kN for the GPA when tested single.     

Collapse Behavior of Compacted Silty Clay in Suction-Monitored Oedometer Apparatus

This paper presents a methodology to investigate the collapse behavior of unsaturated soils using suction-monitored oedometer tests. By incorporating independent suction measurement, the oedometer apparatus is capable of following the same stress paths as in double oedometer tests, while continuously monitoring the suction. The proposed method has been used to investigate the collapse behavior of a compacted silty clay and to confirm the uniqueness of the loading-collapse surface as identified from loading and wetting paths. A new mathematical form of the yield surface within an elastoplastic framework is proposed on the basis of test results over a wide range of suctions (0 to 30,000?kPa) and net stresses (up to 7,000?kPa). The fundamental assumptions of the newer type of elastoplastic framework, which incorporate the degree of saturation within their stress variables, are evaluated, and the limitations of such models are identified. The collapse behavior of samples with different fabrics induced by differing compaction characteristics is also investigated within an elastoplastic framework. The difference in fabric, which is observed through a petrological microscope, can be presented in a quantitative way with different model parameters.     

An improved algorithm for connectivity analysis of distribution networks

In the present paper, an efficient algorithm for connectivity analysis of moderately sized distribution networks has been suggested. Algorithm is based on generation of all possible minimal system cutsets. The algorithm is efficient as it identifies only the necessary and sufficient conditions of system failure conditions in n-out-of-n type of distribution networks. The proposed algorithm is demonstrated with the help of saturated and unsaturated distribution networks. The computational efficiency of the algorithm is justified by comparing the computational efforts with the previously suggested appended spanning tree (AST) algorithm. The proposed technique has the added advantage as it can be utilized for generation of system inequalities which is useful in reliability estimation of capacitated networks.     

山地土壤坡向性分异的研究概况

综述了山地土壤坡向性分异的研究概况,包括土壤生物积累和盐基淋溶的坡向差异,以及坡向对土壤垂直带谱结构的影响。已有研究大多集中在山地土壤垂直带谱的坡向分异,可将其归纳为山地迎风坡与背风坡和阴、阳坡分异两种主要情况。同时,针对目前有关山地土壤坡向性研究的不足,提出了今后研究的重点:从山体不同坡向的对应高度出发,运用现代地理研究方法,研究山地土壤多种属性的坡向性分异及其生产生态意义。     

模拟酸雨对荔枝果园土壤磷素等温吸附与解吸特性的影响

采用等温吸附试验方法研究了模拟酸雨对荔枝果园土壤磷的吸附与解吸特性的影响。试验结果表明,不同处理间土壤对磷的最大吸附量(Xm)为pH2.5>pH4.5>CK=pH6.5,其中pH2.5的酸雨淋溶处理对磷的最大吸附量(Xm)与其它处理间差异显著;土壤吸附磷的解吸量(Xd)分别与相应的吸附量(X)和原平衡溶液浓度(C)呈显著的指数相关和线性相关,随着土壤对吸附量的增加,土壤磷的解吸量呈指数增长。     

小浪底库区坡地不同利用方式入渗规律与产流产沙特征研究

坡耕地水土流失已成为小浪底库区生态环境和农业可持续性发展所面临的一个重大问题。通过饱和入渗和模拟降雨试验,对不同退耕利用方式(撂荒坡地、造林幼林地、林草间作、农林间作)和传统坡耕地利用方式(坡耕地翻耕休闲、坡耕地翻耕后种植玉米)入渗规律与产流、产沙特征做了研究。结果表明:(1)退耕后坡面饱和入渗率均高于传统方式,其四种方式平均饱和入渗率是传统利用方式的1.48倍;撂荒坡地的饱和入渗率最高;同一坡面,坡底饱和入渗率高于坡中、上部。(2)初始产流时间,撂荒坡地、造林幼林地、林草间作、农林间作分别比翻耕种玉米延迟26.16min、14.89min、13.48min、6.01min,两种传统方式差别不大。持续产流时间退耕方式也长于传统方式。(3)传统方式径流总量是上述四种退耕方式的2~5倍,平均产流速率明显高于退耕方式;产沙总量是退耕方式的3~50倍左右,平均产沙速度是其的1.72~9.4倍;产沙、产流总量和与产流降雨历时密切相关。     

自励式可控饱和电抗器

简要介绍自励式可控饱和电抗器的线路结构和工作原理，其特点是应用品闸管和续流二级管产生直流偏磁，井可连续平滑控制可控饱和电抗器的负载电流。可控饱和电抗器无需另设直流绕组，也无需产生直流偏磁用的直流电源。     

考虑中间主应力的非饱和土边坡安全系数新解

基于非饱和土的平面应变抗剪强度统一解,考虑非饱和特性与中间主应力对土体强度的共同影响,利用瑞典简单条分法推导了非饱和土边坡安全系数的系列化新解,并探讨了中间主应力和基质吸力的影响特性。结果表明:中间主应力和基质吸力对非饱和土边坡安全系数的影响显著,安全系数随中间主应力效应和基质吸力的增加而大幅提高;边坡稳定性分析的强度理论效应明显,应重视强度准则的选取、加强基质吸力的监测和稳定控制。