Revisiting rock classification to estimate rock mass properties

This paper presents the results of ongoing research carried out by the author exploring methods to provide a more robust estimate of rock mass properties specifically for use in tunnel design. Data from various large-scale rock mass failures are introduced, including coal pillars. The damage-initiation,spalling-limit approach is compared to the coal pillar database. New comparisons of estimating the geological strength index(GSI) and relationships to estimate the Hoeke Brown failure criterion parameters, mb, s and a, are presented.     

A unified critical state model for geomaterials with an application to tunnelling

This paper is prepared in honour of Professor E.T. Brown for his outstanding contributions to rock mechanics and geotechnical engineering and also for his personal influence on the first author's research career in geomechanics and geotechnical engineering. As a result, we have picked a topic that reflects two key research areas in which Professor E.T. Brown has made seminal contributions over a long and distinguished career. These two areas are concerned with the application of the critical state concept to modelling geomaterials and the analysis of underground excavation or tunnelling in geomaterials.Partially due to Professor Brown's influence, the first author has also been conducting research in these two areas over many years. In particular, this paper aims to describe briefly the development of a unified critical state model for geomaterials together with an application to cavity contraction problems and tunnelling in soils.     

荧光显示管直丝氧化物阴极有效逸出功的计算

阴极的逸出功是表征阴极发射能力的物理量，求定荧光显示管直丝氧化物阴极有效逸出功时，因其零场发射电流密度难于准确取值，温度无法直接测量，显得困难，须予解决，为此提出了一种计算阴极有产逸出功的办法，对某显示管的发射欠佳和“低温高效”的两种氧化物阴极的有效逸出功进行计算，有效逸出功率是靠测量相关物理量再同计算得出，精度不很高，文中所用办法也不例外，但所得结果能反映阴极发射能力，所需仪器少，是实用方法。     

An experience of tunnelling in mudstone area in southwestern Taiwan

Many tunnels will be constructed in southwestern Taiwan in the upcoming decade to meet the huge demands of transportation, energy and water infrastructure projects. Mudstone strata cover more than a 1000 km² area, consisting mainly of massive mudstone or alternation of mudstone and sandy layer, exhibiting unfavorable geological and hydrological characteristics, making it extremely difficult for tunnelling. This paper presents the lessons learned from three tunnelling projects in the 1990s in a mudstone area. In addition to discussing the rock behavior in the vicinity of tunnel and its failure patterns, the monitoring data during tunnelling are presented as well. Finally, the effective method of design and construction are recommended for tunnelling in mudstone area.     

新型双旋流平焰烧嘴的研制与应用

介绍了一种新型双族流平焰烧嘴的设计思路、结构参数及工业试验结果。其结构特点是每个部件都易装易卸，其煤气旋流器的位置可根据煤气压力变化进行调节，无需稳焰器就可保证煤气压力在较大范围波动时，都可形成稳定的平展火焰。     

深层搅拌桩复合地基的现场试验研究

结合雍六高速公路长江二桥江北接线工程 ,对填土荷载下复合地基的应力、变形特性进行了长期现场观测研究 .结果表明 :路基经深搅桩加固后 ,沉降变形得到有效控制 .加固区沉降量较小 ,下卧层沉降量较大 ,总沉降量满足设计及规范的要求 ;柔性路堤下桩与桩间土的沉降规律有差别 ,桩身上部桩周土沉降较大 ,随着深度增加 ,桩周土沉降逐渐小于桩的沉降 ,在这个过程中 ,桩与桩周土存在等沉面 ;在填土加荷过程中 ,桩与土各自分担的应力处在动态的变化之中 :加荷时 ,桩上应力相对集中 ;间歇期 ,桩土应力比减小 ;体现了荷载传递过程中桩与土是相互协调作用的     

Use of Warranties on Highway Projects: A Real Option Perspective

Since the introduction of warranty provisions in federal highway jobs, more and more state departments of transportation (DOTs) have considered the use of such provisions to protect their initial investment. This paper describes the pros and cons of warranty contracting in highway construction based on a survey of warranty practices in the United States. In particular, the need for state DOTs to buy a warranty for a well-built project is questioned. As an alternative, this paper introduces the warranty option, which gives the DOT the right to buy a warranty only if it becomes necessary at the end of construction. This option is exercised if the performance on site warrants it. This paper describes the mechanics of the warranty option and its advantages over the conventional warranty. A bid evaluation model is also developed for the warranty option approach.     

Risk Allocation and Risk Handling of Highway Projects in Taiwan

Risks always exist in construction projects and often cause schedule delay or cost overrun. Risk management is a key issue in project management. The first step of risk management is risk identification. It includes the recognition of potential risk event conditions in the project and the clarification of risk responsibilities. We conducted multiple-case studies using a systematic analytical procedure to identify risks in highway projects in Taiwan, to recognize risk allocation by contract clauses, and to analyze the influence of risk allocation on the contractor’s risk handling strategies. The results show that the owner allocates risks by stipulating specific contract clauses into five kinds of risk allocation conditions. If a risk is more controllable by the contractor, the owner has a greater tendency to allocate the risk to the contractor. Risk allocation determines which kinds of risks the contractor would take and influences the contractor’s risk handling decisions. The analysis furthermore indicates that, if the probability of a certain risk event condition is uncontrollable, then with the increasing possibility of taking the risk, the contractor’s tendency of risk handling changes from actively transferring the risk to passively retaining the risk. In contrast, if a risk is controllable and certainly allocated to the contractor, the contractor tends to take the initiative to reduce the impact caused by the risk event rather than retain the risk.     

Second-order Wagner theory of wave impact

The paper deals with the two-dimensional unsteady problem of the impact of a liquid parabola onto a rigid flat plate at a constant velocity. The liquid is assumed ideal and incompressible and its flow potential. The initial stage of the impact is the main concern in this study. The non-dimensional half-width of the contact region between the impacting liquid and the plate plays the role of a small parameter in this problem. The flow region is subdivided into four parts: (i) the main flow region, the dimension of which is of the order of the contact-region width, (ii) the jet-root region, where the curvature of the free surface is very high and the flow is strongly nonlinear, (iii) the jet region, where the flow is approximately one-dimensional, (iv) the far-field region, where the flow is approximately uniform at the initial stage of impact. A second-order solution in the main flow region has been derived and matched to the first-order inner solution in the jet-root region. The matching conditions provide an estimate of the dimension of the contact region for small time. Pressure distributions in both the main flow region and the inner region are derived. The accuracy of the obtained asymptotic formulae is estimated. The second-order hydrodynamic force acting on the plate is obtained and compared with available experimental data. A fairly good agreement is reported.     

Estimating the costs of occupational injury in the United States

This article estimates workplace injury costs in the U.S. These costs have been studied in less detail than most injury costs. Our methods, which mostly use regularly published data, produce order-of-magnitude estimates. Overall, workplace injuries cost the U.S. an estimated $140 billion annually. This estimate includes $17 billion in medical and emergency services, $60 billion in lost productivity, $5 billion in insurance costs, and $62 billion in lost quality of life. One sixth of the societal costs result from the 3% of workplace injuries in motor vehicle crashes. Motor vehicle costs per injury are almost 6 times the workplace injury average.