Resistance Factor of Caisson-Tip with Internal Fillet for Suction Caissons Penetrating into Clay

This paper presents failure mechanisms of the soil at the caisson-tip with fillet during suction-assisted penetration of suction caissons in undrained clay.Theoretical solutions of resistance factor N_c of the caisson-tip are obtained in terms of the caisson-tip geometry ratio of the flat section of the caisson-tip to the caisson wall thickness m/t and adhesion factorsα_i along inside of caisson wall andα_b at the base of the caisson-tip.It is indicated that the factor N_c increases with the increase of m/t,α_i and a_b.The resistance factors N_c for the rough base(α_b=1)are larger by 0.57than that for the smooth base(α_b=0).Besides,the factors N_c of caisson-tip with flat base(m=t)are larger by 1.14 than that with full internal fillet(m=0).The required suction to penetrate suction caissons with various fillets is obtained in terms of the force equilibrium in vertical direction.The finite element limit analysis and centrifuge model test results are used to verify the rationality of the presented failure mechanisms and theoretical predictions.

Studies on Suction-Assisted Installation Behavior of Suction Caissons in Clay Under Various Undrained Shear Strengths

Suction caissons are widely used for anchoring floating platform and offshore wind turbines.Penetration of the suction caisson into the desired position under the combination of its self-weight and applied suction resulted from pumping out the encased water is integral to practical engineering.Model tests were carried out to investigate the suctionassisted installation of suction caissons in clay under various undrained shear strengths.It was found that there exists a critical penetration depth value.When the penetration depth is smaller than the critical value,the soil plug undrained shear strength is higher than intact clay(i.e.,clay prior to installation).However,when the penetration depth is greater than the critical penetration depth,the undrained shear strength of soil plug is lower than intact clay.The critical value decreases with the increasing consolidation time and undrained shear strength of clay.During suction-assisted installation,cracks occur around suction caissons.The installation way has little effect on the crack formation.The influence range(i.e.,the maximum distance between the crack and the suction caisson edge)was found to increase with the increasing friction coefficient of interface between the suction caisson wall and soil and decreases with the increasing soil undrained shear strength.In addition,the drained condition of the clay during installation is dominated by the caisson aspect ratio,the undrained shear strength and the friction coefficient between the caisson wall and clay.Equations to estimate the penetration resistance and the required suction to install the suction caisson are summarized.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Marked Suction Tubes vs. Plain Suction Tubes in Pediatric Mechanically Ventilated Patients

Introduction: Endotracheal suction plays a crucial role in the management of mechanically ventilated patients. This study aims to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of suction tubes with markings in mechanically ventilated pediatric patients. Materials and Methods: A randomized assignment was carried out on a cohort of 52 pediatric patients who underwent mechanical ventilation in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, covering the period from January 2022 to December 2022. These patients were divided into two groups: an improved group (n = 26) utilizing marked suction tubes, and a regular group (n = 26) employing conventional suction tubes. The objective of our study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of marked suction tubes. Results: The effects of the improved group on the vital signs of children undergoing mechanical ventilation were small and statistically significant compared with the regular group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the improved group exhibited a reduced frequency of sputum suction, shorter mechanical ventilation duration, and fewer days of hospitalization in the PICU compared to the regular group during the ventilation period. Notably, the difference in the duration of PICU hospitalization was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Moreover, the incidence of adverse reactions in the improved group was notably lower, with statistically significant differences observed in airway mucous membrane damage and irritating cough when compared to the regular group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The utilization of marked suction tubes provides clinical nurses with clear guidance for performing suctioning with ease, efficiency and safety. Consequently, advocating for the widespread implementation of marked suction tubes in clinical practice is a commendable pursuit.

The Outcome of Posterior Spinal Fusion and Instrumentation of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis without Wound Suction Drainage

Background: In spine surgery postoperative closed suction drainage is used to decrease the potential risks of wound hematoma formation, and reduces the risk of infection, cord compression and neurologic deficit. However, the efficacy of drains used for this purpose in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is controversial. The purpose of this study is to evaluate outcomes of patients after posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis without wound suction drainage. Methods: A total of 66 Patients who underwent posterior spinal fusion and instrumentation for the correction of Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis without the use of drain from January 2012 to January 2021 were included. Wound dehiscence, wound hematoma, infection, preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin levels and need for transfusion were described as frequency and mean values. Results: The average age was 15.06 years. Hospital stay was 2.2 days. Patients were followed-up over 50.21 months. There was no deep infection, wound hematoma. The difference between just postoperative and three days after operation hemoglobin levels was not significant and no need for transfusion. Only 3 (4.5%) cases with superficial skin infection and 4 (6%) cases with skin and Wound dehiscence were treated with dressing and antibiotics with full recovery. Conclusion: Without using drain for patients with idiopathic scoliosis who underwent posterior spinal fusion and instrumentation, no increase in blood loss, transfusion requirements, wound infection, skin dehiscence, and wound hematoma was observed.

Flow and heat transfer of a nanofluid through a porous medium due to stretching/shrinking sheet with suction,magnetic field and thermal radiation

This study investigates the suction and magnetic field effects on the two-dimensional nanofluid flow through a stretching/shrinking sheet at the stagnation point in the porous medium with thermal radiation.The governing partial differential equations(PDEs)are converted into ordinary differential equations(ODEs)using the similarity transformation.The resulting ODEs are then solved numerically by using the bvp4c solver in MATLAB software.It was found that dual solutions exist for the shrinking parameter values up to a certain range.The numerical results obtained are compared,and the comparison showed a good agreement with the existing results in the literature.The governing parameters’effect on the velocity,temperature and nanoparticle fraction fields as well as the skin friction coefficient,the local Nusselt number and the Sherwood number are represented graphically and analyzed.The variation of the velocity,temperature and concentration increase with the increase in the suction and magnetic field parameters.It seems that the thermal radiation effect has increased the local Sherwood number while the local Nusselt number is reduced with it.

Experimental and Theoretical Study on the Self-Weight Penetration Velocity of Suction Anchor Foundations in Sand

The application of the wellhead suction anchor in the second production test of natural gas hydrates(NGHs)in the South China Sea(SCS)was met with success.This design incorporates a central conductor guide pipe,which distinguishes it from traditional suction foundations.However,this addition resulted in a relatively high penetration resistance and a shallower penetration depth at the self-weight penetration stage.To mitigate this issue,the current study proposes an optimized design where the end of the suction foundation is sharpened.The installation characteristics of the traditional suction foundation and new suction foundation during self-weight penetration into sand are studied through laboratory tests and theoretical analysis.The flat and sharpened bottom shapes are considered in the traditional and new suction models.The effects of the initial penetration velocity on the initial penetration depth and soil plug and impact cavity characteristics are systematically studied.The results show that the self-weight penetration depth of the foundation with a sharpened bottom is 44.5%deeper than that of the foundation with a flat bottom.There are cavities around the foundation at the self-weight penetration stage,and the penetration depth is overestimated by 15%-30%.Finally,a model for predicting the penetration depth of the new suction foundation is proposed.

Effects of solar radiation and fine roots on suction of Amorpha fruticose-vegetated soil

The thickness of shallow landslides is generally less than 2 m,which is of the same order of magnitude as the growth range of vegetation roots.Vegetation roots can improve the stability of shallow soil through mechanical and hydraulic effects.Therefore,the landslide process is closely related to the plant roots growing on the slope surface.Plant roots play a dominant role in the regulation of soil suction through solar radiation induced transpiration.However,little is known about the correlation between cumulative solar radiation and soil suction.Moreover,the specific effects of fine roots on the suction distribution are not clear in most previous studies.In this study,a vegetated soil of a drought-tolerant and water-tolerant shrub,namely Amorpha fruticose,was adopted.The suction and volumetric water content of bare and vegetated soils were monitored under natural conditions for 4 months.The results demonstrate that there is a nearly linear relationship between cumulative solar radiation and suction ranging from zero to 100 kPa.Regarding the modeling of the soil-plant-atmosphere interactions,this relationship could serve a significant role in calculating the root water uptake under given solar radiation conditions.In addition,higher suctions were observed at the lower layer of the vegetated soil than those at the middle layer,which is different from the results of vegetated soil from previous investigations.This is due to the fact that the root area index(RAI)of fine roots at the lower layer is twice that of the middle layer.Importantly,the higher concentration of fine roots at the lower layer of vegetated soil sample resembles the root distribution of shrub near the soil-bedrock interface on shallow bedrock landslides.The fine roots would increase soil suction through transpiration,and hence reduce the permeability and increase shear strength of landslides.Eventually,these new findings serve as a preliminary step on the evaluation of the stability of this common type of landslides.

Microstructure characteristics and thermodynamic properties of A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites prepared by semi-solid vacuum stirring suction casting

A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites were prepared using a semi-solid vacuum stirring suction casting method.The microstructures,mechanical properties,and thermal conductivities of the composites fabricated under different suction casting processes were compared.Additionally,the microstructural evolution characteristics and performance enhancement mechanism of the A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites were discussed.The results demonstrate that suction casting at 610°C with a low solid phase ratio can significantly enhance the material density and reduce the agglomeration of SiCp.The A357-SiC_(p)/A357 interface is clear and straight with good bonding.With an increase in the suction casting temperature,the bending resistance and thermal conductivity of the A357-SiC_(p)/A357 layered composites exhibit a trend of significantly increase at first and then slowly decrease owing to casting defects,interface bonding,and SiCp distribution.Compared with SiCp/A357 composites,the bending strength,deflection,and thermal conductivity of the A357-SiCp/A357 layered composites increase from 257 MPa,1.07 mm,and 155.72 W·(m·K)^(-1) to 298 MPa,2.1 mm,and 169.86 W·(m·K)^(-1),respectively.This study provides a reference for improving the rheological casting of aluminum matrix layered composites.

Clinical Observation of Disposal Uterine Cavity Observation and Suction Surgery System on Terminating Pregnancy in Very Early Pregnancy

Objective: To compare the clinical effects of uterine cavity observation and suction surgery system with ultrasound guided induced abortion in very early pregnancy induced abortion surgery. Method: Select 80 patients who requested termination of pregnancy due to early pregnancy from August 2022 to April 2023, and analyze the data. 40 patients who underwent ultrasound-guided induced abortion to terminate pregnancy were included in the control group, and 40 patients who underwent uterine cavity observation surgery to terminate pregnancy were included in the observation group. Compare the surgical time, number of times the straw enters the uterine cavity, incidence of complications, and menstrual recovery time between the two groups. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the surgical time between the observation group and the control group, but the number of times negative pressure straws entered the uterine cavity and the incidence of surgical complications in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P Conclusion: Applying the uterine cavity observation and suction surgical system to terminate pregnancy in very early pregnancy has the advantages of minimal damage to the uterus and low incidence of surgical complications, greatly protecting the patient’s fertility.

Penetration Resistance of Skirt-Tip with Rough Base for Suction Caissons in Clay

Suction caissons can readily penetrate into the seabed under the combination of the self-weight and suction resulted from the encased water being increasingly pumped out. During suction-assisted penetration, the equivalent overburden at the skirt-tip level outside the caisson is generally higher than that inside because the vertical stress within the soil plug is reduced by the exerted suction. This may result in a uniform shear stress developing over the base of the skirt-tip as the soil below the skirt-tip tends to move into the caisson, which leads to an asymmetric failure wedge existing below the base of the skirt-tip. Besides, different adhesion factors along the inside(αi) and outside(αo) of the skirt wall will cause asymmetric plastic zones inside and outside the caisson. Accordingly, an asymmetric failure mechanism is therefore proposed to calculate the penetration resistance of the skirt-tip. The proposed failure mechanism is the first to consider the effect of different adhesion factors(αi) and(αo) on the failure mechanism at the skirt-tip, and involves the contribution from the weighted average of equivalent overburdens inside and outside caisson at the skirt-tip level. The required suction pressure can be obtained in terms of force equilibrium of the caisson in a vertical direction. Finally, the asymmetric failure mechanism at the skirt-tip is validated with the FE calculations. By comparing with the measured data, the predictions of the required suction pressure are found to be in good agreement with the experimental results.

Multi-perspective analysis on rainfall-induced spatial response of soil suction in a vegetated soil

In this study, an intelligent monitoring platform is established for continuous quantification of soil,vegetation, and atmosphere parameters (e.g. soil suction, rainfall, tree canopy, air temperature, and windspeed) to provide an efficient dataset for modeling suction response through machine learning. Twocharacteristic parameters representing suction response during wetting processes, i.e. response time andmean reduction rate of suction, are formulated through multi-gene genetic programming (MGGP) usingeight selected influential parameters including depth, initial soil suction, vegetation- and atmosphererelated parameters. An error standardebased performance evaluation indicated that MGGP has appreciable potential for model development when working with even fewer than 100 data. Global sensitivityanalysis revealed the importance of tree canopy and mean wind speed to estimation of response timeand indicated that initial soil suction and rainfall amount have an important effect on the estimatedsuction reduction rate during a wetting process. Uncertainty assessment indicated that the two MGGPmodels describing suction response after rainfall are reliable and robust under uncertain conditions. Indepth analysis of spatial variations in suction response validated the robustness of two obtained MGGPmodels in prediction of suction variation characteristics under natural conditions.

Response of Skirted Suction Caissons to Monotonic Lateral Loading in Saturated Medium Sand

Monotonic lateral load model tests were carried out on steel skirted suction caissons embedded in the saturated medium sand to study the bearing capacity. A three-dimensional continuum finite element model was developed with Z_SOIL software. The numerical model was calibrated against experimental results. Soil deformation and earth pressures on skirted caissons were investigated by using the finite element model to extend the model tests. It shows that the ＂skirted＂ structure can significantly increase the lateral capacity and limit the deflection, especially suitable for offshore wind turbines, compared with regular suction caissons without the ＂skirted＂ at the same load level. In addition, appropriate determination of rotation centers plays a crucial role in calculating the lateral capacity by using the analytical method. It was also found that the rotation center is related to dimensions of skirted suction caissons and loading process, i.e. the rotation center moves upwards with the increase of the ＂skirted＂ width and length; moreover, the rotation center moves downwards with the increase of loading and keeps constant when all the sand along the caisson＇s wall yields. It is so complex that we cannot simply determine its position like the regular suction caisson commonly with a specified position to the length ratio of the caisson.

Influence of root suction on tensile strength of Chrysopogon zizanioides roots and its implication on bioslope stabilization

Root tensile strength is an important factor controlling the performance of bio-slope stabilization works. Due to evapotranspiration and climate factors, the root moisture content and its suction can vary seasonally in practice and may not equal soil suction. The influences of suction and root moisture contents were investigated on Chrysopogon zizanioides(vetiver grass) root tensile strength. The root specimens were equilibrated with moist air in different suction conditions(0, 10, 20, and 50 kPa), prior to root tension tests. The root-water characteristic curve or relationship between root moisture and suction, was determined. The increase in suction resulted in decreased tensile strengths of the grass roots, particularly those with diameter of about 0.2 mm, which constituted 50.7% of all roots. For 1 mm roots, the tensile strength appeared to be unaffected by suction increase. The average root tensile strengths were used to estimate the root cohesion in slope stability analysis to find variation of safety factors of a bioengineered slope in different suction conditions. The analysis showed that the critical condition of slope with the lowest factor of safety would happen when the soil suction was zero and the root suction was high. Such condition may occur during a heavy rain period after a prolonged drought.

H-M Bearing Capacity of A Modified Suction Caisson Determined by Using Load-/Displacement-Controlled Methods

This paper presents a series of monotonically combined lateral loading tests to investigate the bearing capacity of the MSCs （modified suction caissons） in the saturated marine fine sand. The lateral loads were applied under load- and displacement-controlled methods at the loading eccentricity ratios of 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5. Results show that, in the displacement-controlled test, the deflection-softening behavior of load-deflection curves for MSCs was observed, and the softening degree of the load-deflection response increased with the increasing external skirt length or the decreasing loading eccentricity. It was also found that the rotation center of the MSC at failure determined by the load-controlled method is slightly lower than that by the displacement-controlled method. The calculated MSC capacity based on the rotation center position in serviceability limit state is relatively conservative, compared with the calculated capacity based on the rotation center position in the ultimate limit state. In the limit state, the passive earth pressures opposite the loading direction under load- and displacement-controlled methods decrease by 46% and 74% corresponding to peak values, respectively; however, the passive earth pressures in the loading direction at failure only decrease by approximately 3% and 7%, compared with their peak values.

Effect of suction change on water content and total volume of an expansive clay

A laboratory study was carried out on both natural and compacted specimens to investigate the complex soil-water interaction in an unsaturated expansive clay. The laboratory study includes the measurement of soil-water characteristic curves, 1D free swelling tests, measurement of swelling pressure and shrinkage tests. The test results revealed that the air-entry value of the natural specimen was quite low due to cracks and fissures present. The hydraulic hysteresis of the natural specimen was relatively insignificant as compared with the compacted specimen. Within a suction range 0 to 500 kPa, a bilinear relationship between free swelling strain (or swelling pressure) and initial soil suction was observed for both the natural and compacted specimens. As a result of over-consolidation and secondary structures such as cementation and cracks, the natural specimens exhibited significant lower swelling (or swelling pressure) than the compacted specimen. The change of matric suction exerts a more significant effect on the water phase than on the soil skeleton for this expansive clay.

Tapered Suction Caissons:A Numerical Investigation into Their Pull-out Performance

Suction caissons have been widely used as anchors and foundations for floating and fixed offshore platforms. The pull-out performance of conventional suction caissons （with upright walls） has been investigated by a number of researchers. However, no attention has been paid to tapered suction caissons. This paper deals with the performance of tapered suction caissons under vertical pull-out loads. A numerical approach is used for this purpose. The numerical model is first verified against test data available for common upright caissons. The verified model is then used to study the pullout performance of tapered suction caissons. It is noticed that the pull-out capacities exhibited by tapered suction caissons are in general considerably higher than those from their corresponding traditional upright caissons. To obtain an insight into this superior behaviour, effects from certain soil/caisson/drainage parameters on the pull-out capacity of tapered suction caissons are studied. Soil cohesion is noticed to have a linear improving effect on the capacity of both upright and ta- pered suction caissons. The soil internal friction angle is noticed to have an exponential increasing effect on the pull-out capacity. With a constant caisson diameter, an increase in the aspect ratio is seen to particularly influence the pull-out capacity. With a constant caisson length, an increase in the aspect ratio is discovered to result in non-linear decrease in the pull-out capacity. Under undrained conditions, tapered models generally show less sensitivity to above mentioned soil/caisson parameters as compared with those under drained conditions.

Lateral Bearing Capacity of Modified Suction Caissons Determined by Using the Limit Equilibrium Method

The modified suction caisson(MSC) adds a short-skirted structure around the regular suction caissons to increase the lateral bearing capacity and limit the deflection. The MSC is suitable for acting as the offshore wind turbine foundation subjected to larger lateral loads compared with the imposed vertical loads. Determination of the lateral bearing capacity is a key issue for the MSC design. The formula estimating the lateral bearing capacity of the MSC was proposed in terms of the limit equilibrium method and was verified by the test results. Parametric studies on the lateral bearing capacity were also carried out. It was found that the lateral bearing capacity of the MSC increases with the increasing length and radius of the external skirt, and the lateral bearing capacity increases linearly with the increasing coefficient of subgrade reaction. The maximum lateral bearing capacity of the MSC is attained when the ratio of the radii of the internal compartment to the external skirt equals 0.82 and the ratio of the lengths of the external skirt to the internal compartment equals 0.48, provided that the steel usage of the MSC is kept constant.

Microstructure and storage properties of low V-containing Ti–Cr–V hydrogen storage alloys prepared by arc melting and suction casting

The microstructure and hydrogen storage properties of low V content （Ti0.46Cr0.54）100-xVx （x = 2.5-7.1, at%） and （TiyCr1-y）95V5 （y= 0.38-0.54） alloys were investigated. These alloys were prepared by arc melting and copper mould suction casting. The structures of as-cast （Ti0.46Cr0.54）100-xVx （x = 2.5, 5.0, and 7.1） alloy ingots evolve with V contents from pure Laves-（x = 2.5） to dual-phase TiCr2-BCC structures （5.0 and 7.1）, whereas the suction-cast （Ti0.46Cr0.54）100-xVx （x =2.5, 5.0, and 7.1） alloys only contain single BCC phase. The suction-cast alloy rod （Ti0.46Cr0.54）95V5, containing only 5.0 at% V is shown to possess the optimum hydrogen absorption capacity, with the maximum hydrogen content of 3.14 wt%. Furthermore, the hydrogen storage properties of the suction-cast low V alloys （TiyCr1-y）95V5 （y = 0.38-0.54） are sensitive to Ti/Cr ratios and only those alloys with Ti/Cr ratios close to the CN14 cluster [TiTCrs] have good hydrogen storage properties.

Experimental Study of Pore Pressure and Deformation of Suction Bucket Foundations Under Horizontal Dynamic Loading

Centrifuge experiments are carried out to investigate the responses of suction bucket foundations under horizontal dynamic loading. The effects of loading amplitude, the size of the bucket and the structural weight on the dynamic responses are investigated. It is shown that, when the loading amplitude is over a critical value, the sand at the upper part around the bucket softens or even liquefies. The liquefaction index （excess pore pressure divided by initial effective stress. In this paper, the developmental degree of excess pore pressure is described by liquefaction index） decreases from the upper part to the lower part of the sand foundation in the vertical direction and decreases from near to far away from the bucket＇s side wall in the horizontal direction, large settlements of the bucket and the sand around the bucket are induced by the horizontal dynamic loading. The dynamic responses of the bucket of a smaller height （when the diameter is the same） are heavier. A cyclic crack some distance near the bucket occurs in the sand.

Effects of expanding zone parameters of vacuum dust suction mouth on flow simulation results

Based on the parametric analysis of the expanding zone of the vacuum dust suction mouth,the flow in the vacuum dust suction mouth was simulated by computational fluid dynamics(CFD)software,Fluent.The effects of the expanding zone parameters on flow simulation were analyzed.The results show that simulation effects depend on threshold values of the expanding zone parameters of the dust suction mouth,and the threshold values of the expanding zone can be obtained according to the different structures of the vacuum dust suction mouth and be selected as the geometric parameters in calculating,and also corners of the expanding zone make unobvious difference in calculation accuracy and in computational efficiency compared with no corner.The simulation results provide practical guidance to the flow simulation on the dust suction mouth.