An explicit formulation of the macroscopic strength criterion for porous media with pressure and Lode angle dependent matrix under axisymmetric loading

This paper aims to propose an explicit formulation of the macroscopic strength criterion for porous media with spherical voids.The matrix is assumed rigid and perfectly plastic with yield surface described by the three-parameter strength criterion,which is Lode angle and pressure dependent and capable of accounting for distinct values of the uniaxial tensile strength,uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)and equal biaxial compressive strength(eBCS).An exact upper bound of the macroscopic strength is derived for porous media subjected to purely hydrostatic loading.Besides,an estimate of the macroscopic strength profile of porous media under axisymmetric loading is obtained in parametric form.Moreover,a heuristic strength criterion in explicit form is further developed by examining limit cases of the parametric strength criterion.The developed strength criteria are assessed by finite-element based numerical solutions.Compared with the parametric strength criterion which involves cumbersome functions,the heuristic one is convenient for practical applications.For specific values of the matrix’s strength surface,the proposed heuristic strength criterion can recover the well-known Gurson criterion.The present work also addresses the effect of the ratio of matrix’s eBCS to UCS on the macroscopic strength of porous media.For matrix with distinct values of eBCS and UCS,neglecting the difference between eBCS and UCS would result in an underestimation of the macroscopic strength,especially when the pressure is large.

Cooling effect of convection-intensifying composite embankment with air doors on permafrost

One of the main construction problems in permafrost regions is protecting permafrost thermal stability. Although ventilating ducts and crushed-rock layers were successfully used in railway embankment construction, their effects might not meet large-width expressway requirements. The convection-intensifying composite embankment composed of perforated ventilation ducts and crushed-rock layers was numerically studied to investigate its cooling effects. Adopting a numerical model, the temperature fields for two kinds of composite embankment with and without air doors were analyzed considering air flow and heat transfer characteristics in porous media. The results show that wind velocity in the crushed-rock zone is intensified by the perforated ventilation duct. The underlying permafrost temperature obviously decreases, and the 0 °C isotherm position rises significantly due to composite embankment. The composite embankment with air doors is more effective than that without air doors. Therefore, the new convection-intensifying composite embankment is potentially a highly efficient cooling measure for construction in permafrost regions.