Numerical Analysis of Settlement Response of Shallow Footing Subjected to Heavy Rainfall and Flood Events

The US and many parts around the world have experienced prolonged periods of heavy rainfall, severe floods, and droughts over the past 50 years. This study investigates the impacts of extreme hydrological events such as heavy rainfall and flood on the settlement behavior of continuous footing installed in unsaturated soil using a coupled Geotechnical-Hydrological finite element software, PLAXIS 2D. Initially, the effect of different degrees of saturation on the settlement behavior of the continuous footing of widths 1.5 m, 3.0 m, and 4.5 m was analyzed by applying a mechanical load. Then the settlement behavior of the footing was analyzed by applying heavy rainfall of intensity 102 mm/day for six days. Finally, the settlement behavior of the footing was analyzed by applying a flood head of 2.5 meters for seven days. The results indicated that the wetting front movement during heavy rainfall and flooding led to the weakening of soil strength and stiffness and induced additional settlements. The additional settlement induced by the flood was significantly higher than the heavy rainfall. The differential settlement was higher when the rainfall was applied on one side of the footing. The rebound of the elastic settlement was uniquely noticed when the flood head receded with time. The results indicated that not all the settlements were induced by the soil saturation but also due to the hydrostatic loading due to the flood head. The settlements induced by the flooding exceeded the allowable settlement of 25 mm, resulting in failure. These additional settlements caused by heavy rainfall and flood will lead to poor serviceability of the structures and cause the failure of the footing.

Hot Deformation Behavior and Flow Stress Prediction of Ultra Purified 17% Cr Ferritic Stainless Steel Stabilized with Nb and Ti

The hot deformation behavior of ultra purified 17% Cr ferritic stainless steel stabilized with Nb and Ti was investigated using axisymmetric hot compression tests on a thermomechanical simulator.The deformation was carried out at the temperatures ranging from 700 to 1 100℃ and strain rates from 1to 10s-1.The microstructure was investigated using electron backscattering diffraction.The effects of temperature and strain rate on deformation behavior were represented by Zener-Hollomon parameter in an exponent type equation.The effect of strain was incorporated in the constitutive equation by establishing polynomial relationship between the material constants and strain.A sixth order polynomial was suitable to represent the effect of strain.The modified constitutive equation considering the effect of strain was developed and could predict the flow stress throughout the deformation conditions except at800℃in 1s-1 and at 700℃in 5and 10s-1.Losing the reliability of the modified constitutive equation was possibly ascribed to the increase in average Taylor factor at 800℃in 1s-1 and the increase in temperature at 700℃in 5and10s-1 during hot deformation.The optimum window for improving product quality of the ferritic stainless steels was identified as hot rolling at a low finisher entry temperature of 700℃,which can be achieved in practical production.

Crustal deformation and tectonic levels of Nujiang Gorge since the Miocene

Crustal deformation shows different patterns at different depths due to changes in the physical properties of rock.Tectonic levels can be defined based on the geometry and deformation mechanisms of crustal deformation patterns. Nujiang Gorge, with a high riverbed drop, great erosion depth, and strong deformation, has rock exposures at different tectonic levels and thus provides an ideal lab for deformation study. This paper takes the Nujiang Gorge from Chawalong to Fugong as the object to identify structural deformation patterns at different depths through field study and deformation analysis. At depth, the primary form of deformation is flow deformation, as shown on the outcrops at Maji. Ductile shear deformation can be found in many outcrops within the study region, e.g., the Gaoligong dextral shear zone and Puladi-Songta sinistral shear zone that lie to the south and north of Maji, respectively. Further to the north of Puladi, the dominated deformation pattern is similar fold and dense sub-vertical foliation. In addition, brittle faults, as evidence of shallow deformation, can be seen overprinting on the deeper deformation features all over the region. Based on those observations, this paper identifies four tectonic levels from depth to the surface: flow deformation, ductile shear deformation, similar fold, and brittle fault deformation, all of which result from the NEE-SWW compressive stress field. Further evidence from studies on the region′s thermal evolution and regional tectonics suggests that the development of different tectonic levels is closely linked to the discrepant uplift or denudation since the Miocene(~21 Ma).

Effect of yttrium addition on flow behavior of Cu-Zr-Al bulk metallic glass in the supercooled liquid region

The high temperature deformation behaviors and thermal workability of Cu_（43）Zr_（48）Al_9 and（Cu_（43）Zr_（48）Al_9）_（98）Y_2 bulk metallic glasses in the supercooled liquid region were investigated by the uniaxial compression tests. The results showed that the high temperature deformation behaviors were highly sensitive to strain rate and temperature, and the flow stress decreased with the increase of temperature, as well as with the decrease of strain rate. Additionally, the（Cu_（43）Zr_（48）Al_9）_（98）Y_2 bulk metallic glass displayed smaller flow stress under the same condition. The flow behavior changed from Newtonian to non-Newtonian with increase of the strain rate, as well as the decrease of temperature, which could be explained by the transition state theory. We found that（Cu_（43）Zr_（48）Al_9）_（98）Y_2 bulk metallic glass had better flow behavior than the Cu_（43）Zr_（48）Al_9 bulk metallic glass in the supercooled liquid region. In addition, the processing maps of the two bulk metallic glasses were constructed considering the power dissipation efficiency. The optimum domain for thermal workability of the bulk metallic glass was located using the processing map, where the power dissipation efficiency was larger than 0.8. It was shown that the（Cu_（43）Zr_（48）Al_9）_（98）Y_2 bulk metallic glass, which had larger area of optimum domain, had excellent thermoplastic forming.

Effect of squeeze casting process on microstructures and flow stress behavior of Al-17.5Si-4Cu-0.5Mg alloy

The effects of squeeze casting process on microstructure and flow stress behavior of Al-17.5Si-4Cu-0.5Mg alloy were investigated and the hot-compression tests of gravity casting and squeeze casting alloy were carried out at 350-500°C and 0.001-5s-1.The results show that microstructures of Al-17.5Si-4Cu-0.5Mg alloys were obviously improved by squeeze casting.Due to the decrease of coarse primary Si particles,softα-Al dendrite as well as the fine microstructures appeared,and the mechanical properties of squeeze casting alloys were improved.However,when the strain rate rises or the deformation temperature decreases,the flow stress increases and it was proved that the alloy is a positive strain rate sensitive material.It was deduced that compared with the gravity casting alloy,squeeze casting alloy（solidified at 632 MPa）is more difficult to deform since the flow stress of squeeze casting alloy is higher than that of gravity casting alloy when the deformation temperature exceeds 400°C.Flow stress behavior of Al-17.5Si-4Cu-0.5Mg alloy can be described by a hyperbolic sine form with Zener-Hollomon parameter,and the average hot deformation activation energy Q of gravity casting alloy and squeeze casting alloy is 278.97 and 308.77kJ/mol,respectively.

Hot Deformation Behavior of GCr15 Steel

Hot deformation behavior of GCr15（ASTM 52100） steel was investigated using single-hit compression tests on Gleeble-1500 simulator at the temperature range of 850-1 100 ℃ and strain rate range of 0.1-10 s-1.The flow stress constitutive equation of GCr15 steel during hot deformation was determined by stress-strain curves analysis on the basis of the hyperbolic sine equation.And the models of dynamic recrystallization fraction and dynamic recrystallization grain size of GCr15 steel were established by the measured curves and microstructure observation in different experimental conditions.The mean activation energy and the time exponent of dynamic recrystallization kinetics equation in the range of experimental conditions were determined to be 356.2 kJ/mol and 2.12,respectively.Meanwhile,the flow stress model was also established by the method of allocating flow stress curve with three main stress values,the saturation stress,the steady state stress and the stress when strain is 0.1.The flow stress curves predicted by the developed models under different deformation conditions are in good agreements with the measured ones.

Serration and Noise Behavior in Advanced Materials

The Chinese Materials Research Society（C-MRS）Conference（2015）was held in the Guizhou Park Hotel International Conference Center,Guiyang,China,from July 10-14,2015.This conference consists of 30symposia,including 4international symposia.As one of 4international symposia,＂Serration and noise behavior in advanced materials＂