Prediction of subsurface settlement induced by shield tunnelling in sandy cobble stratum

This study focuses on the analytical prediction of subsurface settlement induced by shield tunnelling in sandy cobble stratum considering the volumetric deformation modes of the soil above the tunnel crown.A series of numerical analyses is performed to examine the effects of cover depth ratio(C/D),tunnel volume loss rate(h t)and volumetric block proportion(VBP)on the characteristics of subsurface settle-ment trough and soil volume loss.Considering the ground loss variation with depth,three modes are deduced from the volumetric deformation responses of the soil above the tunnel crown.Then,analytical solutions to predict subsurface settlement for each mode are presented using stochastic medium theory.The influences of C/D,h t and VBP on the key parameters(i.e.B and N)in the analytical expressions are discussed to determine the fitting formulae of B and N.Finally,the proposed analytical solutions are validated by the comparisons with the results of model test and numerical simulation.Results show that the fitting formulae provide a convenient and reliable way to evaluate the key parameters.Besides,the analytical solutions are reasonable and available in predicting the subsurface settlement induced by shield tunnelling in sandy cobble stratum.

A method for predicting the water-flowing fractured zone height based on an improved key stratum theory

In the process of using the original key stratum theory to predict the height of a water-flowing fractured zone(WFZ),the influence of rock strata outside the calculation range on the rock strata within the calculation range as well as the fact that the shape of the overburden deformation area will change with the excavation length are ignored.In this paper,an improved key stratum theory(IKS theory)was proposed by fixing these two shortcomings.Then,a WFZ height prediction method based on IKS theory was established and applied.First,the range of overburden involved in the analysis was determined according to the tensile stress distribution range above the goaf.Second,the key stratum in the overburden involved in the analysis was identified through IKS theory.Finally,the tendency of the WFZ to develop upward was determined by judging whether or not the identified key stratum will break.The proposed method was applied and verified in a mining case study,and the reasons for the differences in the development patterns between the WFZs in coalfields in Northwest and East China were also fully explained by this method.

Study on the disaster caused by the linkage failure of the residual coal pillar and rock stratum during multiple coal seam mining:mechanism of progressive and dynamic failure

Multi-seam mining often leads to the retention of a significant number of coal pillars for purposes such as protection,safety,or water isolation.However,stress concentration beneath these residual coal pillars can significantly impact their strength and stability when mining below them,potentially leading to hydraulic support failure,surface subsidence,and rock bursting.To address this issue,the linkage between the failure and instability of residual coal pillars and rock strata during multi-seam mining is examined in this study.Key controls include residual pillar spalling,safety factor(f.),local mine stiffness(LMS),and the post-peak stiffness(k)of the residual coal pillar.Limits separating the two forms of failure,progressive versus dynamic,are defined.Progressive failure results at lower stresses when the coal pillar transitions from indefinitely stable(f,>1.5)to failing(f,<1.5)when the coal pillar can no longer remain stable for an extended duration,whereas sud-den(unstable)failure results when the strength of the pillar is further degraded and fails.The transition in mode of failure is defined by the LMS/k ratio.Failure transitions from quiescent to dynamic as LMS/k.<1,which can cause chain pillar instability propagating throughout the mine.This study provides theoretical guidance to define this limit to instability of residual coal pillars for multi-seam mining in similar mines.

Correction to:Wear mechanism and life prediction of the ripper in a 9‐m‐diameter shield machine tunneling project of the Beijing new airport line in a sand‐pebble stratum

Jiang H,Zhu J,Zhang X,Zhang J,Li H,Meng L.Wear mechanism and life prediction of the ripper in a 9‐m‐diameter shield machine tunneling project of the Beijing new airport line in a sand‐pebble stratum.Deep Undergr Sci Eng.2022;1:65‐76.doi:10.1002/dug2.12010.

TORSIONAL VIBRATIONS OF A RIGID CIRCULAR PLATE ON SATURATED STRATUM OVERLAYING BEDROCK

The torsional vibration of a rigid plate resting on saturated stratum overlaying bedrock has been analysed for the first time. The dynamic governing differential equations for saturated poroelastic medium are solved by employing the technology of Hankel transform. By taking into account the boundary conditions, the dual integral equations of torsional vibration of a rigid circular plate are established, which are further converted into a Fredholm integral equation of the second kind. Subsequently, the dynamic compliance coefficients of the foundation on saturated stratum, the contact shear stress under the foundation and the angular amplitude of the foundation are evaluated. Numerical results indicate that, when the dimensionless height is bigger than 5, saturated stratum overlaying bedrock can be treated as saturated half space approximately. When the dimensionless frequency is low, the permeability of the soil must be taken into account. Furthermore, when the vibration frequency is a constant, the height of the saturated stratum has a slight effect on the dimensionless contact shear stress under the foundation.

Strata movement and stress evolution when mining two overlapping panels affected by hard stratum

Mining causes stress redistribution and stratum movement.In this paper,a numerical model was built according to the geological conditions in the 12th coal mine in Pingdingshan city to study the strata movement and the evolution of stress when mining two overlapping longwall panels,named panels#14 and#15.The strata close to the mined panel move directly towards the gob,while the strata that are farther away swing back and forth during the mining process.The directed movement and swinging can break the transverse boreholes for gas extraction;a surface borehole should not be within the range of directional movement.The stress evolution suggested that the mining of the lower panel#15 after the upper panel#14 would further increase the de-stressed range,while the stress concentration around the mined panel would be increased.Hard strata usually carry a greater stress than adjacent rocks and soft coal seams.The stress in a hard stratum increases greatly,and the stress decreases greatly in the coal seams below the hard stratum.This study supplies a reference for similar coal mines and is useful for determining the de-stressed range and transverse borehole arrangement for gas extraction.

FINITE ELEMENT METHOD ON NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF STRATUM CORNEUM'S PENETRATION PROPERTY

How the outer substance could penetrate through the skin lies in the stratum corneum, because it is the main barrier in the multi-layers of the skin. Supposing the keratin cell with a special geometry as tetrakaidecahedron, the penetration property of stratum corneum was the key problem which was numerically simulated with finite element method. At first the discretization of the stratum corneum region was given in two steps： first, the discretization of the keratin cell; second, the discretization of fattiness that surrounds the keratin. Then there was the work of numerical simulation. In this procedure, the finite element method and the multi-grid method were used. The former was to obtain the discretization of basic elements; the latter was to decrease the high frequency error. At last the visualization of the numerical simulation was shown.

Effect on Stratum Gradient Frequency Distribution of Landslides in the Three Gorges Area of Northeast Chongqing

The landslide data were calculated in the Three Gorges Area of northeast Chongqing. The results showed that landslide frequency distributions of gradients accorded with the Weibull probability density distribution function. The landslide hazard ratios of gradients were acquired by Weibull accumulation probability distribution function in the different geological units. There was discord between landslide hazard ratio of different geological units and variance of landslide gradient. But they were approximate homology in the strata of Jurassic. The results indicate that the Weibull distribution can quantitatively evaluate the landslide hazard ratios of gradients of the different strata in the Three Gorges Area.

Surface modification of stratum corneum for drug delivery and skin care by microplasma discharge treatment

Human skin is the largest organ and also the main barrier that prevents foreign substances from entering the body.The surface properties of the skin are relevant for transdermal drug delivery and cosmetics.Yucatan micropig skin is used as a substitute for human skin.A microplasma electrode is used for surface modification of the skin epidermal layer of the Yucatan micropig.Microplasma dielectric barrier discharge has a thin dielectric as a barrier (~50 μm) and a frequency of 25 kHz.The surface properties of the epidermal layer were characterized by the measurement of the contact angle of the water droplet.The effects of different gases such as air,nitrogen,oxygen,helium or argon were compared.The change of the contact angle is temporal and it is returned to its initial state after several hours.Among the gases used for plasma ignition,oxygen and argon were the most effective for skin treatment.The distance of the skin from the electrode and the treatment time played a crucial roles in the increasing water contact angle.Changes of surface atomic concentration were determined by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.After microplasma treatment,the oxygen and nitrogen concentration increased at the skin surface.

Numerical Simulation on Dynamic Load of Main Bearing of Tunnel Boring Machine Based on Combination Stratum

The load spectrum of the main bearing of tunnel boring machine( TBM) is difficult to establish because of the complex factors affecting the driving load of tunneling. In this paper, a simulation model of dynamic load of cutterhead is established,with a view to structural features and special conditions, based on a complex combination stratum, the cutter layout model and cutterhead control parameters,and it is a dynamic load boundary of the main drive bearing. Combined with the load distribution calculation of the main bearing and Hertz contact theory, the prediction model of dynamic load spectrum of the main drive bearing is completed during tunneling,and in accordance with the predicted results,the static and dynamics characteristics of load spectrum for the main drive bearing on the thrust and tilting moment are analyzed. The results of cutterhead load show that,in the certain complex stratum, the fluctuations of load for thrust rollers can reflect formation interface information of complex stratum in current tunneling. The main drive bearing bear the thrust and overturning moment of cutterhead under the composite,the external load has a greater influence on the load-spectrum of reverse thrust roller than that of main thrust roller,and the maximum contact stress of the two row roller is almost the same. The load spectrum,obtained by this method,can provide a meaningful reference for the design and checking of the main drive bearing,and also can be the basis of its fatigue reliability.

Using of Key Stratum Theory to Study the Structural Development of Roof Aquifer

During the underground mining of coal resources,overlying rocks on the roof of excavated tunnels will be destroyed due to ground pressure,and as a result,part of them will break and fall into the tunnels.How to determine the distribution of fractured areas and fissures presents a major problem for preserving the overlying aquifer.

Spatial patterns of insect herbivory within a forest landscape:the role of soil type and forest stratum

Background:Insect herbivory has profound impacts on ecosystem processes and services.Although many efforts have been made to recognize the main drivers of insect herbivory at different scales,the results are inconsistent.One likely reason is that studies have insufficiently captured the spatially heterogeneous factors such as soil type and forest stratum within the stand that may significantly affect insect herbivory.In particular,there is a lack of studies that address the detailed spatial patterns of insect herbivory which are influenced by these factors.Methods:We measured the detailed spatial patterns of insect herbivory on cork oak(Quercus variabilis Bl.)in response to soil type(gravel soil and loam)and forest stratum(the upper,lower,and sapling stratum),and correlated these patterns with a set of influencing factors(litter coverage,coverage of shrubs and herbs,soil nutrients,soil moisture,and leaf traits)in a forest landscape.Results:Generally,insect herbivory was spatially heterogeneous within stands.Herbivory was significantly lower in gravel soil areas than in loam soil areas and the highest herbivory occurred in the lower stratum.However,there were also 41 individual plots in which the highest herbivory occurred in the upper stratum and 29 plots in which the highest herbivory occurred in the sapling stratum.There were significant differences in soil nutrient and water status between soil types,but no significant differences in leaf traits.The effects of forest stratum on leaf traits were also inconsistent with those on insect herbivory.Conclusions:Leaf traits may not be the main factors influencing insect herbivory in the field.Soil type may have major effects on herbivory patterns by influencing litter coverage while higher coverage of shrubs and herbs may reduce herbivory in the sapling stratum.These findings may advance our understanding of tree-herbivore interactions in real-world situations and have important implications for the sustainable management of forest ecosystems.

Wear mechanism and life prediction of the ripper in a 9-m-diameter shield machine tunneling project of the Beijing new airport line in a sand-pebble stratum

Tool wear is a noteworthy problem in the process of shield tunneling,and the degree of wear varies with stratum.The sand-pebble strata in Beijing are typically mechanically unstable.However,many subways are buried wholly or partially in sand-pebble strata.Taking the Beijing New Airport line tunneling project as research background,this study evaluated the wear characteristics of the multiconfiguration rippers of a 9-m-diameter spoke-type shield tunneling machine in a sand-pebble stratum.The wear values of five ripper teeth and ripper flanks were analyzed based on field-measured data from the Beijing New Airport line project.As the analytical results show,the wear value generally increases as the installation radius enlarges with the rise of cutting trace length.The wear of the 190-rippers was divided into five categories:pedestal wear,ripper teeth collapse,uniform wear,ripper teeth falling off and ripper flank wear.Uniform wear of the ripper teeth and ripper flank wear were the two abrasion types of the 190-rippers.The teeth of the 155-rippers mostly maintained their cutting capacity under the protection of the 190-rippers.A wear prediction model of linear fitting field data was developed for a 190-ripper face to obtain the optimum shield driving distance in the sand-pebble stratum.The average wear coefficients of the 190-ripper before and after replacement matched well,being 0.045 and 0.066 mm/km,respectively.The results of this study provide a theoretical reference for tool wear prediction in shield construction under similar geological conditions.

REFLECTION CHARACTERISTICS OF LONGITUDINAL WAVES IN A SEMI-INFINITE CYLINDRICAL ROD CONNECTED TO AN INFINITE VISCOELASTIC STRATUM

Reflection characteristics of longitudinal strain waves in a semi-infinite elastic rod con- nected to a viscoelastic stratum are investigated analytically.The three-dimensional viscoelasticity the- ory is applied to the stratum,and the Laplace transform with respect to time and the numerical inverse Laplace transform by means of Laguerre function are used.The time histories for the longitudinal strain of an arbitrary point of the rod are presented.Two typical viscoelastic models are considered, one is the usual Maxwell-Voigt model,the other is whose relaxation function is given by a power law. The numerical results for the two models are presented and compared each other and also with previ- ously published results for the elastic stratum.

Prediction Model of Abutment Pressure Affected by Far-Field Hard Stratum Based on Elastic Foundation Theory

In view of the three-dimensional dynamic abutment pressure,the influence of the far-field hard stratum(FHS)in deep,thick coal seams is indeterminant.Based on elastic foundation theory,a three-dimensional dynamic prediction model of the abutment pressure was established.Using this model,the dynamic change in the coal seam abutment pressure caused by the movement of the FHS was studied,and a method for determining the dynamic change range of the abutment pressure was developed.The results of the new prediction model of the abutment pressure are slightly higher than the measured values,with an error of 0.51%,which avoids the shortcomings of the results because the Winkler foundation model results are lower than the measured values and have an error of 9.98%.As time progresses,the abutment pressure and its distribution range are affected by the FHS movement,which has the characteristics of gradually increasing dynamic change until the FHS fractures.The peak value of the abutment pressure increases linearly with time,and the influence range increases with time following a power function with an exponent of less than 1.The influence range of the FHS movement on the abutment pressure ahead of the working face,behind the working face,and along the working face is 10 times,25 times,and 17 times the mining thickness,respectively.According to the actual geological parameters,the dynamic change range of the coal seam abutment pressure was determined by drawing an additional stress curve and by determining the threshold value.These research results are of great significance to the partition optimization of the roadway support design of deep,thick coal seams.

Lateral Stress Concentration in Localized Interlayer Rock Stratum and the Impact on Deep Multi-Seam Coal Mining

To explore the impact of lateral stress concentration in interlayer rock stratum on the exploitation of protected coal seam, a field experiment was carried out in a multi-seam mining structure. Lateral stress redistribution and interlayer rock failure behavior were surveyed. Then an assistant numerical investigation was implemented to evolve the effect of liberated seam mining and its influence on stress reconstruction in surrounding rock mass. The cause of lateral stress concentration and its impact were discussed finally. Key findings turn out that a certain lateral stress increases in interlayer rock stratum and concentrates on its lower region. Lateral stress concentration and interlayer rock failure are interactional. The former is an inducing factor of the latter;the latter promotes the increase of concentration degree. Extent of lateral stress concentration increases to the maximum as seam distance is about 50 m. But the efficacy of liberated seam mining decreases as the seam spacing gets larger. Protected seam mining is then classified based upon the impact of lateral stress concentration, which helps to prevent the rock burst hazard and then to achieve a reliable mining in deep mines.

The temporal changes of microtubule cytoskeleton in the CA1 stratum radiatum following global transient ischemia

The down-regulation of microtubule proteins has been widely documented in the ischemic brain,but the temporal or spatial alteration of microtubules has not been systematically investigated in the vulnerable areas after ischemia.By examining the stability and distribution of microtubules following transient global ischemia,we found that the biomarkers of stable microtubules,MAP2 and acetylateda-tubulin,became significantly downregulated in the CA1 stratum radiatum of rat hippocampus and that the neuron-specific microtubule protein,class Iβtubulin,was progressively decreased in the same region.Surprisingly,pan-βtubulin,which is expressed at a low level in glial cells under physiological conditions,was significantly increased in reactive astrocytes after ischemia.

Similarity evaluation of stratum anti-drilling ability and a new method of drill bit selection

Considering the stratum anti-drilling ability,drill bit working conditions,drill bit application effect and drill bit economic benefits,the similarity of stratum anti-drilling ability was evaluated by grey relational analysis theory to screen out candidate drill bits with reference values.A new comprehensive performance evaluation model of drill bit was established by constructing the absolute ideal solution,changing the relative distance measurement method,and introducing entropy weight to work out the closeness between the candidate drill bits and ideal drill bits and select the reasonable drill bit.Through the construction of absolute ideal solution,improvement of relative distance measurement method and introduction of entropy weight,the inherent defects of TOPSIS decision analysis method,such as non-absolute order,reverse order and unreasonable weight setting,can be overcome.Simple in calculation and easy to understand,the new bit selection method has good adaptability to drill bit selection using dynamic change drill bit database.Field application has proved that the drill bits selected by the new drill bit selection method had significant increase in average rate of penetration,low wear rate,and good compatibility with the drilled formations in actual drilling.This new method of drill bit selection can be used as a technical means to select drill bits with high efficiency,long life and good economics in oilfields.

TEM Assessments of the Restructuring Effects of an Emollient Cream on the <i>stratum corneum</i>

The structure of the stratum corneum contributes to the barrier function of the epidermis. Skin barrier recovery is of utmost importance after epidermal tissue damage. The aim of this study was to describe, at the cellular level, the structural effects resulting from topical application of a hand-cream onto normal skin and to investigate the potential repair mechanisms induced by the emollient on altered tissue. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to compare the architectures of the horny layers from: 1) ex-vivo cultured human skin;2) skin treated by topical application of a hand-cream emulsion;3) explants exposed to sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS);4) SLS-treated explants that underwent subsequent topical application of the emollient emulsion. These TEM assessments allowed identifying the structural changes occurring in the stratum corneum of skin explants exposed to SLS and/or treated with an emollient. Results strongly suggest that both, SLS-induced damage and emollient-driven repair process take place in the stratum corneum, at the cellular level. One can envisage that the observed restructuring effects after topical application of the skin-care product are likely to ameliorate or restore the barrier function of the stratum corneum. In this, the properties of the emollient go beyond the cosmetic feel.

A Consensus Modeling Approach for the Determination of Stratum Corneum Thickness Using In-Vivo Confocal Raman Spectroscopy

The measurement of stratum corneum (SC) thickness from in-vivo Raman water concentration depth profiles is gaining in popularity and appeal due to the availability and ease of use of in-vivo confocal Raman measurement systems. The foundation of these measurements relies on high-quality confocal Raman spectroscopy of skin and the robust numerical analysis of water profiles, which allow for accurate determination of SC thickness. These measurements are useful for studying intrinsic skin hydration profiles at different body sites and for determining hydration properties of skin related to topically applied materials. While the use of high-quality in-vivo Raman instrumentation has become routine and its use for SC thickness measurement widely reported, there is lack of agreement as to the best method of computing SC thickness values from Raman water profiles. Several methods have been proposed and are currently in use for such computations, but none of these methods has been critically evaluated. The work reported in this paper describes a new method for the determination of stratum corneum thickness from in-vivo confocal Raman water profiles. The method represents a consensus approach to the problem, which was found necessary to apply in order to properly model and quantify the large diversity of water profile types encountered in typical in-vivo Raman water measurement. The methodology is evaluated for performance using three criteria: 1) frequency of minimum fitting error on modeling to a standard numerical function;2) frequency of minimum model error for consensus vs. individual SC thickness values;and 3) correlation with reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) values for SC thickness. The correlation study shows this approach to be a reasonable replacement for the more tedious and time-consuming RCM method with R2 = 0.68 and RMS error = 3.7 microns over the three body sites tested (cheek, forearm and leg).