Effect of freeze-thaw cycles on soil engineering properties of reservoir bank slopes at the northern foot of Tianshan Mountain

The instability of soil bank slopes induced by freeze-thaw cycles at the northern foot of Tianshan Mountain is very common.The failure not only caused a large amount of soil erosion,but also led to serious reservoir sedimentation and water quality degradation,which exerted a lot of adverse effects on agricultural production in the local irrigation areas.Based on field investigations on dozens of irrigation reservoirs there,laboratory tests were carried out to quantitatively analyze the freeze-thaw effect on the soil engineering characteristics to reveal the facilitation on the bank slope instability.The results show that the softening characteristics of the stressstrain curves gradually weaken,the effective cohesions decline exponentially,the seepage coefficients enlarge,and the thermal conductivities decrease after 7 freeze-thaw cycles.The freeze-thaw effect on the specimens with low confining pressures,low dry densities and high water contents is more significant.The water migration and the phase transition between water and ice result in the variations of the soil internal microstructures,which is the main factor affecting the soil engineering characteristics.Sufficient water supply and the alternation of positive and negative temperatures at the reservoir bank slopes in cold regions make the water migration and phase transition in the soil very intensely.It is easy to form a large number of pores and micro cracks in the soil freezing and thawing areas.The volume changes of the soil and the water migration are difficult to reach a dynamic balance in the open system.Long-term freeze-thaw cycles will bring out the fragmentation of the soil particles,resulting in that the micro cracks on the soil surfaces are developing continuously.The soil of the bank slopes will fall or collapse when these cracks penetrate,which often happens in winter there.

Observation and Research on Gravitational Erosion Process of Bank Slopes in Headstream Area of Jiangjia Ravine, Yunnan, China

To reveal the gravitational erosion process in the headstream area of Jiangjia Ravine, continuous observation was conduced duing the rainy season. The observation and research show that the change of water content of the bank slope lags the precipitation process, the infiltration water concentrates mainly in the shallow layer of the bank slope, also the bank slope was unsaturated, the floods and debris flows in the gully down cut the gully bed, and scour the foot of the bank slope. These results in many collapses, which is the main type of gravitational erosion process, and it provides large amounts of loose solid materials for the eruption of debris flows.

Primary Investigations on Yangtze River Bank Slope Stability in Wanzhou for the Three Gorges Reservoir Project

This paper investigates the main factors contributing to bank slope failures, such as the structure of rock and soil, water level change, bank slope gradient, vegetation, weathering and human activities. Based on these investigations, the bank slope failure models are analyzed. The stability of bank slopes in Wanzhou is investigated using geological surveying, 2D resistivity imaging surveying, excavated trenches and other methods. Finally, the disasters of bank slope failures in Wanzhou were investigated in detail. The results show that instability problems might occur in 60.38 km of bank slopes when the water level rises to 175 m. It is suggested that 37.8 km of unstable bank slopes should be stabilized, and 14.2 km of unstable banks should be moved or avoided after further geological surveying and reconnaissance. These results provide scientific basis and reliable data for the government to develop the third geodisaster prevention plan for the Three Gorges reservoir.

Numerical Analysis of Interaction Between Pile-Supported Pier and Bank Slope

Two and three-dimensional finite element analysis programs for pile-soil interaction are compiled. Duncan-Chang's Model is used. The construction sequence of the pier is modeled. The pile-soil interface element is used. The influence of the combination type of piles on the deformation of bank slope and pile behaviour is analyzed. Different designs of a pile-supported pier are compared thoroughly. Calculation results show that the stresses and displacements of the pile are directly related to the distance from the bank slope and the direction of inclination. An inclined prop pile set in the rear platform would remarkably reduce the stresses of piles and the displacement of the pier.

A modified Hoek-Brown failure criterion considering the damage to reservoir bank slope rocks under water saturation-dehydration circulation

After water is impounded in a reservoir, rock mass in the hydro-fluctuation belt of the reservoir bank slope is subject to water saturation- dehydration circulation （WSDC）. To quantify the rate of change of rock mechanical properties, samples from the Longtan dam area were measured with uniaxial compression tests after different numbers （1, 5, 10, 15, and 20） of simulated WSDC cycles. Based on the curves derived from these tests, a modified Hock- Brown failure criterion was proposed, in which a new parameter was introduced to model the cumulative damage to rocks after WSDC. A case of an engineering application was analyzed, and the results showed that the modified Hock-Brown failure criterion is useful. Under similar WSDC-influenced engineering and geological conditions, rock mass strength parameters required for analysis and evaluation of rock slope stability can be estimated according to this modified Hoek-Brown failure criterion.

Experimental Study of Vertical Two-dimensional Diffusion Concentration Distribution in Sloped Wave Bank Angular Field

[Objectives] This study was conducted to detect the two-dimensional diffusion concentration distribution from sloped wave bank. [Methods] Diffusion experiments of instantaneous line source discharge were carried out using two sloped wave banks with different inclination angles based on the developed two-dimensional diffusion tank device for sloped wave banks by the apex discharge method under grid oscillation frequencies n=15, 20, 40 and 60 r/min. The image acquisition and digital image processing techniques were applied to measure the two-dimensional concentration field distribution and to analyze the distribution laws of the pollutant in the angular field. [Results] The diffusion of the pollutant in the sloped wave bank area became faster with the increase of the grid oscillation frequency, and the pollution range became wider with the diffusion time. The point concentration of the pollutant at the water surface monotonically decreased with the increase of the abscissa, and the vertical concentration distribution decreased with the increase of water depth. The transverse diffusion rate of the pollutant in water was greater than the vertical diffusion rate, and its concentration distribution exhibited a distribution characteristic of farther diffusion in the adjacent area on the water surface. The diffusion experiment area of the sloped wave bank at θ=30° had a higher concentration of the pollutant at each point compared with the diffusion experiment of the sloped bank at θ=45°, under the same experimental conditions. A large-scale vortex appeared near the sloped wave bank at θ=45° during the experiment, and the presence of the vortex made the concentration distribution of the pollutant in the direction along the bank slope first decrease and then increase, while no obvious vortex was observed near the sloped wave bank at θ=30°, and the concentration of the pollutant decreased monotonously along the bank slope direction. [Conclusions] This study is of great significance for the concentration distribution laws and the lateral and vertical diffusion coefficients of side discharge at complex bank slopes and river banks.

A numerical method of combined SPF-MEM-LBM on the rockfall-induced surge and its application

Rockfalls in reservoirs are prone to induce surges, posing a severe threat to passing vessels and facilities. A scheme combined Single-phase freesurface method(SPF), momentum exchange method(MEM), and Lattice Boltzmann method(LBM) is proposed to predict the impact of rockfall-induced surges. First, the LBM-SPF model is used to simulate the motion of the free surface, and the MEM model is used to calculate the hydrodynamic force acting on rock mass. To address the incompatibility issue arising from the coupling of LBM-SPF model and MEM model, a correction scheme inside the solid is induced. The simulation results of the single particle and double particle sedimentation in cavity show the feasibility and accuracy of the method designed in this paper. Moreover, the validation experiments of Scott Russel’s wave generator show that the proposed scheme can simulate wave profile stably. The simulation results emphasize that the waves induced by rockfalls have a significant impact on the safe operation of the Laxiwa dam and the passing vessels in the reservoir.

Effect of bank slope on the flow patterns in river intakes

In this work, we studied the dimensions of stream tube in the vertical as well as inclined bank conditions. Data were collected from both a physical model and a 3-D numerical model（SSIIM 2）. Equations for predicting stream tube dimensions were presented and compared with existing formulae. In comparison with vertical bank, it is found that inclining bank causes the bottom stream tube width to be greater than at the surface. The strength of secondary current formed at the entrance of branch channel is reduced. These changes in flow pattern can reduce the amount of sediment delivery into the intake.