Thermal performance of cast-in-place piles with artificial ground freezing in permafrost regions

During the construction of cast-in-place piles in warm permafrost,the heat carried by concrete and the cement hydration reaction can cause strong thermal disturbance to the surrounding permafrost.Since the bearing capacity of the pile is quite small before the full freeze-back,the quick refreezing of the native soils surrounding the cast-in-place pile has become the focus of the infrastructure construction in permafrost.To solve this problem,this paper innovatively puts forward the application of the artificial ground freezing(AGF)method at the end of the curing period of cast-in-place piles in permafrost.A field test on the AGF was conducted at the Beiluhe Observation and Research Station of Frozen Soil Engineering and Environment(34°51.2'N,92°56.4'E)in the Qinghai Tibet Plateau(QTP),and then a 3-D numerical model was established to investigate the thermal performance of piles using AGF under different engineering conditions.Additionally,the long-term thermal performance of piles after the completion of AGF under different conditions was estimated.Field experiment results demonstrate that AGF is an effective method to reduce the refreezing time of the soil surrounding the piles constructed in permafrost terrain,with the ability to reduce the pile-soil interface temperatures to below the natural ground temperature within 3 days.Numerical results further prove that AGF still has a good cooling effect even under unfavorable engineering conditions such as high pouring temperature,large pile diameter,and large pile length.Consequently,the application of this method is meaningful to save the subsequent latency time and solve the problem of thermal disturbance in pile construction in permafrost.The research results are highly relevant for the spread of AGF technology and the rapid building of pile foundations in permafrost.

Field observation of the thermal disturbance and freezeback processes of cast-in-place pile foundations in warm permafrost regions

The bearing capacity of pile foundations is affected by the temperature of the frozen soil around pile foundations.The construction process and the hydration heat of cast-in-place(CIP)pile foundations affect the thermal stability of permafrost.In this paper,temperature data from inside multiple CIP piles,borehole observations of ground thermal status adjacent to the foundations and local weather stations were monitored in warm permafrost regions to study the thermal influence process of CIP pile foundations.The following conclusions are drawn from the field observation data.(1)The early temperature change process of different CIP piles is different,and the differences gradually diminish over time.(2)The initial concrete temperature is linearly related with the air temperature,net radiation and wind speed within 1 h before the completion of concrete pouring;the contributions of the air temperature,net radiation,and wind speed to the initial concrete temperature are 51.9%,20.3%and 27.9%,respectively.(3)The outer boundary of the thermal disturbance annulus is approximately 2 m away from the pile center.It took more than 224 days for the soil around the CIP piles to return to the natural permafrost temperature at the study site.

Field study of plastic tube cast-in-place concrete pile

The compositions, technical principles and construction equipments of a new piling method used for ground improvement plastic tube cast-in-place concrete pile were introduced. The results from static load tests on single piles with different forms of pile shoes and on their composite foundations were analyzed. The distribution patterns of axial force, shaft friction and toe resistance were studied based on the measurements taken from buried strain gauges. From the point of engineering application, the pile has merits in convenient quality control, high bearing capacity and reliable quality, showing higher reasonability, advancement and suitability than other ground improvement methods. The pile can be adopted properly to take place of ordinary ground improvement method, achieving greater economical and social benefits.

Refreezing of cast-in-place piles under various engineering conditions

In the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Power Transmission Line （QTPTL）, cast-in-place piles （CIPPs） are widely applied in areas with unfavorable geological conditions. The thermal regime around piles in permafrost regions greatly affects the stability of the towers as well as the operation of the QTPTL. The casting of piles will markedly affect the thermal regime of the surrounding permafrost because of the casting temperature and the hydration heat of cement. Based on the typical geological and engineering conditions along the QTPTL, thermal disturbance ofa CIPP to surrounding permafrost under different casting seasons, pile depths, and casting temperatures were simulated. The results show that the casting season （summer versus winter） can influence the refreezing process of CIPPs, within the first 6 m of pile depth. Sixty days after being cast, CIPPs greater than 6 m in depth can be frozen regardless of which season they were cast, and the foundation could be reffozen after a cold season. Comparing the refreezing characteristics of CIPPs cast in different seasons also showed that, without considering the ground surface conditions, warm seasons are more suitable for casting piles. With the increase of pile depth, the thermal effect of a CIPP on the surrounding soil mainly expands vertically, while the lateral heat disturbance changes little. Deeper, longer CIPPs have better stability. The casting temperature clearly affects the thermal disturbance, and the radius of the melting circle increases with rising casting temperature. The optimal casting temperature is between 2 ℃ and 9 ℃.

Seismic performance analysis and design suggestion for frame buildings with cast-in-place staircases

Many staircases in reinforced concrete （RC） frame structures suffered severe damage during the Wenchuan earthquake. Elastic analyses for 18 RC structure models with and without staircases are conducted and compared to study the influence of the staircase on the stiffness, displacements and internal forces of the structures. To capture the yielding development and damage mechanism of frame structures, elasto-plastic analysis is carried out for one of the 18 models. Based on the features observed in the analyses, a new type of staircase design i.e., isolating them from the master structure to eliminate the effect of K-type struts, is proposed and discussed. It is concluded that the proposed method of staircase isolation is effective and feasible for engineering design, and does not significantly increase the construction cost.

Physical modeling of behaviors of cast-in-place concrete piled raft compared to free-standing pile group in sand

Similar to free-standing pile groups, piled raft foundations are conventionally designed in which the piles carry the total load of structure and the raft bearing capacity is not taken into account. Numerous studies indicated that this method is too conservative. Only when the pile cap is elevated from the ground level,the raft bearing contribution can be neglected. In a piled raft foundation, pileesoileraft interaction is complicated. Although several numerical studies have been carried out to analyze the behaviors of piled raft foundations, very few experimental studies are reported in the literature. The available laboratory studies mainly focused on steel piles. The present study aims to compare the behaviors of piled raft foundations with free-standing pile groups in sand, using laboratory physical models. Cast-in-place concrete piles and concrete raft are used for the tests. The tests are conducted on single pile, single pile in pile group, unpiled raft, free-standing pile group and piled raft foundation. We examine the effects of the number of piles, the pile installation method and the interaction between different components of foundation. The results indicate that the ultimate bearing capacity of the piled raft foundation is considerably higher than that of the free-standing pile group with the same number of piles. With installation of the single pile in the group, the pile bearing capacity and stiffness increase. Installation of the piles beneath the raft decreases the bearing capacity of the raft. When the raft bearing capacity is not included in the design process, the allowable bearing capacity of the piled raft is underestimated by more than 200%. This deviation intensifies with increasing spacing of the piles.

Constructing Built-In Electric Fields with Semiconductor Junctions and Schottky Junctions Based on Mo-MXene/Mo-Metal Sulfides for Electromagnetic Response

The exploration of novel multivariate heterostructures has emerged as a pivotal strategy for developing high-performance electromagnetic wave(EMW)absorption materials.However,the loss mechanism in traditional heterostructures is relatively simple,guided by empirical observations,and is not monotonous.In this work,we presented a novel semiconductor-semiconductor-metal heterostructure sys-tem,Mo-MXene/Mo-metal sulfides(metal=Sn,Fe,Mn,Co,Ni,Zn,and Cu),including semiconductor junctions and Mott-Schottky junctions.By skillfully combining these distinct functional components(Mo-MXene,MoS_(2),metal sulfides),we can engineer a multiple heterogeneous interface with superior absorption capabilities,broad effective absorption bandwidths,and ultrathin matching thickness.The successful establishment of semiconductor-semiconductor-metal heterostructures gives rise to a built-in electric field that intensifies electron transfer,as confirmed by density functional theory,which collaborates with multiple dielectric polarization mechanisms to substantially amplify EMW absorption.We detailed a successful synthesis of a series of Mo-MXene/Mo-metal sulfides featuring both semiconductor-semiconductor and semiconductor-metal interfaces.The achievements were most pronounced in Mo-MXene/Mo-Sn sulfide,which achieved remarkable reflection loss values of-70.6 dB at a matching thickness of only 1.885 mm.Radar cross-section calculations indicate that these MXene/Mo-metal sulfides have tremendous potential in practical military stealth technology.This work marks a departure from conventional component design limitations and presents a novel pathway for the creation of advanced MXene-based composites with potent EMW absorption capabilities.

Drilling-based measuring method for the c-φ parameter of rock and its field application

The technology of drilling tests makes it possible to obtain the strength parameter of rock accurately in situ. In this paper, a new rock cutting analysis model that considers the influence of the rock crushing zone(RCZ) is built. The formula for an ultimate cutting force is established based on the limit equilibrium principle. The relationship between digital drilling parameters(DDP) and the c-φ parameter(DDP-cφ formula, where c refers to the cohesion and φ refers to the internal friction angle) is derived, and the response of drilling parameters and cutting ratio to the strength parameters is analyzed. The drillingbased measuring method for the c-φ parameter of rock is constructed. The laboratory verification test is then completed, and the difference in results between the drilling test and the compression test is less than 6%. On this basis, in-situ rock drilling tests in a traffic tunnel and a coal mine roadway are carried out, and the strength parameters of the surrounding rock are effectively tested. The average difference ratio of the results is less than 11%, which verifies the effectiveness of the proposed method for obtaining the strength parameters based on digital drilling. This study provides methodological support for field testing of rock strength parameters.

Strong coupling and catenary field enhancement in the hybrid plasmonic metamaterial cavity and TMDC monolayers

Strong coupling between resonantly matched surface plasmons of metals and excitons of quantum emitters results in the formation of new plasmon-exciton hybridized energy states.In plasmon-exciton strong coupling,plasmonic nanocavities play a significant role due to their ability to confine light in an ultrasmall volume.Additionally,two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDCs) have a significant exciton binding energy and remain stable at ambient conditions,making them an excellent alternative for investigating light-matter interactions.As a result,strong plasmon-exciton coupling has been reported by introducing a single metallic cavity.However,single nanoparticles have lower spatial confinement of electromagnetic fields and limited tunability to match the excitonic resonance.Here,we introduce the concept of catenary-shaped optical fields induced by plasmonic metamaterial cavities to scale the strength of plasmon-exciton coupling.The demonstrated plasmon modes of metallic metamaterial cavities offer high confinement and tunability and can match with the excitons of TMDCs to exhibit a strong coupling regime by tuning either the size of the cavity gap or thickness.The calculated Rabi splitting of Au-MoSe_2 and Au-WSe_2 heterostructures strongly depends on the catenary-like field enhancement induced by the Au cavity,resulting in room-temperature Rabi splitting ranging between 77.86 and 320 me V.These plasmonic metamaterial cavities can pave the way for manipulating excitons in TMDCs and operating active nanophotonic devices at ambient temperature.

Displacement field reconstruction in landslide physical modeling by using a terrain laser scanner e Part 2:Application and large strain/displacement and water effect analysis

Deformation analysis is fundamental in geotechnical modeling.Nevertheless,there is still a lack of an effective method to obtain the deformation field under various experimental conditions.In this study,we introduce a processebased physical modeling of a pileereinforced reservoir landslide and present an improved deformation analysis involving large strains and water effects.We collect multieperiod point clouds using a terrain laser scanner and reconstruct its deformation field through a point cloud processing workflow.The results show that this method can accurately describe the landslide surface deformation at any time and area by both scalar and vector fields.The deformation fields in different profiles of the physical model and different stages of the evolutionary process provide adequate and detailed landslide information.We analyze the large strain upstream of the pile caused by the pile installation and the consequent violent deformation during the evolutionary process.Furthermore,our method effectively overcomes the challenges of identifying targets commonly encountered in geotechnical modeling where water effects are considered and targets are polluted,which facilitates the deformation analysis at the wading area in a reservoir landslide.Eventually,combining subsurface deformation as well as numerical modeling,we comprehensively analyze the kinematics and failure mechanisms of this complicated object involving landslides and pile foundations as well as water effects.This method is of great significance for any geotechnical modeling concerning large-strain analysis and water effects.

ST-LSTM-SA:A New Ocean Sound Velocity Field Prediction Model Based on Deep Learning

The scarcity of in-situ ocean observations poses a challenge for real-time information acquisition in the ocean.Among the crucial hydroacoustic environmental parameters,ocean sound velocity exhibits significant spatial and temporal variability and it is highly relevant to oceanic research.In this study,we propose a new data-driven approach,leveraging deep learning techniques,for the prediction of sound velocity fields(SVFs).Our novel spatiotemporal prediction model,STLSTM-SA,combines Spatiotemporal Long Short-Term Memory(ST-LSTM) with a self-attention mechanism to enable accurate and real-time prediction of SVFs.To circumvent the limited amount of observational data,we employ transfer learning by first training the model using reanalysis datasets,followed by fine-tuning it using in-situ analysis data to obtain the final prediction model.By utilizing the historical 12-month SVFs as input,our model predicts the SVFs for the subsequent three months.We compare the performance of five models:Artificial Neural Networks(ANN),Long ShortTerm Memory(LSTM),Convolutional LSTM(ConvLSTM),ST-LSTM,and our proposed ST-LSTM-SA model in a test experiment spanning 2019 to 2022.Our results demonstrate that the ST-LSTM-SA model significantly improves the prediction accuracy and stability of sound velocity in both temporal and spatial dimensions.The ST-LSTM-SA model not only accurately predicts the ocean sound velocity field(SVF),but also provides valuable insights for spatiotemporal prediction of other oceanic environmental variables.

Field test of high-power microwave-assisted mechanical excavation for deep hard iron ore

Microwave-assisted mechanical excavation has great application prospects in mines and tunnels,but there are few field experiments on microwave-assisted rock breaking.This paper takes the Sishanling iron mine as the research object and adopts the self-developed high-power microwave-induced fracturing test system for hard rock to conduct field experiments of microwave-induced fracturing of iron ore.The heating and reflection evolution characteristics of ore under different microwave parameters(antenna type,power,and working distance)were studied,and the optimal microwave parameters were obtained.Subsequently,the ore was irradiated with the optimal microwave parameters,and the cracking effect of the ore under the action of the high-power open microwave was analyzed.The results show that the reflection coefficient(standing wave ratio)can be rapidly(<5 s)and automatically adjusted below the preset threshold value(1.6)as microwave irradiation is performed.When using a right-angle horn antenna with a working distance of 5 cm,the effect of automatic reflection adjustment reaches the best among other antenna types and working distances.When the working distance is the same,the average temperature of the irradiation surface and the area of the high-temperature area under the action of the two antennas(right-angled and equal-angled horn antenna)are basically the same and decrease with the increase of working distance.The optimal microwave parameters are:a right-angle horn antenna with a working distance of 5 cm.Subsequently,in further experiments,the optimal parameters were used to irradiate for 20 s and 40 s at a microwave power of 60 kW,respectively.The surface damage extended 38 cm×30 cm and 53 cm×30 cm,respectively,and the damage extended to a depth of about 50 cm.The drilling speed was increased by 56.2%and 66.5%,respectively,compared to the case when microwaves were not used.

Reactor field reconstruction from sparse and movable sensors using Voronoi tessellation-assisted convolutional neural networks

The aging of operational reactors leads to increased mechanical vibrations in the reactor interior.The vibration of the incore sensors near their nominal locations is a new problem for neutronic field reconstruction.Current field-reconstruction methods fail to handle spatially moving sensors.In this study,we propose a Voronoi tessellation technique in combination with convolutional neural networks to handle this challenge.Observations from movable in-core sensors were projected onto the same global field structure using Voronoi tessellation,holding the magnitude and location information of the sensors.General convolutional neural networks were used to learn maps from observations to the global field.The proposed method reconstructed multi-physics fields(including fast flux,thermal flux,and power rate)using observations from a single field(such as thermal flux).Numerical tests based on the IAEA benchmark demonstrated the potential of the proposed method in practical engineering applications,particularly within an amplitude of 5 cm around the nominal locations,which led to average relative errors below 5% and 10% in the L_(2) and L_(∞)norms,respectively.

Electromagnetic fields in ultra-peripheral relativistic heavy-ion collisions

Ultra-peripheral heavy-ion collisions(UPCs)offer unique opportunities to study processes under strong electromagnetic fields.In these collisions,highly charged fast-moving ions carry strong electromagnetic fields that can be effectively treated as photon fluxes.The exchange of photons can induce photonuclear and two-photon interactions and excite ions.This excitation of the ions results in Coulomb dissociation with the emission of photons,neutrons,and other particles.Additionally,the electromagnetic fields generated by the ions can be sufficiently strong to enforce mutual interactions between the two colliding ions.Consequently,the two colliding ions experience an electromagnetic force that pushes them in opposite directions,causing a back-to-back correlation in the emitted neutrons.Using a Monte Carlo simulation,we qualitatively demonstrate that the above electromagnetic effect is large enough to be observed in UPCs,which would provide a clear means to study strong electromagnetic fields and their effects.

Design and construction of high and large span cast-in-place reinforced concrete cantilever flowering frame beam

The high and large span cast-in-place reinforced concrete cantilever structure of the office building of some court, which is located I-steel at the cantilever and used steel pipe scaffold as the support, has guaranteed the frame body and structure security by the frame body calculating, on-site test and reasonable construction order.

Research on simulation of gun muzzle flow field empowered by artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence technology is introduced into the simulation of muzzle flow field to improve its simulation efficiency in this paper.A data-physical fusion driven framework is proposed.First,the known flow field data is used to initialize the model parameters,so that the parameters to be trained are close to the optimal value.Then physical prior knowledge is introduced into the training process so that the prediction results not only meet the known flow field information but also meet the physical conservation laws.Through two examples,it is proved that the model under the fusion driven framework can solve the strongly nonlinear flow field problems,and has stronger generalization and expansion.The proposed model is used to solve a muzzle flow field,and the safety clearance behind the barrel side is divided.It is pointed out that the shape of the safety clearance under different launch speeds is roughly the same,and the pressure disturbance in the area within 9.2 m behind the muzzle section exceeds the safety threshold,which is a dangerous area.Comparison with the CFD results shows that the calculation efficiency of the proposed model is greatly improved under the condition of the same calculation accuracy.The proposed model can quickly and accurately simulate the muzzle flow field under various launch conditions.

Enhancing the resolution of sparse rock property measurements using machine learning and random field theory

The travel time of rock compressional waves is an essential parameter used for estimating important rock properties,such as porosity,permeability,and lithology.Current methods,like wireline logging tests,provide broad measurements but lack finer resolution.Laboratory-based rock core measurements offer higher resolution but are resource-intensive.Conventionally,wireline logging and rock core measurements have been used independently.This study introduces a novel approach that integrates both data sources.The method leverages the detailed features from limited core data to enhance the resolution of wireline logging data.By combining machine learning with random field theory,the method allows for probabilistic predictions in regions with sparse data sampling.In this framework,12 parameters from wireline tests are used to predict trends in rock core data.The residuals are modeled using random field theory.The outcomes are high-resolution predictions that combine both the predicted trend and the probabilistic realizations of the residual.By utilizing unconditional and conditional random field theories,this method enables unconditional and conditional simulations of the underlying high-resolution rock compressional wave travel time profile and provides uncertainty estimates.This integrated approach optimizes the use of existing core and logging data.Its applicability is confirmed in an oil project in West China.

Flow field, sedimentation, and erosion characteristics around folded linear HDPE sheet sand fence: Numerical simulation study

Wind and sand hazards are serious in the Milan Gobi area of the Xinjiang section of the Korla Railway. In order to ensure the safe operation of railroads, there is a need for wind and sand protection in heavily sandy areas. The wind and sand flow in the region is notably bi-directional. To shield railroads from sand, a unique sand fence made of folded linear high-density polyethylene(HDPE) is used, aligning with the principle that the dominant wind direction is perpendicular to the fence. This study employed field observations and numerical simulations to investigate the effectiveness of these HDPE sand fences in altering flow field distribution and offering protection. It also explored how these fences affect the deposition and erosion of sand particles. Findings revealed a significant reduction in wind speed near the fence corner;the minimum horizontal wind speed on the leeward side of the first sand fence(LSF) decreased dramatically from 3 m/s to 0.64 m/s. The vortex area on the LSF markedly impacted horizontal wind speeds. Within the LSF, sand deposition was a primary occurrence. As wind speeds increased, the deposition zone shrank, whereas the positive erosion zone expanded. Close to the folded corners of the HDPE sand fence, there was a notable shift from the positive erosion zone to a deposition zone. Field tests and numerical simulations confirmed the high windproof efficiency(WE) and sand resistance efficiency(SE) in the HDPE sand fence. Folded linear HDPE sheet sand fence can effectively slow down the incoming flow and reduce the sand content, thus achieving good wind and sand protection. This study provides essential theoretical guidance for the design and improvement of wind and sand protection systems in railroad engineering.

Subsoil tillage enhances wheat productivity,soil organic carbon and available nutrient status in dryland fields

Tillage practices during the fallow period benefit water storage and yield in dryland wheat crops.However,there is currently no clarity on the responses of soil organic carbon(SOC),total nitrogen(TN),and available nutrients to tillage practices within the growing season.This study evaluated the effects of three tillage practices(NT,no tillage;SS,subsoil tillage;DT,deep tillage)over five years on soil physicochemical properties.Soil samples at harvest stage from the fifth year were analyzed to determine the soil aggregate and aggregate-associated C and N fractions.The results indicated that SS and DT improved grain yield,straw biomass and straw carbon return of wheat compared with NT.In contrast to DT and NT,SS favored SOC and TN concentrations and stocks by increasing the soil organic carbon sequestration rate(SOCSR)and soil nitrogen sequestration rate(TNSR)in the 0-40 cm layer.Higher SOC levels under SS and NT were associated with greater aggregate-associated C fractions,while TN was positively associated with soluble organic nitrogen(SON).Compared with DT,the NT and SS treatments improved soil available nutrients in the 0-20 cm layer.These findings suggest that SS is an excellent practice for increasing soil carbon,nitrogen and nutrient availability in dryland wheat fields in North China.

Effects of vacancy and external electric field on the electronic properties of the MoSi_(2)N_(4)/graphene heterostructure

Recently,the newly synthesized septuple-atomic layer two-dimensional(2D)material MoSi_(2)N_(4)(MSN)has attracted attention worldwide.Our work delves into the effect of vacancies and external electric fields on the electronic properties of the MSN/graphene(Gr)heterostructure using first-principles calculation.We find that four types of defective structures,N-in,N-out,Si and Mo vacancy defects of monolayer MSN and MSN/Gr heterostructure are stable in air.Moreover,vacancy defects can effectively modulate the charge transfer at the interface of the MSN/Gr heterostructure as well as the work function of the pristine monolayer MSN and MSN/Gr heterostructure.Finally,the application of an external electric field enables the dynamic switching between n-type and p-type Schottky contacts.Our work may offer the possibility of exceeding the capabilities of conventional Schottky diodes based on MSN/Gr heterostructures.