Driving Force and Ecosystem Service Values Estimation in the Extreme Arid Region from 1975 to 2015:A Case Study of Alxa League,China

The research on ecosystem service values(ESVs)estimation in arid region is weak.We took the Alxa League of China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,an extreme arid region,as an example and constructed an equivalent coefficient method to assess its ESVs from 1975 to 2015,by determining the standard unit of ESVs and the basic equivalent of the value of different ecosystem services per unit area based on the regional characteristics,literature research,expert knowledge and land use data.The results show that the ESVs first decreased from 83170.4 million yuan(RMB)in 1975 to 82337.8 million yuan(RMB)in 2000 and then increased to84033.6 million yuan(RMB)in 2015,and the ESV of sparse grassland and desert account for about 33%and 29%of the total ESVs,respectively.Among the four service types,the regulating services,support services,supply services and cultural services account for66.5%,22.8%,6.0%and 4.7%,respectively.The changes of ESVs in Alxa League are determined by the socio-economic development and ecological changes.This study provides a new method to estimate the ESVs in arid region by integrating existing methods and regional characteristics,such as the cost of water for arid ecosystems.

Prediction of Antifrccze Critical Strength of Infant Age Concrete

The rule of infant age concrete strength development under low temperature and complex affecting factors is researched. An efficient and reliable mathematical forecast model is set up to predict the infant age concrete antifreeze critical strength under low temperature at construction site. On the basis of the revision of concrete equivalent coefficient under complex influencing factors, least-squares curve-fitting method is applied to approximate the concrete strength under standard curing and the forecast formula of concrete compressive strength could be obtained under natural temperature condition by various effects. When the amounts of double-doped are 10% fly ashes and 4% silica fumes as coment replacement, the antifreeze critical strength changes form 3.5-4.1MPa under different low temperature curing. The equivalent coefficient correction formula of concrete under low temperature affected by various factors could be obtained. The obtained equivalent coefficient is suitable for calculating the strength which is between 10% to 40% of standard strength and the curing temperature from 5-20 ℃. The forecast value of concrete antifreeze critical strength under low temperature could be achieved by combining the concrete antifreeze critical strength value with the compressive strength forecast of infant age concrete under low temperature. Then the theory for construction quality control under low temperature is provided.

Chloride diffusivity in flexural cracked Portland cement concrete and fly ash concrete beams

In order to examine the effect of load-induced transverse cracks on the chloride penetration in flexural concrete beams, two different concretes, Portland cement concrete(PCC) and fly ash concrete(FAC), were tested with various crack widths. Total 14 reinforced concrete(RC) beams, ten of which were self-anchored in a three-point bending mode, were immersed into a 5% NaCl solution with the condition of dry-wet cycles. Then, the free chloride ion contents were determined by rapid chloride testing(RCT) method. Based on the proposed analytical models of chloride penetration in sound and cracked concrete subjected to dry-wet cycles, the apparent chloride diffusion coefficient and chloride diffusivity of concrete were discussed. It can be found that the performance of chloride diffusivity in both concretes will be improved with the increase of crack width, and that the influence of convection action will also be augmented. Based on the two samples obtained in sound concrete after 15 and 30 cycles, the time-exponent, m, for chloride diffusion coefficient was determined to be 0.58, 0.42, 0.62 and 0.77 for PCC1, PCC2, FAC1 and FAC2 specimens, respectively. Finally, two influencing factors of fly ash content and crack width on chloride diffusivity were obtained by regression analysis of test data, and it can be seen that factors kf and kw can be expressed with quadratic polynomial functions of fly ash content, f, and crack width, w, respectively.

Seepage Anisotropy of Heterogeneous Body

Ore dumps are heterogeneous bodies with anisotropic seepage characteristics because of the ore segregation. In an indoor experiment,a dump was constructed with three strata,where the horizontal and vertical seepage experi-ments were carried out. Horizontals flow are regarded as phreatic plan flows without penetration. Its seepage law sati-fies the Dupuit equation. With parallel lay seepage model,the equivalent seepage coefficient in the horizontal flow was obtained and was equivalent to the weighted mean of the seepage coefficient of each stratum. An unsaturated flow ap-peared in the vertical experiment,with a hydraulic gradient of 1. The vertical flow was equivalent to the seepage model that moved in vertical bedding; its equivalent seepage coefficient depended on the stratum with the minimum seepage coefficient. That the experiment showed clear anisotropy in a heterogeneous body was obvious with an anisotropic co-efficient between 63 and 155,which is 25 to 100 times larger than that of a homogeneous body.

Applicability of cement-based grout for ground heat exchanger considering heating-cooling cycles

The applicability of cement grout （or cement-based grout） has been considered as an alternative to bentonite grout commonly used to backfill closed-loop vertical ground heat exchangers. In a geothermal heat pump system, repeated heating-cooling cycles may cause adverse effects on the integrity of cement grout in the ground heat exchanger. To account for the temperature cycling effect, the strength degradation of cement grout due to temperature cycling has been examined by measuring the unconfined compression strength of cured specimens in a humidity-temperature controlling chamber with applying temperature cycles between -5℃ and 50℃. There is a tendency that the unconfined compression strength decreases with an increase in the number of temperature cycles. On the other hand, an equivalent hydraulic conductivity of a pipe-embedded cement grout specimen was evaluated by carrying out a modified flexible wall permeameter test equipped with a water circulating system to control temperature inside the pipe section. The applied operating temperature range was from 5 to 35℃. After three cycles of heating-cooling circulation, the equivalent hydraulic conductivity becomes asymptotic to a constant value, which implies there is no severe detachment of the pipe from the cement grout.

CHARACTERISTICS OF FLOW RESISTANCE IN OPEN CHANNELS WITH NON-SUBMERGED RIGID VEGETATION

The flow resistance factors of non-submerged rigid vegetation in open channels were analyzed. The formulas of drag coefficient CD and equivalent Manning＇s roughness coefficient na were derived by analyzing the force of the flow of non-submerged rigid vegetation in open channel. The flow characteristics and mechanism of non-submerged rigid vegetation in open channel were studied through flume experiments.

The role of varied metal protrusions on the conductor surfaces in corona discharge subjected to DC high voltages

Conductor corona performance is significant in the evaluation of electromagnetic environment for high voltage power transmission lines. The influence of artificial contaminated conductors on corona discharge was studied and turned out to be complicated. The ionized field strength on the corona cage was measured by field mill. Meanwhile, photos of corona plumes were photographed and grayed to quantitate the corona discharge intensity. Subsequently, a calculation model for equivalent electric field strength coefficient was established to evaluate the discharge intensity of conductors in coaxial cylindrical electrode. It could be found the computational results achieved an agreement with the observed experimental phenomena. By means of simulation results, a reasonable explanation was given to the finding that the closer the distance between the two protrusions was, the lower the corona discharge intensity and higher corona inception voltage of the conductors would be. In summary, the distributions of corona sources played an important role in the corona discharge and this work would provide an important reference for the evaluation of corona effects on the surface of contaminated conductors.