Study on Load Bearing Characteristics of Novel Expandable Deepwater Drilling Conductor Based on Laboratory Experiment and Field Test

A novel expandable conductor was designed and applied in deep-water drilling to improve the vertical and lateral bearing capacity with a significant reduction of conductor jetting depth and soaking time. The vertical and lateral bearing capability of expandable conductors was depicted based on the ultimate subgrade reaction method and pile foundation bearing theory. The load-bearing characteristics of a laboratory-scale expandable conductor were analyzed through laboratory experiments. The serial simulation experiments are accomplished to study the bearing characteristics(vertical ultimate bearing capacity, lateral soil pressure, and lateral displacement) during the conductor soaking process. The laboratory experimental results show that the larger the length and thickness of expandable materials are,the higher the bearing capacity of the wellhead will be. During the conductor soaking process, the soil pressure around the three expandable conductors increases faster, strings representing a stronger squeezing effect and resulting in higher vertical bearing capacity. Furthermore, the lateral displacement of novel expandable conductor is smaller than that of the conventional conductor. All the advantages mentioned above contributed to the reduction of conductor’s jetting depth and soaking time. Lastly, the application workflow of a novel expandable deep-water drilling conductor was established and the autonomous expandable conductor was successfully applied in the South China Sea with a significant reduction of conductor’s jetting depth and soaking time. According to the soil properties and designed installation depth of the surface conductor, the arrangement of expandable materials should be designed reasonably to meet the safety condition and reduce the construction cost of the subsea wellhead.

Laboratory pull-out tests on fully grouted rock bolts and cable bolts:Results and lessons learned

Laboratory pull-out tests were conducted on the following rock bolts and cable bolts:steel rebars,smooth steel bars,fiberglass reinforced polymer threaded bolts,flexible cable bolts,IR5/IN special cable bolts and Mini-cage cable bolts.The diameter of the tested bolts was between 16 mm and 26 mm.The bolts were grouted in a sandstone sample using resin or cement grouts.The tests were conducted under either constant radial stiffness or constant confining pressure boundary conditions applied on the outer surface of the rock sample.In most tests,the rate of displacement was about 0.02 mm/s.The tests were performed using a pull-out bench that allows testing a wide range of parameters.This paper provides an extensive database of laboratory pull-out test results and confirms the influence of the confining pressure and the embedment length on the pull-out response(rock bolts and cable bolts).It also highlights the sensitivity of the results to the operating conditions and to the behavior of the sample as a whole,which cannot be neglected when the test results are used to assess the bolt-grout or the grouterock interface.

Oxidation Modification of Polyacrylonitrile-Based Carbon Fiber and Its Electro-Chemical Performance as Marine Electrode for Electric Field Test

A novel sensor for ocean electric field testing has been fabricated by polyacrylonitrile-based on carbon fibers with electro-chemical oxidation.The surface profile characteristics of the carbon fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscope,Fourier transform infrared spectra and contact angle.Cyclic voltammetry and Tafel curves have been used to study its electro-chemical performances.Two identical electrodes in sea water as the electric field sensor will swiftly respond to applied electric field which causes positive and negative ions to move in opposite direction,resulting in a electric potential difference(ΔE).Test result indicates that the offset potential is typically below 1 m V with a drift of 60-170μVd^-1.Typical self noise level is 1.07 nV√Hz^(1/2)@1 Hz.The electric field response indicates that the modified electrode pair shows better response to AC sine signal of amplitude and frequency(5 mV and 1 mHz)respectively than its blank.The electric field response model of the modified electrodes is creatively presented according to its electric double layer capacitance and Faraday pseudo-capacitance.Many advantages of the carbon fiber electric field electrode will make it have potential application prospect.

Field testing of stiffened deep cement mixing piles under lateral cyclic loading

Construction of seaside and underground wall bracing often uses stiffened deep cement mixed columns （SDCM）. This research investigates methods used to improve the level of bearing capacity of these SDCM when subjected to cyclic lateral loading via various types of stiffer cores. Eight piles, two deep cement mixed piles and six stiffened deep cement mixing piles with three different types of cores, H shape cross section prestressed concrete, steel pipe, and H-beam steel, were embedded though soft clay into medium-hard clay on site in Thailand. Cyclic horizontal loading was gradually applied until pile failure and the hysteresis loops of lateral load vs. lateral deformation were recorded. The lateral carrying capacities of the SDCM piles with an H-beam steel core increased by 3-4 times that of the DCM piles. This field research clearly shows that using H-beam steel as a stiffer core for SDCM piles is the best method to improve its lateral carrying capacity, ductility and energy dissipation capacity.

Nondestructive Testing and Characterization of Residual Stress Field Using an Ultrasonic Method

To address the difficulty in testing and calibrating the stress gradient in the depth direction of mechanical components, a new technology of nondestructive testing and characterization of the residual stress gradient field by ultrasonic method is proposed based on acoustoelasticity theory. By carrying out theoretical analysis, the sensitivity coefficients of different types of ultrasonic are obtained by taking the low carbon steel（12%C） as a research object. By fixing the interval distance between sending and receiving transducers, the mathematical expressions of the change of stress and the variation of time are established. To design one sending-one receiving and oblique incidence ultrasonic detection probes, according to Snell law, the critically refracted longitudinal wave（LCR wave） is excited at a certain depth of the fixed distance of the tested components. Then, the relationship between the depth of LCR wave detection and the center frequency of the probe in Q235 steel is obtained through experimental study. To detect the stress gradient in the depth direction, a stress gradient LCR wave detection model is established, through which the stress gradient formula is derived by the relationship between center frequency and detecting depth. A C-shaped stress specimen of Q235 steel is designed to conduct stress loading tests, and the stress is measured with the five group probes at different center frequencies. The accuracy of ultrasonic testing is verified by X-ray stress analyzer. The stress value of each specific depth is calculated using the stress gradient formula. Accordingly, the ultrasonic characterization of residual stress field is realized. Characterization results show that the stress gradient distribution is consistent with the simulation in ANSYS. The new technology can be widely applied in the detection of the residual stress gradient field caused by mechanical processing, such as welding and shot peening.

Displacement characteristic of landslides reinforced with flexible piles: field and physical model test

A field monitoring system was established in an active river bank landslide in the Three Gorges area, China, and a consecutive monitoring for about 5 years were conducted to understand the displacement characteristics of flexible piles and the surrounding soil. It was found that piles deformed elastically under reservoir operation, and the soil in front of piles was gradually separated from piles. The movement of the pile heads exceeded that of the soil between and behind piles. This phenomenon was further studied by a large-scale physical model test to gain insights into the pile-soil interaction. The displacement relationship between pile heads and the surrounding soil is in good agreement with the field data. The physical model test shows that the deformation process of pile-reinforced landslides can be divided into two stages: firstly, when the piles head movement exceeds soil movement, the soil arching is mainly affected by the deflection of the piles, the arches between and behind piles bent upwards;but when the soil movement exceeds piles head movement, the arches near the upslope and downslope bent downwards and upwards, respectively. Furthermore, the different deformation of two adjacent piles and the pile stiffness influenced the arch’s shape and formation;the flexible piles exhibit great coordinated deformation with the landslide, and caused the soil arch on the downslope.

Damage Assessment, Repair and Field Test of Steel Lattice Shell after Fire

A real case of a steel lattice shell suffering a fire was studied. Based on the theory of field modeling, fire dynamic simulator (FDS) was used to identify the temperature field. The damage mechanism of the structure was determined by FEM analysis. After damage assessment, the shell was repaired with the pipe-encasement method. Finally, field test was employed to check the capacity of the structure after repair. The numerical study results indicate that the damage assessment agrees well with field inspection, verifying the accuracy of fire numerical simulation and FEM analysis. The field test results prove that the pipe-encasement method is secure and reasonable, and the repaired shell is safe.

Field tests on mechanical characteristics and strength parameters of red-sandstone

Large-scale field shear tests on ten specimens of the red-sandstone embankment at a highway in Hunan,China,were performed to examine mechanical characteristics and parameters of red-sandstone.The curves of thrust-displacement,failure mode,and shear strength parameters for red-sandstone with different water contents,different compactions,and different grain size distributions were obtained from the tests.A practical procedure of in-situ test for red-sandstone embankment was proposed to normalize the test equipment and test steps.Based on three-dimensional thrust-sliding limit equilibrium method,the formulas for calculating strength parameters of red-sandstone considering three-dimensional sliding surface were inferred.The results show that red-sandstone has typical complete curves of stress-strain,strain softening,which are caused by the special structure of red-sandstone;water content and compaction are important factors for strength and failure mode of red-sandstone;The average value of cohesion and internal friction angle of the specimens calculated by three-dimensional technique are 21.56 kPa and 29.29°,respectively,and those by traditional two-dimensional method are 25.52 kPa and 33.76°,respectively.

An Approach to Field Test Scheme of Main Fan Performance for the Special Type Mine Fan-House

The field tot of performance of mine main fan is going to become an independance requirement of coal mlue progressively and to be taken seriously. According to the fan-house with air gate closed to the fan inlet, this paper analyses the influence of the rapid changing air flow field upon field test and puts forward a reasonable test scheme.

Field load testing of copper extraction aeration pipes under simulated high heap pile

Recently a research team at Ohio University,USA,conducted a unique full-scale feld load test to simulate the aeration pipe installations at a copper extraction mine operated in Chile.The overliner material taken from the mine was used in recreating the in situ conditions.Electric heaters were utilized to raise the temperature inside each pipe to simulate the essential element of the copper extraction process.The maximum vertical deflection reached by the test pipes was close to 20%,when the simulated heap pile height was 80 m.The plastic pipes and the overliner material were also tested in the laboratory.Based on the results,the maximum heap pile fll depth was recommended for the aeration system.The results indicated that the vertical deflection was the primary performance index for the aeration pipes installed in heap piles at mines.Lastly,the pipe made of polypropylene resin was super.

Field Test of Electrochemical Degradation and Oil-Removal Technology Used the Treatment of Wastewater Containing Polymer in Offshore Oilfield

Aimed at the current treatment status of the polymer-flooding wastewater in Bohai oilfield, electrochemical technology used for polymer-degradation and oil-removal was researched. It formed the process flow of cyclone mixed dosing → electrochemical removal oil → inclined tube removal oil → walnut shell filter, and a set of skid mounted wastewater containing polymer treatment plant was designed and manufactured, which was used for the field test of electrochemical treatment of wastewater containing polymer in offshore oilfield. The result shows that the oil removal rate of the electrochemical treatment process is over 98%, and the synergistic effect is significant especially used in conjunction with water clarifier of BHQ-04. When the amount of water clarifier is 50 - 150 mg/L, the oil content, the median particle diameter and the suspended solids content of the filtered water is 8 - 18 mg/L, 1.9 - 2.26 μm and 1.39 - 2.04 mg/L respectively, which reach the scene water quality standards for water injection.

Research on Strong Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Test Method by Time-frequency Combination

Many conventional methods of testing strong and pulsed electromagnetic fields,the ones used in radars for example,had deficiencies due to the difficulty in obtaining simultaneous information about the electromagnetic field's peak both in the time domain and in the frequency domain.With regard to this problem,after analyzing the time-domain and the frequency-domain characteristics of radar pulsed signals,we propose a new time-frequency combination test method based on the correction of the test parameters,as well as its correction method at different bandwidths.The test method is applied in a quick test of a high-power pulsed radar signal,and the corrected results have error less than 1 dB in both the time domain and the frequency domain,which indicates that the proposed time-frequency combined method is effective in testing strong and pulsed electromagnetic fields.

Novel Test Approach for Interconnect Resources in Field Programmable Gate Arrays

A novel test approach for interconnect resources （IRs） in field programmable gate arrays （FPGA） has been proposed.In the test approach,SBs （switch boxes） of IRs in FPGA has been utilized to test IRs.Furthermore,configurable logic blocks （CLBs） in FPGA have also been employed to enhance driving capability and the position of fault IR can be determined by monitoring the IRs associated SBs.As a result,IRs can be scanned maximally with minimum configuration patterns.In the experiment,an in-house developed FPGA test system based on system-on-chip （SoC） hardware/software verification technology has been applied to test XC4000E family of Xilinx.The experiment results revealed that the IRs in FPGA can be tested by 6 test patterns.

Numerical analysis and field monitoring tests on shallow tunnels under weak surrounding rock

The Jianpudong No. 4 tunnel is a shallow tunnel, which belongs to Shaoshan County scenic highway in Hunan province, China and whose surrounding rock is weak. According to its characteristics, the field monitoring tests and numerical analysis were done. The mechanical characteristics of shallow tunnels under weak surrounding rock and the stress-strain rule of surrounding rock and support were analyzed. The numerical analysis results show that the settlement caused by upper bench excavating accounts for 44% of the total settlement, and the settlement caused by tunnel upper bench supporting accounts for 56% of the total settlement. The maximum axial force of shotcrete lining is 177.2 k N, which locates in hance under the secondary lining. The maximum moment of shotcrete lining is 5.08 k N·m, which locates in the arch foot. The stress curve of steel arch has three obvious stages during the tunnel construction. The maximum axial force of steel arch is 297.4 k N, which locates in tunnel vault. The axial forces of steel arch are respectively 23.5 k N and-21.8 k N, which is influenced by eccentric compression of shallow tunnel and locates in hance. The results show that there is larger earth pressure in tunnel vault which is most unfavorable position of steel arch. Therefore, the advance support should be strengthened in tunnel vault during construction process.

Field test of multi-hop image sensing network prototype on a city-wide scale

Wireless multimedia sensor networks drastically stretch the horizon of traditional monitoring and surveillance systems. Most existing research has utilized Zigbee or WiFi as the communication technology. Both technologies use ultra-high frequencies (primarily 2.4 GHz) and suffer from a relatively short transmission range (i.e., 100 m line-of-sight). The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility and potential of transmitting image information using RF modules with lower frequencies (e.g., 433 MHz) to achieve a larger-scale deployment as in a city scenario. The Arduino platform is used because of its low cost and simplicity. Details of hardware properties are provided in this article, and we investigate optimum configurations for the system. After achieving an initial range test transmission distance of more than 2000 m line-of-sight, the prototype network is installed in a real life city plot for further examination of performance. A range of suitable applications is proposed and suggestions for future research are provided.

The Theoretically Studies and Field Testing of Self-Insulation Exterior Wall in the Hot Summer and Cold Winter Zone

The energy efficiency design of the exterior wall in the buildings of the hot summer and cold winter zone of China should consider the heat prevention in summer and the heat insulation in winter. The self-insulation of the exterior?wall is a more feasible design to satisfy the energy efficiency of buildings in the?zone. However, the systematic research is urgently needed for the self-insulation of the exterior wall in the hot summer and cold winter zone of China. The paper tested the thermal performance of the common non-clay materials such as shale sintered hollow brick, sand autoclaved aerated concrete block, etc. by means of indoor experiments. The energy efficiency effect of the common materials was verified using dynamic calculation soft PKPM and several constitutions of exterior wall with different main bricks and insulation materials on the heat bridge were simulated, too. Besides, the tests of the thermal performance of exterior wall in real constructions were carried out to testify the practical effect of the recommended constitutions of exterior wall with different main bricks and insulation materials on the heat bridge. The conclusions are: the physical and thermal properties of the six non-clay wall material are better than the clay porous brick;the thermal performance of the non-clay brick can be improved obviously through the rational arrangement of the holes;shale sintered hollow brick after increasing the holes and rationalizing the hole arrangement and sand autoclaved aerated concrete block are recommended for buildings in the hot summer and cold winter area of China. The dynamic calculation results show that the thermal performances?of the non-clay materials are all satisfied with the energy efficiency;The heat transfer coefficient of the exterior wall with composition?③,?in which?the main wall was sand autoclaved aerated concrete block and the material on the heat bridge was sand autoclaved aerated concrete plate, is the smallest among the three recommended compositions.

Field Measurements and Pullout Tests of Reinforced Earth Retaining Wall

In this paper, field measurements and pullout tests of a new type of reinforced earth retaining wall, which is reinforced by trapezoid concrete blocks connected by steel bar, are described. Field measurements included settlements of the earth fill, tensile forces in the ties and earth pressures on the facing panels during the construction and at completion. Based on the measurements, the following statements can be made: (1) the tensile forces in the ties increased with the height of backfill above the tie and there is a tensile force crest in most ties; (2) at completion, the measured earth pressures along the wall face were between the values of the active earth pressures and the pressures at rest; (3) larger settlements occurred near the face of the wall where a zone of drainage sand and gravel was not compacted properly and smaller settlements occurred in the well-compacted backfill. The results of field pullout tests indicated that the magnitudes of pullout resistances as well as tensile forces induced in the ties were strongly influenced by the relative displacements between the ties and the backfill, and pullout resistances increased with the height of backfill above the ties and the length of ties.

A Wood Preservative Based on Commercial Silica Nanodispersions and Boric Acid against Fungal Decay through Laboratory and Field Tests

The paper is based on the development of a wood preservative without metal salts to be used in use classes 3 and 4 (EN 335), eco-friendly and harmless to humans and animals. Boric acid was used as a biocide, due to its effectiveness against fungi and insects. It is also known to be easily leached from wood exposed to weather action. Colloidal silica was therefore added in the formulations to guarantee the fixation of boric acid to wood. The different formulations were tested for the protective efficacy against decay fungi through laboratory tests (EN 113) and field trials (EN 252). The results were promising, especially those concerning boron fixation and efficacy against decay fungi through laboratory tests, where some formulations and retentions gave a durability class 1 (very durable) according to EN 350-1. The fourth evaluation, after 50 months of field trials showed only a slight difference between the treated samples and controls.

A New Method of Significance Testing for Correlation-Coefficient Fields and Its Application

Correlation-coefficient fields are widely used in short-term climate prediction research. The most frequently used significance test method for the correlation-coefficient field was proposed by Livezey, in which the number of significantcorrelation lattice(station) points on the correlation coherence map is used as the statistic. However, the method is based on two assumptions:(1) the spatial distribution of the lattice(station) points is uniform;and(2) there is no correlation between the physical quantities in the correlation-coefficient field. However, in reality, the above two assumptions are not valid.Therefore, we designed a more reasonable method for significance testing of the correlation-coefficient field. Specifically, a new statistic, the significant-correlation area, is introduced to eliminate the inhomogeneity of the grid(station)-point distribution, and an empirical Monte Carlo method is employed to eliminate the spatial correlation of the matrix.Subsequently, the new significance test was used for simultaneous correlation-coefficient fields between intensities of the atmospheric activity center in the Northern Hemisphere and temperature/precipitation in China. The results show that the new method is more reasonable than the Livezey method.