GIS-based analysis of fault patterns in urban areas： A case study of Irkutsk city, Russia

The capabilities of GIS in modeling fault patterns are explored for Irkutsk city in East Siberia with implications for ground stability. The neotectonic structure of the area is visualized in three dimension （3D） taking into account fault dips, using the ArcGIS, GlobalMapper and Paradigm Geophysical packages. The study area is divided into blocks of different size classes according to the length-based ranks of the bounding faults, which are of five classes distinguished with the equal interval method. The blocks show different deformation patterns, with different densities and strikes of crossing and bounding faults. The data are statistically processed using GIS to estimate the deformation degrees of blocks in arbitrary units per square kilometer using the attributes of rank and crossing/bounding position of faults and the size of blocks. The deformation degrees are then compared with available estimates of ground stability measured as a score of points corresponding to destabilizing factors. Although the comparison generally confirms some linkage between the deformation degree of blocks and their ground stability, the correlation is intricate and ambiguous. In order to enhance the advantages of GIS in building and analyzing 3D models of fault patterns for estimating ground stability and mitigating geological hazards, it is expected in the future to proceed from the reported initial step of visualization to more advanced analysis.

An analytical model to predict the volume of sand during drilling and production

Over the past few decades, many optical fiber sensing techniques have been developed. Among these available sensing methods, optical fiber Bragg grating（FBG） is probably the most popular one. With its unique capabilities, FBG-based geotechnical sensors can be used as a sensor array for distributive（profile） measurements, deployed under water（submersible）, for localized high resolution and/or differential measurements. The authors have developed a series of FBG-based transducers that include inclination, linear displacement and gauge/differential pore pressure sensors. Techniques that involve the field deployment of FBG inclination, extension and pore-pressure sensor arrays for automated slope stability and ground subsidence monitoring have been developed. The paper provides a background of FBG and the design concepts behind the FBG-based field monitoring sensors. Cases of field monitoring using the FBG sensor arrays are presented, and their practical implications are discussed.

Parameter effects on high-speed UAV ground directional stability using bifurcation analysis

A loss of ground directional stability can trigger a high-speed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)to veer off the runway.In order to investigate the combined effects of the key structural and operational parameters on the UAV ground directional stability from a global perspective,a fully parameterized mathematical high-speed UAV ground nonlinear dynamic model is developed considering several nonlinear factors.The bifurcation analysis procedure of a UAV ground steering system is introduced,following which the simulation efficiency is greatly improved comparing with the time-domain simulation method.Then the numerical continuation method is employed to investigate the influence of the nose wheel steering angle and the global stability region is obtained.The bifurcation parameter plane is divided into several parts with different stability properties by the saddle nodes and the Hopf bifurcation points.We find that the UAV motion states will never cross the bifurcation curve in the nonlinear system.Also,the dual-parameter bifurcation analyses are presented to give a complete description of the possible steering performance.It is also found that BT bifurcation appears when the UAV initial rectilinear velocity and the tire frictional coefficient vary.In addition,results indicate that the influence of tire frictional coefficient has an opposite trend to the influence of initial rectilinear velocity.Overall,using bifurcation analysis method to identify the parameter regions of a UAV nonlinear ground dynamic system helps to improve the development efficiency and quality during UAV designing phase.