Consolidation of high replacement ratio stone column-reinforced ground:Analytical solutions incorporating clogging effect

The utilization of stone columns has emerged as a popular ground improvement strategy,whereas the drainage performance can be adversely hampered by clogging effect.Despite the ample progress of calculation methods for the consolidation of stone column-improved ground,theoretical investigations into the clogging effect have not been thoroughly explored.Furthermore,it is imperative to involve the column consolidation deformation to mitigate computational error on the consolidation of composite ground with high replacement ratios.In this context,an analytical model accounting for the initial clogging and coupled time and depth-dependent clogging of stone columns is established.Then,the resulting governing equations and analytical solutions are obtained under a new flow continuity relationship to incorporate column consolidation deformation.The accuracy and reliability of the proposed model are illustrated by degradation analysis and case studies with good agreements.Subsequently,the computed results of the current study are juxtaposed against the existing models,and an in-depth assessment of the impacts of several crucial parameters on the consolidation behavior is conducted.The results reveal that ignoring column consolidation deformation leads to an overestimate of the consolidation rate,with maximum error reaching up to 16%as the replacement ratio increases.Furthermore,the initial clogging also has a significant influence on the consolidation performance.Additionally,the increment of depth and time-clogging factors a and b will induce a noticeable retardation of the consolidation process,particularly in the later stage.

Pulses in ground motions identified through surface partial matching and their impact on seismic rocking consequence

In seismology and earthquake engineering,it is fundamental to identify and characterize the pulse-like features in pulse-type ground motions.To capture the pulses that dominate structural responses,this study establishes congruence and shift relationships between response spectrum surfaces.A similarity search between spectrum surfaces,supplemented with a similarity search in time series,has been applied to characterize the pulse-like features in pulse-type ground motions.The identified pulses are tested in predicting the rocking consequences of slender rectangular blocks under the original ground motions.Generally,the prediction is promising for the majority of the ground motions where the dominant pulse is correctly identified.

An efficient physics-guided Bayesian framework for predicting ground settlement profile during excavations in clay

Recently,the application of Bayesian updating to predict excavation-induced deformation has proven successful and improved prediction accuracy significantly.However,updating the ground settlement profile,which is crucial for determining potential damage to nearby infrastructures,has received limited attention.To address this,this paper proposes a physics-guided simplified model combined with a Bayesian updating framework to accurately predict the ground settlement profile.The advantage of this model is that it eliminates the need for complex finite element modeling and makes the updating framework user-friendly.Furthermore,the model is physically interpretable,which can provide valuable references for construction adjustments.The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through two field case studies,showing that it can yield satisfactory predictions for the settlement profile.

Ground threat prediction-based path planning of unmanned autonomous helicopter using hybrid enhanced artificial bee colony algorithm

Unmanned autonomous helicopter(UAH)path planning problem is an important component of the UAH mission planning system.Aiming to reduce the influence of non-complete ground threat information on UAH path planning,a ground threat prediction-based path planning method is proposed based on artificial bee colony(ABC)algorithm by collaborative thinking strategy.Firstly,a dynamic threat distribution probability model is developed based on the characteristics of typical ground threats.The dynamic no-fly zone of the UAH is simulated and established by calculating the distribution probability of ground threats in real time.Then,a dynamic path planning method for UAH is designed in complex environment based on the real-time prediction of ground threats.By adding the collision warning mechanism to the path planning model,the flight path could be dynamically adjusted according to changing no-fly zones.Furthermore,a hybrid enhanced ABC algorithm is proposed based on collaborative thinking strategy.The proposed algorithm applies the leader-member thinking mechanism to guide the direction of population evolution,and reduces the negative impact of local optimal solutions caused by collaborative learning update strategy,which makes the optimization performance of ABC algorithm more controllable and efficient.Finally,simulation results verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed ground threat prediction path planning method.

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.

Ground settlement and tunnel response due to twin-curved shield tunnelling in soft ground with small clear distance

Twin curved tunnels are often encountered in shield tunnelling,where significant complexities in densely exploited underground space are observed.In this study,the ground settlement and tunnel deformation due to twin-curved shield tunnelling in soft ground were investigated using numerical simulation and field monitoring.Different curvature radii of twin curved tunnels and subsequent effects of tunnel construction were considered to reveal the tunnelling effect on ground surface settlement and tunnel deformation.The results show that the settlement trough yields one offset towards inside of curved shield tunnelling.The location of settlement trough and maximum settlement were affected by curvature radius but except for the shape and width of settlement trough.Adjacent parallel twin-curved shield tunnelling could increase the offset of existing settlement trough and maximum settlement.Then,an empirical prediction of surface settlement trough due to twin-curved shield tunnelling with same tunnel diameters in soft clay was proposed,which was applicable to curvature radius less than 800 m.Finally,a minimum radius of 600 m of curvature tunnel was proposed in terms of allowable convergence deformation of tunnel.The result could provide guidance on safety evaluation for twin curved shield tunnelling construction.

Artificial ground freezing of underground mines in cold regions using thermosyphons with air insulation

Current practice of underground artificial ground freezing(AGF)typically involves huge refrigeration systems of large economic and environmental costs.In this study,a novel AGF technique is proposed deploying available cold wind in cold regions.This is achieved by a static heat transfer device called thermosyphon equipped with an air insulation layer.A refrigeration unit can be optionally integrated to meet additional cooling requirements.The introduction of air insulation isolates the thermosyphon from ground zones where freezing is not needed,resulting in:(1)steering the cooling resources(cold wind or refrigeration)towards zones of interest;and(2)minimizing refrigeration load.This design is demonstrated using well-validated mathematical models from our previous work based on two-phase enthalpy method of the ground coupled with a thermal resistance network for the thermosyphon.Two Canadian mines are considered:the Cigar Lake Mine and the Giant Mine.The results show that our proposed design can speed the freezing time by 30%at the Giant Mine and by two months at the Cigar Lake Mine.Further,a cooling load of 2.4 GWh can be saved at the Cigar Lake Mine.Overall,this study provides mining practitioners with sustainable solutions of underground AGF.

Neural network study of the nuclear ground-state spin distribution within a random interaction ensemble

The distribution of the nuclear ground-state spin in a two-body random ensemble(TBRE)was studied using a general classification neural network(NN)model with two-body interaction matrix elements as input features and the corresponding ground-state spins as labels or output predictions.The quantum many-body system problem exceeds the capability of our optimized NNs in terms of accurately predicting the ground-state spin of each sample within the TBRE.However,our NN model effectively captured the statistical properties of the ground-state spin because it learned the empirical regularity of the ground-state spin distribution in TBRE,as discovered by physicists.

Crack mechanism of ground fissures in loess layer of Fenwei Basin, China

The Fenwei Basin, covered by loess, experiences severe ground fissure disasters. These disasters disrupt the continuity of the loess and pose significant threats to engineering construction safety along transportation routes. Nevertheless, the crack characteristics and the influence zone of ground fissures in the loess layer remain inadequately investigated. To effectively prevent and control ground fissure disasters, physical model tests and the PFC(particle flow code) numerical simulation method are used to investigate the crack mechanism of buried ground fissures in the loess layer. The results show that there are two main cracks in the layer profile, which have a Y-shape morphology. As the dip angle of the preset cracks increased from 60° to 90°, the main deformation zone at the surface gradually shifted towards the footwall. The process of crack propagation from depth to surface is divided into five stages. Additionally, the results confirm the accuracy of the width of the rupture zone d2in the footwall calculated by the cantilever beam theory. These findings can offer theoretical guidance for determining the avoidance distance of ground fissures in loess regions, as well as for implementing disaster prevention and corresponding control measures for various stages of buried ground fissure propagation.

Characteristics of Lightning Activity in Southeast China and its Relation to the Atmospheric Background

Based on the lightning observation data from the Fengyun-4A(FY-4A)Lightning Mapping Imager(FY-4A/LMI)and the Lightning Imaging Sensor(LIS)on the International Space Station(ISS),we extract the“event”type data as the lightning detection results.These observations are then compared with the cloud-to-ground(CG)lightning observation data from the China Meteorological Administration.This study focuses on the characteristics of lightning activity in Southeast China,primarily in Jiangxi Province and its adjacent areas,from April to September,2017–2022.In addition,with the fifth-generation European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis data,we further delved into the potential factors influencing the distribution and variations in lightning activity and their primary related factors.Our findings indicate that the lightning frequency and density of the FY-4A/LMI,ISS-LIS and CG data are higher in southern and central Jiangxi,central Fujian Province,and western and central Guangdong Province,while they tend to be lower in eastern Hunan Province.In general,the high-value areas of lightning density for the FY-4A/LMI are located in inland mountainous areas.The lower the latitude is,the higher the CG lightning density is.High-value areas of the CG lightning density are more likely to be located in eastern Fujian and southeastern Zhejiang Province.However,the high-value areas of lightning density for the ISS-LIS are more dispersed,with a scattered distribution in inland mountainous areas and along the coast of eastern Fujian.Thus,the mountainous terrain is closely related to the high-value areas of the lightning density.The locations of the high-value areas of the lightning density for the FY-4A/LMI correspond well with those for the CG observations,and the seasonal variations are also consistent.In contrast,the distribution of the high-value areas of the lightning density for the ISS-LIS is more dispersed.The positions of the peak frequency of the FY-4A/LMI lightning and CG lightning contrast with local altitudes,primarily located at lower altitudes or near mountainsides.K-index and convective available potential energy(CAPE)can better reflect the local boundary layer conditions,where the lightning density is higher and lightning seasonal variations are apparent.There are strong correlations in the annual variations between the dew-point temperature(Td)and CG lightning frequency,and the monthly variations of the dew-point temperature and CAPE are also strongly correlated with monthly variations of CG lightning,while they are weakly correlated with the lightning frequency for the FY-4A/LMI and ISS-LIS.This result reflects that the CAPE shows a remarkable effect on the CG lightning frequency during seasonal transitions.

Physical and numerical investigations of target stratum selection for ground hydraulic fracturing of multiple hard roofs

Ground hydraulic fracturing plays a crucial role in controlling the far-field hard roof,making it imperative to identify the most suitable target stratum for effective control.Physical experiments are conducted based on engineering properties to simulate the gradual collapse of the roof during longwall top coal caving(LTCC).A numerical model is established using the material point method(MPM)and the strain-softening damage constitutive model according to the structure of the physical model.Numerical simulations are conducted to analyze the LTCC process under different hard roofs for ground hydraulic fracturing.The results show that ground hydraulic fracturing releases the energy and stress of the target stratum,resulting in a substantial lag in the fracturing of the overburden before collapse occurs in the hydraulic fracturing stratum.Ground hydraulic fracturing of a low hard roof reduces the lag effect of hydraulic fractures,dissipates the energy consumed by the fracture of the hard roof,and reduces the abutment stress.Therefore,it is advisable to prioritize the selection of the lower hard roof as the target stratum.

The deterministic condition for the ground reaction force acting point on the combined knee valgus and tibial internal rotation moments in early phase of cutting maneuvers in female athletes

Background:Combined knee valgus and tibial internal rotation(VL+IR)moments have been shown to stress the anterior cruciate ligament(ACL)in several in vitro cadaveric studies.To utilize this knowledge for non-contact ACL injury prevention in sports,it is necessary to elucidate how the ground reaction force(GRF)acting point(center of pressure(CoP))in the stance foot produces combined knee VL+IR moments in risky maneuvers,such as cuttings.However,the effects of the GRF acting point on the development of the combined knee VL+IR moment in cutting are still unknown.Methods:We first established the deterministic mechanical condition that the CoP position relative to the tibial rotational axis differentiates the GRF vector’s directional probability for developing the combined knee VL+IR moment,and theoretically predicted that when the CoP is posterior to the tibial rotational axis,the GRF vector is more likely to produce the combined knee VL+IR moment than when the CoP is anterior to the tibial rotational axis.Then,we tested a stochastic aspect of our theory in a lab-controlled in vivo experiment.Fourteen females performed 60˚cutting under forefoot/rearfoot strike conditions(10 trials each).The positions of lower limb markers and GRF data were measured,and the knee moment due to GRF vector was calculated.The trials were divided into anterior-and posterior-CoP groups depending on the CoP position relative to the tibial rotational axis at each 10 ms interval from 0 to 100 ms after foot strike,and the occurrence rate of the combined knee VL+IR moment was compared between trial groups.Results:The posterior-CoP group showed significantly higher occurrence rates of the combined knee VL+IR moment(maximum of 82.8%)at every time point than those of the anterior-CoP trials,as theoretically predicted by the deterministic mechanical condition.Conclusion:The rearfoot strikes inducing the posterior CoP should be avoided to reduce the risk of non-contact ACL injury associated with the combined knee VL+IR stress.

Heat transfer and temperature evolution in underground mininginduced overburden fracture and ground fissures: Optimal time window of UAV infrared monitoring

Heat transfer and temperature evolution in overburden fracture and ground fissures are one of the essential topics for the identification of ground fissures via unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) infrared imager. In this study, discrete element software UDEC was employed to investigate the overburden fracture field under different mining conditions. Multiphysics software COMSOL were employed to investigate heat transfer and temperature evolution of overburden fracture and ground fissures under the influence of mining condition, fissure depth, fissure width, and month alternation. The UAV infrared field measurements also provided a calibration for numerical simulation. The results showed that for ground fissures connected to underground goaf(Fissure Ⅰ), the temperature difference increased with larger mining height and shallow buried depth. In addition, Fissure Ⅰ located in the boundary of the goaf have a greater temperature difference and is easier to be identified than fissures located above the mining goaf. For ground fissures having no connection to underground goaf(Fissure Ⅱ), the heat transfer is affected by the internal resistance of the overlying strata fracture when the depth of Fissure Ⅱ is greater than10 m, the temperature of Fissure Ⅱ gradually equals to the ground temperature as the fissures’ depth increases, and the fissures are difficult to be identified. The identification effect is most obvious for fissures larger than 16 cm under the same depth. In spring and summer, UAV infrared identification of mining fissures should be carried out during nighttime. This study provides the basis for the optimal time and season for the UAV infrared identification of different types of mining ground fissures.

The influence of reflections from the train body and the ground on the sound radiation from a railway rail

Purpose – The vibration of the rails is a significant source of railway rolling noise, often forming the dominantcomponent of noise in the important frequency region between 400 and 2000 Hz. The purpose of the paper is toinvestigate the influence of the ground profile and the presence of the train body on the sound radiation fromthe rail.Design/methodology/approach – Two-dimensional boundary element calculations are used, in which therail vibration is the source. The ground profile and various different shapes of train body are introduced in themodel, and results are observed in terms of sound power and sound pressure. Comparisons are also made withvibro-acoustic measurements performed with and without a train present.Findings – The sound radiated by the rail in the absence of the train body is strongly attenuated by shieldingdue to the ballast shoulder. When the train body is present, the sound from the vertical rail motion is reflectedback down toward the track where it is partly absorbed by the ballast. Nevertheless, the sound pressure at thetrackside is increased by typically 0–5 dB. For the lateral vibration of the rail, the effects are much smaller. Oncethe sound power is known, the sound pressure with the train present can be approximated reasonably well withsimple line source directivities.Originality/value – Numerical models used to predict the sound radiation from railway rails have generallyneglected the influence of the ground profile and reflections from the underside of the train body on the soundpower and directivity of the rail. These effects are studied in a systematic way including comparisons with measurements.

The Essence and Implementation of Ideological and Political Education within College English Curricula: A Grounded Theory Analysis

This study adopts the grounded theory approach to critically examine the essence and implementation of Ideological and Political Education(IPE)within college English curricula at Chinese Universities.We analyzed a corpus of 80 award-winning lesson plans from the“Teaching Star Competition”held by the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press to establish specific constituents that comprise IPE and identify the instructional methodologies incorporated in the teaching process.The research shows that IPE strategically merges language proficiency training with civic education,aiming to cultivate a strong national identity,solid cultural pride,and global competencies.To be more detailed,the core categories of IPE encapsulate critical thinking,professional ethics,and cross-cultural communication skills,which are based on the innovative use of technological resources and adaptive pedagogical strategies.IPE has also elaborated on the comprehensive assessment mechanisms to measure cognitive and affective outcomes,making it a multidimensional activity.Following a three-stage coding process,this study aims to contribute to this discussion regarding ideological and political education integrated into Chinese higher education institutions.The finding and conclusion in this study drawn for future curriculum developments and reformulation of educational policy suggest ways IPE could better serve in fostering well-rounded individuals capable of contributing to national and global contexts.

Infinitely Many Solutions and a Ground-State Solution for Klein-Gordon Equation Coupled with Born-Infeld Theory

In this paper, we intend to consider a kind of nonlinear Klein-Gordon equation coupled with Born-Infeld theory. By using critical point theory and the method of Nehari manifold, we obtain two existing results of infinitely many high-energy radial solutions and a ground-state solution for this kind of system, which improve and generalize some related results in the literature.

Mechanical behaviors of coal measures and ground control technologies for China's deep coal mines-A review

This paper reviews the major achievements in terms of mechanical behaviors of coal measures,mining stress distribution characteristics and ground control in China’s deep underground coal mining.The three main aspects of this review are coal measure mechanics,mining disturbance mechanics,and rock support mechanics.Previous studies related to these three topics are reviewed,including the geo-mechanical properties of coal measures,distribution and evolution characteristics of mining-induced stresses,evolution characteristics of mining-induced structures,and principles and technologies of ground control in both deep roadways and longwall faces.A discussion is made to explain the structural and mechanical properties of coal measures in China’s deep coal mining practices,the types and dis-tribution characteristics of in situ stresses in underground coal mines,and the distribution of mining-induced stress that forms under different geological and engineering conditions.The theory of pre-tensioned rock bolting has been proved to be suitable for ground control of deep underground coal roadways.The use of combined ground control technology(e.g.ground support,rock mass modification,and destressing)has been demonstrated to be an effective measure for rock control of deep roadways.The developed hydraulic shields for 1000 m deep ultra-long working face can effectively improve the stability of surrounding rocks and mining efficiency in the longwall face.The ground control challenges in deep underground coal mines in China are discussed,and further research is recommended in terms of theory and technology for ground control in deep roadways and longwall faces.

Improved Ant Colony Algorithm for Vehicle Scheduling Problem in Airport Ground Service Support

Support vehicles are part of the main body of airport ground operations,and their scheduling efficiency directly impacts flight delays.A mathematical model is constructed and the responsiveness of support vehicles for current operational demands is proposed to study optimization algorithms for vehicle scheduling.The model is based on the constraint relationship of the initial operation time,time window,and gate position distribution,which gives an improvement to the ant colony algorithm(ACO).The impacts of the improved ACO as used for support vehicle optimization are compared and analyzed.The results show that the scheduling scheme of refueling trucks based on the improved ACO can reduce flight delays caused by refueling operations by 56.87%,indicating the improved ACO can improve support vehicle scheduling.Besides,the improved ACO can jump out of local optima,which can balance the working time of refueling trucks.This research optimizes the scheduling scheme of support vehicles under the existing conditions of airports,which has practical significance to fully utilize ground service resources,improve the efficiency of airport ground operations,and effectively reduce flight delays caused by ground service support.

Seismic fragility analysis of clay-pile-pier systems considering the optimization of ground motion intensity measures

The performance of clay-pile-pier system under earthquake shaking was comprehensively examined via three-dimensional finite element analyses,in which the complex stress-strain relationships of a clay and piled pier system were depicted by a hyperbolic-hysteretic and an equivalent elastoplastic model,respectively.One hundred twenty ground motions with varying peak accelerations were considered,along with the variations in bridge superstructure mass and pile flexural rigidity.Comprehensive comparison studies suggested that peak pile-cap acceleration and peak pile-cap velocity are the optimal ground motion intensity measures for seismic responses of the pier and the pile,respectively.Furthermore,based on two optimal ground motion intensity measures and using curvature ductility to quantify different damage states,seismic fragility analyses were performed.The pier generally had no evident damage except when the bridge girder mass was equal to 960 t,which seemed to be comparatively insensitive to the varying pile flexural rigidity.In comparison,the pile was found to be more vulnerable to seismic damage and its failure probabilities tended to clearly reduce with the increment of pile flexural rigidity,while the influence of the bridge girder mass was relatively minor.

Novel Soft ComputingModel for Predicting Blast-Induced Ground Vibration in Open-Pit Mines Based on the Bagging and Sibling of Extra Trees Models

This study considered and predicted blast-induced ground vibration(PPV)in open-pit mines using bagging and sibling techniques under the rigorous combination of machine learning algorithms.Accordingly,four machine learning algorithms,including support vector regression(SVR),extra trees(ExTree),K-nearest neighbors(KNN),and decision tree regression(DTR),were used as the base models for the purposes of combination and PPV initial prediction.The bagging regressor(BA)was then applied to combine these base models with the efforts of variance reduction,overfitting elimination,and generating more robust predictive models,abbreviated as BA-ExTree,BAKNN,BA-SVR,and BA-DTR.It is emphasized that the ExTree model has not been considered for predicting blastinduced ground vibration before,and the bagging of ExTree is an innovation aiming to improve the accuracy of the inherently ExTree model,as well.In addition,two empirical models(i.e.,USBM and Ambraseys)were also treated and compared with the bagging models to gain a comprehensive assessment.With this aim,we collected 300 blasting events with different parameters at the Sin Quyen copper mine(Vietnam),and the produced PPV values were also measured.They were then compiled as the dataset to develop the PPV predictive models.The results revealed that the bagging models provided better performance than the empirical models,except for the BA-DTR model.Of those,the BA-ExTree is the best model with the highest accuracy(i.e.,88.8%).Whereas,the empirical models only provided the accuracy from 73.6%–76%.The details of comparisons and assessments were also presented in this study.