Rating Curve Estimation of Surface Water Quality Data Using LOADEST

Measurement of the nutrient concentrations in the stream is usually done on weekly, biweekly or monthly basis due to limited resources. There is need to estimate concentration and loads during the period when no data is available. The objectives of this study were to test the performance of a suite of regression models in predicting continuous water quality loading data and to determine systematic biases in the prediction. This study used the LOADEST model which includes several predefined regression models that specify the model form and complexity. Water quality data primarily nitrogen and phosphorus from five monitoring stations in the Neuse River Basin in North Carolina, USA were used in the development and analyses of rating curves. We found that LOADEST performed generally well in predicting loads and observation trends with general tendency/bias towards overestimation. Estimated Total Nitrogen (TN) varied from observation (“true” load) by -1% to 9%, but for the Total Phosphorus (TP) it ranged from -2% to 27%. Statistical evaluation using R2, Nash-Sutcliff Efficiency (NSE) and Partial Load Factor (PLF) showed a strong correlation in prediction.

The Complete Stress-strain Curve of Recycled Aggregate Concrete under Uniaxial Compression Loading

The mechanical performance of recycled aggregate concrete （RAC） is investigated. An experiment on the complete stress-strain curve under uniaxial compression loading of RAC is carried out. The experimental results indicate that the peak stress, peak strain, secant modulus of the peak point and original point increase with the strength grade of RAC enhanced. On the contrary, the residual stress of RAC decreases with the strength grade enhancing, and the failure of RAC is often broken at the interface between the recycled aggregate and the mortar matrix. Finally, the constitutive model of stress-strain model of RAC has been constituted, and the results from the constitutive model of stress-strain meet the experiment results very well.

Determination of ultimate bearing capacity of uplift piles using intact and non-intact load−displacement curve

Based on the field destructive test of six rock-socketed piles with shallow overburden,three prediction models are used to quantitatively analyze and predict the intact load−displacement curve.The predicted values of ultimate uplift capacity were further determined by four methods(displacement controlling method(DCM),reduction coefficient method(RCM),maximum curvature method(MCM),and critical stiffness method(CSM))and compared with the measured value.Through the analysis of the relationship between the change rate of pullout stiffness and displacement,a method used to determine the ultimate uplift capacity via non-intact load−displacement curve was proposed.The results show that the predicted value determined by DCM is more conservative,while the predicted value determined by MCM is larger than the measured value.This suggests that RCM and CSM in engineering applications can be preferentially applied.Moreover,the development law of the change rate of pullout stiffness with displacement agrees well with the attenuation form of power function.The theoretical predicted results of ultimate uplift capacity based on the change rate of pullout stiffness will not be affected by the integrity of the curve.The method is simple and applicable for the piles that are not loaded to failure state,and thus provides new insights into ultimate uplift capacity determination of test piles.

Numerical Simulation of Hydrodynamic Forces Acting on Curved Shape Trash Intercepting Net in Nuclear Power Plant Under Regular Waves

The occurrence of blockages of trash intercepting net in nuclear power plant due to marine biofouling has become increasingly frequent,leading to significant changes in the mechanical state.This paper establishes a CFD(Computational Fluid Dynamics)model to simulate the hydrodynamic forces of trash intercepting net under the action of regular waves.The porous media model is used to calculate the hydrodynamic forces,and the maximum mooring load is also evaluated.The simplified calculation method considering the different curved shape based on the flat nets are proposed,and the influences of wave parameters,solidity,and curved shape are investigated.The results indicate that under the regular wave conditions,as the solidity increases,the phenomenon of secondary wave peaks becomes more pronounced.The horizontal wave force reduction coefficient follows a three-piecewise linear relationship with the non-dimensional deformation level of curved shape.The trash intercepting net exhibits more potent scattering effects on short-wave conditions,displaying significant non-linear characteristics.The deformation level of the trash intercepting net is a significant factor influencing the mooring load.

A STUDY OF THE POSTBUCKLING PATH OF CYLINDRICALLY CURVED PANELS OF LAMINATED COMPOSITE MATERIALS DURING LOADING AND UNLOADING

In this paper, Dynamic Relaxation Method is applied to study the postbuckling path of cylindrically curved panels of laminated composite materials during loading and unloading. The phenomenon that loading paths do not coincide with unloading paths has been found. Numerical results are given for cylindrically curved cross-ply panels subjected to uniform uniaxial compression under two types of boundary conditions. The influence of the number of layers, the panels curvature and the initial imperfection on the postbuckling paths is discussed.

Dynamic Response of Curved Beam under Moving Load

In this paper an integral transform method is used to analyze the dynamic response of simple supported curved beam under single moving load with constant speed, and some parameters are defined. These parameters, such as radius of curvature, ratio of stiffness, velocity, warping stiffness, which may influence the response, are also discussed.

Efficient Flexible M-Tree Bulk Loading Using FastMap and Space-Filling Curves

Many database applications currently deal with objects in a metric space.Examples of such objects include unstructured multimedia objects and points of interest(POIs)in a road network.The M-tree is a dynamic index structure that facilitates an efficient search for objects in a metric space.Studies have been conducted on the bulk loading of large datasets in an M-tree.However,because previous algorithms involve excessive distance computations and disk accesses,they perform poorly in terms of their index construction and search capability.This study proposes two efficient M-tree bulk loading algorithms.Our algorithms minimize the number of distance computations and disk accesses using FastMap and a space-filling curve,thereby significantly improving the index construction and search performance.Our second algorithm is an extension of the first,and it incorporates a partitioning clustering technique and flexible node architecture to further improve the search performance.Through the use of various synthetic and real-world datasets,the experimental results demonstrated that our algorithms improved the index construction performance by up to three orders of magnitude and the search performance by up to 20.3 times over the previous algorithm.

Prediction of Load-Displacement Curve of Flexible Pipe Carcass Under Radial Compression Based on Residual Neural Network

The carcass layer of flexible pipe comprises a large-angle spiral structure with a complex interlocked stainless steel cross-section profile, which is mainly used to resist radial load. With the complex structure of the carcass layer, an equivalent simplified model is used to study the mechanical properties of the carcass layer. However, the current equivalent carcass model only considers the elastic deformation, and this simplification leads to huge errors in the calculation results. In this study, radial compression experiments were carried out to make the carcasses to undergo plastic deformation. Subsequently, a residual neural network based on the experimental data was established to predict the load-displacement curves of carcasses with different inner diameter in plastic states under radial compression.The established neural network model’s high precision was verified by experimental data, and the influence of the number of input variables on the accuracy of the neural network was discussed. The conclusion shows that the residual neural network model established based on the experimental data of the small-diameter carcass layer can predict the load-displacement curve of the large-diameter carcass layer in the plastic stage. With the decrease of input data, the prediction accuracy of residual network model in plasticity stage will decrease.

The Effect of Pore Solution on the Hysteretic Curve of Expansive Soil under Cyclic Loading

A dynamic triaxial instrument was used to study the effects of different concentrations of sodium chloride and stress amplitudes on the dynamic properties of an expansive soil under cyclic loading.In particular,four parameters were considered in such a parametric investigation,namely,hysteresis curve morphology characteristic non-closure degreeεp,the ratio of the short and long axisα,the slope of the long axis k and the enclosed area S.The results show that with an increase in the sodium chloride concentration,the soil particle double electric layer becomes thinner,the distance between soil particles decreases,and the whole sample becomes denser.Theεp-N,α-N and S–N relation curves all show a decreasing trend.The ratio of plastic deformation to total deformation grows with increasing the dynamic stress amplitude,and the curves show an upwards trend.The k-N relationship curve displays an increasing trend with the concentration and a general downwards trend as the dynamic stress amplitude is made higher.This also indicates that sodium chloride solutions can improve the engineering properties of expansive soil to a certain extent.With an increase in the vibration times N,the shape of the hysteretic curve becomes narrower,and the whole soil exhibits a cyclic strain hardening.With the help of an exponential function,a model is introduced to predict the relationship between the concentration and the hysteretic curve.

Clustering residential electricity load curve via community detection in network

Performing analytics on the load curve(LC)of customers is the foundation for demand response which requires a better understanding of customers'consumption pattern(CP)by analyzing the load curve.However,the performances of previous widely-used LC clustering methods are poor in two folds:larger number of clusters,huge variances within a cluster(a CP is extracted from a cluster),bringing huge difficulty to understand the electricity consumption pattern of customers.In this paper,to improve the performance of LC clustering,a clustering framework incorporated with community detection is proposed.The framework includes three parts:network construction,community detection,and CP extraction.According to the cluster validity index(CVI),the integrated approach outperforms the previous state-of-the-art method with the same amount of clusters.And the approach needs fewer clusters to achieve the same performance measured by CVI.

Bi-directional interaction of joint shear strength in non-seismically designed corner RC beam-column connections under seismic loading

Non-seismically designed(NSD)beam-column joints are susceptible to joint shear failure under seismic loads.Although significant research is available on the seismic behavior of such joints of planar frames,the information on the seismic behavior of joints of space frames(3D joints)is insufficient.The 3D joints are subjected to bi-directional excitation,which results in an interaction between the shear strength obtained for the joint in the two orthogonal directions separately.The bi-directional seismic behavior of corner reinforced concrete(RC)joints is the focus of this study.First,a detailed finite element(FE)model using the FE software Abaqus,is developed and validated using the test results from the literature.The validated modeling procedure is used to conduct a parametric study to investigate the influence of different parameters such as concrete strength,dimensions of main and transverse beams framing into the joint,presence or absence of a slab,axial load ratio and loading direction on the seismic behavior of joints.By subjecting the models to different combinations of loads on the beams along perpendicular directions,the interaction of the joint shear strength in two orthogonal directions is studied.The comparison of the interaction curves of the joints obtained from the numerical study with a quadratic(circular)interaction curve indicates that in a majority of cases,the quadratic interaction model can represent the strength interaction diagrams of RC beam to column connections with governing joint shear failure reasonably well.

Experimental study on characteristic curves of restoring forces of Populus alba var. pyramidalis

Static tests under cyclic loading were carried out on Populus alba var. pyramidalis to determine its characteristic curves of restoring forces. The results show that P alba var. pyramidalis had good elastic performance. There was degradation of strength and stiffness under cyclic loading and unloading, where characteristic curves of restoring forces ofP. alba var. pyrarnidalis assumed a ＂flat and contrary S-shape＂ form. Simultaneously, P alba vat. pyramidalis showed typical characteristics of brittle destruction under large high peak loading and unloading. Furthermore, dynamic tests were carried out under wind loads to obtain dynamic displacement curves and dynamic strain curves. P alba var. pyramidalis reflected its stochastic dynamic performance in building up its resistance to the stochastic wind loads and its dynamically hysteretic properties. The dynamic response of this species was random and fuzzy under stochastic wind loads. This study has theoretical significance and reference value to research on the static characteristics and wind-induced dynamic performance of forests.

An analytical p-y curve method based on compressive soil pressure model in sand soil

With the high-quality development of urban buildings,higher requirements are come up with for lateral bearing capacity of laterally loaded piles.Consequently,a more accurate analysis to predict the lateral response of the pile within an allowable displacement is an important issue.However,the current p-y curve methods cannot fully take into account the pile-soil interaction,which will lead to a large calculation difference.In this paper,a new analytical p-y curve is established and a finite difference method for determining the lateral response of pile is proposed,which can consider the separation effect of pile-soil interface and the coefficient of circumferential friction resistance.In particular,an analytical expression is developed to determine the compressive soil pressure by dividing the compressive soil pressure into two parts:initial compressive soil pressure and increment of compressive soil pressure.In addition,the relationship between compressive soil pressure and horizontal displacement of the pile is established based on the reasonable assumption.The correctness of the proposed method is verified through four examples.Based on the verified method,a parametric analysis is also conducted to investigate the influences of factors on lateral response of the pile,including internal friction angle,pile length and elastic modulus of pile.

Exact solution for warping of spatial curved beams in natural coordinates

The purpose of the paper is to present an exact analytical solution of a spatial curved beam under multiple loads based on the existing theory. The transverse shear deformation and torsion-related warping effects are taken into account. By using this solution, a plane curved beam subjected to uniform vertical loads and torsions is analyzed. Accuracy and efficiency of present theory are demonstrated by comparing its numerical results with Heins＇ solution. Furthermore, the effects of the transverse shear deformation and torsion-related warping on deformation of the beam are discussed.

Mechanical response of continuously reinforced concrete pavement on foam concrete interlayer for two-way curved arch bridge

In order to research the mechanical response of continuously reinforced concrete pavement on foam concrete interlayer for a two-way curved arch bridge, the elliptical vehicle load is translated into the rectangular load based on the equivalence method. Then, a three-dimensional finite element model of the whole bridge is established. The reliability of the model is verified. Additionally, the mechanical response of continuously reinforced concrete pavement under vehicle loading is analyzed. Finally, the most unfavorable loading conditions of tensile stress, shear stress and vertical displacement are determined. The results show that the most unfavorable loading condition of tensile stress, which is at the bottom of continuously reinforced concrete pavement on the two-way curved arch bridge, is changed compared with that on homogeneous foundation. The most unfavorable loading condition of shear stress at the top is also changed. However, the most unfavorable loading condition of vertical displacement remains unchanged. The tensile stress at the bottom of about 1/4 span of the longitudinal joint, the shear stress at the top of intersection of transverse and longitudinal joint, together with the vertical displacement at the central part of longitudinal joint, are taken as design indices during the structural design of continuously reinforced concrete pavement on the two-way curved arch bridge. The results are helpful for the design of continuously reinforced concrete pavement on unequal- thickness base for the two-way curved arch bridge.

Dynamic failure process of expanded polystyrene particle lightweight soil under cyclic loading using discrete element method

Expanded polystyrene(EPS)particle-based lightweight soil,which is a type of lightweight filler,is mainly used in road engineering.The stability of subgrades under dynamic loading is attracting increased research attention.The traditional method for studying the dynamic strength characteristics of soils is dynamic triaxial testing,and the discrete element simulation of lightweight soils under cyclic load has rarely been considered.To study the meso-mechanisms of the dynamic failure processes of EPS particle lightweight soils,a discrete element numerical model is established using the particle flow code(PFC)software.The contact force,displacement field,and velocity field of lightweight soil under different cumulative compressive strains are studied.The results show that the hysteresis curves of lightweight soil present characteristics of strain accumulation,which reflect the cyclic effects of the dynamic load.When the confining pressure increases,the contact force of the particles also increases.The confining pressure can restrain the motion of the particle system and increase the dynamic strength of the sample.When the confining pressure is held constant,an increase in compressive strain causes minimal change in the contact force between soil particles.However,the contact force between the EPS particles decreases,and their displacement direction points vertically toward the center of the sample.Under an increase in compressive strain,the velocity direction of the particle system changes from a random distribution and points vertically toward the center of the sample.When the compressive strain is 5%,the number of particles deflected in the particle velocity direction increases significantly,and the cumulative rate of deformation in the lightweight soil accelerates.Therefore,it is feasible to use 5%compressive strain as the dynamic strength standard for lightweight soil.Discrete element methods provide a new approach toward the dynamic performance evaluation of lightweight soil subgrades.

Resilience of coastal bridges under extreme wave-induced loads

Records of wave-induced damage on coastal bridges during natural hazards have been well documented over the past two decades.It is of utmost importance to decipher the loading mechanism and enhance the resilience of coastal bridges during extreme wave-inducing events.Quantification of vulnerability of these structures is an essential step in designing a resilient bridge system.Recently,considerable efforts have been made to study the force applied and the response of coastal bridge systems during extreme wave loading conditions.Although remarkable progress can be found in the quantification of load and response of coastal superstructures,very few studies assessed coastal bridge resiliency against extreme wave-induced loads.This paper adopts a simplified and practical technique to analyze and assess the resilience of coastal bridges exposed to extreme waves.Component-level and system-level fragility analyses form the basis of the resiliency analysis where the recovery functions are adopted based on the damage levels.It is shown that wave period has the highest contribution to the variation of bridge resiliency.Moreover,this study presents the uncertainty quantification in resiliency variation due to changes in wave load intensity.Results show that the bridge resiliency becomes more uncertain as the intensity of wave parameters increases.Finally,possible restoration strategies based on the desired resilience level and the attitude of decision-makers are also discussed.

砂土应力-应变包络线的唯一性初探

土体循环加卸载外包络线是否具有唯一性在认识土体固有属性上具有重要意义。基于土样全表面变形数字图像测量系统,选用硅微粉和福建标准砂为研究对象,开展了一系列三轴剪切试验和三轴循环加卸载试验,探索等应力幅值、阶梯应力幅值和随机应力幅值循环加卸载下应力-应变外包络线与相应的单调加载应力-应变曲线的一致性。试验结果表明土样在相同密度和围压条件下,单调加载的应力-应变曲线与经历不同循环应力历程的加卸载应力-应变外包络线近似一致,提出了砂土应力-应变外包络线的唯一性;讨论了循环应力历史和应力水平对曲线回归速度的影响以及应力-应变包络线唯一性在建立轴向应变累积模型中的应用。

型钢-钢纤维混凝土局部组合梁受力性能

为解决型钢混凝土结构的施工困难,充分发挥各部分材料的性能优势,将钢筋笼离散化为随机分布的钢纤维,并将钢纤维混凝土集中应用于受压区,形成型钢-钢纤维混凝土局部组合梁。对18根不同钢纤维体积率(ρ_(sf))、剪跨比(λ)、型钢受压翼缘上下部混凝土保护层厚度(C_(ss)、C_(sv))和型钢规格(I_(s))的组合梁试件进行四点弯试验。分析试验参数对破坏模式、荷载-挠度曲线以及破坏对称性的影响。结果表明:增大ρ_(sf)对小剪跨比试件(λ为1.5或1.7)的界面黏结性能具有积极改善作用,试件破坏模式由界面破坏转为弯扭破坏;混凝土保护层厚度须随I_(s)同步增大,确保混凝土保护层对型钢提供足够的“握裹效应”,避免或削弱弯扭变形的不利影响。通过高斯分布拟合,得到试件整体性能开始出现严重退化时的挠度退化系数,进而对构件整体性能开始出现严重退化时的挠度进行预测。