Assessment of liquefaction potential based on shear wave velocity:Strain energy approach

Liquefaction assessment based on strain energy is significantly superior to conventional stress-based methods.The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the correlation between shear wave velocity and strain energy capacity of silty sands.The dissipated energy until liquefaction occurs was calculated by analyzing the results of three series of comprehensive cyclic direct simple shear and triaxial tests on Ottawa F65,Nevada,and Firoozkuh sands with varying silt content by weight and relative densities.Additionally,the shear wave velocity of each series was obtained using bender element or resonant column tests.Consequently,for the first time,a liquefaction triggering criterion,relating to effective overburden normalized liquefaction capacity energy(WL=s’c)to effective overburden stresscorrected shear wave velocity(eVs1)has been introduced.The accuracy of the proposed criteria was evaluated using in situ data.The results confirm the ability of shear wave velocity as a distinguishing parameter for separating liquefied and non-liquefied soils when it is calculated against liquefaction capacity energy(WL=s’c).However,the proposed WL=s’c-Vs1 curve,similar to previously proposed cyclic resistance ratio(CRR)-Vs1 relationships,should be used conservatively for fields vulnerable to liquefaction-induced lateral spreading.

Compressive Strength Prediction of Porous Concrete Using Nondestructive Tests

This research focused on a prediction of compressive strength in porous concrete based on the ratio of air-entrained agents in the concrete slab using nondestructive testing methods such as the Impact Echo （IE） method, Spectral Analysis of Surface Wave （SASW） method and Free-Free Resonance （FFR） test. The method that best predicts the strength of the concrete slab can be derived from a relationship between compressive strengths and stress wave velocities. Concrete slab specimens of varying air content, were formed with a mix ratio of air-entrained agent of 0%, 0.15%, 0.3%, 0.7% and 1.5% by weight. These slabs were tested and analyzed to measure the stress wave velocities in order to develop a correlation with compressive strengths. The plot between the stress waves and compressive strengths showed a stiffslope up to an air ratio of 4% with a less steep slope beyond this point. In the process of predicting the compressive strength of concrete slab specimens, the prediction of compressive strength based on the compression wave velocity caused an average error of 4.9% in the compression wave velocity, and the prediction of compressive strength based on the surface wave velocity caused an average error of 2.2% in the surface wave velocity.

Investigation of long-wavelength elastic wave propagation through wet bentonite-filled rock joints

The saturation of the compacted bentonite buffer in the deep geological repository can cause bentonite swelling,intrusion into rock fractures,and erosion.Inevitably,erosion and subsequent bentonite mass loss due to groundwater inflow can aggravate the overall integrity of the engineered barrier system.Therefore,the coupled hydro-mechanical interaction between the buffer and rock during groundwater inflow and bentonite intrusion should be evaluated to guarantee the long-term safety of deep geological disposal.This study investigated the effect of bentonite erosion and intrusion on the elastic wave propagation characteristics in jointed rocks using a quasi-static resonant column test.Jointed rock specimens with different joint conditions(i.e.joint surface saturation and bentonite filling)were prepared using granite rock discs sampled from the Korea Underground Research Tunnel(KURT)and Gyeongju bentonite.The long-wavelength longitudinal and shear wave velocities were measured under different normal stress levels.A Hertzian-type power model was used to fit the wave velocities,and the relationship between the two fitted parameters provided the trend of joint conditions.Numerical simulations using three-dimensional distinct element code(3DEC)were conducted to better understand how the long-wavelength wave propagates through wet bentonite-filled rock joints.

Dynamic shear modulus of undisturbed soil under different consolidation ratios and its effects on surface ground motion

The dynamic shear modulus for three types of undisturbed soil under different consolidation ratios is presented by using the resonant column test method. Its effects on surface ground motion is illustrated by calculation. The test results indicate that the power function is a suitable form for describing the relationship between the ratio of the maximum dynamic shear modulus due to anisotropic and isotropic consolidations and the increment of the consolidation ratio. When compared to sand, the increment of the maximum dynamic shear modulus for undisturbed soil due to anisotropic consolidation is much larger. Using a one-dimensional equivalent linearization method, the earthquake influence factor and the characteristic period of the surface acceleration are calculated for two soil layers subjected to several typical earthquake waves. The calculated results show that the difference in nonlinear properties due to different consolidation ratios is generally not very notable, but the degree of its influence on the surface acceleration spectrum is remarkable for the occurrence of strong earthquakes. When compared to isotropic consolidation, the consideration of actual anisotropic consolidation causes the characteristic period to decrease and the earthquake influence factor to increase.

Mechanical properties of bimrocks with high rock block proportion

For the investigation of mechanical properties of the bimrocks with high rock block proportion,a series of laboratory experiments,including resonance frequency and uniaxial compressive tests,are conducted on the 64 fabricated bimrocks specimens.The results demonstrate that dynamic elastic modulus is strongly correlated with the uniaxial compressive strength,elastic modulus and block proportions of the bimrocks.In addition,the density of the bimrocks has a good correlation with the mechanical properties of cases with varying block proportions.Thus,three crucial indices(including matrix strength)are used as basic input parameters for the prediction of the mechanical properties of the bimrocks.Other than adopting the traditional simple regression and multi-regression analyses,a new prediction model based on the optimized general regression neural network(GRNN)algorithm is proposed.Note that,the performance of the multi-regression prediction model is better than that of the simple regression model,owing to the consideration of various influencing factors.However,the comparison between model predictions indicates that the optimized GRNN model performs better than the multi-regression model does.Model validation and verification based on fabricated data and experimental data from the literature are performed to verify the predictability and applicability of the proposed optimized GRNN model.

Young＇s Modulus Enhancement and Measurement in CNT/Al Nanocomposites

Young＇s modulus is a critical parameter for designing lightweight structure, but Al and its alloys only demonstrate alimited value of 70-72 GPa. The introduction of carbon nanotubes （CNTs） is an effective way to make Al and its alloysstiffer. However, little research attention has been paid to Young＇s modulus of CNT/Al nanocomposites attributed to theuncertain measurement and unconvincing stiffening effect of CNTs. In this work, improved Young＇s modulus of 82.4 ± 0.4 GPa has been achieved in 1.5 wt% CNT/Al nanocomposite fabricated by flake powder metallurgy, which wasdetermined by resonance test and 13.5% higher than 72.6 ± 0.64 GPa of Al matrix. A comparative study and statisticalanalysis further revealed that Young＇s modulus determined by tensile test was relatively imprecise （83.1 ± 4.0 GPa） dueto the low-stress microplasficity or interface decohesion during tensile deformation of CNT/Al nanocomposite, while thevalue （98-100 GPa） was highly overestimated by nanoindentation due to the ＂pile-up＂ effect. This work shows an in-depthdiscussion on studying Young＇s modulus of CNT/Al nanocomposites.