Microscopic Analysis of Cementitious Sand and Gravel Damming Materia

The mechanical properties of cementitious sand and gravel damming material have been experimentally determined by means of microscopic SEM(Scanning Electron Microscopy)image analysis.The results show that the combination of fly ash and water can fill the voids in cemented sand and gravel test blocks because of the presence of hydrated calcium silicate and other substances;thereby,the compactness and mechanical properties of these materials can be greatly improved.For every 10 kg/m^(3) increase in the amount of cementitious material,the density increases by about 2%,and the water content decreases by 0.2%.The amount of cementitious material used in the sand and gravel in these tests was 80-110 kg/m^(3),the water-binder ratio was 1-1.50.Moreover,the splitting tensile strength was 1/10 of the compressive strength,and the maximum strength was 7.42 MPa at 90 d.The optimal mix ratio has been found to be 50 kg of cement,60 kg of fly ash and 120 kg of water(C50F60W120).The related dry density was 2.6 g/cm^(3),the water content was 6%,and the water-binder ratio was 1.09.

Experimental and numerical investigation on alternatives to sandy gravel

The NATO agreement STANAG 4569 defines the protection levels for the occupants of logistic and light armored vehicle.The Allied Engineering Publication,AEP-55,Volume 2 document outlines the test conditions for underbelly improvised explosive device(IEDs),which must be buried in water-saturated sandy gravel.The use of sandy gravel has some drawbacks,for instance reproducibility,time consumption,and cost.This paper focuses on the investigation of four alternatives to sandy gravel,which could produce similar specific and cumulative impulses:a concrete pot filled with water,a concrete pot filled with quartz sand,a steel pot without filling and a concrete pot filled with glass spheres(diameter 200μm—300μm)and different water contents.The impulses are measured with a ring technology developed at the Fraunhofer EMI.A numerical soil model based on the work of Marrs,2014 and Fi serov a,2006 and considering the soil moisture was used to simulate the experiments with glass spheres at different water contents,showing much better agreement with the experiments than the classical Laine&Sandvik model,even for high saturation levels.These results can be used to create new test conditions at original scale that are more cost-effective,more reproducible and simpler to manage in comparison to the current tests carried out with STANAG sandy gravel.

Effects of temperature and age on physico-mechanical properties of cemented gravel sand backfills

Cemented backfill used in deep mines would inevitably be exposed to the ambient temperature of 20−60℃in the next few decades.In this paper,two types of cemented gravel sand backfills,cemented rod-mill sand backfill(CRB)and cemented gobi sand backfill(CGB),were prepared and cured at various temperatures(20,40,60℃)and ages(3,7,28 d),and the effects of temperature and age on the physico-mechanical properties of CRB and CGB were investigated based on laboratory tests.Results show that:1)the effects of temperature and age on the physico-mechanical properties of backfills mainly depend on the amount of hydration products and the refinement of cementation structures.The temperature has a more significant effect on thermal expansibility and ultrasonic performance at early ages.2)The facilitating effect of temperature and age on the compressive strength of CGB is higher than that on CRB.With the increase of temperature,the compressive failure modes changed from X-conjugate shear failure to tensile failure,and the integrity of specimens was significantly improved.3)Similarly,the shear performance of CGB is generally better than that of CRB.The temperature has a weaker effect on shear strength than age,but the shear deformation and shear plane morphology are closely related to temperature.

Long-term effects of gravel―sand mulch on soil organic carbon and nitrogen in the Loess Plateau of northwestern China

Gravel-sand mulch has been used for centuries to conserve water in the Loess Plateau of north- western China. In this study, we assessed the influence of long-term （1996-2012） gravel-sand mulching of cultiv- ated soils on total organic carbon （TOC）, light fraction organic carbon （LFOC）, microbial biomass carbon （MBC）, total organic nitrogen （TON）, particulate organic carbon （POC）, mineral-associated organic carbon （MOC）, perma- nganate-oxidizable carbon （KMnO4-C）, and non-KMnO4-C at 0-60 cm depths. Mulching durations were 7, 11 and 16 years, with a non-mulched control. Compared to the control, there was no significant and consistently positive effect of the mulch on TOC, POC, MOC, KMnO4-C and non-KMnO4-C before 11 years of mulching, and these organic C fractions generally decreased significantly by 16 years. LFOC, TON and MBC to at a 0-20 cm depth in- creased with increasing mulching duration until 11 years, and then these fractions decreased significantly between 11 and 16 years, reaching values comparable to or lower than those in the control. KMnO4-C was most strongly correlated with the labile soil C fractions. Our findings suggest that although gravel-sand mulch may conserve soil moisture, it may also lead to long-term decreases in labile soil organic C fractions and total organic N in the study area. The addition of manure or composted manure would be a good choice to reverse the soil deterioration that occurs after 11 years by increasing the inputs of organic matter.

Triaxial shear behavior of a cement-treated sand——gravel mixture

A number of parameters,e.g.cement content,cement type,relative density,and grain size distribution,can influence the mechanical behaviors of cemented soils.In the present study,a series of conventional triaxial compression tests were conducted on a cemented poorly graded sandegravel mixture containing 30% gravel and 70% sand in both consolidated drained and undrained conditions.Portland cement used as the cementing agent was added to the soil at 0%,1%,2%,and 3%(dry weight) of sandegravel mixture.Samples were prepared at 70% relative density and tested at confining pressures of 50 kPa,100 kPa,and150 kPa.Comparison of the results with other studies on well graded gravely sands indicated more dilation or negative pore pressure in poorly graded samples.Undrained failure envelopes determined using zero Skempton’s pore pressure coefficient (= 0) criterion were consistent with the drained ones.Energy absorption potential was higher in drained condition than undrained condition,suggesting that more energy was required to induce deformation in cemented soil under drained state.Energy absorption increased with increase in cement content under both drained and undrained conditions.

Effects of fluid flow rate and viscosity on gravel-pack plugging and the optimization of sand-control wells production

Series of experiments were performed to simulate the invasion of formation sand into and the plugging process of gravel-pack at different viscosities and flowing rates of fluid.Two types of formation sands with the medium size of 0.10 mm and 0.16 mm and the quartz sand and ceramsite of 0.6-1.2 mm were used in the experiments.A new viscosity-velocity index(the product of fluid viscosity and velocity)was put forward to characterize the influencing mechanism and law of physical property and flow condition of formation fluid on gravel-pack plugging,and a new method to optimize the production rate of wells controlling sand production with gravel-packing was proposed.The results show that the permeability of formation sand invaded zone and final permeability of plugged gravel-pack have negative correlations with viscosity and flow velocity of fluid,the higher the flow velocity and viscosity,the lower the permeability of formation sand invaded zone and final permeability of plugged gravel-pack will be.The flow velocity and viscosity of fluid are key factors affecting plugging degree of the gravel zone.The viscosity-velocity index(v-v index)can reflect the flow characteristics of fluid very well and make it easier to analyze the plugging mechanism of gravel zone.For different combinations of fluid viscosity and flow velocity,if the v-v index is the same or close,their impact on the final gravel permeability would be the same or close.With the increase of the v-v index,the permeability of plugged gravel zone decreases first,then the reduction rate slows down till the permeability stabilizes.By optimizing production and increasing production step by step,the optimal working scheme for sand-control well can reduce the damage to gravel-pack zone permeability caused by sand-carrying fluid effectively,and increase well productivity and extend the sand control life.

Experimental study on piping in sandy gravel foundations considering effect of overlying clay

The influence of the overlying clay on the progression of piping in the sandy gravel foundation of water-retaining structures is often neglected. In order to study this influence, an experimental investigation was conducted on a laboratory-scale model. It was discovered that the critical hydraulic gradient and the area of the piping tunnel increase when the overlying clay thickens. With a thicker clay layer, erosion of the sandy gravel below the clay layer occurs later, but, once the erosion starts, the erosion rate is very high and the average velocity of water seeping through the cross-section of the sandy gravel increases rapidly due to the low deformability of the thick clay layer. Furthermore, it was found that the progression of piping is a complicated and iterative process involving erosion of fine particles, clogging of pores, and flushing of the clogged pores. Two types of erosion have been identified in the progression of piping: one causes the tunnel to advance upstream, and the other increases the depth of the tunnel. The results show that the overlying clay is an important factor when evaluating piping in sandy gravel foundations of water-retaining structures.

Effects of Different Gravel Mulched Years on Soil Microbial Flora and Physical and Chemical Properties in Gravelsand Mulched Fields

Soil microbial flora and influencing factors of soil microbes in soil and gravel-sand mixed layer（ SGSML）,roots denseness layer（ RDL）,eluviate layer（ EL） and calcium accumulation layer（ CAL） in gravel-sand mulched fields（ GSMFs） with different gravel mulched years（ 1,6,12,19 and 25 years） were studied. The results showed that in the composition of soil microbes in the GSMFs,the quantity of bacteria was the largest,followed by actinomycetes,while the number of fungi was the smallest. The total quantity of soil microorganisms in the GSMFs dropped rapidly with the increase of soil depth,which was related to the sudden decrease in the quantity of bacteria. The number of microbes in the RDL was larger than that in the SGSML with few roots due to the effects of root distribution. The number of bacteria and actinomycete in the growing season was larger than that in the non-growing season,while the quantity of fungi in the growing season was smaller than that in the non-growing season. The quantity of bacteria and fungi was the largest in the GSMFs which had been mulched with gravel for 6-12 years. With the increase of mulching time,the GSMFs aged gradually,so their quantity reduced gradually. The quantity of actinomycetes was the smallest in the GSMFs which had been mulched with gravel for 6-12 years and increased with the increase of mulching time. The number of soil microbes in the GSMFs had a good correlation with soil moisture content,p H and mulching time. Soil total carbon content was an important factor restricting the quantity of soil microbes in the GSMFs.

Penetration grouting reinforcement of sandy gravel

To study the relationship between grouting effect and grouting factors, three factors （seven parameters） directionless pressure and small cycle grouting model experiment on sandy gravel was done, which was designed according to uniform design method. And regressing was applied to analysis of the test data. The two models test results indicate that when the diffusing radius of grout changes from 26 to 51 cm, the grouted sandy gravel compressing strength changes from 2.13 to 12.30 MPa; the relationship between diffusing radius（R） and water cement ratio（m）, permeability coefficient（k）, grouting pressure（p）, grouting time（t） is R=19.953m^0.121k^0.429p^0.412t^0.437; the relationship between compressing strength（P） and porosity（n）, water cement ratio, grouting pressure, grouting time is P =0.984n^0.517m6-1.488p^0.118t^0.031. So the porosity of sandy gravel, the permeability coefficient of sandy gravel, grouting pressure, grouting time, water cement ratio are main factors to influence the grouting effect. The grouting pressure is the main factor to influence grouting diffusing radius, and the water cement ratio is the main factor to influence grouted sandy gravel compressing strength.

Experimental Research on Dynamic Shear Modular Ratio and Damping Ratio of Sandy Gravel Soil

The dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio of sandy gravel are important parameters for the seismic response analysis of valley geomorphic sites,which have an important impact on the determination of design ground motion parameters. In this paper,the dynamic triaxial test of sandy gravels has been performed based on the project of the Shangluo Seismic Microzonation. Combined with the other results of sandy gravel,the recommended results of slightly dense,medium dense and dense sandy gravel were obtained. By building the typical site model,the influence of the dynamic shear modulus ratio and the damping ratio uncertainty on the seismic response of the site is studied. The results show that the uncertainty of the average of the dynamic shear modulus ratio and the damping ratio ± 1 times the standard deviation has little effect on the peak acceleration of the sandy gravel site,and the rationality of the grouping and statistical results is explained. Under different probability levels,the change in the shear modulus ratio and damping ratio leads to a significant difference in the high frequency response spectrum.The response spectrum of 0. 04-0. 1s ranges from about 20%,but it has little effect on the long period spectrum of more than 1. 0s. The study of dynamic shear modulus ratio and damping ratio of sandy gravel has the ability to improve the reliability of the designing ground motion parameters.

Wandering gravel-bed rivers and high-constructive stable channel sandy fluvial systems in the Ross River area,Yukon Territory,Canada

Mid-Cretaceous strata within the Tintina Trench, 3 km west of the community of Ross River, contain evidence of deposition in two distinct, alternating, fluvial settings. Coal-bearing, mud-dominated strata are commonly associated with high-constructive sandy channel systems, with extensive overbank, levee and splay deposits. Channels are between 3 and 30 m wide and 0.4-7 m thick. They show repetitive development of side and in-channel bar-forms, as well as up-channel widening of the rivers by selective erosion of associated overbank and levee deposits. Levees extended for several hundred metres away from the channels. In this setting low-angle inclined stratification and epsilon cross stratification may reflect lateral migration of crevasse channels or small streams. The paucity of exposure prevents recognition of the channels as products of multiple channel anastomosed systems or single channel high-constructive systems. Gravel-dominated strata, inter-bedded with, and overlying coal-bearing units, are interpreted as deposits of wandering gravel-bed rivers, with sinuosity approaching 1.4. In most exposures they appear to be dominated by massive and thin planar-bedded granule to small pebble conglomerates, which would traditionally be interpreted as sheet-flood or longitudinal bar deposits of a high-gradient braided stream or alluvial fan. Architectural analysis of exposures in an open-pit shows that the predominance of flat bedding is an artefact of the geometry of the roadside exposures. In the pit the conglomerates are dominated by large scale cross stratification on a scale of 1-5.5 m. These appear to have developed as downstream and lateral accretion elements on side-bars and on in-channel bars in water depths of 2-12 m. Stacking of strata on domed 3rd order surfaces suggests development of longitudinal in-channel bar complexes similar to those observed in parts of the modern Rhone River system. Mudstone preserved in some of the channels reflects intervals of channel abandonment or avulsion. Minimum channel width is from 70 to 450 m.

Long-term effects of gravel-sand mulch thickness on soil microbes and enzyme activities in semi-arid Loess Plateau,Northwest China

In semi-arid areas of China,gravel and sand mulch is a farming technique with a long history.In this study,a sample survey was conducted on long term gravel sand mulch observational fields in the Northwest Loess Plateau to determine the effects of long term mulch on soil microbial and soil enzyme activities.We found that after long term gravel-sand mulch,compared with bare ground,soil organic matter,alkali nitrogen,conductivity decreased,while pH and soil moisture increased.Urease,saccharase and catalase decreased with increased mulch thickness,while alkaline phosphatase was reversed.The results of Illumina MiSeq sequencing shows that after gravel-sand mulch,the bacterial and fungal community structure was different from bare land,and the diversity was reduced.Compared with bare land,the bacteria Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria abundance increased with increased thickness,and Actinobacteria was opposite.Also,at the fungal genus level,Fusarium abundance was significantly reduced,and Remersonia was significantly increased,compared with bare land.Redundancy analysis(RDA)revealed that soil environmental factors were important drivers of bacterial community changes.Overall,this study revealed some of the reasons for soil degradation after long term gravel-sand mulch.Therefore,it is recommended that the addition of exogenous soil nutrients after long term gravel-sand can help improve soil quality.

Equal Volumes of Sand and Gravel Concrete Mix Ratios in Cameroon and Its Effect on Concrete Compressive Strength

In recent years, the rationalization of concrete mix ratios which batches equal volumes of sand and gravel in building projects has been gaining grounds in the Cameroon construction industry. The main objective of this study is therefore to investigate if the concrete produced with rationalized mix ratio can be adopted as conventional mix ratio in terms of minimum required compression strength of concrete for buildings. Specifically this work compared the conventional mix ratio of 350 kg of cement: 400 liters of sand: 800 liters of gravel for a cubic meter and the rationalized batch of 350 kg of cement: 600 liters of sand: 600 liters of 5/15 gravel, 15/25 gravel and a combination of 5/15 + 15/25 gravel. Average compressive tests’results for both the conventional and the rationalized mix ratios were found to meet the minimum compressive strength of 65% at 7 days, 90% at 14 days and 99% at 28 days for gravel size combination 5/15 + 15/25. Single size gravel of 5/15 and 15/25 did not meet the minimum required compressive strength of 20 N/mm2 for the rationalized mix ratio at 28 days curing based on the minimum compressive strength required, this study arrives at the conclusion that the equal volumes of sand and gravel mix ratio of 350 kg/m3 of cement: 600 liters of sand: 600 liters of gravel mix ratio can be adopted as a conventional concrete mix ratio for gravel size 5/15 + 15/25.

The Hydrochemical Characteristics of a Stressed Sand-Gravel Aquifer: Kazan Plain, Ankara, Turkey

Over-exploitation and sand-gravel mining affect groundwater resources in terms of both quantity and quality. Groundwater level and well yields in and around the sand-gravel pits significantly decrease. Sand-gravel mining also changes the turbidity levels and temperature of groundwater. Reduction and destruction of valuable aquifers are significant issues. In this case, the natural state of the aquifer disappears. The Kazan Plain in central Turkey is a dramatic example of these kinds of results. The productive sand-gravel aquifer in the Kazan plain has been substantially damaged due to intensive sand-gravel mining since the 1980s. Additionally, over-exploitation has caused notable declines in groundwater levels, particularly in the 2000s. This study focuses on the hydrogeochemical situation of the Kazan Plain alluvium aquifer after intensive sand-gravel mining and over-exploitation. Groundwater samples were collected seasonally in 2015, five years after the over-exploitation and heavy sand-gravel mining. The decline reached 20 m (about half of the saturated thickness of the sand-gravel aquifer) in the region where the intensive groundwater abstraction lasted until 2010. Some quarries continued to operate until 2010, but after that mining activity continued only at a minimum level. Today, groundwater quality has been significantly degraded due to the over-exploitation of sand-gravel mining and also the cessation of recharge from fresh river water.

Developing Sand-Gravel Viscous Oil Reservoir in Le'an Oilfield

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Application Research of Gravel and Machine-Made Sand along the KKH-2 Project in Pakistan on Asphalt Pavement

According to the characteristics of stone along the KKH-2 project in Pakistan, the applicability of gravel and machine-made sand for road engineering was studied. Through investigation, the types of stone along the project were relatively simple, and the stone materials used for road construction were mainly limestone, sandstone and pebbles, and the reserves?were?abundant. The experiment research and analyses comparisons of the parameters and road performance characteristics of natural gravel materials were carried out, and the design parameters and road performance indicators of natural grit in the current code were supplemented and adjusted to make it more suitable for Pakistan to use natural gravel materials for road construction. Thesis combines the project,?proposing that mechanism sand and natural sand mixed concrete?is?not inferior?tonatural sand mixed concrete in terms of technical performance, and the overall cost is lower than that of natural sand mixed concrete. The research results are of great significance for saving engineering construction costs, ensuring road performance and prolonging service life.

Data-driven casting defect prediction model for sand casting based on random forest classification algorithm

The complex sand-casting process combined with the interactions between process parameters makes it difficult to control the casting quality,resulting in a high scrap rate.A strategy based on a data-driven model was proposed to reduce casting defects and improve production efficiency,which includes the random forest(RF)classification model,the feature importance analysis,and the process parameters optimization with Monte Carlo simulation.The collected data includes four types of defects and corresponding process parameters were used to construct the RF model.Classification results show a recall rate above 90% for all categories.The Gini Index was used to assess the importance of the process parameters in the formation of various defects in the RF model.Finally,the classification model was applied to different production conditions for quality prediction.In the case of process parameters optimization for gas porosity defects,this model serves as an experimental process in the Monte Carlo method to estimate a better temperature distribution.The prediction model,when applied to the factory,greatly improved the efficiency of defect detection.Results show that the scrap rate decreased from 10.16% to 6.68%.

Numerical simulation on sand sedimentation and erosion characteristics around HDPE sheet sand barrier under different wind angles

For the safety of railroad operations,sand barriers are utilized to mitigate wind-sand disaster effects.These disasters,characterized by multi-directional wind patterns,result in diverse angles among the barriers.In this study,using numerical simulations,we examined the behavior of High Density Polyethylene(HDPE)sheet sand barriers under different wind angles,focusing on flow field distribution,windproof efficiency,and sedimentation erosion dynamics.This study discovered that at a steady wind speed,airflow velocity varies as the angle between the airflow and the HDPE barrier changes.Specifically,a 90°angle results in the widest low-speed airflow area on the barrier’s downwind side.If the airflow is not perpendicular to the barrier,it prompts a lateral airflow movement which decreases as the angle expands.The windproof efficiency correlates directly with this angle but inversely with the wind’s speed.Notably,with a wind angle of 90°,wind speed drops by 81%.The minimum wind speed is found at 5.1H(the sand barrier height)on the barrier’s downwind side.As the angle grows,the barrier’s windproof efficiency improves,extending its protective reach.Sedimentation is most prominent on the barrier’s downwind side,as the wind angle shifts from 30°to 90°,the sand sedimentation area on the barrier’s downwind side enlarges by 14.8H.As the angle grows,sedimentation intensifies,eventually overtakes the forward erosion and enlarges the sedimentation area.

Flow field, sedimentation, and erosion characteristics around folded linear HDPE sheet sand fence: Numerical simulation study

Wind and sand hazards are serious in the Milan Gobi area of the Xinjiang section of the Korla Railway. In order to ensure the safe operation of railroads, there is a need for wind and sand protection in heavily sandy areas. The wind and sand flow in the region is notably bi-directional. To shield railroads from sand, a unique sand fence made of folded linear high-density polyethylene(HDPE) is used, aligning with the principle that the dominant wind direction is perpendicular to the fence. This study employed field observations and numerical simulations to investigate the effectiveness of these HDPE sand fences in altering flow field distribution and offering protection. It also explored how these fences affect the deposition and erosion of sand particles. Findings revealed a significant reduction in wind speed near the fence corner;the minimum horizontal wind speed on the leeward side of the first sand fence(LSF) decreased dramatically from 3 m/s to 0.64 m/s. The vortex area on the LSF markedly impacted horizontal wind speeds. Within the LSF, sand deposition was a primary occurrence. As wind speeds increased, the deposition zone shrank, whereas the positive erosion zone expanded. Close to the folded corners of the HDPE sand fence, there was a notable shift from the positive erosion zone to a deposition zone. Field tests and numerical simulations confirmed the high windproof efficiency(WE) and sand resistance efficiency(SE) in the HDPE sand fence. Folded linear HDPE sheet sand fence can effectively slow down the incoming flow and reduce the sand content, thus achieving good wind and sand protection. This study provides essential theoretical guidance for the design and improvement of wind and sand protection systems in railroad engineering.

Sieving Error from Dry-Separating Silt-Sand-Gravel Soils

The dry-separation method is an alternative to the wet-preparation in the current European Standard for the determination of particle size distributions by the sieving of soils. Due to the risk of error, dry-separation is cautioned against in the standard;however, there is no additional guidance as to when it is unsuitable nor for the magnitude of error that it may introduce. This study investigates the dry-separation method as an alternative by comparing with the conventional method of Wet-preparation in terms of particle-size distributions of eight cohesionless sand-gravel soils with varying amounts of nonplastic fines. The findings indicate a gradually increasing sieving error for fractions at minus 0.5 mm with the amount of fines in the soil, and depending on the fines content of the soil, dry-separation introduced errors upwards of 45% in silt-sand-gravel soils. An empirical best-fit formula is proposed for the estimation of the error using the dry-preparation method on this type of soil. Furthermore, to avoid sieving errors, the results suggest that the dry-separation method should not be used for silt-sand-gravel soils exceeding 2% silt size fractions.