LS-SVM and Monte Carlo methods based reliability analysis for settlement of soft clayey foundation

A method which adopts the combination of least squares support vector machine（LS-SVM） and Monte Carlo（MC） simulation is used to calculate the foundation settlement reliability.When using LS-SVM,choosing the training dataset and the values for LS-SVM parameters is the key.In a representative sense,the orthogonal experimental design with four factors and five levels is used to choose the inputs of the training dataset,and the outputs are calculated by using fast Lagrangian analysis continua（FLAC）.The decimal ant colony algorithm（DACA） is also used to determine the parameters.Calculation results show that the values of the two parameters,and δ2 have great effect on the performance of LS-SVM.After the training of LS-SVM,the inputs are sampled according to the probabilistic distribution,and the outputs are predicted with the trained LS-SVM,thus the reliability analysis can be performed by the MC method.A program compiled by Matlab is employed to calculate its reliability.Results show that the method of combining LS-SVM and MC simulation is applicable to the reliability analysis of soft foundation settlement.

An Analysis of Natural Factors Affecting the Dispersal and Establishment of Iron Age III (800-550 B.C)Settlements in the Western Zayandeh- Rud River Basin (West and Northwest of Isfahan)

Humans are always effect to their surroundings,which makes it possible to create habitable environments and create habitat patterns that fit the surrounding environment.The interaction between human being and environment either in the form of human effect on the environment or the environment effect on the human,cannot be considered out of the environment.According to this approach in archaeology,environmental factors have an important role in assessing settlements in each period.In addition to the recognition of the degree of environmental impact,this approach makes the degree of adaptation of the habitats with the dominant environmental conditions possible.As geospatial tools become more powerful,GIS archaeology has evolved as well,making it possible to visualize ancient settlements and analyze changes in the use of space over time.By incorporating historic map data,physical details of an area’s landscape and known information about past inhabitants,archaeologists can accurately predict the positions of sites with cultural,historical relevance.In this research Iron Age III(800-550 B.C)sites in the west and northwest of Isfahan were studied via GIS.The area studied is one of the most important but unknown areas of archaeological research due to its location in the center of the Iranian plateau and a link between the north-west and the south-west of the country.The environmental characteristics of the studied area have attracted the attention of humans since ancient times.Therefore,it was considered necessary to conduct archaeological excavations.To achieve this goal,the area was first studied archaeologically.As a result of this survey,approximately 50 ancient sites were identified which included the statistical population used for analysis.The effect of environmental variables including altitude,slope(percentage and direction),climate,geological structure,distances and proximity to water resources,land use and proximity to communication paths on the distribution of settlements in the study area was investigated.Through analytical-descriptive method,the factors affecting the formation and distribution of the establishment patterns of the period in question were examind.After analyzing the information and maps,the results indicated that among all the factors,three environmental factors were the most important in the formation of ancient settlements of the Iron Age III era in the west and northwest of Isfahan:factors relating to water resources,proximity to communication paths,and slope percentage and direction.