Combined use of fly ash and silica to prevent the long-term strength retrogression of oil well cement set and cured at HPHT conditions

The long-term strength retrogression of silica-enriched oil well cement poses a significant threat to wellbore integrity in deep and ultra-deep wells, which is a major obstacle for deep petroleum and geothermal energy development. Previous attempts to address this problem has been unsatisfactory because they can only reduce the strength decline rate. This study presents a new solution to this problem by incorporating fly ash to the traditional silica-cement systems. The influences of fly ash and silica on the strength retrogression behavior of oil well cement systems directly set and cured under the condition of 200°C and 50 MPa are investigated. Test results indicate that the slurries containing only silica or fly ash experience severe strength retrogression from 2 to 30 d curing, while the slurries containing both fly ash and silica experience strength enhancement from 2 to 90 d. The strength test results are corroborated by further evidences from permeability tests as well as microstructure analysis of set cement. Composition of set cement evaluated by quantitative X-ray diffraction analyses with partial or no known crystal structure(PONKCS) method and thermogravimetry analyses revealed that the conversion of amorphous C-(A)-S-H to crystalline phases is the primary cause of long-term strength retrogression.The addition of fly ash can reduce the initial amount of C-(A)-S-H in the set cement, and its combined use with silica can prevent the crystallization of C-(A)-S-H, which is believed to be the working mechanism of this new admixture in improving long-term strength stability of oil well cement systems.

Various admixtures to mitigate the long-term strength retrogression of Portland cement cured under high pressure and high temperature conditions

In order to investigate the problem of long-term strength retrogression in oil well cement systems exposed to high pressure and high temperature(HPHT)curing conditions,various influencing factors,including cement sources,particle sizes of silica flour,and additions of silica fume,alumina,colloidal iron oxide and nano-graphene,were investigated.To simulate the environment of cementing geothermal wells and deep wells,cement slurries were directly cured at 50 MPa and 200?C.Mineral compositions(as determined by X-ray diffraction Rietveld refinement),water permeability,compressive strength and Young’s modulus were used to evaluate the qualities of the set cement.Short-term curing(2e30 d)test results indicated that the adoption of 6 m m ultrafine crystalline silica played the most important role in stabilizing the mechanical properties of oil well cement systems,while the addition of silica fume had a detrimental effect on strength stability.Long-term curing(2e180 d)test results indicated that nano-graphene could stabilize the Young’s modulus of oil well cement systems.However,none of the ad-mixtures studied here can completely prevent the strength retrogression phenomenon due to their inability to stop the conversion of amorphous to crystalline phases.

Effects of secondary water curing on the long-term strength and durability of concrete after steam-autoclave curing

To study the effects of secondary water( SW) curing of 20 ℃ for 7 d on concrete long-term strength and durability after steam-autoclave curing, concrete specimens were fabricated and subjected to standard,steam-autoclave or steamautoclave + SW curing. The compressive strength,accelerated carbonation depth, and Coulomb electric charges of the specimens were tested at the ages of 28,90,180,and 360 d.Furthermore,mercury intrusion porosimetry experiments on the specimens were conducted at the age of 180 d. Results indicate that compared with standard curing,steam-autoclave curing can enhance the early-age strength of concrete; however, it is detrimental to the development of later-age strength, and reduces chloride and carbonation resistance. Due to the replenishment of water into concrete,SW curing can refine the micro-pore size and decrease the ratio of harmful and more harmful pores in concrete. As a result,SW curing is effective in improving the long-term strength and durability of steamautoclaved concrete,and makes it approach that under standard curing. The improvement amplitudes of SW curing on the concrete compressive strength, chloride and carbonation resistance at 360 d can reach 20. 3%,48. 6%,and 80. 9%,respectively.

Estimating the Long-term Strength of Self-compacting Concrete from Short-Term Tests

This paper focuses on the results of experimental work on workability and compressive strength of self-compacting concrete （SCC）. The work concentrated on concrete mixes having water/binder ratios of 0.45 and 0.35, which contained constant total binder contents of 400 kg/m^3 and 500 kg/m^3, respectively. Based on the experimental results, the existing suggestions for anticipating the long-term compressive strength of SCC according to its compressive strength at the age of 7 days were not exact enough. Therefore, it is decided to use artificial neural networks （ANN） for predicting the long-term compressive strength of SCC from its workability and short-term compressive strength. For predicting the long-term compressive strength of SCC utilizing ANN, multi layer perceptron （MLP） networks and radial basis function （RBF） networks were chosen. The conclusion was that the MLP networks could properly predict the long-term compressive strength in all conditions, but RBF networks were not exact enough in some circumstances. On the other hand, RBF networks were more users friendly and they converged to the final networks quicker.

Estimating shear strength of high-level pillars supported with cemented backfilling using the HoekeBrown strength criterion

Deep metal mines are often mined using the high-level pillars with subsequent cementation backfilling(HLSCB)mining method.At the design stage,it is therefore important to have a reasonable method for determining the shear strength of the high-level pillars(i.e.cohesion and internal friction angle)when they are supported by cemented backfilling.In this study,a formula was derived for the upper limit of the confining pressure σ3max on a high-level pillar supported by cemented backfilling in a deep metal mine.A new method of estimating the shear strength of such pillars was then proposed based on the Hoek eBrown failure criterion.Our analysis indicates that the horizontal stress σhh acting on the cemented backfill pillar can be simplified by expressing it as a constant value.A reasonable and effective value for σ3max can then be determined.The value of s3max predicted using the proposed method is generally less than 3 MPa.Within this range,the shear strength of the high-level pillar is accurately calculated using the equivalent MohreCoulomb theory.The proposed method can effectively avoid the calculation of inaccurate shear strength values for the high-level pillars when the original HoekeBrown criterion is used in the presence of large confining pressures,i.e.the situation in which the cohesion value is too large and the friction angle is too small can effectively be avoided.The proposed method is applied to a deep metal mine in China that is being excavated using the HLSCB method.The shear strength parameters of the high-level pillars obtained using the proposed method were input in the numerical simulations.The numerical results show that the recommended level heights and sizes of the high-level pillars and rooms in the mine are rational.

Enhancing the Interaction of Carbon Nanotubes by Metal-Organic Decomposition with Improved Mechanical Strength and Ultra-Broadband EMI Shielding Performance

The remarkable properties of carbon nanotubes(CNTs)have led to promising applications in the field of electromagnetic inter-ference(EMI)shielding.However,for macroscopic CNT assemblies,such as CNT film,achieving high electrical and mechanical properties remains challenging,which heavily depends on the tube-tube interac-tions of CNTs.Herein,we develop a novel strategy based on metal-organic decomposition(MOD)to fabricate a flexible silver-carbon nanotube(Ag-CNT)film.The Ag particles are introduced in situ into the CNT film through annealing of MOD,leading to enhanced tube-tube interactions.As a result,the electrical conductivity of Ag-CNT film is up to 6.82×10^(5) S m^(-1),and the EMI shielding effectiveness of Ag-CNT film with a thickness of~7.8μm exceeds 66 dB in the ultra-broad frequency range(3-40 GHz).The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of Ag-CNT film increase from 30.09±3.14 to 76.06±6.20 MPa(~253%)and from 1.12±0.33 to 8.90±0.97 GPa(~795%),respectively.Moreover,the Ag-CNT film exhibits excellent near-field shield-ing performance,which can effectively block wireless transmission.This innovative approach provides an effective route to further apply macroscopic CNT assemblies to future portable and wearable electronic devices.

Investigation of anisotropic strength criteria for layered rock mass

Layered rock mass is a type of engineering rock mass with sound mechanical anisotropy,which is generally unfavorable to the stability of underground works.To investigate the strength anisotropy of layered rock,the Mohr-Coulomb and Hoek-Brown criteria are introduced to establish the two transverse isotropic strength criteria based on Jaeger's single weak plane theory and maximum axial strain theory,and parameter determination methods.Furthermore,the sensitivity of strength parameters(K 1,K 2,and K 3)that are used to characterize the anisotropy strength of non-sliding failure involved in the strength criteria and confining pressure are investigated.The results demonstrate that strength parameters K 1 and K 2 affect the strength of layered rock samples at all bedding angles except for the bedding angle of 90°and the angle range that can cause the shear sliding failure along the bedding plane.The strength of samples at any bedding angle decreases with increasing K 1,whereas the opposite is for K 2.Except for bedding angles of 0°and 90°and the bedding angle range that can cause the shear sliding along the bedding plane,K 3 has an impact on the strength of rock samples with other bedding angles that the specimens'strength increases with increase of K 3.In addition,the strength of the rock sample increases as confining pressure rises.Furthermore,the uniaxial and triaxial tests of chlorite schist samples were carried out to verify and evaluate the strength criteria proposed in the paper.It shows that the predicted strength is in good agreement with the experimental results.To test the applicability of the strength criterion,the strength data of several types of rock in the literature are compared.Finally,a comparison is made between the fitting effects of the two strength criteria and other available criteria for layered rocks.

Clinical manifestations,diagnosis and long-term prognosis of adult autoimmune enteropathy:Experience from Peking Union Medical College Hospital

BACKGROUND Autoimmune enteropathy(AIE)is a rare disease whose diagnosis and long-term prognosis remain challenging,especially for adult AIE patients.AIM To improve overall understanding of this disease’s diagnosis and prognosis.METHODS We retrospectively analyzed the clinical,endoscopic and histopathological characteristics and prognoses of 16 adult AIE patients in our tertiary medical center between 2011 and 2023,whose diagnosis was based on the 2007 diagnostic criteria.RESULTS Diarrhea in AIE patients was characterized by secretory diarrhea.The common endoscopic manifestations were edema,villous blunting and mucosal hyperemia in the duodenum and ileum.Villous blunting(100%),deep crypt lymphocytic infiltration(67%),apoptotic bodies(50%),and mild intraepithelial lymphocytosis(69%)were observed in the duodenal biopsies.Moreover,there were other remarkable abnormalities,including reduced or absent goblet cells(duodenum 94%,ileum 62%),reduced or absent Paneth cells(duodenum 94%,ileum 69%)and neutrophil infiltration(duodenum 100%,ileum 69%).Our patients also fulfilled the 2018 diagnostic criteria but did not match the 2022 diagnostic criteria due to undetectable anti-enterocyte antibodies.All patients received glucocorticoid therapy as the initial medication,of which 14/16 patients achieved a clinical response in 5(IQR:3-20)days.Immunosuppressants were administered to 9 patients with indications of steroid dependence(6/9),steroid refractory status(2/9),or intensified maintenance medication(1/9).During the median of 20.5 months of followup,2 patients died from multiple organ failure,and 1 was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.The cumulative relapse-free survival rates were 62.5%,55.6%and 37.0%at 6 months,12 months and 48 months,respectively.CONCLUSION Certain histopathological findings,including a decrease or disappearance of goblet and Paneth cells in intestinal biopsies,might be potential diagnostic criteria for adult AIE.The long-term prognosis is still unsatisfactory despite corticosteroid and immunosuppressant medications,which highlights the need for early diagnosis and novel medications.

Prediction models of burst strength degradation for casing with considerations of both wear and corrosion

Casing wear and casing corrosion are serious problems affecting casing integrity failure in deep and ultra-deep wells.This paper aims to predict the casing burst strength with considerations of both wear and corrosion.Firstly,the crescent wear shape is simplified into three categories according to common mathematical models.Then,based on the mechano-electrochemical(M-E)interaction,the prediction model of corrosion depth is built with worn depth as the initial condition,and the prediction models of burst strength of the worn casing and corroded casing are obtained.Secondly,the accuracy of different prediction models is validated by numerical simulation,and the main influence factors on casing strength are obtained.At last,the theoretical models are applied to an ultra-deep well in Northwest China,and the dangerous well sections caused by wear and corrosion are predicted,and the corrosion rate threshold to ensure the safety of casing is obtained.The results show that the existence of wear defects results in a stress concentration and enhanced M-E interaction on corrosion depth growth.The accuracy of different mathematical models is different:the slot ring model is most accurate for predicting corrosion depth,and the eccentric model is most accurate for predicting the burst strength of corroded casing.The burst strength of the casing will be overestimated by more than one-third if the M-E interaction is neglected,so the coupling effect of wear and corrosion should be sufficiently considered in casing integrity evaluation.

Assessment of compressive strength of jet grouting by machine learning

Jet grouting is one of the most popular soil improvement techniques,but its design usually involves great uncertainties that can lead to economic cost overruns in construction projects.The high dispersion in the properties of the improved material leads to designers assuming a conservative,arbitrary and unjustified strength,which is even sometimes subjected to the results of the test fields.The present paper presents an approach for prediction of the uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)of jet grouting columns based on the analysis of several machine learning algorithms on a database of 854 results mainly collected from different research papers.The selected machine learning model(extremely randomized trees)relates the soil type and various parameters of the technique to the value of the compressive strength.Despite the complex mechanism that surrounds the jet grouting process,evidenced by the high dispersion and low correlation of the variables studied,the trained model allows to optimally predict the values of compressive strength with a significant improvement with respect to the existing works.Consequently,this work proposes for the first time a reliable and easily applicable approach for estimation of the compressive strength of jet grouting columns.

The influence of resistance exercise training prescription variables on skeletal muscle mass,strength,and physical function in healthy adults:An umbrella review

Purpose:The aim of this umbrella review was to determine the impact of resistance training(RT)and individual RT prescription variables on muscle mass,strength,and physical function in healthy adults.Methods:Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses(PRISMA)guidelines,we systematically searched and screened eligible systematic reviews reporting the effects of differing RT prescription variables on muscle mass(or its proxies),strength,and/or physical function in healthy adults aged>18 years.Results:We identified 44 systematic reviews that met our inclusion criteria.The methodological quality of these reviews was assessed using A Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews;standardized effectiveness statements were generated.We found that RT was consistently a potent stimulus for increasing skeletal muscle mass(4/4 reviews provide some or sufficient evidence),strength(4/6 reviews provided some or sufficient evidence),and physical function(1/1 review provided some evidence).RT load(6/8 reviews provided some or sufficient evidence),weekly frequency(2/4 reviews provided some or sufficient evidence),volume(3/7 reviews provided some or sufficient evidence),and exercise order(1/1 review provided some evidence)impacted RT-induced increases in muscular strength.We discovered that 2/3 reviews provided some or sufficient evidence that RT volume and contraction velocity influenced skeletal muscle mass,while 4/7 reviews provided insufficient evidence in favor of RT load impacting skeletal muscle mass.There was insufficient evidence to conclude that time of day,periodization,inter-set rest,set configuration,set end point,contraction velocity/time under tension,or exercise order(only pertaining to hypertrophy)influenced skeletal muscle adaptations.A paucity of data limited insights into the impact of RT prescription variables on physical function.Conclusion:Overall,RT increased muscle mass,strength,and physical function compared to no exercise.RT intensity(load)and weekly frequency impacted RT-induced increases in muscular strength but not muscle hypertrophy.RT volume(number of sets)influenced muscular strength and hypertrophy.

Correlation between Combined Urinary Metal Exposure and Grip Strength under Three Statistical Models:A Cross-sectional Study in Rural Guangxi

Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between urinary metals copper(Cu),arsenic(As),strontium(Sr),barium(Ba),iron(Fe),lead(Pb)and manganese(Mn)and grip strength.Methods We used linear regression models,quantile g-computation and Bayesian kernel machine regression(BKMR)to assess the relationship between metals and grip strength.Results In the multimetal linear regression,Cu(β=−2.119),As(β=−1.318),Sr(β=−2.480),Ba(β=0.781),Fe(β=1.130)and Mn(β=−0.404)were significantly correlated with grip strength(P<0.05).The results of the quantile g-computation showed that the risk of occurrence of grip strength reduction was−1.007(95%confidence interval:−1.362,−0.652;P<0.001)when each quartile of the mixture of the seven metals was increased.Bayesian kernel function regression model analysis showed that mixtures of the seven metals had a negative overall effect on grip strength,with Cu,As and Sr being negatively associated with grip strength levels.In the total population,potential interactions were observed between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn(P_(interactions) of 0.003 and 0.018,respectively).Conclusion In summary,this study suggests that combined exposure to metal mixtures is negatively associated with grip strength.Cu,Sr and As were negatively correlated with grip strength levels,and there were potential interactions between As and Mn and between Cu and Mn.

Muscle strength and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/metabolicassociated fatty liver disease

This editorial comments on an article published in a recent issue of World Journal of Gastroenterology,entitled“Association of low muscle strength with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease:A nationwide study”.We focused on the association between muscle strength and the incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD),as well as the mechanisms underlying the correlation and related clinical applications.NAFLD,which is now redefined as MAFLD,is one of the most common chronic liver diseases globally with an increasing prevalence and is characterized by malnutrition,which may contribute to decreased muscle strength.Reduction of muscle strength reportedly has a pathogenesis similar to that of NAFLD/MAFLD,including insulin resistance,inflammation,sedentary behavior,as well as insufficient vitamin D.Multiple studies have focused on the relationship between sarcopenia or muscle strength and NAFLD.However,studies investigating the relationship between muscle strength and MAFLD are limited.Owing to the shortage of specific medications for NAFLD/MAFLD treatment,early detection is essential.Furthermore,the relationship between muscle strength and NAFLD/MAFLD suggests that improvements in muscle strength may have an impact on disease prevention and may provide novel insights into treatments including dietary therapy,as well as tailored physical activity.

Improving creep strength of the fine-grained heat-affected zone of novel 9Cr martensitic heat-resistant steel via modified thermo-mechanical treatment

The infamous type Ⅳ failure within the fine-grained heat-affected zone (FGHAZ) in G115 steel weldments seriously threatens the safe operation of ultra-supercritical (USC) power plants.In this work,the traditional thermo-mechanical treatment was modified via the replacement of hot-rolling with cold rolling,i.e.,normalizing,cold rolling,and tempering (NCT),which was developed to improve the creep strength of the FGHAZ in G115 steel weldments.The NCT treatment effectively promoted the dissolution of preformed M_(23)C_(6)particles and relieved the boundary segregation of C and Cr during welding thermal cycling,which accelerated the dispersed reprecipitation of M_(23)C_(6) particles within the fresh reaustenitized grains during post-weld heat treatment.In addition,the precipitation of Cu-rich phases and MX particles was promoted evidently due to the deformation-induced dislocations.As a result,the interacting actions between precipitates,dislocations,and boundaries during creep were reinforced considerably.Following this strategy,the creep rupture life of the FGHAZ in G115 steel weldments can be prolonged by 18.6%,which can further push the application of G115 steel in USC power plants.

Numerical parametric study on the influence of location and inclination of large-scale asperities on the shear strength of concreterock interfaces of small buttress dams

When assessing the sliding stability of a concrete dam,the influence of large-scale asperities in the sliding plane is often ignored due to limitations of the analytical rigid body assessment methods provided by current dam assessment guidelines.However,these asperities can potentially improve the load capacity of a concrete dam in terms of sliding stability.Although their influence in a sliding plane has been thoroughly studied for direct shear,their influence under eccentric loading,as in the case of dams,is unknown.This paper presents the results of a parametric study that used finite element analysis(FEA)to investigate the influence of large-scale asperities on the load capacity of small buttress dams.By varying the inclination and location of an asperity located in the concrete-rock interface along with the strength of the rock foundation material,transitions between different failure modes and correlations between the load capacity and the varied parameters were observed.The results indicated that the inclination of the asperity had a significant impact on the failure mode.When the inclinationwas 30and greater,interlocking occurred between the dam and foundation and the governing failure modes were either rupture of the dam body or asperity.When the asperity inclination was significant enough to provide interlocking,the load capacity of the dam was impacted by the strength of the rock in the foundation through influencing the load capacity of the asperity.The location of the asperity along the concrete-rock interface did not affect the failure mode,except for when the asperity was located at the toe of the dam,but had an influence on the load capacity when the failure occurred by rupture of the buttress or by sliding.By accounting for a single large-scale asperity in the concrete-rock interface of the analysed dam,a horizontal load capacity increase of 30%e160%was obtained,depending on the inclination and location of the asperity and the strength of the foundation material.

Long-term outcomes after endoscopic removal of malignant colorectal polyps:Results from a 10-year cohort

BACKGROUND Choosing an optimal post-polypectomy management strategy of malignant colorectal polyps is challenging,and evidence regarding a surveillance-only strategy is limited.AIM To evaluate long-term outcomes after endoscopic removal of malignant colorectal polyps.METHODS A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate outcomes after endoscopic removal of malignant colorectal polyps between 2010 and 2020.Residual disease rate and nodal metastases after secondary surgery and local and distant recurrence rate for those with at least 1 year of follow-up were invest-igated.Event rates for categorical variables and means for continuous variables with 95%confidence intervals were calculated,and Fisher’s exact test and Mann-Whitney test were performed.Potential risk factors of adverse outcomes were RESULTS In total,135 lesions(mean size:22.1 mm;location:42%rectal)from 129 patients(mean age:67.7 years;56%male)were enrolled.The proportion of pedunculated and non-pedunculated lesions was similar,with en bloc resection in 82%and 47%of lesions,respectively.Tumor differentiation,distance from resection margins,depth of submucosal invasion,lymphovascular invasion,and budding were reported at 89.6%,45.2%,58.5%,31.9%,and 25.2%,respectively.Residual tumor was found in 10 patients,and nodal metastasis was found in 4 of 41 patients who underwent secondary surgical resection.Univariate analysis identified piecemeal resection as a risk factor for residual malignancy(odds ratio:1.74;P=0.042).At least 1 year of follow-up was available for 117 lesions from 111 patients(mean follow-up period:5.59 years).Overall,54%,30%,30%,11%,and 16%of patients presented at the 1-year,3-year,5-year,7-year,and 9-10-year surveillance examinations.Adverse outcomes occurred in 9.0%(local recurrence and dissemination in 4 patients and 9 patients,respectively),with no difference between patients undergoing secondary surgery and surveillance only.CONCLUSION Reporting of histological features and adherence to surveillance colonoscopy needs improvement.Long-term adverse outcome rates might be higher than previously reported,irrespective of whether secondary surgery was performed.

Method for evaluation of geological strength index of carbonate cliff rocks:Coupled hyperspectral-digital borehole image technique

The deterioration of unstable rock mass raised interest in evaluating rock mass quality.However,the traditional evaluation method for the geological strength index(GSI)primarily emphasizes the rock structure and characteristics of discontinuities.It ignores the influence of mineral composition and shows a deficiency in assessing the integrity coefficient.In this context,hyperspectral imaging and digital panoramic borehole camera technologies are applied to analyze the mineral content and integrity of rock mass.Based on the carbonate mineral content and fissure area ratio,the strength reduction factor and integrity coefficient are calculated to improve the GSI evaluation method.According to the results of mineral classification and fissure identification,the strength reduction factor and integrity coefficient increase with the depth of rock mass.The rock mass GSI calculated by the improved method is mainly concentrated between 40 and 60,which is close to the calculation results of the traditional method.The GSI error rates obtained by the two methods are mostly less than 10%,indicating the rationality of the hyperspectral-digital borehole image coupled evaluation method.Moreover,the sensitivity of the fissure area ratio(Sr)to GSI is greater than that of the strength reduction factor(a),which means the proposed GSI is suitable for rocks with significant fissure development.The improved method reduces the influence of subjective factors and provides a reliable index for the deterioration evaluation of rock mass.

Tensile strength and failure behavior of rock-mortar interfaces: Direct and indirect measurements

The tensile strength at the rock-concrete interface is one of the crucial factors controlling the failure mechanisms of structures,such as concrete gravity dams.Despite the critical importance of the failure mechanism and tensile strength of rock-concrete interfaces,understanding of these factors remains very limited.This study investigated the tensile strength and fracturing processes at rock-mortar interfaces subjected to direct and indirect tensile loadings.Digital image correlation(DIC)and acoustic emission(AE)techniques were used to monitor the failure mechanisms of specimens subjected to direct tension and indirect loading(Brazilian tests).The results indicated that the direct tensile strength of the rock-mortar specimens was lower than their indirect tensile strength,with a direct/indirect tensile strength ratio of 65%.DIC strain field data and moment tensor inversions(MTI)of AE events indicated that a significant number of shear microcracks occurred in the specimens subjected to the Brazilian test.The presence of these shear microcracks,which require more energy to break,resulted in a higher tensile strength during the Brazilian tests.In contrast,microcracks were predominantly tensile in specimens subjected to direct tension,leading to a lower tensile strength.Spatiotemporal monitoring of the cracking processes in the rock-mortar interfaces revealed that they show AE precursors before failure under the Brazilian test,whereas they show a minimal number of AE events before failure under direct tension.Due to different microcracking mechanisms,specimens tested under Brazilian tests showed lower roughness with flatter fracture surfaces than those tested under direct tension with jagged and rough fracture surfaces.The results of this study shed light on better understanding the micromechanics of damage in the rock-concrete interfaces for a safer design of engineering structures.

Analysis of mechanical strengths of extreme line casing joint considering geometric, material, and contact nonlinearities

To address the challenges associated with difficult casing running,limited annular space,and poor cementing quality in the completion of ultra-deep wells,the extreme line casing offers an effective solution over conventional casings.However,due to its smaller size,the joint strength of extreme line casing is reduced,which may cause failure when running in the hole.To address this issue,this study focuses on the CST-ZTΦ139.7 mm×7.72 mm extreme line casing and employs the elastic-plastic mechanics to establish a comprehensive analysis of the casing joint,taking into account the influence of geometric and material nonlinearities.A finite element model is developed to analyze the forces and deformations of the extreme line casing joint under axial tension and external collapse load.The model investigates the stress distribution of each thread tooth subjected to various tensile forces and external pressures.Additionally,the tensile strength and crushing strength of the extreme line casing joint are determined through both analytical and experimental approaches.The findings reveal that,under axial tensile load,the bearing surface of each thread tooth experiences uneven stress,with relatively high equivalent stress at the root of each thread tooth.The end thread teeth are valuable spots for failure.It is observed that the critical fracture axial load of thread decreases linearly with the increase of thread tooth sequence.Under external pressure,the circumferential stress is highest at the small end of the external thread,leading to yield deformation.The tensile strength of the joint obtained from the finite element model exhibits a relative error of less than 7%compared to the analytical and experimental values,proving the reliability of the finite element model.The tensile strength of the joint is 3091.9 k N.Moreover,in terms of anti-collapse capability,the joints demonstrate higher resistance to collapse compared to the casing body,which is consistent with the test results where the pipe body experiences collapse and failure while the joints remain intact during the experiment.The failure load of the casing body under external collapse pressure is 87.4 MPa.The present study provides a basic understanding of the mechanical strengths of extreme line casing joint.

Uniaxial Compressive Strength Prediction for Rock Material in Deep Mine Using Boosting-Based Machine Learning Methods and Optimization Algorithms

Traditional laboratory tests for measuring rock uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)are tedious and timeconsuming.There is a pressing need for more effective methods to determine rock UCS,especially in deep mining environments under high in-situ stress.Thus,this study aims to develop an advanced model for predicting the UCS of rockmaterial in deepmining environments by combining three boosting-basedmachine learning methods with four optimization algorithms.For this purpose,the Lead-Zinc mine in Southwest China is considered as the case study.Rock density,P-wave velocity,and point load strength index are used as input variables,and UCS is regarded as the output.Subsequently,twelve hybrid predictive models are obtained.Root mean square error(RMSE),mean absolute error(MAE),coefficient of determination(R2),and the proportion of the mean absolute percentage error less than 20%(A-20)are selected as the evaluation metrics.Experimental results showed that the hybridmodel consisting of the extreme gradient boostingmethod and the artificial bee colony algorithm(XGBoost-ABC)achieved satisfactory results on the training dataset and exhibited the best generalization performance on the testing dataset.The values of R2,A-20,RMSE,and MAE on the training dataset are 0.98,1.0,3.11 MPa,and 2.23MPa,respectively.The highest values of R2 and A-20(0.93 and 0.96),and the smallest RMSE and MAE values of 4.78 MPa and 3.76MPa,are observed on the testing dataset.The proposed hybrid model can be considered a reliable and effective method for predicting rock UCS in deep mines.