Construction of improved rigid blocks failure mechanism for ultimate bearing capacity calculation based on slip-line field theory

Based on the slip-line field theory, a two-dimensional slip failure mechanism with mesh-like rigid block system was constructed to analyze the ultimate bearing capacity problems of rough foundation within the framework of the upper bound limit analysis theorem. In the velocity discontinuities in transition area, the velocity changes in radial and tangent directions are allowed. The objective functions of the stability problems of geotechnical structures are obtained by equating the work rate of external force to internal dissipation along the velocity discontinuities, and then the objective functions are transformed as an upper-bound mathematic optimization model. The upper bound solutions for the objective functions are obtained by use of the nonlinear sequential quadratic programming and interior point method. From the numerical results and comparative analysis, it can be seen that the method presented in this work gives better calculation results than existing upper bound methods and can be used to establish the more accurate plastic collapse load for the ultimate bearing capacity of rough foundation.

New design equations for estimation of ultimate bearing capacity of shallow foundations resting on rock masses

Rock masses are commonly used as the underlying layer of important structures such as bridges, dams and transportation constructions. The success of a foundation design for such structures mainly depends on the accuracy of estimating the bearing capacity of rock beneath them. Several traditional numerical approaches are proposed for the estimation of the bearing capacity of foundations resting on rock masses to avoid performing elaborate and expensive experimental studies. Despite this fact, there still exists a serious need to develop more robust predictive models. This paper proposes new nonlinear prediction models for the ultimate bearing capacity of shallow foundations resting on non-fractured rock masses using a novel evolutionary computational approach, called linear genetic programming. A comprehensive set of rock socket, centrifuge rock socket, plate load and large-scaled footing load test results is used to develop the models. In order to verify the validity of the models, the sensitivity analysis is conducted and discussed. The results indicate that the proposed models accurately characterize the bearing capacity of shallow foundations. The correlation coefficients between the experimental and predicted bearing capacity values are equal to 0.95 and 0.96 for the best LGP models. Moreover, the derived models reach a notably better prediction performance than the traditional equations.

Influence of the Spudcan Angle on the Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Jack-up Platform

Jack-up platforms of the Ocean engineering structures always withstand the vertical gravity loads which are applied to the seabed by spudcan, so it is important to determine the bearing capacity and the penetration depth of the spudcan for its geometry. In fact, it is up to the deformation law and the failure modes of soil surrounding the spudcan which can calculate the ultimate bearing capacity of the spudcan foundation on the soil seabed. By using the finite element analysis software Abaqus, the deformation law of soil around the spudcan is analyzed in detail, and the failure modes of soil surrounding the spudcan foundation are achieved. At the same time, based on the limit equilibrium theory, by use of static permissible slip-line field, the ultimate bearing capacity of the spudcan foundation is analyzed and the lower limit solution is derived theoretically, and the effect of the spudcan angle on the ultimate bearing capacity is investigated. The numerical results are compared with those obtained by the theoretical formulas deduced in this paper. On the basis of the lower limit solutions in this paper, the effect of the spudcan angle on the ultimate bearing capacity is revealed, and a practical bearing capacity formula is given to take the effect of the spudcan angle into consideration.

Analysis of the Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Oil Field Drilling Masts

In order to improve the safety of drilling operations, this paper presents a new method for forecasting the ultimate bearing capacity of oil field drilling masts. The method is based on a double nonlinear finite element theory and applies a referential stress method for measuring defects and defacements. The lab mast model was analyzed using the proposed method. The relative error, which was less than 5.0% between the forecast results and the destructive experiment values,verified the correctness of this method. It also forecasts the ultimate bearing capacity for a local drilling mast.

Stability Analysis of Space Compcoite Structore and Its Ultimate Bearing Capacity

In this paper, using incremental equilibrium equation, the authors have studiedthe effeet of ultimate bearing capacity of every component on structuralstability, and discussed the stability analysis method for space compositestructures. With the help of the test results for the concrete filled ateel tubeskeleton of the long-spen RC arch bridse, it is proved that the proposed methodis accurate and reliable.

Evaluation of ultimate bearing capacity of Y-shaped vibro-pile

Based on Mindlin stress solution, a numerical computational method was proposed to calculate the stresses in the ground induced by side friction and the resistance of Y-shaped vibro-pile. The improved Terzaghi's and ЪерезанцевВГ's methods for ultimate bearing capacity evaluation were proposed by considering the stress strength induced by friction resistance at pile head level of Y-pile. A new method to calculate the ultimate bearing capacity of Y-pile was also proposed based on the assumptions of soil failure mode at the tip of Y-pile and the use of Mohr-Coulomb soil yield criterion and Vesic compressive correction coefficient with the induced stresses in the ground. Based on the comparisons with the field static load test results, it is found that the improved Terzaghi's method gives higher ultimate capacity, while the other two methods shows good agreement with the field results.

Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Subsoils to Marine Pipelines

Based on the theory of limit analysis, the Finite Difference Method (FDM) is established for evaluating the ultimate bearing capacity of subsoils to bear the unburied pipelines. The analytical results of bearing capacity of the ideal clay is given. The approach to bearing capacity evaluation of cohesionless subsoils without surcharge is suggested. The results from this method are consistent with those obtained from model tests.

Methods for Estimating the Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Layered Foundations

The Meyerhof and Hanna′s(M-H) method to estimate the ultimate bearing capacity of layered foundations was improved. The experimental results of the load tests in Tianjin New Harbor were compared with predictions with the method recommended by the code for the foundations of harbor engineering, i.e. Hansen′s method and the improved M-H method. The results of the comparisons implied that the code and the improved M-H method could give a better prediction.

Development of mathematically motivated hybrid soft computing models for improved predictions of ultimate bearing capacity of shallow foundations

Ultimate bearing capacity(UBC)is a key subject in geotechnical/foundation engineering as it determines the limit of loads imposed on the foundation.The most reliable means of determining UBC is through experiment,but it is costly and time-consuming which has led to the development of various models based on the simplified assumptions.The outcomes of the models are usually validated with the experimental results,but a large gap usually exists between them.Therefore,a model that can give a close prediction of the experimental results is imperative.This study proposes a grasshopper optimization algorithm(GOA)and salp swarm algorithm(SSA)to optimize artificial neural networks(ANNs)using the existing UBC experimental database.The performances of the proposed models are evaluated using various statistical indices.The obtained results are compared with the existing models.The proposed models outperformed the existing models.The proposed hybrid GOA-ANN and SSA-ANN models are then transformed into mathematical forms that can be incorporated into geotechnical/foundation engineering design codes for accurate UBC measurements.

Research on the bearing capacity characteristics of initial support for horseshoe-shaped tunnel prefabrication

In view of the limited theoretical research on the load model of initial support for horseshoe-shaped prefabrication,this study focuses on the Luochuan Tunnel on the Xi'an-Yan'an newly built railway as the research object to explore its load model,load characteristic curve,plastic zone,deformation,and critical thickness.Theoretical research and numerical analysis were conducted.The results indicate that under the same boundary conditions,the ultimate bearing capacity of the prefabricated assembly initial support is higher than that of the shotcrete initial support,resulting in larger ultimate deformation capacity of the prefabricated assembly initial support.Based on numerical calculations,the ultimate deformation and critical thickness of the prefabricated initial lining for single-and double-track railway tunnels are obtained when buried at depths of 200,500,and 900 m in rock masses of classes Ⅲ,Ⅳ,and Ⅴ.

Theoretical Analysis of Bearing Capacity of Shallowly Embeded Rectangular Footing of Marine Structures

In this paper, the finite element analysis software ABAQUS is used to analyze the ultimate bearing capacity of three-dimensional rectangular footing of marine structures. The deformation law and the failure mode of homogeneous seabed soil beneath the rectangular footing are analyzed in detail. According to the equivalent plastic strain of soil under rectangular footing, an allowable velocity field of homogeneous seabed soil is reasonably constructed. Based on the plastic limit analysis theory of soil mass and by using the Mohr-Coulomb yield criterion, an upper bound solution of the ultimate bearing capacity of three-dimensional rectangular footing on general homogeneous seabed soil is derived, and a correction factor of ultimate bearing capacity of three-dimensional rectangular footing is given. To verify the rationality and applicability of this theoretical solution, some numerical solutions are achieved using the general-purpose FEM analysis package ABAQUS, and comparisons are made among the derived upper bound solution, the solution of Vesic, and the solution of Salgado et al. The results indicate that the upper bound solution of the three-dimensional shallowly embedded rectangular footing proposed in this paper is accurate in calculating the bearing capacity of homogeneous seabed soil. For undrained saturated clay foundation and sandy foundation with smaller internal friction angle, this upper bound solution can evaluate the ultimate bearing capacity of rectangular footing; with the gradual increase of the internal friction angle of the soil, the ultimate bearing capacity of the proposed upper bound solution is slightly higher than that of the rectangular footing.

Experimental study on bearing capacity of shell strip footings near geotextile-reinforced earth slopes

From a financial point of view,urbanization frequently enforces the clients to construct superstructures near the slopes,giving rise to increasing the risk of building instability.By conducting a series of small-scale plate load tests,this work aims to investigate the effects of installing geotextile reinforcement layers in sandy slope and reducing the apex angle of triangular shell strip footings.The results show considerable effect of using geotextile-reinforced layers and decreasing the apex angle on the ultimate bearing capacity of shell foundations.With increasing foundation distance from the slope,the adverse effect of the slope is reduced.However,as the distance decreases,the effect of reinforcement and apex angle is increased.For practical applications,empirical equations are also presented for determining the ultimate bearing capacity of the footings and scale effect as well.Finally,3D numerical simulations are executed and compared with the experimental results.

Bearing Capacity Analysis of Shallow Foundations Supported on an Artificial Fill(Substation at Kashari,Tirana)

The paper presents conclusions related to the design of shallow foundations,at the site where the Substation at Kashari,in Tirana is foreseen to be constructed.The project includes buildings with small to medium structures with 1-3 stories.The geological survey works include 6 boreholes of a depth 20.0 m,90 SPT(Standard Penetration Tests)tests,and laboratory works include 13 direct shear tests,27 unconfined and compressive strength tests,7 CU(consolidated undrained)tests and 9 UU(unconsolidated undrained)tests,etc.The foundation design must fulfill both,bearing and settlement criteria,but in this case the settlements of foundations are not possible to be calculated,since the laboratory works do not include any consolidation test.So,the local bearing capacity is expected to control the design in terms of bearing capacity and settlements.The local bearing capacity of shallow square foundations is evaluated by using Terzaghi’s formula,based on reduced shear strength parameters of soils below the bottom of foundations.The results are compared with the bearing capacity values calculated by using Burland and Burbdige(1984)method,based on the data of SPT tests.This method is used for checking the settlement(serviceability)criterion in the foundation design,when the direct settlement calculation is missing.The paper presents some conclusions related to local bearing capacity foundation-based design.

Bearing capacity of concrete filled bidirectional FRP tube subjected to axial compression

External confinement by fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) is an efficient technique to increase the bearing capacity and ductility of concrete. To better study the mechanical behavior of bidirectional FRP confined concrete, the yield criterion of bidirectional FRP is presented based on the static equilibrium condition in this paper, and a model for calculating the bearing capacity of bidirectional FRP confined concrete is established. The model can capture the character of bidirectional FRP confined concrete. Effects of the confinement effect coefficient, the unconfined concrete strength and the material properties of FRP on bearing capacity are analyzed. Results show that each parameter has different effects on the bearing capacity of bidirectional FRP confined concrete.

Undrained Capacity of a Bucket Foundation with a Limited-Tension Interface for Offshore Wind Turbines

In this paper,the influence of the limited-tension interface between lid and soil on the undrained bearing capacity of the wide-shallow bucket foundation is examined by finite element(FE)analysis.The interface between the lid and the soil is modeled using a simplified approach called the surface-based cohesive behavior,with the aim of simulating the limited-tension interface.Initially,the interaction between the lid and the soil is explored under the zero-and unlimited-tension conditions by small-scale experiments.Afterward,the effects of the embedment ratio,soil strength heterogeneity,and lid-soil interface on the bearing capacity are outlined,and the failure mechanisms are explained by FE analysis.A modified closed-form formula is given to compute the moment bearing capacity with the limited-tension interface between the lid and the soil for different embedment ratios and soil strength heterogeneities.The numerical results reveal that the existing approximating solutions,which assume fully bonded interaction,accurately exhibit the shape of the normalized failure envelopes in hm and vh load space for the limited-tension interface.However,the shape of the vm envelopes differs,requiring a novel solution to estimate the combined bearing capacity of the bucket foundation based on the embedment ratio and soil strength heterogeneity with a zero-tension interface between the lid and the soil.

Ultimate bearing capacity of concrete dam involved in geometric and material nonlinearity

To get the actual ultimate bearing capacity of concrete dam, the effect of geometric nonlinearity and strain softening on it, which appears in the failure process of concrete dam, is studied. Overload method is adopted to obtain the bearing capacity of a concrete dam by taking into consideration strain softening in the material constitutive law, geometric nonlinearity in geometric equation and equilibrium differential equation. Arc-length method is used to find the extreme point and descending branch of the load-displacement curve of the dam. The results present that the effect cannot be ignored. And geometric nonlinearity of structure and strain softening of materials should be considered for numerical analysis of ultimate bearing capacity of a concrete dam.

Slope stability of increasing height and expanding capacity of south dumping site of Hesgoula coal mine:a case study

This paper is devoted to improve the containment capacity of the Hesgoula south dumping site.The general geology of the dumping site was obtained through geological surveys.Physico-mechanical properties of silty clay and bedrock layers that have a large impact on the stability of the dump were measured by direct shear tests and triaxial tests in laboratory.Then ultimate bearing capacity of the substrate were analyzed and calculated.This paper proposed three capacity expansion and increase plans and used GeoStudio software for comparison.Through computation of the stability of the dump site slope after capacity expansion and increase for each plan,the capacity expansion plan was determined.The capacity expansion and increase plan will solve the problem of the current insufficient containment capacity of the Hesgoula south dumping site,which is of great significance for saving mine transportation costs,improving work efficiency,and reducing grassland occupation.

动荷载作用下隧道锚承载性能及影响因素敏感性分析

为了更加合理地评价悬索桥隧道式锚碇的承载能力,探究隧道锚在动荷载作用下的失效过程,借助有限差分软件建立数值模型,提取并分析接触面应力应变分布形式,并与静力作用下结果进行对比,建立不同工况研究锚塞体参数与动荷载参数对承载力的影响.研究结果表明,动荷载作用下,锚岩接触面应力与位移分布形式与静载类似,但幅值与增长速率明显大于静载状态,拱顶方向和右拱脚向位移增加幅度分别达到36%和112%,且二者在7倍静力荷载幅值作用下,达到其位移差异变化的“门槛值”0.30 mm;动荷载作用下,隧道锚的极限承载力随着锚塞体扩展角、长度以及间距的增加均有所增加,其几何参数敏感性排序由高到低为锚塞体长度、锚塞体扩展角、锚塞体间距,动荷载频率对承载力的影响较小,动荷载作用下隧道锚极限承载力出现明显降低,平均降低幅度约为21%.动荷载作用下隧道锚承载性能及影响因素的敏感性分析为实际工程中隧道锚极限承载力的优化设计提供了参考.

钢模块单元承插式柱-柱节点弯剪承载力研究

提出一种新型承插式柱-柱节点,采用内外套筒作为上下钢管柱的拼接构件,仅通过高强对穿螺栓拼装,可以满足建筑结构装配化的需求.针对其在弯剪作用下的承载性能,设计并制作了三个足尺试件进行静力加载试验,获得了节点的受力特征、破坏模式、极限承载力和应变分布等.建立数值模型,在验证数值模型正确性的基础上,对节点进行参数化分析,探讨了套筒灌浆、内套筒厚度、节点长度对节点极限承载力的影响.试验和数值模拟研究结果表明:内套筒近端板处至第一根竖向螺栓前是节点域传力的关键部位;套筒灌浆和减小节点长度能够延缓节点核心区应变发展,但影响程度有限;当保证节点长度和内外套筒相对抗弯刚度比一定时,套筒灌浆可使连接受力性能更优,极限承载力提高19.3%;控制其他参数相同,节点长度越大,“杠杆效应”越强,抗弯承载力也随之提高,节点长度由300 mm增加至600 mm,极限承载力提高15.1%;内套筒厚度越大,截面承载力的安全储备越高,内套筒厚度由8 mm增加至12 mm,极限承载力提高31.4%.基于“有限塑性发展强度准则”和“杠杆效应”理论提出了节点的抗弯承载力计算公式,通过和数值计算结果的对比,验证了计算式的准确性.

夹板剪力墙中U型抗拔锚固节点的承载性能

夹板剪力墙抗侧力性能优异,其抗侧刚度和承载力是普通轻木剪力墙的2~3倍。然而,夹板剪力墙中常用的三角形抗拔锚固件(hold⁃down)会使端部墙骨柱偏心受拉,并易在顶部螺栓孔处发生断裂,严重制约墙体抗侧承载能力。采用U型锚固连接件能很好解决该不利破坏。对采用了不同紧固件形式和数量的4组U型锚固件节点进行单调和低周往复加载试验,分析其破坏模式、荷载⁃位移曲线、初始刚度、极限承载力和延性系数,并基于GB 50005—2017《木结构设计标准》对其承载力和屈服模式进行理论计算和预测。研究结果表明,采用螺钉连接的U型hold⁃down节点(6SH、10SH)均表现为螺钉弯曲和拔出破坏,而采用3根和5根螺栓连接(3BH和5BH)的U型hold⁃down节点则分别表现为螺栓弯曲和墙骨断裂破坏。采用螺栓连接的U型hold⁃down节点刚度和极限承载力分别比采用螺钉连接的节点高81.5%和62.0%以上,但延性较后者低23.2%以上。采用3根螺栓连接的U型hold⁃down节点(3BH)充分利用了螺栓的屈服强度和弹塑性变形能力,综合性能表现最佳。基于GB 50005—2017能准确预测采用螺钉连接U型hold⁃down节点的屈服模式和承载力,但会低估32%~43%的螺栓连接U型hold⁃down节点承载力。研究得到的U型hold⁃down节点荷载⁃位移关系和力学性能指标可为后续的夹板剪力墙数值模拟研究提供关键数据。