Force analysis of pile foundation in rock slope based on upper-bound theorem of limit

Based on the characteristic that the potential sliding surfaces of rock slope are commonly in the shape of either line or fold line,analysis thought of conventional pile foundation in the flat ground under complex load condition was applied and the upper-bound theorem of limit analysis was used to compute thrust of rock layers with all possible distribution shapes. The interaction of slope and pile was considered design load in terms of slope thrust,and the finite difference method was derived to calculate inner-force and displacement of bridge pile foundation in rock slope under complex load condition. The result of example shows that the distribution model of slope thrust has certain impact on displacement and inner-force of bridge pile foundation. The maximum displacement growth rate reaches 54% and the maximum moment and shear growth rates reach only 15% and 20%,respectively,but the trends of inner-force and displacement of bridge pile foundation are basically the same as those of the conventional pile foundation in the flat ground. When the piles bear the same level lateral thrust,the distribution shapes of slope thrust have different influence on inner-force of pile foundation,especially the rectangle distribution,and the triangle thrust has the smallest displacement and inner-force of pile foundation.

Combined influence of nonlinearity and dilation on slope stability evaluated by upper-bound limit analysis

The combined influence of nonlinearity and dilation on slope stability was evaluated using the upper-bound limit analysis theorem.The mechanism of slope collapse was analyzed by dividing it into arbitrary discrete soil blocks with the nonlinear Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion and nonassociated flow rule.The multipoint tangent(multi-tangent) technique was used to analyze the slope stability by linearizing the nonlinear failure criterion.A general expression for the slope safety factor was derived based on the virtual work principle and the strength reduction technique,and the global slope safety factor can be obtained by the optimization method of nonlinear sequential quadratic programming.The results show better agreement with previous research result when the nonlinear failure criterion reduces to a linear failure criterion or the non-associated flow rule reduces to an associated flow rule,which demonstrates the rationality of the presented method.Slope safety factors calculated by the multi-tangent inclined-slices technique were smaller than those obtained by the traditional single-tangent inclined-slices technique.The results show that the multi-tangent inclined-slices technique is a safe and effective method of slope stability limit analysis.The combined effect of nonlinearity and dilation on slope stability was analyzed,and the parameter analysis indicates that nonlinearity and dilation have significant influence on the result of slope stability analysis.

A Method Combining Numerical Analysis and Limit Equilibrium Theory to Determine Potential Slip Surfaces in Soil Slopes

This paper describes a precise method combining numerical analysis and limit equilibrium theory to determine potential slip surfaces in soil slopes. In this method, the direction of the critical slip surface at any point in a slope is determined using the Coulomb’s strength principle and the extremum principle based on the ratio of the shear strength to the shear stress at that point. The ratio, which is considered as an analysis index, can be computed once the stress field of the soil slope is obtained. The critical slip direction at any point in the slope must be the tangential direction of a potential slip surface passing through the point. Therefore, starting from a point on the top of the slope surface or on the horizontal segment outside the slope toe, the increment with a small distance into the slope is used to choose another point and the corresponding slip direction at the point is computed. Connecting all the points used in the computation forms a potential slip surface exiting at the starting point. Then the factor of safety for any potential slip surface can be computed using limit equilibrium method like Spencer method. After factors of safety for all the potential slip surfaces are obtained, the minimum one is the factor of safety for the slope and the corresponding potential slip surface is the critical slip surface of the slope. The proposed method does not need to pre-assume the shape of potential slip surfaces. Thus it is suitable for any shape of slip surfaces. Moreover the method is very simple to be applied. Examples are presented in this paper to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed method programmed in ANSYS software by macro commands.

LOWER BOUND LIMIT ANALYSIS OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL ELASTOPLASTIC STRUCTURES BY BOUNDARY ELEMENT METHOD

Based on the lower bound theorem of limit analysis, a solution procedure for limit analysis of three_dimensional elastoplastic structures was established using conventional boundary element method (BEM). The elastic stress field for lower bound limit analysis was computed directly by three_dimensional boundary element method (3_D BEM). The self_equilibrium stress field was constructed by the linear combination of several self_equilibrium “basis vectors” which can be computed by elastic_plastic incremental iteration of 3_D BEM analysis. The lower bound limit analysis problem was finally reduced to a series of nonlinear programming sub_problems with relatively few optimal variables. The complex method was used to solve the nonlinear programming sub_problems. The numerical results show that the present solution procedure has good accuracy and high efficiency.

Development of Finite Element Limiting Analysis Method and Its Applications in Geotechnical Engineering

The Finite Element Limiting Analysis Method(LELAM) has the advantage of combining a numerical analysis method with traditional limiting equilibrium methods.It is particularly applicable to the analysis and design of geotechnical engineering.In the early 20th century,FELAM has been developed vigorously in domestic geotechnical engineering over international common finite element procedures.It has made great achievements in basic theory research and computational precision,thus broadening the application fields in practical projects.In order to gradually make innovations in geotechnical design methods,some of our research results are presented,mainly including geotechnical safety factor definitions,the principles for use of the method concerned,the overall failure criterion,the deduction and selection of the yield criterion,and the measurement to improve the computational precision,etc..The application field has been broadened from two-dimensional to three-dimensional,from soil slope to jointed rock slope and foundation,from stable seepage to non-stable seepage,from slope and foundation to tunnel.This method has also been used in search of many hidden sliding surfaces of complex landslides,conducting the structural support design considering the interaction between the soil and the structure,and computing simulation foundation bearing plates load tests,etc..

Limit analysis method for active earth pressure on laggings between stabilizing piles

Stabilizing pile is a kind of earth shoring structure frequently used in slope engineering. When the piles have cantilever segments above the ground,laggings are usually installed to avoid collapse of soil between piles. Evaluating the earth pressure acting on laggings is of great importance in design process.Since laggings are usually less stiff than piles,the lateral pressure on lagging is much closer to active earth pressure. In order to estimate the lateral earth pressure on lagging more accurately,first,a model test of cantilever stabilizing pile and lagging systems was carried out. Then,basing the experimental results a three-dimensional sliding wedge model was established. Last,the calculation process of the total active force on lagging is presented based on the kinematic approach of limit analysis. A comparison is made between the total active force on lagging calculated by the formula presented in this study and the force on a same-size rigid retaining wall obtained from Rankine's theory. It is found that the proposed method fits well with the experimental results.Parametric studies show that the total active force on lagging increases with the growth of the lagging height and the lagging clear span; while decreases asthe soil internal friction angle and soil cohesion increase.

RIGID FINITE ELEMENT AND LIMIT ANALYSIS

According to the lower-bound theorem of limit analysis the Rigid Finite Element Meth-od(RFEM)is applied to structural limit analysis and the linear programmings for limit analysis are deducedin this paper.Moreover,the Thermo-Parameter Method(TPM)and Parametric Variational principles(PVP)are used to reduce the computational effort while maintaining the accuracy of solutions.A better solution isalso obtained in this paper.

A LOWER BOUND LIMIT ANALYSIS OF DUCTILE COMPOSITE MATERIALS

The plastic load-bearing capacity of ductile composites such as metal matrix composites is studied with an insight into the microstructures. The macroscopic strength of a composite is obtained by combining the homogenization theory with static limit analysis, where the temperature parameter method is used to construct the self-equilibrium stress field. An interface failure model is proposed to account for the effects of the interface on the failure of composites. The static limit analysis with the finite-element method is then formulated as a constrained nonlinear programming problem, which is solved by the Sequential Quadratic Programming （SQP） method. Finally, the macroscopic transverse strength of perforated materials, the macroscopic transverse and off-axis strength of fiber-reinforced composites are obtained through numerical calculation. The computational results are in good agreement with the experimental data.

Inverse reliability analysis and design for tunnel face stability considering soil spatial variability

The traditional deterministic analysis for tunnel face stability neglects the uncertainties of geotechnical parameters,while the simplified reliability analysis which models the potential uncertainties by means of random variables usually fails to account for soil spatial variability.To overcome these limitations,this study proposes an efficient framework for conducting reliability analysis and reliability-based design(RBD)of tunnel face stability in spatially variable soil strata.The three-dimensional(3D)rotational failure mechanism of the tunnel face is extended to account for the soil spatial variability,and a probabilistic framework is established by coupling the extended mechanism with the improved Hasofer-Lind-Rackwits-Fiessler recursive algorithm(iHLRF)as well as its inverse analysis formulation.The proposed framework allows for rapid and precise reliability analysis and RBD of tunnel face stability.To demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed framework,an illustrative case of tunnelling in frictional soils is presented,where the soil's cohesion and friction angle are modelled as two anisotropic cross-correlated lognormal random fields.The results show that the proposed method can accurately estimate the failure probability(or reliability index)regarding the tunnel face stability and can efficiently determine the required supporting pressure for a target reliability index with soil spatial variability being taken into account.Furthermore,this study reveals the impact of various factors on the support pressure,including coefficient of variation,cross-correlation between cohesion and friction angle,as well as autocorrelation distance of spatially variable soil strata.The results also demonstrate the feasibility of using the forward and/or inverse first-order reliability method(FORM)in high-dimensional stochastic problems.It is hoped that this study may provide a practical and reliable framework for determining the stability of tunnels in complex soil strata.

The limit analysis in soil and rock:a mature discipline of geomechanics

The solution of a slope stability problem can be approached by its least upper-bound and maximum lower-bound with high accuracy. The limit equilibrium methods that employ vertical slices imply a lower bound of the factor of safety. It has been successfully extended to the area of active earth pressure analysis that accounts for different input of locations of earth pressure applications. Those methods that employ slices with inclined interfaces give an upper-bound approach to the stability analysis. It enjoys a sound mechanical background and is able to provide accurate solutions of soil plasticity. It has been successfully extended to the area of bearing capacity analysis in which various empirical coefficients are no longer necessary. The 3D upper- and lower-bound methods under this framework have been made possible and show great potential for solving various engineering problems.

A new method for the stability analysis of geosynthetic-reinforced slopes

This paper is concerned with the stability analysis of reinforced slopes.A new approach based on the limit equilibrium principle is proposed to evaluate the stability of the reinforced slopes.The effect of reinforcement is modeled as an equivalent restoring force acting the bottom of the slice and added into the general limit equilibrium(GLE) method.The equations of force and moment equilibrium of the slice are derived and corresponding iterative solution methods are provided.The new method can satisfy both the force and the moment equilibrium and be applicable to the critical failure surface of arbitrary form.Furthermore,the results predicted by the proposed method are compared with the calculation examples of other researchers and the centrifuge model test results to validate its correctness and effectiveness.

Steel Design by Advanced Analysis: Material Modeling and Strain Limits

Structural analysis of steel frames is typically performed using beam elements. Since these elements are unable to explicitly capture the local buckling behavior of steel cross-sections, traditional steel design specifications use the concept of cross-section classification to determine the extent to which the strength and deformation capacity of a cross-section are affected by local buckling. The use of plastic design methods are restricted to Class 1 cross-sections, which possess sufficient rotation capacity for plastic hinges to develop and a collapse mechanism to form. Local buckling prevents the development of plastic hinges with such rotation capacity for cross-sections of higher classes and, unless computationally demanding shell elements are used, elastic analysis is required. However, this article demonstrates that local buckling can be mimicked effectively in beam elements by incorporating the continuous strength method (CSM) strain limits into the analysis. Furthermore, by performing an advanced analysis that accounts for both geometric and material nonlinearities, no additional design checks are required. The positive influence of the strain hardening observed in stocky cross-sections can also be harnessed, provided a suitably accurate stress–strain relationship is adopted;a quad-linear material model for hot-rolled steels is described for this purpose. The CSM strain limits allow cross-sections of all slenderness to be analyzed in a consistent advanced analysis framework and to benefit from the appropriate level of load redistribution. The proposed approach is applied herein to individual members, continuous beams, and frames, and is shown to bring significant benefits in terms of accuracy and consistency over current steel design specifications.

NONSMOOTH MODEL FOR PLASTIC LIMIT ANALYSIS AND ITS SMOOTHING ALGORITHM

By means of Lagrange duality of Hill＇s maximum plastic work principle theory of the convex program, a dual problem under Mises＇ yield condition has been derived and whereby a non-differentiable convex optimization model for the limit analysis is developed. With this model, it is not necessary to linearize the yield condition and its discrete form becomes a minimization problem of the sum of Euclidean norms subject to linear constraints. Aimed at resolving the non-differentiability of Euclidean norms, a smoothing algorithm for the limit analysis of perfect-plastic continuum media is proposed. Its efficiency is demonstrated by computing the limit load factor and the collapse state for some plane stress and plain strain problems.

A MATHEMATICAL PROGRAMMING ALGORITHM FOR LIMIT ANALYSIS

This paper deals with the limit analyses of perfect rigid-plastic continua.Based on the kinematic theorem of the limit analysis theory,a mathematical programming finite element formula for determining the upper bound load multiplier has been established,and an iteration algorithm proposed accordingly.In this algorithm the plastic and rigid zones are distinguished for every iteration step,and the goal function is modified gradually.The difficulties caused by the nonsmoothness of the goal function are over- come.Some examples solved by this algorithm are presented.

Upper-Bound Limit Analysis of the Multi-Layer Slope Stability and Failure Mode Based on Generalized Horizontal Slice Method

Multi-layer slopes are widely found in clay residue receiving fields.A generalized horizontal slice method(GHSM)for assessing the stability of multi-layer slopes that considers the energy dissipation between adjacent horizontal slices is presented.In view of the upper-bound limit analysis theory,the energy equation is derived and the ultimate failure mode is generated by comparing the sliding surface passing through the slope toe(mode A)with that below(mode B).In addition,the influence of the number of slices on the stability coefficients in the GHSM is studied and the stable value is obtained.Compared to the original method(Chen’s method),the GHSM can acquire more precise results,which takes into account the energy dissipation in the inner sliding soil mass.Moreover,the GHSM,limit equilibrium method(LEM)and numerical simulation method(NSM)are applied to analyze the stability of a multi-layer slope with different slope angles and the results of the safety factor and failure mode are very close in each case.The ultimate failure modes are shown to be mode B when the slope angle is not more than 28°.It illustrates that the determination of the ultimate sliding surface requires comparison of multiple failure modes,not only mode A.

Upper bound analysis of slope stability with nonlinear failure criterion based on strength reduction technique

Based on the upper bound limit analysis theorem and the shear strength reduction technique, the equation for expressing critical limit-equilibrium state was employed to define the safety factor of a given slope and its corresponding critical failure mechanism by means of the kinematical approach of limit analysis theory. The nonlinear shear strength parameters were treated as variable parameters and a kinematically admissible failure mechanism was considered for calculation schemes. The iterative optimization method was adopted to obtain the safety factors. Case study and comparative analysis show that solutions presented here agree with available predictions when nonlinear criterion reduces to linear criterion, and the validity of present method could be illuminated. From the numerical results, it can also be seen that nonlinear parameter rn, slope foot gradient ,β, height of slope H, slope top gradient a and soil bulk density γ have significant effects on the safety factor of the slope.

A New Curve Fitting Method for Forming Limit Experimental Data

The forming limit curve （FLC） can be obtained by means of curve fitting the limit strain points of different strain paths. The theory of percent regression analysis is applied to the curve fitting of forming limit experimental data.Forecast intervals of FLC percentiles can be calculated. Thus reliability and confidence level can be considered. The theoretical method to get the limits of limit strain points distributing region is presented, and the FLC position can be adjusted according to practical requirement. Method for establishing FLC with high reliability using small samples is presented at the same time. This method can make full use of the current experimental data and the previous data.Compared with the traditional method that can only use current experimental data, fewer specimens are required in the present method to obtain the same precision and the result is more accurate with the same number of specimens.

Reliability analysis of retaining walls with multiple failure modes

In order to reduce the errors of the reliability of the retaining wall structure in the establishment of function, in the estimation of parameter and algorithm, firstly, two new reliability and stability models of anti-slipping and anti-overturning based on the upper-bound theory of limit analysis were established, and two kinds of failure modes were regarded as a series of systems with multiple correlated failure modes. Then, statistical characteristics of parameters of the retaining wall structure were inferred by maximal entropy principle. At last, the structural reliabilities of single failure mode and multiple failure modes were calculated by Monte Carlo method in MATLAB and the results were compared and analyzed on the sensitivity. It indicates that this method, with a high precision, is not only easy to program and quick in calculation, but also without the limit of nonlinear functions and non-normal random variables. And the results calculated by this method which applies both the limit analysis theory, maximal entropy principle and Monte Carlo method into analyzing the reliability of the retaining wall structures is more scientific, accurate and reliable, in comparison with those calculated by traditional method.

The height-width ratio limited value for rubber bearing isolated structure computed by uniform design method

Rubber isolation is the most mature control technology in practical application, and is widely used by short rigid buildings. However, many high isolation buildings have been built around the world in recent years, which do not follow the existing criterions and codes. Many researchers began to research the special problems caused by larger height-width ratio isolation structures. The overturning effect of high height-width ratio structures with rubber bearing is firstly studied. Considering the main factors, such as the height-width ratio of structures, type of site, the designed basic acceleration of ground motion and the decouple factor in horizon, computing experiment is defined with the Uniform Design Method, which is also known as designing isolation structure. The forces of the bearing under edge of structures based on the position of the rubber bearing are calculated. The result indicates that the rubber bearings will lose its functionality under very high tension and compressing force of earthquake motion in horizon and vertical, when the height-width ratio is over a certain value. Thus, based on the calculation result of isolation structures defined in the uniform design method, regression analysis is conducted, and also the rubber edge force regression formula are gotten, which has higher correlation and smaller standard deviation. This formula can be used to roughly calculate whether the pull force occurs at the edge of the building. By the edge bearings of isolation structure minimum force formula, the height-width ratio limited value of the isolation structure is deducted when rubber bearing has minimum force of zero.

Two-dimensional face stability analysis in rock masses governed by the Hoek-Brown strength criterion with a new multi-horn mechanism

The face stability problem is a major concern for tunnels excavated in rock masses governed by the Hoek-Brown strength criterion.To provide an accurate prediction for the theoretical solution of the critical face pressure,this study adopts the piecewise linear method(PLM)to account for the nonlinearity of the strength envelope and proposes a new multi-horn rotational mechanism based on the Hoek-Brown strength criterion and the associative flow rule.The analytical solution of critical support pressure is derived from the energy-work balance equation in the framework of the plastic limit theorem;it is formulated as a multivariable nonlinear optimization problem relying on 2m dependent variables(m is the number of segments).Meanwhile,two classic linearized measures,the generalized tangential technique(GTT)and equivalent Mohr-Coulomb parameters method(EMM),are incorporated into the analysis for comparison.Surprisingly,the parametric study indicates a significant improvement in support pressure by up to 13%compared with the GTT,and as expected,the stability of the tunnel face is greatly influenced by the rock strength parameters.The stress distribution on the rupture surface is calculated to gain an intuitive understanding of the failure at the limit state.Although the limit analysis is incapable of calculating the true stress distribution in rock masses,a rough approximation of the stress vector on the rupture surface is permitted.In the end,sets of normalized face pressure are provided in the form of charts for a quick assessment of face stability in rock masses.