Experiment and analysis of the formation,expansion and dissipation of gasbag in fine sediments based on pore water pressure survey

Deep-seated gas in seabed sediments migrates upwards from effect of external factors,which easily accumulates to form gasbags at interface of shallow coarse-fine sediments.Real-time monitoring of this process is important to predict disaster.However,there is still a lack of effective monitoring methods,so we attempt to apply multi-points pore water pressure monitoring technology when simulating forming and dissipation of gasbags in sediments through laboratory experiment.This study focuses on discussion of sensitivity of pore water pressure monitoring data,as well as typical changing characteristics and mechanisms of excess pore water pressure corresponding to crack generation,gasbag formation and gas release.It was found that the value of excess pore water pressure in sediments is negatively correlated with vertical distance between sensors and gas source,and the evolution of gasbag forming and dissipation has a good corresponding relationship with the change of excess pore water pressure.Gasbag formation process is divided into three stages:transverse crack development,longitudinal cavity expansion,and oblique crack development.Formation of gasbag begins with the transverse crack at the interface of coarse-fine sediments while excess pore water pressure attenuates rapidly and then drops,pressure remains almost unchanged when cavity expanses longitudinally,oblique crack appeared in final stage of gasbag evolution while excess pore water pressure accumulated and dissipated again.The variation curve of excess pore water pressure in gas release stage has saw-tooth fluctuation characteristics,and the value and time of pressure accumulation are also fluctuating,indicating the uncertainty and non-uniqueness of gas migration channels in sediments.

Wave-induced pore water pressure in marine cohesive soils

Cyclic triaxial tests and numerical analyses were undertaken, in order to evaluate the wave-induced pore water pressure in seabed sediments in the Hangzhou Bay. The cyclic triaxial tests indicate that the rate of pore water pressure generation in cohesive soils decreases with time, and the development of the pore water pressure can be represented by a hyperbolic curve. Numerical analyses, taking into account the generation and dissipation of pore water pressure simultaneously, suggest that the pore water pressure buildup in cohesive soils may increase with time continuously until the pore water pressure ratio approaches to 1, or it may decrease after a certain time, which is controlled by drain conditions. These phenomena are different from those in sands. For waves with a retum period of 100 a in the Hangzhou Bay, if the wave duration is more than 60 h, then the pore water pressure ratio will be close to 1 and soil fabric failure will take place.

Key technologies for construction of Jinping traffic tunnel with an extremely deep overburden and a high water pressure

Jinping traffic tunnel is one of the deepest traffic tunnels in the world with a maximum overburden of 2 375 m and the overburden over 73% of its total length is larger than 1 500 m. The tunnel is 17.5 km long and designed to provide a shortcut road between two hydropower stations： Jinping I and Jinping II of the Jinping Hydropower Project, located on Yalong River, Liangshan State, Sichuan Province, China. The tunnel is so deep that building any shafts is impossible. The construction starts from both ends （east and west ends）, and the construction length from the west end is 10 km with a blind heading. This paper deals with an overview of this project and analysis of the engineering features, as well as key technologies developed and applied during the construction, including geological prediction, rock burst prevention under a super high in-situ stress, sealing of groundwater with a high pressure and big flow rate, ventilation for a blind heading of 10 km, wet spraying of shotcrete at zones of rock burst and rich water, etc. The application of the new technologies to the construction achieved a high quality tunnel within the contract period.

A fiber Bragg grating based earth and water pressures transducer with three-dimensional fused deposition modeling for soil mass

A novel fiber Bragg grating(FBG)sensor with three-dimensional(3D)fused deposition modeling(FDM)approach is proposed for effective stress measurement in soil mass.The three-diaphragm structure design is developed to measure earth and water pressures simultaneously.The proposed transducer has advantages of small size,high sensitivity,low cost,immunity to electromagnetic interference and rapid prototyping.The working principle,design parameters,and manufacturing details are discussed.The proposed transducer was calibrated for earth and water pressures measurement by using weights and a specially designed pressure chamber,respectively.The calibration results showed that the wavelength of the transducer was proportional to the applied pressure.The sensitivity coefficients of the earth and water pressures were 12.633 nm/MPa and 6.282 nm/MPa,respectively.Repeated tests and error analysis demonstrated the excellent stability and accuracy of the earth and water pressure measurements.The performance of the proposed transducer was further verified by a model experimental test and numerical analysis,which indicated that the proposed transducer has great potential for practical applications.

The numerical study of wave-induced pore water pressure response in highly permeable seabed

The coupling numerical model of wave interaction with porous medium is used to study wave- induced pore water pressure in high permeability seabed. In the model, the wave field solver is based on the two dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes （RANS） equations with a k-s closure, and Forchheimer equations are adopted for flow within the porous media. By introducing a Velocity-Pressure Correction equation for the wave flow and porous flow, a highly efficient coupling between the two flows is implemented. The numerical tests are conducted to study the effects of seabed thickness, porosity, particle size and intrinsic permeability coefficient on regular wave and solitary wave-induced pore water pressure response. The results indicate that, as compared with regular wave-induced, solitary wave-induced pore water pressure has larger values and stronger action on seabed with different parameters. The results also clearly show the flow characteristics of pore water flow within seabed and water wave flow on seabed. The maximum pore water flow velocities within seabed under solitary wave action are higher than those under regular wave action.

Characteristics of Pore Water Pressure of Saturated Silt Under Wave Loading

The characteristics of dynamic stress in the seabed under wave loading are constant principal stress and continuous rotation of the principal stress direction. Cyclic triaxial-torsional coupling shear tests were pefformed on saturated silt by the hollow cylinder apparatus under different relative densities, deviator stress ratios and vibration frequencies to study the development of pore water pressure of the saturated silt under wave loading. It was found that the development of pore water pressure follows the trend of ＂fast - steady - drastic＂. The turning point from fast to steady stage is not affected by relative density and deviator stress ratio. However, the turning point from steady to drastic stage relies on relative density and deviator stress ratio. The vibration cycle for the liquefaction of saturated silt decreases with increasing deviator stress ratio and increases with relative density. The vibration cycle for the liquefaction of the saturated silt increases with vibration frequency and reaches a peak value, after which it decreases with increasing vibration frequency for the relative density of 70%. But the vibration cycle for the liquefaction of saturated silt increases with vibration frequency for the relative density of 30%. The development of pore water pressure of the saturated silt is influenced by relative density and vibration frequency.

Experimental Study of Pore Water Pressure and Bed Profile Change Under Regular Breaking Waves

There lies a close relationship between the seabed destruction and the distribution of pore water pressure under the action of breaking wave. The experiments were carried out in a wave flume with a 1：30 sloping sandy seabed to study regular breaking wave induced pore water pressure. A wide range of measurements from the regular wave runs were reported, including time series of wave heights, pore pressures. The video records were analysed to measure the time development of the seabed form and the characteristics of the orbital motion of the sand in the wave breaking region. The pore water pressure in the breaker zone showed the time variation depending on the wave phases including wave breaking and bore propagation. The time-averaged pore water pressure was higher near the seabed surface. The peak values of pore water pressure increase significantly at the breaking point. The direction of pore water pressure difference forces in the breaker zone is of fundamental importance for a correct description of the sediment dynamics. The upwards- directed pressure differences may increase sand transport by reducing the effective weight of the sediment, thereby increasing the bed form evolution. The seabed configuration changed greatly at the wave breaking zone and a sand bar was generated remarkably. The amplitude of the pore water pressure changed with the seabed surface. The results are to improve the understanding of sand transport mechanisms and seabed responses due to breaking regular waves over a sloping sandy bed.

Pore Water Pressure Buildup Under Cyclic Rotation of Principal Stress and Stability Evaluation of Seabed Deposit

The cyclic rotation of principal stress direction with a constant amplitude is the characteristics of cyclic stress in seabed deposit induced by travelling waves. Presented in the paper are the results obtained from tests simulating the cyclic stress characteristics, with emphasis laid on the buildup of pore water pressure in soil samples. Regression analysis of test data shows that the pore water pressure can be expressed as the function of the number of cycles of cyclic loading, or as the function of generalized shear strain. Using the results thus obtained, the possibility of failure of seabed deposit under cyclic loading induced by travelling waves can be evaluated. The comparison with the results of conventional cyclic torsional shear tests shows that neglect of the effect of the cyclic rotation of the principal stress direction will result in considerable over-estimation of the stability of seabed deposit.

A Test Model of Water Pressures within a Fault in Rock Slope

This paper introduces model test results of water pressure in a fault, which is located in a slope and 16 different conditions. The results show that the water pressures in fault can be expressed by a linear function, which is similar to the theoretical model suggested by Hoek. Factors affecting water pressures are water level in tension crack, dip angle of fault, the height of filling materials and thickness of fault zone in sequence.

Analysis of the Flow Field and Impact Force in High-Pressure Water Descaling

This study aims to improve the performances of the high-pressure water descaling technology used in steel hot rolling processes.In particular,a 2050 mm hot rolling line is considered,and the problem is investigated by means of a fluid–structure interaction(FSI)method by which the descaling effect produced by rolling coils with different section sizes is examined.Assuming a flat fan-shaped nozzle at the entrance of the R1R2 roughing mill,the outflow field characteristics and the velocity distribution curve on the strike line(at a target distance of 30–120 mm)are determined.It is found that the velocity in the center region of the water jet with different target distances is higher than that in the boundary region.As the target distance increases,the velocity of the water jet in the central region decreases.Through comparison with experimental results,it is shown that the simulation model can accurately predict the impact position of the high-pressure water on the impact plate,thereby providing a computational scheme that can be used to optimize the nozzle space layout and improve the slabs’descent effect for different rolling specifications.

Full-scale experiment for segmental linings of deep-buried shield tunnels bearing high inner water pressure:Comparison of mechanical behaviors of continuous-and stagger-jointed structures

Full-scale loading tests were performed on shield segmental linings bearing a high earth pressure and high inner water pressure,focus-ing on the effects of the inner water load and assembly manner on the mechanical properties of the segmental linings.The test results indicate that the deep-buried segmental linings without inner pressure have a high safety reserve.After the action of high inner water pressure,the lining deformation will increase with the reduction of the safety reserve,caused by the significant decrease in the axial force in the linings.Because the bending moment at the segmental joints is transferred to the segment sections in the adjacent ling rings,the convergence deformation,openings of segmental joints,and bolt strains are smaller for the stagger-jointed lining than those for the continuous-jointed lining;however,dislocations appear in the circumferential joints owing to the stagger-jointed assembly.Although it significantly improves the mechanical performance of the segmental lining,stagger-jointed assembly results in compromising the water-proofing safety of circumferential joints.The stagger-jointed assembly manner can be considered to improve the service performance of shield tunnels bearing high inner water pressure on the premise that circumferential joint waterproofing is satisfied.

Drainage design combining drain holes and pinholes for tunnel boring machine segments subject to high water pressure

Balance of the groundwater and ecology is crucial for controlled discharge.However,regarding the segments of tunnel boring machines(TBMs)under high water pressure,the stability of the lining structure is often reduced by excessive drain holes required to achieve this balance.The large discharge of pinholes can easily have severe consequences,such as the lowering of the groundwater table,drying of springs,and vegetation wilting.Thus,in this study,according to the fluid-structure coupling theory,a new drainage design for TBM segments was developed by considering a mountain tunnel subject to a high water pressure as a case study.The evolution characteristics,including the external water pressure of the lining,discharge volume of the segment,and groundwater-table drawdown,were investigated via numerical modeling with drain holes and pinholes.The results indicated that the optimal design parameters of drainage segments for the project case were as follows:a circumferential spacing angle and longitudinal number on one side of a single ring of 51°and 2,respectively,for the drain holes and an inclination angle and length of 46.41°and 0.25 times the grouting thickness,respectively,for the pin holes.

Large-scale model test study on the water pressure resistance of construction joints of karst tunnel linings

Model tests and numerical calculations were adopted based on the New Yuanliangshan tunnel project to investigate the water pressure resistance of lining construction joints in high-pressure and water-rich karst tunnels.A large-scale model test was designed and conducted,innovatively transforming the external water pressure of the lining construction joint into internal water pressure.The effects of the embedded position and waterstop type on the water pressure resistance of the construction joint were analyzed,and the reliability of the model test was verified via numerical calculations.The results show that using waterstops can significantly improve the water pressure resistance of lining construction joints.The water pressure resistance of the lining construction joint is positively correlated with the lining thickness and embedded depth of the waterstop.In addition,the type of waterstop significantly influences the water pressure resistance of lining construction joints.The test results show that the water pressure resistance of the embedded transverse reinforced waterstop is similar to that of the steel plate waterstop,and both have more advantages than the rubber waterstop.The water pressure resistance of the construction joint determined via numerical calculations is similar to the model test results,indicating that the model test results have high accuracy and reliability.This study provides a reference for similar projects and has wide applications.

Soil effect on the bearing capacity of a double-lining structure under internal water pressure

Water conveyance tunnels usually experience high internal water pressures and complex soil conditions.Therefore,shield tunnels with double-lining structure have been adopted because of their high bearing capacity.The effect of the interface between the segmental and inner linings on the bearing capacity has been widely investigated;however,the effect of soil on the internal water pressure bearing capacity has not been emphasized enough.Therefore,in this study,model tests and an analytical solution are presented to elucidate the effect of soil on the internal water pressure bearing capacity.First,model tests are conducted on double-lining models under sandy soil and highly weathered argillaceous siltstone conditions.The internal force and earth pressure under these different soil conditions are then compared to reveal the contribution of soil to the internal water pressure bearing capacity.Following this,an analytical solution,considering the soil–double-lining interaction,is proposed to further investigate the contribution of the soil.The analytical solution is verified with model tests.The analytical solution is in good agreement with the model test results and can be used to evaluate the mechanical behavior of the double-lining and soil contribution.The effect of soil on the bearing capacity is found to be related with the elastic modulus of the soil and the deformation state of the double-lining.Before the double-lining cracks,the sandy soil contributes 3.7%of the internal water pressure but the contribution of the soil rises to 10.4%when it is the highly weathered argillaceous siltstone.After the double-lining cracks,the soil plays an important role in bearing internal water pressure.The soil contributions of sandy soil and highly weathered argillaceous siltstones are 10.5%and 27.8%,respectively.The effect of soil should be considered in tunnel design with the internal water pressure.

Simulation of Excess Pore Water Pressure During Deep Soil Mixing Columns Installing

Most of current studies of deep soil mixing (DSM) methods are focused on the soil strength improvement and soil treatment effectiveness. But the DSM installation leads to excess pore water pressure and soil disturbance, which will bring great harm to adjacent structures, such as shell tunnels and historic buildings. The procedure of excess pore water pressure buildup while large number DSM columns are installed is complicated. In order to find methods to predict and simulate the excess pore water pressure during DSM column installation, the complicated dissipation and buildup of excess pore water pressure through in-situ test are studied in this paper. In-situ test was conducted in soft clay near the Huangpu River in Shanghai. The pore water pressure was investigated by an automatic monitoring system. Test results indicate that the excess pore water pressure induced by one DSM column installation is composed of the compaction pressure and the reversing pressure. The empirical equations of excess pore water pressure dissipation and buildup were built by mathematical fitting methods. A compound method is proposed to simulate the excess pore water pressure due to DSM installation. Using this method to predict the excess pore water pressure in the situ test, results show a well agreement between the prediction and the measurements.

Influence of Seasonal Ground Water Level Fluctuations on the Stability of the Rohingya Refugee Camp Hills of Ukhiya, Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh—A Threat for Sustainable Development

Bangladesh is a south Asian Monsoonal Country and the recent precipitation pattern in the Cox’s Bazar area of Bangladesh is changing and increasing the number of monsoonal slope failures and landslide hazards in the Kutubpalong & Balukhali Rohingya camp area. An attempt has been made to see the influence of seasonal variation of ground water level (G.W.L.) fluctuations on the stability of the eco hills and forests of Ukhiya Teknaf region. Ukhiya hills are in great danger because of cutting trees from the hill slopes and it is well established that due to recent change of climate, short term rainfall for few consecutive days during monsoon might show an influence on the factor of safety (Fs) values of the camp hill slopes. A clear G.W.L. variation between dry and wet seasons has an influence on the stability (Fs) values indicating that climate has a strong influence on the stability and threatening sustainable development. A stable or marginally stable slope might be unstable during raining and show a variation of ground water level (G.W.L.). The generation of pore water pressure (P.W.P.) is also influenced by seasonal variation of ground water level. During wet season negative P.W.P. called suction plays an important role to occur slope failures in the Ukhiya hills. Based on all calculated factor of safety values (Fs) at different locations, four (4) susceptible landslide risk zones are identified. They are very high risk (Fs = 0.18 to 0.46), high risk (Fs = 0.56 to 0.75), medium risk (Fs = 0.76 to 1.0) and marginally stable areas (Fs ≈ 1). Proper geo-engineering measures must be taken by the concerned authorizes to reduce P.W.P. during monsoon by installing rain water harvesting system, allowing sufficient drainage & other geotechnical measures to reduce the risk of slope failures in the Ukhiya hills. Based on the stability factor (Fs) at different slope locations of the camp hills, a risk map of the investigated area has been produced for the local community for their safety and to build up awareness & to motivate them to evacuate the site during monsoonal slope failures. The established “Risk Maps” can be used for future geological engineering works as well as for sustainable planning, design and construction purposes relating to adaptation and mitigation of landslide risks in the investigated area.

Effect of continuous negative pressure water supply on the growth, development and physiological mechanism of Capsicum annuum L.

Effects of continuous negative pressure water supply on water consumption, growth and development, as well as physiological mechanism and quality of Capsicum annuum L. were investigated in this paper. Meanwhile, the optimal negative pressure water supply conditions for growth of C. annuum L. were screened out to achieve the goals of water conservation, high yield and high quality, thus providing theoretical foundation for its field production. The pot experiment within the greenhouse was utilized; the continuous negative pressure water supply was adopted; the four treatments, artificial watering（CK）, –5 k Pa（T1）, –10 k Pa（T2）, and –15 k Pa（T3） were set; and the daily water consumption, yield, as well as the biomass, nitrate reductase, root activity, vitamin C, capsaicin, and nutrient uptakes of nitrogen（N）, phosphorus（P） and potassium（K） during various stages of its growth were determined. Compared with CK, when the water supply pressure was controlled at –5 to –15 k Pa in the experiment, the total water consumption of C. annuum L. reduced by 53.42 to 67.75%, the total water consumption intensity reduced by 54.29 to 67.14%, and the water use efficiency increased by 12.66 to 124.67%. The N accumulation in a single strain of C. annuum L. from the color turning stage to the red ripe stage increased by 15.99 to 100.55%, respectively, compared with that of CK; the P accumulation increased by 20.47 to 154.00% relative to that of CK, and the K accumulation increased by 64.92 to 144.9% compared with that of CK. Compared with CK, C. annuum L. yield was remarkably improved by 13.79% at T1, and contents of vitamin C, capsaicin as well as carotenoids at all growth stages were enhanced by 13.42–147.01%, 11.54–71.01%, and 41.1–568.06%, respectively. Nitrate reductase activity, root activity and chlorophyll（a＋b） were markedly increased by 335.78–500%, 79.6–140.68% and 114.95–676.19%, respectively, from immature stage to full ripe stage. Adopting the continuous negative pressure water supply for C. annuum L. has a significant water-saving effect, and the water supply pressure being stable at –5 k Pa contributes to its growth and development, improves yield, enhances root activity, promotes nutrient uptake, and improves its quality, thus achieving the effects of water conservation, high yield, high quality and high efficiency.

Blood Pressure Associated with Arsenic Methylation and Arsenic Metabolism Caused by Chronic Exposure to Arsenic in Tube Well Water

Objective The effects of arsenic exposure from drinking water, arsenic metabolism, and arsenic methylation on blood pressure（BP） were observed in this study. Methods The BP and arsenic species of 560 participants were determined. Logistic regression analysis was applied to estimate the odds ratios of BP associated with arsenic metabolites and arsenic methylation capability. Results BP was positively associated with cumulative arsenic exposure（CAE）. Subjects with abnormal diastolic blood pressure（DBP）, systolic blood pressure（SBP）, and pulse pressure（PP） usually had higher urinary i As（inorganic arsenic）, MMA（monomethylated arsenic）, DMA（dimethylated arsenic）, and TAs（total arsenic） than subjects with normal DBP, SBP, and PP. The i As%, MMA%, and DMA% differed slightly between subjects with abnormal BP and those with normal BP. The PMI and SMI were slightly higher in subjects with abnormal PP than in those with normal PP. Conclusion Our findings suggest that higher CAE may elevate BP. Males may have a higher risk of abnormal DBP, whereas females have a higher risk of abnormal SBP and PP. Higher urinary i As may increase the risk of abnormal BP. Lower PMI may elevate the BP. However, higher SMI may increase the DBP and SBP, and lower SMI may elevate the PP.

Water and salt movement in different soil textures under various negative irrigating pressures

supported by the National High-Tech R＆D Program of China （2013AA102901）

Attenuating water hammer pressure by means of gas storage tank

The basic equations for computing the volume of gas storage tank were derived from the principles of attenuating water hammer pressure. Verifications using experiments indicate that the proposed equation can provide a fare precision in the predictions. By using the model of solid liquid two phase flow, the gas storage tank, pressure relief valves and slow closure reverse control valves were compared with practical engineering problems, and the functions of gas storage tank in attenuating water hammer pressure were further investigated. [