Advances in statistical mechanics of rock masses and its engineering applications

To efficiently link the continuum mechanics for rocks with the structural statistics of rock masses,a theoretical and methodological system called the statistical mechanics of rock masses(SMRM)was developed in the past three decades.In SMRM,equivalent continuum models of stressestrain relationship,strength and failure probability for jointed rock masses were established,which were based on the geometric probability models characterising the rock mass structure.This follows the statistical physics,the continuum mechanics,the fracture mechanics and the weakest link hypothesis.A general constitutive model and complete stressestrain models under compressive and shear conditions were also developed as the derivatives of the SMRM theory.An SMRM calculation system was then developed to provide fast and precise solutions for parameter estimations of rock masses,such as full-direction rock quality designation(RQD),elastic modulus,Coulomb compressive strength,rock mass quality rating,and Poisson’s ratio and shear strength.The constitutive equations involved in SMRM were integrated into a FLAC3D based numerical module to apply for engineering rock masses.It is also capable of analysing the complete deformation of rock masses and active reinforcement of engineering rock masses.Examples of engineering applications of SMRM were presented,including a rock mass at QBT hydropower station in northwestern China,a dam slope of Zongo II hydropower station in D.R.Congo,an open-pit mine in Dexing,China,an underground powerhouse of Jinping I hydropower station in southwestern China,and a typical circular tunnel in Lanzhou-Chongqing railway,China.These applications verified the reliability of the SMRM and demonstrated its applicability to broad engineering issues associated with jointed rock masses.

Extended consecutive modal pushover procedure for estimating seismic responses of one-way asymmetric plan tall buildings considering soil-structure interaction

Performance based design becomes an effective method for estimating seismic demands of buildings. In asymmetric plan tall building the effects of higher modes and torsion are crucial. The consecutive modal pushover （CMP） procedure is one of the procedures that consider these effects. Also in previous studies the influence of soil-structure interaction （SSI） in pushover analysis is ignored. In this paper the CMP procedure is modified for one-way asymmetric plan mid and high-rise buildings considering $SI. The extended CMP （ECMP） procedure is proposed in order to overcome some limitations of the CMP procedure. In this regard, 10, 15 and 20 story buildings with asymmetric plan are studied considering SSI assuming three different soil conditions. Using nonlinear response history analysis under a set of bidirectional ground motion; the exact responses of these buildings are calculated. Then the ECMP procedure is evaluated by comparing the results of this procedure with nonlinear time history results as an exact solution as well as the modal pushover analysis procedure and FEMA 356 load patterns. The results demonstrate the accuracy of the ECMP procedure.

Influence of Process Parameters and Sr Addition on the Microstructure and Casting Defects of LPDC A356 Alloy for Engine Blocks

The effects of Sr addition and pressure increase on the microstructure and casting defects of a low-pressure die cast （LPDC） AISi7Mg0.3 alloy have been studied. Metallographic and image analysis techniques have been used to quantitatively examine the microstructural changes and the amount of porosity occurring at different Sr levels and pressure parameters. The results indicate that an increase in the filling pressure induces lower heat dissipation of the liquid close to the die/core surfaces, with the formation of slightly greater dendrite arms and coarser eutectic Si particles. On the other hand, the increase in the Sr level leads to finer microstructural scale and eutectic Si. The analysed variables, within the experimental conditions, do not affect the morphology of eutectic Si particles. Higher applied pressure and Sr content generate castings with lower amount of porosiW. However, as the filling pressure increases the flow of metal inside the die cavity is more turbulent, leading to the formation of oxide films and cold shots. In the analysed range of experimental conditions, the design of experiment methodology and the analysis of variance have been used to develop statistical models that accurately predict the average size of secondary dendrite arm spacing and the amount of porosity in the low-pressure die cast AISiTMg0.3 alloy.

Performance characterization of different configurations of gas turbine engines

This paper investigates the performance of different configurations of gas turbine engines.A full numerical model for the engine is built.This model takes into account the variations in specific heat and the effects of turbine cooling flow.A lso,the model considers the efficiencies of all component,effectiveness of heat exchangers and the pressure drop in relevant components.The model is employed to compare the engine performances in cases of employing intercooler,recuperation and reheat on a single spool gas turbine engine.A comparison is made between single-spool engine and two-spool engine with free power turbine.Also,the performance of the eng ine with inter-stage turbine burner is investigated and compared with engine employing the nominal reheat concept.The engine employing inter-stage turbine bumers produces superior improvements in both net work and efficiency over all other configurations.The effects of ignoring the variations on specific heat of gases and turbine cooling flow on engine performance are estimated.Ignoring the variation in specific heat can cause up to 30%difference in net specific work.The optimum locations of the intercooler and the reheat combustor are detemined using the numerical model of the engine.The maximum net specific work is obtained if the reheat combustor is placed at 40%of the expansion section.On the other hand,to get maximum efficiency the reheat combustor has to be placed at nearly 10%-20%of the expansion section.The optimum location of the intercooler is almost at 50%of the compression section for both maximum net specific work and efficiency.