Application of Mulching Materials of Rainfall Harvesting System for Improving Soil Water and Corn Growth in Northwest of China

The ridge and furrow rainfall harvesting（RFRH） system is used for dryland crop production in northwest of China.To determine the effects of RFRH using different mulching materials on corn growth and water use efficiency（WUE）,a field experiment was conducted during 2008-2010 at the Heyang Dryland Experimental Station,China.Four treatments were used in the study.Furrows received uncovered mulching in all RFRH treatments whereas ridges were mulched with plastic film（PF）,biodegradable film（BF） or liquid film（LF）.A conventional flat field without mulching was used as the control（CK）.The results indicated that the average soil water storage at depths of 0-200 cm were 8.2 and 7.3%,respectively higher with PF and BF than with CK.However,LF improved soil water storage during the early growth stage of the crop.Compared with CK,the corn yields with PF and BF were increased by 20.4 and 19.4%,respectively,and WUE with each treatment increased by 23.3 and 21.7%,respectively.There were no significant differences in corn yield or WUE with the PF and BF treatments.The net income was the highest with PF,followed by BF,and the 3-yr average net incomes with these treatments were increased by 2 559 and 2 430 CNY ha-1,respectively,compared with CK.BF and PF had similar effects in enhancing the soil water content,crop yield and net income.Therefore,it can be concluded that biodegradable film may be a sustainable ecological alternative to plastic film for use in the RFRH system in northwest of China.

Statistical analysis on the influence of mechanical parameters in the vibration of pylons

We present a statistical investigation of the degree of influence that assumptions made in relation to the mechanical parameters of a pylon have on its ground-induced vibrations.The study is set up by using as a key kinematic variable the displacement at the top of a reference,a stand-alone pylon with a uniform cross-section and fixity at its base.Next,statistics are produced using a dimensionless displacement ratio defined between the‘parental’and the‘subsidiary’cases,the latter defined for the pylon(a)resting on compliant soil,(b)having an attached top mass,and(c)being non-uniform with height.Furthermore,two materials are examined,namely,steel and reinforced concrete(R/C).More specifically,this displacement ratio is independent of the excitation and plays the role of a transfer function between the base and the top of the pylon.Both horizontal and vertical motions are considered,and the equations of motion are solved in the frequency domain.The ensuing statistical analysis is conducted for the following parameter combinations:(a)pylon founded on soft,intermediate,and stiff soil;(b)low,intermediate,and high-mass ratios of the attached mass to the pylon′s mass;(c)a constant and quadratic degree of pylon tapering with height.Spearman correlation coefficients are calculated for all the above combinations to arrive at statistical results that establish validity bounds and quantify the degree of influence of each assumption on the pylon′s response.

Finite Element Structural Analysis of Buried Pipelines

This document uses previous results (which we call the first stage), for the development of a computer model based on finite elements under the FEAP programmer, to carry out a structural analysis of a pipeline. For this purpose, we used environmental variables that we believe influence the failure of buried pipelines such as the internal pressure of fluid, the type of support used, the temperature at which the pipelines work, the type of soil and the stiffness of the soil acting on it. Once the model was finalized, analyses were made with each of the variables separately and combined to observe the behavior of the pipeline, finding the most unfavorable case that indicates the main causes that led to its failure.

Reliability analysis of large-diameter high-grade-steel natural gas pipelines under fault action

There are a lot of researches on qualitative aseismatic measures for buried gas pipeline crossing movable faults.But a few of them are quantitative,especially in the size and shape of the trench.The paper first established the finite element model of the strain of buried pipeline crossing a fault which effected by the size and shape of the trench.And it obtained new soil spring stiffness which considered different buried depth,bottom width of trench,trench slope and elastic modulus of soil.The mechanical analysis model of pipeline is established,and the limit state equation of pipeline is fitted.The reliability and sensitivity of the natural gas pipeline under fault action are analysed by a Monte Carlo method,and the error and accuracy are verified.When the pipeline is under tension,the sensitivity from large to small is buried depth,sand friction angle,pipe diameter,pipeline displacement,trench bottom width,trench depth,clay cohesion,trench slope and clay friction angle;when the pipeline is under pressure,the trench depth and clay cohesion have great influence.The findings of this study provide a reference for pipeline design and safety evaluation under fault action.

The Relationship Between June Precipitation over Mid-Lower Reaches of the Yangtze River Basin and Spring Soil Moisture over the East Asian Monsoon Region

Using the US Climate Prediction Center （CPC） soil moisture dataset and the observed precipitation over China together with the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis wind and air temperature, the relationship between June precipitation over mid-lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin （MLR-YRB） and spring soil moisture over the East Asian monsoon region was explored, with the signal of the ENSO effect on precipitation removed. A significant positive correlation was found between the mean June precipitation and the preceding soil moisture over the MRL-YRB. The possible response mechanism for this relationship was also investigated. It is found that when the soil over the MRL-YRB is wetter （drier） than normal in April and May, the air temperature in the lower troposphere over this region in May is lower （higher） than normal, and this temperature effect leads to a decrease （increase） in the temperature contrast between the land and the sea. Generally, a decrease （increase） in the land-sea temperature contrast leads to weaker （stronger） East Asian summer monsoon in June. Southerly （northerly） wind anomalies at 850 hPa then show up in the south of the Yangtze River basin while northerly （southerly） wind anomalies dominate in the north. These anomalies lead to the convergence （divergence） of wind and water vapor and hence gives rise to more （less） precipitation in June over the MLR-YRB.