Simulation Studies on the Settlement of Composite Foundation with Contact Element of Zero Thickness

The various factors influencing the settlement of composite foundation have been more completely studied through numerical simulation. The influence on the settlement of composite foundation of the geometry and mechanical properties of the pile, soil, cushion, and the interface between pile and soil have been investigated through computer simulation, in which the contact elements with zero thickness are used. Some valuable conclusions for the settlement of composite foundation have been obtained: (1) The method using the contact element of zero thickness is successful when used in the simulation of the settlement of composite foundation; (2) Among the factors influencing the settlement of composite foundation, the compression modulus of the soil is the largest, and the cohesion of the soil is the second largest; (3) The effects on settlement of the internal friction angle of the soil, the elastic modulus, the radius, and the length of the pile, and the elestic modulus of the cushion are also more obvious.

Performance and variability patterns in wood properties and growth traits in the parents, F1 and F2 generation hybrid clones of Populus deltoides

The performance and variability patterns in the wood element’s dimensions, specific gravity and growth parameters namely ramet height and GBH were evaluated in 16 clones of parents, F1 and F2 hybrids of Populus deltoides Bartr. ex Marsh. Ramet radial variations were nonsignificant, while inter-clonal variations due to interaction of clone/replication were significant for all the wood traits except vessel element length. Inter-clonal variations were significant only for fiber length and fiber wall thickness. Fiber length and specific gravity were significantly higher in female, while wall thickness and vessel element length were higher in male clones. Female parents （G48 and S7C8） showed higher fiber length and specific gravity than of the male parent （G3）, while vessel diameter and wall thickness were higher in male par- ent （G3）. There is not much difference in fiber length and vessel element’s dimensions among the parents, F1 and F2 generation hybrid clones. Specific gravity did not showed any trend for parents, F1 and F2 generations. Generally female clones showed higher growth rate. Broad sense heritability for wood traits ranged from 0.143 （fiber length） to 0.505 （fiber wall thickness）, while for growth traits it was 0.374 （GBH） and 0.418 （height）. Genetic gain for all the wood and growth traits was positive for most of the wood traits. The highly divergent male clone （78） and female clones （S7C8, G48, W/A 49） in number of combinations could be used for developing new hybrids of desired wood traits to develop new clones.

Improvement of thickness uniformity and elements distribution homogeneity for multicomponent films prepared by coaxial scanning pulsed laser deposition technique

In conventional pulsed laser deposition （PLD） technique, plume deflection and composition distribution change with the laser incident direction and pulse energy, then causing uneven film thickness and composition distribution for a multicomponent film and eventually leading to low device quality and low rate of final products. We present a novel method based on PLD for depositing large CIGS films with uni- form thickness and stoichiometry. By oscillating a mirror placed coaxially with the incident laser beam, the laser＇s focus is scanned across the rotating target surface. This arrangement maintains a constant re- flectance and optical distance, ensuring that a consistent energy density is delivered to the target surface by each laser pulse. Scanning the laser spot across the target suppresses the formation of micro-columns, and thus the plume deflection effect that reduces film uniformity in conventional PLD technique is eliminated. This coaxial scanning PLD method is used to deposit a CIGS film, 500 nm thick, with thickness uniformity exceeding ±3% within a 5 cm diameter, and exhibiting a highly homogeneous elemental distribution.