Modeling pipe-soil interaction under vertical downward relative offset using B-spline material point method

To analyze the pipeline response under permanent ground deformation,the evolution of resistance acting on the pipe during the vertical downward offset is an essential ingredient.However,the efficient simulation of pipe penetration into soil is challenging for the conventional finite element(FE)method due to the large deformation of the surrounding soils.In this study,the B-spline material point method(MPM)is employed to investigate the pipe-soil interaction during the downward movement of rigid pipes buried in medium and dense sand.To describe the density-and stress-dependent behaviors of sand,the J2-deformation type model with state-dependent dilatancy is adopted.The effectiveness of the model is demonstrated by element tests and biaxial compression tests.Afterwards,the pipe penetration process is simulated,and the numerical outcomes are compared with the physical model tests.The effects of pipe size and burial depth are investigated with an emphasis on the mobilization of the soil resistance and the failure mechanisms.The simulation results indicate that the bearing capacity formulas given in the guidelines can provide essentially reasonable estimates for the ultimate force acting on buried pipes,and the recommended value of yield displacement may be underestimated to a certain extent.

Soil-Structure Interaction Effects on Dynamic Behaviour of Transmission Line Towers

As inferred from earthquake engineering literature,considering soil structure interaction(SSI)effects is important in evaluating the response of transmission line towers(TLT)to dynamic loads such as impulse loads.The proposed study investigates the dynamic effects of SSI on TLT behavior.Linear and non-linearmodels are studied.In the linearmodel,the soil is represented by complex impedances,dependent of dynamic frequency,determined from numerical simulations.The nonlinearmodel considers the soil non-linear behavior in its material constitutive law and foundation uplift in a non-linear time history analysis.The simplified structure behavior of a typical lattice transmission tower is assessed.The analysis of frequency and time domain are followed through varying soil stiffness and damping values.Three different shock durations are investigated.The soil-structure system with equivalent dynamic properties is determined.The behaviors achieved utilizing a rigid and a flexible base for the structures is compared to estimate the impact of taking SSI into account in the calculation.The current mainstream approach in structural engineering,emphasizing the importance of the SSI effect,is illustrated using an example where the SSI effect could be detrimental to the structure.Furthermore,the non-linear analysis results are analyzed to show the linear approach’s limitations in the event of grand deformations.

Review of analytical methods for stress and deformation analysis of buried water pipes considering pipe-soil interaction

Buried water pipelines are vulnerable to fail or break due to excessive loading or ground displacements.Accurate evaluation of pipe performance and serviceability relies on the proper understanding of pipe-soil interactions(PSI).Analytical methods are important approaches to studying PSI.However,a systematic and thorough literature review to analyze the existing research trends,technological achievements and future research opportunities is not available.This work investigates analytical methods that analyze the stress and deformation of pipes in terms of cross-sectional,transverse and longitudinal PSI problems.First,scientometric analysis is performed to acquire relevant research works from online databases and analyze the existing data of influential authors,productive research sources and frequent key word occurrence in the fields of interest.Second,a qualitative discussion is performed in the three categories of PSI:(1)cross-sectional,including ovalization and circumferential behaviours;(2)transverse,including seismic fault crossing,weak soil zones,ground settlement and pipe uplift;and(3)longitudinal.Third,six research opportunities are discussed,including the role of friction in cross-sectional deformation,combined effects of bending and compression,choice of soil reaction models and calibration of key parameters,effect of pipe flaws,soil spatial variability and behaviours of curved pipes.This study helps beginners familiarize themselves with PSI analytical methods and provides experienced researchers with ideas for future research directions.

Nonlinear Static Finite Element Stress Analysis of Pipe-in-Pipe Risers

Owing to the complexity of the pipe-in-pipe (PIP) riser system in structure, load and restraint, many problems arise in the structural analysis of the system. This paper presents a new method for nonlinear static finite element stress analysis of the PIP riser system. The finite element (FE) model of the PIP riser system is built via software AutoPIPE 6.1. According to the specialties of a variety of components in the PIP riser system, different elements are used so as to model the system accurately. Allowing for the complication in modeling the effects of seabed restraint, a technique based on the bilinear spring concept is developed to calculate the soil properties. Then, based on a pipeline project, the entire procedure of stress analysis is discussed in detail, including creation of an FE model, processing of input data and analysis of results. A wide range of loading schemes is investigated to ascertain that the stresses remain within the acceptable range of the pipe material strength. Finally, the effects of the location of flanges, the thermal expansion of submarine pipelines and the seabed restraint on stress distribution in the riser and expansion loop are studied, which are valuable for pipeline designers.

Earthquake safety assessment of concrete arch and gravity dams

Based on research studies currently being carried out at Dalian University of Technology, some important aspects for the earthquake safety assessmcnt of concrete dams are reviewed and discussed. First, the rate-dependent behavior of concrcte subjected to earthquake loading is examined, emphasizing the properties of concrete under cyclic and biaxial loading conditions. Second, a modified four-parameter Hsieh-Ting-Chen viscoplastic consistency model is developed to simulate the rate-dependent behavior of concrete. The earthquake response of a 278m high arch dam is analyzed, and the results show that the strain-rate effects become noticeable in the inelastic range, Third, a more accurate non-smooth Newton algorithm for the solution of three-dimensional frictional contact problems is developed to study the joint opening effects of arch dams during strong earthquakes. Such effects on two nearly 300m high arch dams have been studied. It was found that the canyon shape has great influence on the magnitude and distribution of the joint opening along the dam axis. Fourth, the scaled boundary finite element method presented by Song and Wolf is employed to study the dam-reservoir-foundation interaction effects of concrete dams. Particular emphases were placed on the variation of foundation stiffness and the anisotropic behavior of the foundation material on the dynamic response of concrete dams. Finally, nonlinear modeling of concrete to study the damage evolution of concrete dams during strong earthquakes is discussed. An elastic-damage mechanics approach for damage prediction of concrete gravity dams is described as an example. These findings are helpful in understanding the dynamic behavior of concrete dams and promoting the improvement of seismic safety assessment methods.

Experimental study on uplift mechanism of pipeline buried in sand using high-resolution fiber optic strain sensing nerves

Reliable assessment of uplift capacity of buried pipelines against upheaval buckling requires a valid failure mechanism and a reliable real-time monitoring technique.This paper presents a sensing solution for evaluating uplift capacity of pipelines buried in sand using fiber optic strain sensing(FOSS)nerves.Upward pipe-soil interaction(PSI)was investigated through a series of scaled tests,in which the FOSS and image analysis techniques were used to capture the failure patterns.The published prediction models were evaluated and modified according to observations in the present study as well as a database of 41 pipe loading tests assembled from the literature.Axial strain measurements of FOSS nerves horizontally installed above the pipeline were correlated with the failure behavior of the overlying soil.The test results indicate that the previous analytical models could be further improved regarding their estimations in the failure geometry and mobilization distance at the peak uplift resistance.For typical slip plane failure forms,inclined shear bands star from the pipe shoulder,instead of the springline,and have not yet reached the ground surface at the peak resistance.The vertical inclination of curved shear bands decreases with increasing uplift displacements at the post-peak periods.At large displacements,the upward movement is confined to the deeper ground,and the slip plane failure progressively changes to the flow-around.The feasibility of FOSS in pipe uplift resistance prediction was validated through the comparison with image analyses.In addition,the shear band locations can be identified using fiber optic strain measurements.Finally,the advantages and limits of the FOSS system are discussed in terms of different levels in upward PSI assessment,including failure identification,location,and quantification.

The mechanical response of piles with consideration of pile-soil interactions under a periodic wave pressure

The pile-soil interaction under wave loads is an extremely complex and difficult issue in engineering. In this study, a physical model test is designed based on the principle of the gravity similarity to obtain time histories of wave forces of unsteady regular waves, and to measure the magnitude and the distribution of wave forces acting on the piles. A numerical model and relevant numerical methods for the pile-soil contact surface are adopted based on the principles of elastic dynamics. For a practical project, the time histories of wave forces on the piles are obtained through physical model tests. The deformations of the piles in the pile-soil interactions and the distribution of the bending moment on the piles are studied. It is shown that, with the increase of the period of wave pressures, the absolute value of the horizontal displacement of the piles increases, the embedment depth of the piles increases, and the scope of influence of soils increases. The change of the bending moment on the piles is consistent with that of its theoretical results, and the proposed numerical method can very well simulate the properties of the piles.

Submarine Pipeline Lateral Global Buckling and Buckling Failure Critical State Discussion

Due to high temperature and pressure,unburied or shallow buried submarine pipelines experience lateral global buckling. Excessive bending caused by uncontrolled deformation may threaten the safety of the pipeline system. Thus,the integer of a post-buckling pipeline section should be assessed under design temperature and pressure differences. This study focuses on the post-buckling pipeline safety assessment.First,a series of model tests based on sand obtained from Bohai Gulf were proposed,and soil resistance to pipelines with different embedment are measured. A dynamic soil resistance model with varying pipeline embedment and lateral displacement was established. The influence of embedment on peak soil resistance and residual soil resistance was analyzed. Second,the critical buckling forces of pipelines with different imperfections were analyzed. A"critical force range"was proposed to evaluate whether the pipeline exhibits lateral global buckling or not. Third,the limit state of a post-buckling pipeline in an engineering case was assessed. The assessment was proposed based on both load control condition and displacement control condition. Further comparisons show that pipelines reach their limit state according to load control condition far more quickly than according to displacement control condition.

Experimental Study of Parameters of a Plasma Antenna

A plasma column excited by a surface wave can act as a plasma antenna. Experiments are carried out to study the current and conductivity distributions, field, power patterns, directivity and efficiency of such a plasma antenna. In addition, an equivalent metallic copper antenna is built up and its antenna parameters are compared with that of the plasma antenna. Our findings indicate that the power content in the harmonics of the plasma antenna is more prominent as compared to the copper antenna （which only generates a fundamental frequency）. However, the power patterns for both antennae are quite similar. To provide a more qualitative understanding regarding the generation of harmonics in the field of the plasma antenna, a bi-spectral analysis is performed to study the nonlinear interactions in the current fluctuations. Some specific features of the plasma antenna are investigated in our study, which may enhance the application prospect of the plasma antenna with respect to the conventional metallic antenna.

Numerical Analysis of Three-Layer Deep Tunnel Composite Structure

To date,with the increasing attention of countries to urban drainage system,more and more regions around the world have begun to build water conveyance tunnels,sewage pressure deep tunnels and so on.However,the sufficient bearing capacity and corrosion resistance of the structure,which can ensure the actual service life and safety of the tunnel,remain to be further improved.Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastics(GFRP)pipe,with light weight,high strength and corrosion resistance,has the potential to be applied to the deep tunnel structure.This paper proposed a new composite structure of deep tunnel lined with GFRP pipe,which consisted of three layers of concrete segment,cement paste and GFRP pipe.A new pipe-soil spring element model was proposed for the pipesoil interaction with gaps.Based on the C3D8R solid model and the Combin39 spring model,the finite element numerical analysis of the internal pressure status and external pressure stability of the structure was carried out.Combined with the checking calculation of the theoretical formula,the reliability of the two finite element models was confirmed.A set of numerical analysis methods for the design and optimization of the three-layer structure was established.The results showed that from the internal GFRP pipe to the outer concrete pipe,the pressure decreased from 0.5 to 0.32 MPa,due to the internal pressure was mainly undertaken by the inner GFRP pipe.The allowable buckling pressure of GFRP pipe under the cover of 5 GPa high modulus cement paste was 2.66 MPa.The application of GFRP pipe not only improves the overall performance of the deep tunnel structure but also improves the construction quality and safety.The three-layer structure built in this work is safe and economical.

Hybrid Analysis Approach for Stochastic Response of Offshore Jacket Platforms

The dynamic response of offshore platforms is more serious in hostile sea environment than in shallow sea. In this paper, a hybrid solution combined with analytical and numerical method is proposed to compute the stochastic response of fixed offshore platforms to random waves, considering wave-structure interaction and non-linear drag force. The simulation program includes two steps: the first step is the eigenanalysis aspects associated the structure and the second step is response estimation based on spectral equations. The eigenanalysis could be done through conventional finite element method conveniently and its natural frequency and mode shapes obtained. In the second part of the process, the solution of the offshore structural response is obtained by iteration of a series of coupled spectral equations. Considering the third-order term in the drag force, the evaluation of the three-fold convolution should be demanded for nonlinear stochastic response analysis. To demonstrate this method, a numerical analysis is carried out for both linear and non-linear platform motions. The final response spectra have the typical two peaks in agreement with reality, indicating that the hybrid method is effective and can be applied to offshore engineering.

回填刚度对深埋管道横向响应影响的试验研究

Subsea pipelines passing through the shallow area are physically protected against the environmental,accidental,and operational loads by trenching and backfilling.Depending on construction methodology,environmental loads,and seabed soil properties,the stiffness of backfilling material may become largely different from the native ground(softer than native ground in most of the cases).The different stiffness between the backfill and native ground affects the soil failure mechanisms and lateral soil resistance against large pipeline displacements that may happen due to ground movement,landslides,ice gouging,and drag embedment anchors.This important aspect is not considered by current design codes.In this paper,the effect of trench-backfill stiffness difference on lateral pipeline-backfill-trench interaction was investigated by performing centrifuge tests.The soil deformations and failure mechanisms were obtained by particle image velocimetry(PIV)analysis.Three experiments were conducted by using three different backfills including loose sand,slurry,and chunky clay that represent the purchased,natural in-fill,and preexcavated materials,respectively.The study shows that the current design codes underestimate the lateral soil resistance for small to moderate pipe displacements inside the trench and overestimate it for large lateral displacement,where the pipeline is penetrating into the trench wall.

WEAKLY NON－LINEAR ANALYSIS ON IDENTIFICATION OF VORTEX， SOUND ＆HEAT AND THEIR INTRACTIONS IN SHEAR FLOW

The identification of vortex,vortex,sound and heat motions and the interactions among them are discussed by means of velocity vector split and perturbation method in this paper.Especially the shear.flow is considered.All the obtained weakly non-linear equarions have clear physics concept. Basing on the analysis.the interaction between first order sound and vortex.and the creation of the secnd order vortex are studied and some.experiment phenomena of airfoil.flow control by sound are explained.

Stability of Couette flow past a gel film

We study instability of a Newtonian Couette flow past a gel-like film in the limit of vanishing Reynolds number. Three models are explored including one hyperelastic（neo-Hookean） solid, and two viscoelastic（Kelvin–Voigt and Zener） solids. Instead of using the conventional Lagrangian description in the solid phase for solving the displacement field, we construct equivalent ‘‘differential＇＇ models in an Eulerian reference frame, and solve for the velocity, pressure, and stress in both fluid and solid phases simultaneously. We find the interfacial instability is driven by the first-normal stress difference in the basestate solution in both hyperelastic and viscoelastic models. For the neo-Hookean solid, when subjected to a shear flow, the interface exhibits a short-wave（finite-wavelength） instability when the film is thin（thick）. In the Kelvin–Voigt and Zener solids where viscous effects are incorporated, instability growth is enhanced at small wavenumber but suppressed at large wavenumber, leading to a dominant finitewavelength instability. In addition, adding surface tension effectively stabilizes the interface to sustain fluid shear.

Economic Studies in Business Platforms: Completely New Approach in Microeconomics

With the global rise of Web 2.0 a completely new type of business models—business platforms has arisen and nowadays Amazon,Apple,Google,Facebook are convincingly taking over the lead in global business world(Simon,2011).These four flagship business platforms are followed by countless other platforms in all spheres of business and contemporary life(eBay,Airbnb,Uber,etc.).However,the MBA study courses that could cover all sides of business platform microeconomics and explain their enormous economical success are rarely provided in Europe and still not existed in many countries including Latvia.This paper describes the author’s research of specific microeconomics characteristics of business platforms,the different ways of thinking in marketing,competition and money making strategies in business platforms,platform business determinants,detailed comparison of traditional(“pipe”)business models and business platforms,the strengths and weaknesses of platform business models.As the result of this research,author has elaborated the original MBA study course—“Business Platform Microeconomics”and its detailed plan is attached in references of this paper1.In conclusions,author expressed how specifics of business platform microeconomics define completely different main components of the business model in business platforms in comparison to traditional“pipe”type business models,what is explaining the enormous economic success of this new business model—business platforms.

Observed Solar Cycle Variation of the Stratospheric QBO Generated in the Mesosphere and Amplified by Upward Propagating Waves

With an analysis of zonal wind observations over 40 years, Salby and Callaghan [1] showed that the Quasi-biennial Oscillation (QBO) at 20 km is modulated by 11-year solar cycle (SC) variations from about 12 to 20 m/s (Figure 2). The observations are reproduced qualitatively in a study with the 3D Numerical Spectral Model, which shows that the SC effect of the stratospheric QBO is produced by dynamical downward coupling originating in the mesosphere. In this modeling study, the SC period is taken to be 10 years, and a realistic heat source is applied varying exponentially with altitude: 0.2%, surface;2%, 50 km;20%, 100 km and above. The numerical results show that the variable solar radiation in the mesosphere around 65 km generates a hemispheric symmetric Equatorial Annual Oscillation (EAO), which is modulated by relatively large SC variations. Under the influence of wave mean flow interactions, the EAO propagates into the lower atmosphere and is the dynamical source or pacemaker for the large SC modulation of the QBO. The numerical results show that the upward propagating small-scale gravity waves from the troposphere amplify the SC modulations of the QBO and EAO in the stratosphere, part of the SC mechanism. The zonal winds of the equatorial QBO and EAO produce through the meridional circulation measurable SC variations in the temperature of the stratosphere and troposphere at high latitudes. Analysis of NCEP temperature and zonal wind data (1958 to 2006) provides observational evidence of the EAO with SC variations around 11 years.

Air-coupled PMUTs array with residual stresses:experimental tests in the linear and non-linear dynamic regime

The mechanical characterization of a 4×4 air-coupled array of Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducers(PMUTs)is pre-sented.The experimental campaign consists of three set of experi-mental tests,namely:topography measurements,small signal dynamic measurements,and vibrometry in the non-linear dynamic regime.The behavior of three different kinds of PMUT are reported.They differ according to the thermo-electrical treatment that has been applied to the piezoelectric material.The presence of the fabrication induced residual stresses is investigated and the treat-ment effect is evaluated in terms of the initial deflected configura-tion.The results reported in this paper represent an experimental mechanical investigation useful for the design of PMUT structures with advanced functionalities in the linear and non-linear regime.

Scaling limits of interacting diffusions in domains

We survey recent effort in establishing the hydrodynamic limits and the fluctuation limits for a class of interacting diffusions in domains. These systems are introduced to model the transport of positive and negative charges in solar cells. They are general microscopic models that can be used to describe macroscopic phenomena with coupled boundary conditions, such as the popula- tion dynamics of two segregated species under competition. Proving these two types of limits represents establishing the functional law of large numbers and the functional central limit theorem, respectively, for the empirical measures of the spatial positions of the particles. We show that the hydrodynamic limit is a pair of deterministic measures whose densities solve a coupled nonlinear heat equations, while the fluctuation limit can be described by a Gaussian Markov process that solves a stochastic partial differential equation.

Investigation of fine and complex vortex circulation structures

The formation and evolution of fine and complicated vortex circulation structures were investigated using a two-dimensional quasi-geostrophic barotropic model simulation.We find that the highly localized asymmetric and complex configuration of energy transfer flux between large-and small-scale components is caused by the nonlinear interaction between a large-scale vortex with an initial axi-symmetric flow and four beta meso-scale vortices.The complex structure is characterized by a fine pattern,which contains seven closed systems with spatial scales of less than 100 km,embedded in a positive flux wave train and a negative wave train,respectively.The average wind speed decreased with time in the positive flux region,but was nearly unchanged in the negative flux region.This pattern reveals the evolutionary asymmetry and localization of wind speed of the major vortex.The track of the major vortex center has a trend toward the center of the negative flux center,indicating that there is a certain relation between the complex structure of the energy transfer flux and the motion of the major vortex center.These results imply that the formation and evolution of the fine and complex structure should be attributed to the nonlinear interaction between the vortices at different spatial scales.

A numerical model for pipelaying on nonlinear soil stiffness seabed

The J-lay method is regarded as one of the most feasible methods to lay a pipeline in deep water and ultra-deep water. A numerical model that accounts for the nonlinear soil stiffness is developed in this study to evaluate a J-lay pipeline. The pipeline considered in this model is divided into two parts： the part one is suspended in water, and the part two is laid on the seabed. In addition to the boundary conditions at the two end points of the pipeline, a special set of the boundary conditions is required at the touchdown point that connects the two parts of the pipeline. The two parts of the pipeline are solved by a numerical iterative method and the finite difference method, respectively. The proposed numerical model is validated for a special case using a catenary model and a numerical model with linear soil stiffness. A good agreement in the pipeline configuration, the tension force and the bending moment is obtained among these three models. Furthermore, the present model is used to study the importance of the nonlinear soil stiffness. Finally, the parametric study is performed to study the effect of the mudline shear strength, the gradient of the soil shear strength, and the outer diameter of the pipeline on the pipelaying solution.