Test and analysis of influencing factors on the permeability coefficient of steel slag permeable concrete

The steel slag （SS） permeable concrete was prepared by SS. The influences of the aggregate-cement rate, the aggregate particle size, the water-cement rate, the admixture dosage and other factors on the permeability coefficient of SS permeable concrete were analyzed. The law of influence was also investigated. The study serves as a technological reference for the construction and design of SS permeable concrete.

A Novel ISSA–DELM Model for Predicting Rock Mass Permeability

In pumped storage projects,the permeability of rock masses is a crucial parameter in engineering design and construction.The rock mass permeability coefficient(K)is influenced by various geological parameters,and previous studies aimed to establish an accurate relationship between K and geological parameters.This study uses the improved sparrow search algorithm(ISSA)to optimize the parameter settings of the deep extreme learning machine(DELM),constructing a prediction model with flexible parameter selection and high accuracy.First,the Spearman method is applied to analyze the correlation between geological parameters.A sample database is built by comprehensively selecting four geological indexes:burial depth,rock quality designation(RQD),fracture density characteristic index(FD),and rock mass integrity designation(RID).Hence,the defects of the sparrow search algorithm(SSA)are enhanced using the improved strategy,and the initial input weights of the DELM are optimized.Finally,the proposed ISSA–DELM model is employed to predict the permeability coefficient of rock mass in the entire study area.The results showed that the predictive performance of the model is superior to that of the DELM and SSA–DELM.Therefore,this model successfully provides insights into the distribution characteristics of rock mass permeability at engineering sites.

Experimental Study on Clogging Characteristics of Silt Soft Soil in Nansha District of Guangzhou

The silt soft soil in Nansha District of Guangzhou was the softest soft soil in China. It had the characteristics of high natural water content, high compressibility, long consolidation time, and complex layered distribution of soil layers. These characteristics formed the clogging characteristics of silt soft soil, which greatly increased the construction difficulty and hindered the construction progress. Therefore, based on the basic physical and mechanical properties of silt soft soil in Nansha District of Guangzhou, this paper evaluated the clogging characteristics of three silt soft soil areas in Nansha District of Guangzhou through long-term permeability test, and carried out scanning electron microscope test to explore the influence of different parameters and microstructure on the clogging difficulty of silt soft soil. The results showed that the silt soft soil Zone I and Zone II (shallow layer) in Nansha District of Guangzhou were divided into slight siltation levels, and the silt soft soil Zone III (deep layer) was mild siltation level. Large pores were widely distributed in shallow silt soft soil, while the continuity of large pores in deep silt soft soil was poor. The migration of fine particles that failed to establish contact with surrounding particles in the soil blocks the small pores of seepage and thus produces siltation.

Rules for confidence intervals of permeability coefficients for water flow in over-broken rock mass

Based on the steady-state seepage method, we used the Mechanical Testing and Simulation 815.02 System and a self-designed seepage instrument for over-broken stone to measure seepage properties of water flows in three types of crushed rock samples. Three methods of confidence interval in describing permeability coefficients are presented: the secure interval, the calculated interval and the systemic interval. The lower bound of the secure interval can be applied to water-inrush and the upper bound can solve the problem of connectivity. For the calculated interval, as the axial pressure increases, the length of confidence interval is shortened and the upper and lower bounds are reduced. For the systemic interval, the length of its confidence interval, as well as the upper and lower bounds, clearly vary under low axial pressure but are fairly similar under high axial pressure. These three methods provide useful information and references for analyzing the permeability coefficient of over-broken rock.

One-dimensional horizontal infiltration experiment for determining permeability coefficient of loamy sand

A knowledge of soil permeability is essential to evaluate hydrologic characteristics of soil, such as water storage and water movement, and soil permeability coefficient is an important parameter that reflects soil permeability. In order to confirm the acceptability of the one-dimensional horizontal infiltration method（one-D method） for simultaneously determining both the saturated and unsaturated permeability coefficients of loamy sand, we first measured the cumulative infiltration and the wetting front distance under various infiltration heads through a series of one-dimensional horizontal infiltration experiments, and then analyzed the relationships of the cumulative horizontal infiltration with the wetting front distance and the square root of infiltration time. We finally compared the permeability results from Gardner model based on the one-D method with the results from other two commonly-used methods（i.e., constant head method and van Genuchten model） to evaluate the acceptability and applicability of the one-D method. The results showed that there was a robust linear relationship between the cumulative horizontal infiltration and the wetting front distance, suggesting that it is more appropriate to take the soil moisture content after infiltration in the entire wetted zone as the average soil moisture content than as the saturated soil moisture content. The results also showed that there was a robust linear relationship between the cumulative horizontal infiltration and the square root of infiltration time, suggesting that the Philip infiltration formula can better reflect the characteristics of cumulative horizontal infiltration under different infiltration heads. The following two facts indicate that it is feasible to use the one-D method for simultaneously determining the saturated and unsaturated permeability coefficients of loamy sand. First, the saturated permeability coefficient（prescribed in the Gardner model） of loamy sand obtained from the one-D method well agreed with the value obtained from the constant head method. Second, the relationship of unsaturated permeability coefficient with soil water suction for loamy sand calculated using Gardner model based on the one-D method was nearly identical with the same relationship calculated using van Genuchten model.

A method of determining the permeability coefficient of coal seam based on the permeability of loaded coal

This study developed the equipment for thermo-fluid–solid coupling of methane-containing coal, and investigated the seepage character of loaded coal under different working conditions. Regarding the effective pressure as a variable, the variation characteristics of the gas permeability of loaded methane-containing coal has been studied under the conditions of different confining pressures and pore pressures. The qualitative and quantitative relationship between effective stress and permeability of loaded methane-containing coal has been established, considering the adsorption of deformation, amount of pore gas compression and temperature variation. The results show that the permeability of coal samples decreases along with the increasing effective stress. Based on the Darcy law, the correlation equation between the effective stress and permeability coefficient of coal seam has been established by combining the permeability coefficient of loaded coal and effective stress. On the basis of experimental data, this equation is used for calculation, and the results are in accordance with the measured gas permeability coefficient of coal seam. In conclusion, this method can be accurate and convenient to determine the gas permeability coefficient of coal seam, and provide evidence for forecasting that of the deep coal seam.

A Review of Test Methods for the Determination of the Permeability Coefficient of Gravelly Soils Used for Embankment Dams

The factors influencing the permeability coefficient of gravelly soils used for the development of embankment dams(core wall)are analyzed.Such factors include(but are not limited to)soil size,anisotropy,density and boundary effects.A review of the literature is conducted and new directions of research are proposed.In such a framework,it is shown that gravelly soil with controlled density and vertical stress should be used to optimize the measurement of the vertical and horizontal permeability coefficients,respectively.

Investigating the Relationship between Porosity and Permeability Coefficient for Pervious Concrete Pavement by Statistical Modelling

A study evaluating the relationship between porosity and permeability coefficient for pervious concrete (PC) is presented. In addition, the effect of mixture design parameters particularly, water-to-cement ratio (W/C) and size of aggregate on the permeability coefficient of PC was investigated. The PC mixtures were made with 4 range of W/C and 2 range size of aggregate. PC mixes were made from each aggregate and were tested. The results showed that the W/C and aggregate size are key parameters which significantly affect the characteristic performance of PC. Permeability coefficient of coarse pervious concrete (CPC) is bigger than fine pervious concrete (FPC) and the porosity of CPC are bigger than porosity of FPC. A regression model (RM) along with analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to study the significance of porosity distribution on permeability coefficient of PC. The statistical model developed in this study can facilitate prediction permeability coefficient of CPC and FPC as the sustainable pavements.

Relation of Damage Variable and Gas Permeability Coefficient of Concrete under Stress

Compressive stress and tensile stress were applied to concrete specimens using test rigs designed by RILEM TC 246-TDC. Ultrasonic wave velocity and autoclam permeability system were used to characterize the damage variable and gas permeability coefficient of concrete, respectively. The experimental results show that the strain value of concrete increases with the increasing of stress level and loading time. The damage variable and gas permeability coefficient of concrete under compressive stress decrease at first and increase after a threshold value between 0 and 0.6. When the concrete is under tensile load, the damage variable and gas permeability coefficient increase with tensile stress, with a significant increase from 0.3 to 0.6 tensile stress. There is a strong linear relationship between the damage variable and the gas permeability coefficient, suggesting both as good indicators to characterize the damage of concrete under stress.

Stochastic back analysis of permeability coefficient using generalized Bayesian method

Owing to the fact that the conventional deterministic back analysis of the permeability coefficient cannot reflect the uncertainties of parameters, including the hydraulic head at the boundary, the permeability coefficient and measured hydraulic head, a stochastic back analysis taking consideration of uncertainties of parameters was performed using the generalized Bayesian method. Based on the stochastic finite element method （SFEM） for a seepage field, the variable metric algorithm and the generalized Bayesian method, formulas for stochastic back analysis of the permeability coefficient were derived. A case study of seepage analysis of a sluice foundation was performed to illustrate the proposed method. The results indicate that, with the generalized Bayesian method that considers the uncertainties of measured hydraulic head, the permeability coefficient and the hydraulic head at the boundary, both the mean and standard deviation of the permeability coefficient can be obtained and the standard deviation is less than that obtained by the conventional Bayesian method. Therefore, the present method is valid and applicable.

Prediction of Dermal Permeability Coefficient of Nevirapine—Effect of Cosolvents, Anionic, Nonionic and Cationic Surfactants

Transdermal drug delivery not only has contributed immensely to medical practice, but has enjoyed enormous interest in the field of cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Nevirapine, a non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) is used clinically for the treatment of HIV‐ 1 infection. The aim of the present study is to investigate the influence of cosolvents (glycerol, propylene glycol, ethanol, polyethylene glycol 400) and surfactants (polysorbate 20, polysorbate 80, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium cholate and cetrimide) on the dermal permeability coefficient of nevirapine by utilizing established and recognized mathematical model that employs partition coefficient as one of its molecular descriptors. The partition coefficient of nevirapine is determined in chloroform-water system at room temperature using the shake flask method. The results show that all the cosolvents used in this study decrease the partition coefficient of nevirapine. The same decrease in the partition coefficient of nevirapine is observed with all the surfactants investigated. The order of dermal enhancement potential of the vehicles studied based on the predicted permeability coefficient is glycerol > propylene glycol > ethanol > polyethylene glycol 400 for the cosolvents while tween 20 > tween 80 > sodium lauryl sulfate > sodium cholate > cetrimide for the surfactants. The maximum predicted flux through skin was obtained by multiplying the predicted permeability coefficient and the drug aqueous solubility. As the rate of penetration into the skin is quantitatively assessed by the use of permeability coefficient, the findings suggest that for dermal formulation of nevirapine, glycerol and tween 20 are the most preferred vehicles out of the vehicles investigated. Furthermore, the results of the correlation coefficients obtained by plotting permeability coefficient or maximum predicted flux, versus logarithm partition coefficient indicate that permeability coefficient can be a more reliable parameter to predict transdermal absorption of nevirapine than flux.

Evaluation of Coefficient of Permeability on Contaminated Granitic Residual Soil

This paper reports laboratory research carried out on natural and contaminated granitic residual soil from Covilha region （Portugal） to evaluate the coefficient of permeability in accordance with Darcy＇s law. The soils are contaminated with hydrocarbon （Benzene Toluene Etilbenzene and Xilenes elements） and leached of urban solid waste. The specimens remained saturated and the consolidation and swelling are substantially completed at different effective confining pressures （25 to 400 kPa） before the measurements are performed at different hydraulic gradient to determine the effect of the void ratio, fabric and contamination of soil.

Air tightness of compressed air storage energy caverns with polymer sealing layer subjected to various air pressures

During the operation of compressed air storage energy system,the rapid change of air pressure in a cavern will cause drastic changes in air density and permeability coefficient of sealing layer.To calculate and properly evaluate air tightness of polymer sealing caverns,the air-pressure-related air density and permeability must be considered.In this context,the high-pressure air penetration in the polymer sealing layer is studied in consideration of thermodynamic change of the cavern structure during the system operation.The air tightness model of compressed air storage energy caverns is then established.In the model,the permeability coefficient and air density of sealing layer vary with air pressure,and the effectiveness of the model is verified by field data in two test caverns.Finally,a compressed air storage energy cavern is taken as an example to understand the air tightness.The air leakage rate in the caverns is larger than that using air-pressure-independent permeability coefficient and air density,which is constant and small in the previous leakage rate calculation.Under the operating pressure of 4.5-10 MPa,the daily air leakage in the compressed air storage energy cavern of Yungang Mine with high polymer butyl rubber as the sealing material is 0.62%,which can meet the sealing requirements of compressed air storage energy caverns.The air tightness of the polymer sealing cavern is mainly affected by the cavern operating pressure,injected air temperature,cavern radius,and sealing layer thickness.The cavern air leakage rate will be decreased to reduce the cavern operating pressure the injection air temperature,or the cavern radius and sealing layer thickness will be increased.

Numerical investigation on the spewing mechanism of earth pressure balance shield in a high-pressure water-rich sand stratum

The spewing of a screw conveyor easily occurs from the earth pressure balance(called EPB)shield in a water-rich sand stratum.This may lead to the collapse of the tunnel face and even serious subsidence of the ground surface.To understand the spewing mechanism of the shield screw conveyor and explore the critical hydraulic condition of soil spewing in a shield–soil chamber,a simplified theoretical model for the spewing of the screw conveyor was developed based on the equation of groundwater flow in the screw conveyor under turbulent state.Thus,coupling Darcy's law with Brinkman's equation,this model was implemented within the COMSOL Multiphysics framework.The underground water flow in the shield screw conveyor was simulated so as to obtain its velocity and flow rate.Numerical simulations show that the water pressure distribution is concentrated in the lower part of the soil chamber after the groundwater enters the soil chamber.When the groundwater enters the screw conveyor,its pressure gradually decreases along the direction of the screw conveyor.When the water flow reaches the stratum–shield interface,the flow velocity changes markedly:first increases and concentrates at the entrance of the lower soil chamber,plummets and stabilizes gradually,and increases again at the exit.The soil chamber and screw conveyor are significantly depressurized.It is also found that the soil permeability coefficient can be reduced to k<2.6×10^(−4)cm/s through appropriate soil improvement,which can effectively prevent the occurrence of spewing disasters.

Research and Prediction on the Properties of Concrete at Cryogenic Temperature Based on Gray Theory

To solve the cryogenic temperature problems faced by all-concrete liquefied natural gas(ACLNG)storage tanks during servicing,a low temperature resistant and high strength concrete(LHC)was designed from the perspectives of reducing water-binder ratio,removing coarse aggregates,optimizing composite mineral admixture and utilizing steel fibers.The variation laws of compressive and tensile strength,elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio for C60 concrete and LHC were compared and analyzed under the temperatures from 10 to-165℃through uniaxial compression and tensile tests.The rapid freezing method was adopted to analyze the evolution process of mass and relative dynamic elastic modulus loss rates for C60 and LHC in 0-300 freeze-thaw cycles.The gas permeability test was carried out,and the laws of gas permeability coefficient varied with temperature and cryogenic freeze-thaw cycles were obtained.Then,the grey dynamic model GM(1,1)was used to predict the variation laws of physical and mechanical parameters on the basis of the test data.The test results demonstrate that the compressive strength,elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio for both C60 and LHC increase significantly from 10 to-165℃,but the specific variation laws are difierent,and there is a phenomenon that some parameters decrease after reaching a critical temperature range for C60.The uniaxial tensile strength increases first and then decreases as temperature decreases,and finally increases slightly at-165℃for both C60 and LHC.The mass and relative dynamic elastic modulus loss rates of LHC are much lower than that of C60 under different freeze-thaw cycles.The gas permeability coefficient of C60 declines gradually with the drop of temperature,and increases gradually with the number of freeze-thaw cycles while the gas permeability coefficient of LHC basically remains stable and is much lower than that of C60.Therefore,such a conclusion can be drawn that LHC has better properties at cryogenic temperature.On the premise of providing consistent functional mode,GM(1,1)can predict the test data with high accuracy,which well reflects the variation laws of relevant parameters.

Pore Characteristic Design Method of High-strength Pervious Concrete Based on the Mechanical Properties and Rainstorm Waterlogging Resistance

High-strength pervious concrete(HSPC) with porosity ranging from 0.08% to 2.011% was prepared. The mechanical properties and rainstorm waterlogging resistance of HSPC were evaluated,and a design method of HSPC pore characteristics(porosity and pore diameter) based on the mechanical properties and rainstorm waterlogging resistance was proposed. The results showed that the reduction of effective cross-sectional area caused by artificial channels was the main factor affecting flexural strength but had limited influence on compressive strength. Compared with the concrete matrix without artificial channels,the compressive strength of HSPC with porosity of 2.011% decreased by 7.4%, while the flexural strength decreased by 48.3%. The permeability coefficient of HSPC can reach 16.35 mm/s even at low porosity(2.011%).HSPC can meet the requirements of no rainstorm waterlogging, even if exposed to 100-year rainstorms. When the mechanical properties and rainstorm waterlogging resistance are compromised, the recommended porosity ranges from 1.1% to 3.5%, and the recommended pore diameter ranges from 0.8 to 2.7 mm.

Numerical Simulation of Vacuum Preloading for Chemically Conditioned Municipal Sludge

Municipal sludge is a sedimentation waste produced during the wastewater process in sewage treatment plants.Among recent studies,pilot and field tests showed that chemical conditioning combined with vacuum preloading can effectively treat municipal sludge.To further understand the drainage and consolidation characteristics of the conditioning sludge during vacuum preloading,a large deformation nonlinear numerical simulation model based on the equal strain condition was developed to simulate and analyze the pilot and field tests,whereas the simulation results were not satisfactory.The results of the numerical analysis of the pilot test showed that the predicted consolidation degree was greater than that measured by the field tests,which is attributed to the relatively low permeability layer formed during the preloading process of the prefabricated vertical drain.To better reflect the consolidation process of the conditioned sludge,a simplified analysis method considering the low permeability layer around the prefabricated vertical drain was proposed.The initial permeability coefficient of the low permeability layer is determined via numerical simulations using finite difference method.The predicted settlement curve was in good agreement with the measured results,which indicated that the numerical simulation based on the equal strain condition considering the relatively low permeability layer can better analyze the consolidation process of ferric chloride-conditioning sludge with vacuum preloading.

Study on the creep permeability of mining-cracked N2 laterite as the key aquifuge for preserving water resources in Northwestern China

This research focused on the impact of mining on the permeability of key aquifuge （N2 laterite） that is widespread in the arid and semi-arid areas of northwestern China and is critical for preserving water resources. The impact of mining stress recovery on the permeability of cracked N2 laterite was assessed for parts of northwestern China that included the Jingle laterite and Baode laterite. The mineral compositions and swelling properties of the laterite at both locations were examined, and analytical results showed that the laterite contained abundant clay minerals. The Baode laterite exhibited higher expansibility than Jingle laterite. The triaxial creep permeability performance of laterite specimens with a prefabricated crack width of 1.0, 1.5, and 2.5 mm were tested. The results indicated that strain of cracked laterite all exhibited transient creep following each level of loading, and then unstable creep and stable creep. With the increase of loading, the transient creep deformation corresponding to each level of loading decreased, the unstable creep deformation produced by identical loading gradually and incrementally increased. The nonlinear power function equation was selected to fit creep grading curves which have high precision. The cracks within the laterite gradually closed with the stress recovery, and permeability gradually recovered. During the stress recovery, the narrower cracks exhibited a smaller change in permeability. However, for narrow cracks in mining soil, permeability recovered after mining stress when permeability was closer to initial permeability, and the Baode laterite showed greater recovery than that of the Jingle laterite.

Stability analysis of shallow tunnels subjected to seepage with strength reduction theory

Based on strength reduction theory,the stability numbers of shallow tunnels were investigated within the framework of upper and lower bound theorems of limit analysis. Stability solutions taking into account of water seepage were presented and compared with those without considering seepage. The comparisons indicate that the maximum difference does not exceed 3.7%,which proves the present method credible. The results show that stability numbers of shallow tunnels considering seepage are much less than those without considering seepage,and that the difference of stability numbers between considering seepage and without considering seepage increase with increasing the depth ratio. The stability numbers decrease with increasing permeability coefficient and groundwater depth. Seepage has significant effects on the stability numbers of shallow tunnels.

Effect of granite gravel content on improved granular mixtures as railway subgrade fillings

The improved granular mixtures are widely used as the fillings of railway 8ubgrade, and in order to investigate the effect of coarse grain content on granular mixtures, a series of field tests were conducted. The experimental results indicate that the permeability coefficient increases significantly with the increment of granite gravel content, especially in the range of 60%-70%. Thcrc exists a coarse grain content limit defined as 53%-58.5% to reform the permeable granular skeleton. Beyond this limit, the permeable granular skeleton is efficiently formed, and the macro pores between the separate gravels are partially filled, which is the explanation lbr the permeability increase. The investigations indicate the subgrade resistance modulus （ks0, Ev2, and Evd） depends on the granite gravel content, and the resistance modulus increases significantly beyond granite gravel content of 50%. The skeletons of granitc gravel clayey sand mixture change in the long-term deformation objected to the train-induced dynamic load, which involves three main repeated and circular deformation stages. Generally, the long-time deformation is explained as the gravel crushing and filling the internal porous space with crushed gravel fragments. Through these investigations, the C40-G60 or C30-G70 is recommended as an optimum soil mixture for the good permeability and high resistance modulus.