Investigation on the seismic response of nuclear power stations with a pile-raft foundation using centrifuge tests

Research to reliably predict the seismic response of nuclear power stations with a pile-raft foundation is needed to meet the high safety requirements of nuclear power stations.In this study,a scaled superstructure with a 4×3 pile-raft foundation,which is constructed in Shanxi kaolin clay,is modelled.Accordingly,the characteristics of seismic response for nuclear power stations with a pile-raft foundation are analyzed using dynamic centrifuge tests.In particular,multiple earthquake motions with different magnitudes and frequency properties are utilized to map the relationship between structural response and properties of earthquake motions.The results show that the seismic response of the soil,raft,and structure are significantly affected by the natural frequency and magnitude of the earthquake motion.The soil surface acceleration is lower than the raft acceleration.The results provide a reliable reference to better understand the seismic response of nuclear power stations.

Seabed structures and foundations related to deep-sea resource development:A review based on design and research

The deep‐sea ground contains a huge amount of energy and mineral resources,for example,oil,gas,and minerals.Various infrastructures such as floating structures,seabed structures,and foundations have been developed to exploit these resources.The seabed structures and foundations can be mainly classified into three types:subsea production structures,offshore pipelines,and anchors.This study reviewed the development,installation,and operation of these infrastructures,including their structures,design,installation,marine environment loads,and applications.On this basis,the research gaps and further research directions were explored through this literature review.First,different floating structures were briefly analyzed and reviewed to introduce the design requirements of the seabed structures and foundations.Second,the subsea production structures,including subsea manifolds and their foundations,were reviewed and discussed.Third,the basic characteristics and design methods of deep‐sea pipelines,including subsea pipelines and risers,were analyzed and reviewed.Finally,the installation and bearing capacity of deep‐sea subsea anchors and seabed trench influence on the anchor were reviewed.Through the review,it was found that marine environment conditions are the key inputs for any offshore structure design.The fabrication,installation,and operation of infrastructures should carefully consider the marine loads and geological conditions.Different structures have their own mechanical problems.The fatigue and stability of pipelines mainly depend on the soil‐structure interaction.Anchor selection should consider soil types and possible trench formation.These focuses and research gaps can provide a helpful guide on further research,installation,and operation of deep‐sea structures and foundations.

Pile foundation in alternate layered liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil deposits subjected to earthquake loading

Pile foundations are still the preferred foundation system for high-rise structures in earthquake-prone regions.Pile foundations have experienced failures in past earthquakes due to liquefaction.Research on pile foundations in liquefiable soils has primarily focused on the pile foundation behavior in two or three-layered soil profiles.However,in natural occurrence,it may occur in alternative layers of liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil.However,the experimental and/or numerical studies on the layered effect on pile foundations have not been widely addressed in the literature.Most of the design codes across the world do not explicitly mention the effect of sandwiched non-liquefiable soil layers on the pile response.In the present study,the behavior of an end-bearing pile in layered liquefiable and non-liquefiable soil deposit is studied numerically.This study found that the kinematic bending moment is higher and governs the design when the effect of the sandwiched non-liquefied layer is considered in the analysis as opposed to when its effect is ignored.Therefore,ignoring the effect of the sandwiched non-liquefied layer in a liquefiable soil deposit might be a nonconservative design approach.

Frequency-dependent viscoelasticity effects on the wave attenuation performance of multi-layered periodic foundations

In this paper,layered periodic foundations(LPFs)are numerically examined for their responses to longitudinal and transverse modes in the time and frequency domains.Three different unit-cells,i.e.,2-layer,4-layer,and 6-layer unit-cells,comprising concrete/rubber,concrete/rubber/steel/rubber,and concrete/rubber/steel/rubber/lead/rubber materials,respectively,are taken into account.Also,the viscoelasticity behavior of the rubber is modeled with two factors,i.e.,a frequency-independent(FI)loss factor and a linear frequency-dependent(FD)loss factor.Following the extraction of the complex dispersion curves and the identification of the band gaps(BGs),the simulations of wave transmission in the time and frequency domains are performed using the COMSOL software.Subsequent parametric studies evaluate the effects of the rubber viscoelasticity models on the dispersion curves and the wave transmission for the longitudinal and transverse modes.The results show that considering the rubber viscoelasticity enhances the wave attenuation performance.Moreover,the transverse-mode damping is more sensitive to the viscoelasticity model than its longitudinal counterpart.The 6-layer unit-cell LPF exhibits the lowest BG,ranging from 4.8 Hz to 6.5 Hz.

Dynamic Response of Foundations during Startup of High-Frequency Tunnel Equipment

The specialized equipment utilized in long-line tunnel engineering is evolving towards large-scale,multifunctional,and complex orientations.The vibration caused by the high-frequency units during regular operation is supported by the foundation of the units,and the magnitude of vibration and the operating frequency fluctuate in different engineering contexts,leading to variations in the dynamic response of the foundation.The high-frequency units yield significantly diverse outcomes under different startup conditions and times,resulting in failure to meet operational requirements,influencing the normal function of the tunnel,and causing harm to the foundation structure,personnel,and property in severe cases.This article formulates a finite element numerical computation model for solid elements using three-dimensional elastic body theory and integrates field measurements to substantiate and ascertain the crucial parameter configurations of the finite element model.By proposing a comprehensive startup timing function for high-frequency dynamic machines under different startup conditions,simulating the frequency andmagnitude variations during the startup process,and suggesting functions for changes in frequency and magnitude,a simulated startup schedule function for high-frequency machines is created through coupling.Taking into account the selection of the transient dynamic analysis step length,the dynamic response results for the lower dynamic foundation during its fundamental frequency crossing process are obtained.The validation checks if the structural magnitude surpasses the safety threshold during the critical phase of unit startup traversing the structural resonance region.The design recommendations for high-frequency units’dynamic foundations are provided,taking into account the startup process of the machine and ensuring the safe operation of the tunnel.

Experimental and numerical interpretation on composite foundation consisting of soil-cement column within warm and ice-rich frozen soil

Affected by climate warming and anthropogenic disturbances, the thermo-mechanical stability of warm and ice-rich frozen ground along the Qinghai-Tibet engineering corridor(QTEC) is continuously decreased, which may delay the construction of major projects in the future. In this study, based on chemical stabilization of warm and icerich frozen ground, the soil-cement column(SCC) for ground improvement was recommended to reinforce the foundations in warm and ice-rich permafrost regions. To explore the validity of countermeasures mentioned above, both the original foundation and the composite foundation consisting of SCC with soil temperature of -1.0℃ were prepared in the laboratory, and then the plate loading tests were carried out. The laboratory investigations indicated that the bearing capacity of composite foundation consisting of SCC was higher than that of original foundation, and the total deformation of original foundation was greater than that of composite foundation, meaning that overall stability of foundation with warm and ice-rich frozen soil can be improved by SCC installation. Meanwhile, a numerical model considering the interface interaction between frozen soil and SCC was established for interpretating the bearing mechanism of composite foundation. The numerical investigations revealed that the SCC within composite foundation was responsible for the more applied load, and the applied load can be delivered to deeper zone in depth due to the SCC installation, which was favorable for improving the bearing characteristic of composite foundation. The investigations provide the valuable guideline for the choice of engineering supporting techniques to major projects within the QTEC.

Performance of composite foundations with different load transfer platforms and substratum stiffness over silty clay

The semi-rigid pile-supported composite foundation is widely used in highway projects due to its effectiveness in increasing the bearing capacity and stability of foundations.It is crucial to understand the stress distribution across the embankment width and the behaviour of unreinforced foundations.Thus,five centrifuge tests were conducted to examine the bearing and deformation behaviours of NPRS(Non-Connected Piled Raft Systems)and GRPS(GeosyntheticReinforced Pile-Supported systems)with varying substratum stiffness,then a comparative analysis was conducted on embankment settlement,pressures underneath the embankments,and axial forces along the piles.The results indicated that greater substratum stiffness correlates with reduced settlement and deformation at various depths.Deformation occurring 5 meters from the embankment toe includes settlement in NPRS and upward movement in GRPS.The potential sliding surface is primarily located within the embankment in NPRS,whereas it may extend through both the embankment and foundation in GRPS.The pile-soil stress ratio and efficiency in NPRS are higher than in GRPS across the embankment.The axial force borne by end-bearing piles is significantly greater than that by floating piles.As the buried depth increases,the axial force in GRPS initially rises then declines,whereas in NPRS,it remains relatively constant within a certain range before decreasing.This study aids in assessing the applicability of composite foundations in complex railway environments and provides a reference for procedural measures under similar conditions.

Influence of Incomplete Soil Plugs on Bearing Capacities of Bucket Foundations in Clay

Due to the uneven seabed and heaving of soil during pumping,incomplete soil plugs may occur during the installation of bucket foundations,and the impacts on the bearing capacities of bucket foundations need to be evaluated.In this paper,the contact ratio(the ratio of the top diameter of the soil plug to the diameter of the bucket)and the soil plug ratio(the ratio of the soil heave height to the skirt height)are defined to describe the shape and size of the incomplete soil plug.Then,finite element models are established to investigate the bearing capacities of bucket foundations with incomplete soil plugs and the influences of the contact ratios,and the soil plug ratios on the bearing capacities are analyzed.The results show that the vertical bearing capacity of bucket foundations in homogeneous soil continuously improves with the increase of the contact ratio.However,in normally consolidated soil,the vertical bearing capacity barely changes when the contact ratio is smaller than 0.75,while the bearing capacity suddenly increases when the contact ratio increases to 1 due to the change of failure mode.The contact ratio hardly affects the horizontal bearing capacity of bucket foundations.Moreover,the moment bearing capacity improves with the increase of the contact ratio for small aspect ratios,but hardly varies with increasing contact ratio for aspect ratios larger than 0.5.Consequently,the reduction coefficient method is proposed based on this analysis to calculate the bearing capacities of bucket foundations considering the influence of incomplete soil plugs.The comparison results show that the proposed reduction coefficient method can be used to evaluate the influences of incomplete soil plug on the bearing capacities of bucket foundations.

Experimental study on seismic reinforcement of bridge foundation on silty clay landslide with inclined interlayer

A shaking table test for a bridge foundation reinforced by anti-slide piles on a silty clay landslide model with an inclined interlayer was performed.The deformation characteristics of the bridge foundation piles and anti-slide piles were analyzed in different loading conditions.The dynamic response law of a silty clay landslide with an inclined interlayer was summarized.The spacing between the rear anti-slide piles and bridge foundation should be reasonably controlled according to the seismic fortification requirements,to avoid the two peaks in the forced deformation of the bridge foundation piles.The“blocking effect”of the bridge foundation piles reduced the deformation of the forward anti-slide piles.The stress-strain response of silty clay was intensified as the vibration wave field appeared on the slope.Since the vibration intensified,the thrust distribution of the landslide underwent a process of shifting from triangle to inverted trapezoid,the difference in the acceleration response between the bearing platform and silty clay landslide tended to decrease,and the spectrum amplitude near the natural vibration frequency increased.The rear anti-slide piles were able to slow down the shear deformation of the soil in front of the piles and avoid excessive acceleration response of the bridge foundation piles.

Research on Transmission Line Tower Tilting and Foundation State Monitoring Technology Based onMulti-Sensor Cooperative Detection and Correction

The transmission line tower will be affected by bad weather and artificial subsidence caused by the foundation and other factors in the power transmission.The tower’s tilt and severe deformation will cause the building to collapse.Many small changes caused the tower’s collapse,but the early staff often could not intuitively notice the changes in the tower’s state.In the current tower online monitoring system,terminal equipment often needs to replace batteries frequently due to premature exhaustion of power.According to the need for real-time measurement of power line tower,this research designed a real-time monitoring device monitoring the transmission tower attitude tilting and foundation state based on the inertial sensor,the acceleration of 3 axis inertial sensor and angular velocity raw data to pole average filtering pre-processing,and then through the complementary filtering algorithm for comprehensive calculation of tilt angle,the system meets the demand for inclined online monitoring of power line poles and towers regarding measurement accuracy,with low cost and power consumption.The optimization multi-sensor cooperative detection and correction measured tilt angle result relative accuracy can reach 1.03%,which has specific promotion and application value since the system has the advantages of unattended and efficient calculation.

People-Foundation of a State

Only when the foundation is strong will the state be safe and stable.THE concept that"the people are the foundation of a state"is the best expression of the people-centered philosophy of ancient China.Past Chinese sages and philosophers reached this conclusion in their study of state governance amid the rise and fall of dynasties over thousands of years.Based on the belief that the people's support of state power is vital for its success,this precept has inspired policies and practices aimed at nurturing,benefiting and enriching the people throughout Chinese history.

New Insights into the Essential Reason of Liquid Foundation Darkening from the Powder Point of Viewthe View

Perfect base makeup is the guarantee of exquisite makeup.However,the problem of base makeup darkening seriously affects the cosmetic effect,and also troubles many researchers and consumers.In this paper,a basic liquid foundation was chosen as model to explore the darkness reason from the aspects of foundation hue,volatility of emulsification system,and sebum secretion.DEcmc value determined by non-contact colorimeter was used to monitor the process of darkness.It’s widely accepted that foundation oxidation is key to darkness.We herein report a new insight into the essential reason of darkness due to the interaction between light and foundation.The red hue of the foundation darkened faster because the human eyes were more sensitive to the color difference of red.The volatility of foundation emulsion system and skin sebum secretion accelerated the foundation darkening process,which was caused by the change of foundation surface structure.Considering the above influencing factors,the formula was adjusted and an improved formula was proposed,which could significantly reduce the process of foundation darkening.

Improving the training abilities of ophthalmic educators: the Ophthalmology Foundation’s initiatives

Our goal as medical educators is for our students to learn what they need to know and competently perform ophthalmic procedures.In addition,the students need to have good communication skills and behave professionally and ethically(1,2).Most medical educators are not taught how to teach but rather learn by role-modeling their mentors.This can be good or bad depending on the mentor!In addition,the amount of knowledge and numbers of surgical procedures is ever increasing and yet,in most countries,the amount of time to train and become competent is not changing.Thus,our goal of creating competent ophthalmologists is ever more challenging.

Design Optimization of a Lattice Tower: Structure and Foundations

Produced in power plants, electrical energy is transported to places of consumption via the electricity network. At the heart of this network are the supports that allow electricity to be efficiently transported over long distances, guaranteeing the security and supply of energy to the various centers of use. In the construction of a line, supports occupy an important part in terms of safety and construction cost. It is therefore essential to optimize their use to reduce the cost of transmission lines. This work addresses this problem, which focuses on the optimal utilization of X-lattice towers in the construction of overhead power lines. The challenge is to reconcile the search for optimal cost and respect for the design, resistance and service constraints of the structure. To do this, a parameter having a strong correlation with the weight, foundation and construction cost of the X-lattice tower for 161 kV lines is determined as an important cost variable. This parameter is the wheelbase of the towers. The junction point between the structure and the foundations is obtained by measuring the forces at the base of the tower following the lowering of the loads. These efforts make it possible to size foundations which are of the inverted or isolated sole type. The results obtained reveal that from 8 meters in width, the wheelbase gradually changes until the optimum is obtained at 6.29 meters. With this wheelbase, the production cost is optimal. It clearly emerges from this study that the construction of lattice pylons with a wheelbase of approximately 6.29 meters makes it possible to optimize the cost of construction of 161 kV lines in the Republic of Benin.

Progress in neurorehabilitation research and the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China from 2010 to 2022

The National Natural Science Foundation of China is one of the major funding agencies for neuro rehabilitation research in China.This study reviews the frontier directions and achievements in the field of neurorehabilitation in China and wo rldwide.We used data from the Web of Science Core Collection(WoSCC) database to analyze the publications and data provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China to analyze funding information.In addition,the prospects for neurorehabilitation research in China are discussed.From 2010 to 2022,a total of 74,220 publications in neurorehabilitation were identified,with there being an overall upward tendency.During this period,the National Natural Science Foundation of China has funded 476 research projects with a total funding of 192.38 million RMB to support neuro rehabilitation research in China.With the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China,China has made some achievements in neurorehabilitation research.Research related to neurorehabilitation is believed to be making steady and significant progress in China.

The inaugural VIATT lays foundation to harness growth of Vietnam’s textile market

As the inaugural Vietnam International Trade Fair for Apparel,Textiles and Textile Technologies(VIATT)drew curtains on 1 March 2024,Messe Frankfurt's first inte-grated textile fair in Asia has positioned itself as an essential platform for the entire textile value chain.Covering three major industry sectors,the three-day fair attracted 17262 visits from 55 countries and regions,connecting with 409 exhibitors from 17 countries and regions.In addition to atracting top-quality suppliers,participants also noted the high calibre of buyers and the dlear potential for growth at future editions.

Construction Technology of Pile Foundation for Subway Tunnel Crossing Bridge

Urban infrastructure has become more complex with the rapid development of urban transportation networks.In urban environments with limited space,construction of facilities like subways and bridges may mutually influence each other,especially when subway construction requires passing under bridges.In such cases,pile foundation replacement technology is often necessary.However,this technology is highly specialized,with a lengthy and risky construction period,and high costs.Personnel must be proficient in key technical aspects to ensure construction quality.This article discusses the technical principle,construction process,and core technology of pile foundation replacement,along with the application of this technology in subway tunnel crossing bridge projects,supported by engineering examples for reference.

Discussion on Construction Technology of Subway Tunnel Expansion under Bridge Foundation

As the urban populations grow,the number and size of subway construction projects are increasing while also meeting higher construction standards.So,subway construction projects must have a better understanding of construction technology.This article focuses on the construction technology of the subway tunnel expansion under the bridge foundation.By analyzing the engineering characteristics of the bridge foundation and using a project as an example,this article provides a detailed discussion of the construction process of tunnel expansion under a bridge foundation.This article aims to serve as a reference for subway tunnel construction in China to ensure the key points of construction technology are understood,thus improving construction quality and laying a solid technical foundation for the sustainable development of urban rail engineering.

Thermomechanical properties of an energy micro pile-raft foundation in silty clay

Micro steel pipe pile was used for existing foundation reinforcement and renovation.An energy micro pile-raft foundation equipped with heat exchange tube was constructed in silty clay.The diameter and the length of the energy micro pile are 160 mm and 13.0 m,respectively.A series of in situ thermal performance tests were carried out by controlling cycle heating,in which the inlet and outlet water temperatures,flow rate,and thermomechanical properties of the energy micro pile were measured.Combined with a numerical simulation method,the thermomechanical stresses and displacement of the raft were also analyzed and discussed.The energy micro pile-raft foundation was also analyzed for different combinations of energy piles and nonenergy piles in the group.Results show that the micro pile-raft foundation can provide sufficient heat exchange compared with other types of ground heat exchangers.Differential settlement at both the pile top and tip were observed for the groups that contained both energy piles and nonenergy piles.

ChatGPT Chats on Computational Experiments:From Interactive Intelligence to Imaginative Intelligence for Design of Artificial Societies and Optimization of Foundational Models

POWERED by the rapid development of Internet,the penetration of the Internet of Things,the emergence of big data,and the rise of social media,more and more complex systems are exhibiting the characteristics of social,physical,and information fusion.These systems are known as cyber-physicalsocial systems(CPSS)[1],[2].These CPSS face unprecedented challenges in design,analysis,management,control and integration due to their involvement with human and social factors[3],[4].To cope with this challenge,there are two main approaches to CPSS research.