A Modified Model for Soil–Structure Interface Considering Random Damage of Mesoscopic Contact Elements

The interaction between soil and marine structures like submarine pipeline/pipe pile/suction caisson is a complicated geotechnical mechanism process.In this study,the interface is discretized into multiple mesoscopic contact elements that are damaged randomly throughout the shearing process due to the natural heterogeneity.The evolution equation of damage variable is developed based on the Weibull function,which is able to cover a rather wide range of distribution shapes by only two parameters,making it applicable for varying scenarios.Accordingly,a statistical damage model is established by incorporating Mohr–Coulomb strength criterion,in which the interfacial residual strength is considered whereby the strain softening behavior can be described.A concept of“semi-softening”characteristic point on shear stress–displacement curve is proposed for effectively modeling the evolution of strain softening.Finally,a series of ring shear tests of the interfaces between fine sea sand and smooth/rough steel surfaces are conducted.The predicted results using the proposed model are compared with experimental data of this study as well as some results from existing literature,indicating that the model has a good performance in modeling the progressive failure and strain softening behavior for various types of soil–structure interfaces.

A nonlinear interface structural damage model between ice crystal and frozen clay soil

The shear properties of ice-frozen soil interface are important when studying the constitutive model of frozen soil and slope stability in cold regions. In this research, a series of cryogenic direct shear tests for ice-frozen clay soil interface were conducted. Based on experimental results, a nonlinear interface structural damage model is proposed to describe the shear properties of ice-frozen clay soil interface. Firstly, the cementation and friction structural properties of frozen soil materials were analyzed, and a structural parameter of the ice-frozen clay soil interface is proposed based on the cryogenic direct shear test results. Secondly, a structural coefficient ratio is proposed to describe the structural development degree of ice-frozen clay soil interface under load, which is able to normalize the shear stress of ice-frozen clay soil interface,and the normalized data can be described by the Duncan-Chang model. Finally, the tangent stiffness of ice-frozen clay soil interface is calculated, which can be applied to the mechanics analysis of frozen soil. Also, the shear stress of ice-frozen clay soil interface calculated by the proposed model is compared with test results.

Phosphorus and nitrogen in the soil interface between two plant residues differing in C/nutrient ratio:A short-term laboratory incubation study

In studies on the effects of mixing residues with different properties on decomposition rate and nutrient release,the extent of contact between the different residues is not known.In this study,we used an experimental design where crop residues were spatially separated by a layer of soil.Microcosms were set up using young faba bean residue(low carbon(C)/nutrient ratio,L)and mature barley straw(high C/nutrient ratio,H).The microcosms comprised of two caps of PVC tubes,each filled with moist soil.Between the two caps,there were three layers each separated from the others by fine nylon mesh with the middle layer being the moist interface soil.Microcosms had similar(H/H or L/L)or different(L/H)residue types,or only residue type(H/S or L/S)while the other cap had no residue.In treatments with only one residue,measured parameters,except microbial biomass P(MBP),were higher in L/S than H/S.In treatments with two residues,all parameters were lowest in H/H.In L/H compared to L/L after 14 days,available P and microbial biomass N(MBN)were lower,available N was similar and MBP was higher.After 28 days,available P and N were lower in L/H than L/L,but MBP and MBN did not differ.In L/H,measured resin P,MBP and MBN were higher than expected whereas available N was lower.The experimental design used in this study allows assessing the effect of residues on properties of the soil between them.

Thermal integrity profiling of cast-in-situ piles in sand using fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing

Defects in cast-in-situ piles have an adverse impact on load transfer at the pile‒soil interface and pile bearing capacity. In recent years, thermal integrity profiling (TIP) has been developed to measure temperature profiles of cast-in-situ piles, enabling the detection of structural defects or anomalies at the early stage of construction. However, using this integrity testing method to evaluate potential defects in cast-in-situ piles requires a comprehensive understanding of the mechanism of hydration heat transfer from piles to surrounding soils. In this study, small-scale model tests were conducted in laboratory to investigate the performance of TIP in detecting pile integrity. Fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing (DTS) technology was used to monitor detailed temperature variations along model piles in sand. Additionally, sensors were installed in sand to measure water content and matric suction. An interpretation method against available DTS-based thermal profiles was proposed to reveal the potential defective regions. It shows that the temperature difference between normal and defective piles is more obvious in wet sand. In addition, there is a critical zone of water migration in sand due to the water absorption behavior of cement and temperature transfer-induced water migration in the early-age concrete setting. These findings could provide important insight into the improvement of the TIP testing method for field applications.

Snow gliding and loading under two different forest stands: a case study in the north-western Italian Alps

The presence of a thick snowpack could interfere with forest stability, especially on steep slopes with potential damages for young and old stands. The study of snow gliding in forests is rather complex be- cause this phenomenon could be influenced not only by forest features, but also by snow/soil interface characteristics, site morphology, meteoro- logical conditions and snow physical properties. Our starting hypothesis is that different forest stands have an influence on the snowpack evolu- tion and on the temperature and moisture at the snow/soil interface, which subsequently could affect snow gliding processes and snow forces. The aim of this work is therefore to analyse the snowpack evolution and snow gliding movements under different forest covers, in order to deter- mine the snow forces acting on single trees.

Disturbed state concept as unified constitutive modeling approach

A unified constitutive modeling approach is highly desirable to characterize a wide range of engineeringmaterials subjected simultaneously to the effect of a number of factors such as elastic, plastic and creepdeformations, stress path, volume change, microcracking leading to fracture, failure and softening,stiffening, and mechanical and environmental forces. There are hardly available such unified models. Thedisturbed state concept （DSC） is considered to be a unified approach and is able to provide materialcharacterization for almost all of the above factors. This paper presents a description of the DSC, andstatements for determination of parameters based on triaxial, multiaxial and interface tests. Statementsof DSC and validation at the specimen level and at the boundary value problem levels are also presented.An extensive list of publications by the author and others is provided at the end. The DSC is considered tobe a unique and versatile procedure for modeling behaviors of engineering materials and interfaces. 2016 Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Production and hosting byElsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license

Nonlinear elastic model for compacted clay concrete interface

In this paper,a nonlinear elastic model was developed to simulate the behavior of compacted clay concrete interface(CCCI)based on the principle of transition mechanism failure(TMF).A number of simple shear tests were conducted on CCCI to demonstrate different failure mechanisms;i.e.,sliding failure and deformation failure.The clay soil used in the test was collected from the"Shuang Jang Kou"earth rockfill dam project.It was found that the behavior of the interface depends on the critical water contents by which two failure mechanisms can be recognized.Mathematical relations were proposed between the shear at failure and water content in addition to the transition mechanism indicator.The mathematical relations were then incorporated into the interface model.The performance of the model is verified with the experimental results.The verification shows that the proposed model is capable of predicting the interface shear stress versus the total shear displacement very well.

Practical configured microtremor array measurements(MAMs)for the geological investigation of underground space

Underground space utilization is becoming increasingly essential for modern metropolitan cities such as Singapore.Mapping a soil/rock interface using traditional borehole investigation methods is expensive and difficult,owing to the numerous physical constraints within a built-up city.Boreholes are often far apart,resulting in many unforeseen ground conditions during subsequent excavation.Geophysical methods are sometimes employed as possible alternatives for fast,economical,and efficient bedrock surveys.The goal of this study is to investigate the practical details of applying microtremor array measurement(MAM)as a non-invasive surface wave survey for mapping soil/rock interfaces in Singapore.Critical configurations in field data acquisition are examined,and practical recommendations for array construction are provided.In addition,30 in situ MAM tests are carried out for two major geological formations in Singapore.From the results,a standard shear wave velocity(V_(s))of 500 m/s is found to be suitable for interpreting the soil/rock interface,for the Bukit Timah Granite and Jurong formations.However,the method does not predict well when soft Kallang formation deposits are present.Other limitations are also discussed in the later parts of this paper.Conclusions and practical recommendations are discussed,providing constructive guidance to the industry.The proposed Vs-based method and associated guidelines and limitations can be used to create a digital geological database and are especially useful for rock profiling in an urban environment.