Effects of cement-enhanced soil on the ultimate lateral resistance of composite pile in clayey soil

The composite pile consisting of core-pile and surrounding cement-enhanced soil is a promising pile foundation in recent years.However,how and to what extent the cement-enhanced soil influences the ultimate lateral resistance has not been fully investigated.In this paper,the ultimate lateral resistance of the composite pile was studied by finite element limit analysis(FELA)and theoretical upper-bound analysis.The results of FELA and theoretical analysis revealed three failure modes of laterally loaded composite piles.The effects of the enhanced soil thickness,strength,and pile-enhanced soil interface characteristics on the ultimate lateral resistance were studied.The results show that increasing the enhanced soil thickness leads to a significant improvement on ultimate lateral resistance factor(N P),and there is a critical thickness beyond which the thickness no longer affects the N P.Increasing the enhanced soil strength induced 6.2%-232.6%increase of N P.However,no noticeable impact was detected when the enhanced soil strength was eight times higher than that of the natural soil.The maximum increment of N P is only 30.5%caused by the increase of interface adhesion factor(a).An empirical model was developed to calculate the N P of the composite pile,and the results show excellent agreement with the analytical results.

Influence of Precipitation on the Determination of Proper Time for Soil Resistivity Measurement

In order to obtain reliable and effective upland soil resistivity measurements,it is necessary to know how much time after the rain stops is required before making soil resistivity observations so that the influence of precipitation on the measurements can be eliminated.Based on the soil resistivity monitoring data at different depths obtained from the soil conductance automatic monitoring system using the triple-electrode method,and the precipitation data from the synchronous and automatic observing system in Hechuan County of Chongqing,this paper analyzed the effect of rain on the determination of upland soil resistivity measurement time.The results showed that the required interval time between the measurement and the termination of rain should be as follows:if the rainfall was less than 0.1 mm,the interval time was zero;the interval time was 24 h if the precipitation time was less than 1 h or the rainfall was 0.1-2.0 mm;the interval time was 72 h if the precipitation time was 2-10 h or the rainfall was within 2.1-5.0 mm;and the interval time of 72-232 h was observed when the precipitation time was 10-25 h or longer or the rainfall was 5.0-10.1 mm or larger.Relevant observations showed that the above conclusions were on the whole valid for different soil depths.On the other hand,the results indicated that the maximum variance ratio for the influence of precipitation on resistivity measurement was about 28.9%,and the average variance was about 3.9%.Moreover,a preliminary analysis also showed that the precipitation process time might play a more crucial role in the resistivity recovery time than the precipitation amount.It is also found that it is practically better to use the rank correlation method than the numerical correlation analysis method to determine the time break between the stop of rain and the time to carry out the soil resistivity measurement.

Soil resistivity and ground resistance for dry and wet soil

In this paper, soil resistivity and ground resistance at two different sites near an electrical substation are measured using a grounding system grid with and without rods. With the Wenner four-pole equal-method, the soil resistivity is measured at both selected sites, one of which contains wet soil while the other contains dry soil. Cymgrd simulation software is then used to determine the acceptability of these measured resistivity values by finding out the root mean square error between the measured and calculated values for both wet and dry soil sites. These values for wet and dry soil sties were found to be only 0 %and 4.92 %, respectively, and deemed acceptable. The measured soil resistivity values were then used to evaluate the ground resistance values of a grounding grid ‘with rod’for the wet soil site and ‘without rods’ for the dry soil site,and then compared with the simulated ground resistance values. These comparisons were also found to be in good agreement. In addition, ground potential rise, maximum permissible step and touch potentials have also been estimated using the simulation software.

Effects of moss-dominated biocrusts on soil detachment by overland flow in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China

Biological soil crusts(biocrusts)are important landscape components that exist in various climates and habitats.The roles of biocrusts in numerous soil processes have been predominantly recognized in many dryland regions worldwide.However,little is known about their effects on soil detachment process by overland flow,especially in humid climates.This study quantified the effects of moss-dominated biocrusts on soil detachment capacity(Dc)and soil erosion resistance to flowing water in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area which holds a subtropical humid climate.Potential factors driving soil detachment variation and their influencing mechanism were analyzed and elucidated.We designed five levels of coverage treatments(1%–20%,20%–40%,40%–60%,60%–80%,and 80%–100%)and a nearby bare land as control in a mossdominated site.Undisturbed soil samples were taken and subjected to water flow scouring in a hydraulic flume under six shear stresses ranging from 4.89 to 17.99 Pa.The results indicated that mean Dc of mosscovered soil varied from 0.008 to 0.081 kg m^-2 s^-1,which was 1.9 to 21.0 times lower than that of bare soil(0.160 kg m^-2 s^-1).Rill erodibility(Kr)of mosscovered soil ranged from 0.0095 to 0.0009 s m^-1,which was 2 to 20 times lower than that of bare soil(0.0187 s m^-1).Both relative soil detachment rate and Kr showed an exponential decay with increasing moss coverage,whereas the critical shear stress(τc)for different moss coverage levels did not differ significantly.Moss coverage,soil cohesion,and sand content were key factors affecting Dc,while moss coverage and soil bulk density were key factors affecting Kr.A power function of flow shear stress,soil cohesion,and moss coverage fitted well to estimate Dc(NSE=0.947).Our findings implied that biocrusts prevented soil detachment directly by their physical cover and indirectly by soil properties modification.Biocrusts could be rehabilitated as a promising soil conservation measure during ecological recovery to enhance soil erosion resistance in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.

Retention of eucalyptus harvest residues reduces soil compaction caused by deep subsoiling

Eucalyptus harvesting,forwarding and soil tillage operations are among the main causes for compaction of forest soils,with potential impacts on productivity.This concern is especially important in areas with soils that are naturally compacted(fragipans and duripans).In these soils,tillage operations include the use of subsoilers that can reach depths of more than one meter and require heavy tractors that exert high pressure on the soil.One of the ways to try to minimize the effect of this compaction is by retaining harvest residues.The objective of this study was to evaluate the impacts of eucalyptus harvesting on soil physical attributes,as well as to determine the potential of different types of residue management to reduce compaction from the soil tillage operation.Two experiments were conducted in the same area with a Yellow Argisol.In the first experiment,compaction caused by mechanized harvesting with harvester+forwarder was evaluated.In the second experiment,different managements of harvest residues were examined as potential modifiers of soil compaction during tillage for new plantings.For this,three managements systems were tested:(1)retention of all harvest residues and litter from the previous rotation(HR+L),(2)retention of litter from the previous rotation(L),and(3)removal of harvest residues and litter from the previous rotation(WR).Before and after harvest,sampling was carried out in the planting rows and inter-rows,and after tillage,samples were collected in the traffic line of the subsoiler-tractor set.In both experiments,undisturbed soil samples were collected from the center of the 0-10,10-20,20-40,40-60,and 60-100 cm layers to determine soil density and total porosity.In each period and site of evaluation,mechanical resistance to penetration up to the 60-cm depth was also determined.The harvesting operation increased soil density at 0-10 and 60-100 cm depths only in the inter-rows.Retention of harvest residues and litter(HR+L)after harvesting avoided increases in soil density and penetration resistance caused by machine traffic during tillage.The results indicate the importance of retaining harvest residues on forest soils for achieving sustainable utilization and for conserving soil quality.

Calculation of Earthing System at Bangladesh Storm Water Pumping Station

A Storm Water Pumping Station funded by the World Bank is under construction and commissioning,of which the earthing system design is a crucial part for the electrical design.Based on IEEE and BS standards,this article fully introduces the analysis methodology and calculation of the system within the framework of the World Bank supported project.A solution of this practical case satisfied with the requirements of international standards is shown in order to bring experience and convenience for engineers who are dedicated to projects abroad.

Upper Bound Solution of the Resisting Moment Bearing Capacity of A Composite Bucket Shallow Foundation of An Offshore Wind Turbine in Sand

Bearing the large moment that is generated by the wind load that acts on the upper structure of offshore wind turbines is an important feature of their foundations that is different from other offshore structures.A composite bucket shallow foundation(CBSF)has been proposed by Tianjin University to address the soft geological conditions in the offshore regions of China for wind turbines.The CBSF is a new type of foundation and is effective against large moments.The soil deformation test of a CBSF and the numerical simulation study under the same working conditions are carried out to determine the failure mechanism of a CBSF under moment loading.The resisting soil compression rateηm is defined as a new empirical parameter that indicates the ability of the soil inside the bucket to resist moment loading.The upper limit of the resisting moment bearing capacity of the bucket foundation is derived through the upper bound theorem of classical plasticity theory based on the failure mechanism.The calculation method is validated by tests of bucket models with different height-diameter ratios in sand under moment loading.

Contribution of bacterivorous nematodes to soil resistance and resilience under copper or heat stress

The functional performance of soil ecosystems following disturbance determines ecosystem stability,and although contributions of bacterivorous nematodes to soil ecosystems are recognized,their roles in functional stability have received little attention.The objective of this study was to evaluate the roles of bacterivorous nematodes in functional stability following stress.In a factorial laboratory experiment,soil microcosms were prepared with two levels of nematode abundance,either an enriched abundance of bacterivores(Nema soil)or background abundance of nematodes(CK soil),and three levels of stress,copper,heat,or an unstressed control.The resistance and resilience of nematode abundance,as well as soil microbial function by determining decomposition of plant residues and microbial substrate utilization pattern using a BIOLOG microplate,were followed post stress.The relative changes of two dominant bacterivores,Acrobeloides and Protorhabditis,responded differently to stresses.The resistance and resilience of Protorhabditis were greater than that of Acrobeloides to copper stress during the whole incubation period,while both bacterivores only showed higher resilience under heat stress at the end of incubation.The enrichment of bacterivores had no significant effects on the soil microbial resistance but significantly increased its resilience to copper stress.Under heat stress,the positive effect of bacterivores on soil resilience was only evident from 28 days to the end of incubation.The differences in the responses of soil function to stress with or without bacterivores suggested that soil nematodes could be conducive to ecosystem stability,highlighting the soil fauna should be taken into account in soil sustainable management.

Effects of crop residue managements and tillage practices on variations of soil penetration resistance in sloping farmland of Mollisols

Soil penetration resistance(SPR)is one of the major indicators of soil physical properties.Crop residue managements,tillage practices and their interactions exert significant effects on the SPR.However,rare information is available in the sloping farmland of Mollisols.Field experiments were conducted to investigate the variations of the SPR as affected by crop residue managements and tillage practices on the sloping land in Northeast China from 2015 to 2019.The split-plot experiment was arranged with two crop residue managements(removed,REM and retained,RET),and three tillage practices(no tillage,NT;rotary tillage,RT;plow tillage,PT).SPR data in 0-80 cm soil depth was measured at the end of harvest of maize monoculture.Results showed that the two crop residue managements induced significant variations in the SPR at 0-15 cm,15-30 cm and 0-80 cm soil depths under NT,RT,and PT treatments,respectively.In comparison with RET treatment,the average values of the SPR under REM treatment were 10.9%and 8.9%higher in 45-60 cm and 60-80 cm soil depths,respectively.The average values of the SPR under PT treatment were 12.4%and 14.1%lower in 0-15 cm soil depth,and 23.9%and 10.4%lower in 15-30 cm soil depth than those under NT and RT treatments.However,the average value of the SPR under PT treatment was 11.2%and 22.0%higher in 60-80 cm soil depth than those under NT and RT treatments,respectively.The SPR generally decreased with the slope position declined in the deeper soil depth(except for the NT+RET treatment).The findings from this research can provide a scientific reference for the establishment of rational cultivation and the sustainable development of productivity on the sloping land of Mollisols in cold regions.

Resistance reduction by bionic coupling of the earthworm lubrication function

Based on the biological coupling theory, the resistance reduction characteristic of the surface morphology and surface wettability of the earthworm were studied in this paper. The parameters of surface dorsal pore and corrugation were extracted. According to these parameters, the lubrication mechanism of the earthworm surface was analyzed. The distribution of the pores and surface morphology were designed and the bionic coupling samples were prepared. The positive pressure, lubricant flow rate and advancing velocity were selected as the experiment factors while the soil friction resistance as observed object. According to the obtained data of bionic coupling samples from the testing system of biologic signal for tiny soil adhesion test, the optimal samples from the bionic coupling resistance reduction tests were selected through the range analysis. Compared to the normal ones, the soil resistance of bionic coupling samples was reduced by 76.8%. This is of great significance and offers bright prospects for reducing energy loss in terrain mechanics.