Rheological properties and concentration evolution of thickened tailings under the coupling effect of compression and shear

Cemented paste backfill(CPB)is a key technology for green mining in metal mines,in which tailings thickening comprises the primary link of CPB technology.However,difficult flocculation and substandard concentrations of thickened tailings often occur.The rheological properties and concentration evolution in the thickened tailings remain unclear.Moreover,traditional indoor thickening experiments have yet to quantitatively characterize their rheological properties.An experiment of flocculation condition optimization based on the Box-Behnken design(BBD)was performed in the study,and the two response values were investigated:concentration and the mean weighted chord length(MWCL)of flocs.Thus,optimal flocculation conditions were obtained.In addition,the rheological properties and concentration evolution of different flocculant dosages and ultrafine tailing contents under shear,compression,and compression-shear coupling experimental conditions were tested and compared.The results show that the shear yield stress under compression and compression-shear coupling increases with the growth of compressive yield stress,while the shear yield stress increases slightly under shear.The order of shear yield stress from low to high under different thickening conditions is shear,compression,and compression-shear coupling.Under compression and compression-shear coupling,the concentration first rapidly increases with the growth of compressive yield stress and then slowly increases,while concentration increases slightly under shear.The order of concentration from low to high under different thickening conditions is shear,compression,and compression-shear coupling.Finally,the evolution mechanism of the flocs and drainage channels during the thickening of the thickened tailings under different experimental conditions was revealed.

Shear behavior of intact granite under thermo-mechanical coupling and three-dimensional morphology of shear-formed fractures

The shear failure of intact rock under thermo-mechanical(TM)coupling conditions is common,such as in enhanced geothermal mining and deep mine construction.Under the effect of a continuous engineering disturbance,shear-formed fractures are prone to secondary instability,posing a severe threat to deep engineering.Although numerous studies regarding three-dimensional(3D)morphologies of fracture surfaces have been conducted,the understanding of shear-formed fractures under TM coupling conditions is limited.In this study,direct shear tests of intact granite under various TM coupling conditions were conducted,followed by 3D laser scanning tests of shear-formed fractures.Test results demonstrated that the peak shear strength of intact granite is positively correlated with the normal stress,whereas it is negatively correlated with the temperature.The internal friction angle and cohesion of intact granite significantly decrease with an increase in the temperature.The anisotropy,roughness value,and height of the asperities on the fracture surfaces are reduced as the normal stress increases,whereas their variation trends are the opposite as the temperature increases.The macroscopic failure mode of intact granite under TM coupling conditions is dominated by mixed tensileeshear and shear failures.As the normal stress increases,intragranular fractures are developed ranging from a local to a global distribution,and the macroscopic failure mode of intact granite changes from mixed tensileeshear to shear failure.Finally,3D morphological characteristics of the asperities on the shear-formed fracture surfaces were analyzed,and a quadrangular pyramid conceptual model representing these asperities was proposed and sufficiently verified.

Antiplane shear crack in a prestressed elastic medium based on the couple stress theory

A prestressed elastic medium containing a mode-Ⅲcrack is studied by means of the couple stress theory(CST).Based on the CST under initial stresses,a governing differential equation along with a mixed boundary value problem is established.The singularities of the couple stress and force stress near the crack tips are analyzed through the asymptotic crack-tip fields resulting from the characteristic expansion method.To determine their intensity,a hypersingular integral equation is derived and numerically solved with the help of the Chebyshev polynomial.The obtained results show a strong size-dependence of the out-of-plane displacement on the crack and the couple stress intensity factor(CSIF)and the force stress intensity factor(FSIF)around the crack tips.The symmetric part of the shear stress has no singularity,and the skew-symmetric part related to the couple stress exhibits an r^(-3/2)singularity,in which r is the distance from the crack tip.The initial stresses also affect the crack tearing displacement and the CSIF and FSIF.

Upper crustal anisotropy from local shear-wave splitting and crust-mantle coupling of Yunnan,SE margin of Tibetan Plateau

The upper crustal anisotropy of Yunnan area, SE margin of Tibetan Plateau, is investigated by measuring the shear wave splitting of local earthquakes. The mean value of the measured delay times is 0.054 s and far less than that from Pms splitting analysis, indicating that the crustal anisotropy is contributed mostly from mid-lower crust. The fast polarization directions are mostly sub-parallel to the maximum horizontal compression directions while the stations near fault zones show fault-parallel fast polarization directions, suggesting both stress and geological structure contribute to the upper crust anisotropy.Comparing fast polarization directions from shear wave splitting of local earthquakes and Pms, large angle differences are shown at most stations, implying different anisotropy properties between upper and mid-lower crust. However, in southwestern Yunnan, the fast polarization directions of Pms and Swave splitting are nearly parallel, and the stress and surface strain rate directions show strong correlation, which may indicate that the surface and deep crust deformations can be explained by the same mechanism and the surface deformation can represent the deformation of the whole crust. Therefore,the high correlation between surface strain and mantle deformation in this area suggests the mechanical coupling between crust and mantle in southwestern Yunnan. In the rest region of Yunnan, the crustmantle coupling mechanisms are supported by the lack of significant crustal anisotropy with Ne S fast polarization directions from Pms splitting. Therefore, we conclude that the crust and upper mantle are coupled in Yunnan, SE margin of Tibetan Plateau.

Geometry and formation mechanism of tension gashes and their implication on the hydrocarbon accumulation in the deep-seated strata of sedimentary basin:A case from Shunnan area of Tarim Basin

With the theoretical and technological developments related to cratonic strike-slip faults,the Shuntuoguole Low Uplift in the Tarim Basin has attracted considerable attention recently.Affected by multi-stage tectonic movements,the strike-slip faults have controlled the distribution of hydrocarbon resources owing to the special fault characteristics and fault-related structures.In contrast,the kinematics and formation mechanism of strike-slip faults in buried sedimentary basins are difficult to investigate,limiting the discussion of these faults and hydrocarbon accumulation.In this study,we identified the characteristics of massive sigmoidal tension gashes(STGs)that formed in the Shunnan area of the Tarim Basin.High-resolution three-dimensional seismic data and attribute analyses were used to investigate their geometric and kinematic characteristics.Then,the stress state of each point of the STGs was calculated using seismic curvature attributes.Finally,the formation mechanism of the STGs and their roles in controlling hydrocarbon migration and accumulation were discussed.The results suggest that:(1)the STGs developed in the Shunnan area have a wide distribution,with a tensile fault arranged in an enéchelon pattern,showing an S-shaped bending.These STGs formed in multiple stages,and differential rotation occurred along the direction of strike-slip stress during formation.(2)Near the principal displacement zone of the strike-slip faults,the stress value of the STGs was higher,gradually decreasing at both ends.The shallow layer deformation was greater than the deep layer deformation.(3)STGs are critical for connecting source rocks,migrating oil and gas,sealing horizontally,and developing efficient reservoirs.This study not only provides seismic evidence for the formation and evolution of super large STGs,but also provides certain guidance for oil and gas exploration in this area.

Size-dependent thermomechanical vibration characteristics of rotating pre-twisted functionally graded shear deformable microbeams

A three-dimensional(3D)thermomechanical vibration model is developed for rotating pre-twisted functionally graded(FG)microbeams according to the refined shear deformation theory(RSDT)and the modified couple stress theory(MCST).The material properties are assumed to follow a power-law distribution along the chordwise direction.The model introduces one axial stretching variable and four transverse deflection variables including two pure bending components and two pure shear ones.The complex modal analysis and assumed mode methods are used to solve the governing equations of motion under different boundary conditions(BCs).Several examples are presented to verify the effectiveness of the developed model.By coupling the slenderness ratio,gradient index,rotation speed,and size effect with the pre-twisted angle,the effects of these factors on the thermomechanical vibration of the microbeam with different BCs are investigated.It is found that with the increase in the pre-twisted angle,the critical slenderness ratio and gradient index corresponding to the thermal instability of the microbeam increase,while the critical material length scale parameter(MLSP)and rotation speed decrease.The sensitivity of the fundamental frequency to temperature increases with the increasing slenderness ratio and gradient index,and decreases with the other increasing parameters.Moreover,the size effect can suppress the dynamic stiffening effect and enhance the Coriolis effect.Finally,the mode transition is quantitatively demonstrated by a modal assurance criterion(MAC).

Dynamic Coupled Analysis of the Floating Platform Using the Asynchronous Coupling Algorithm

This paper discusses the numerical modeling of the dynamic coupled analysis of the floating platform and mooring/risers using the asynchronous coupling algorithm with the purpose to improve the computational efficiency when multiple lines are connected to the platform. The numerical model of the platform motion simulation in wave is presented. Additionally, how the asynchronous coupling algorithm is implemented during the dynamic coupling analysis is introduced. Through a comparison of the numerical results of our developed model with commercial software for a SPAR platform, the developed numerical model is checked and validated.

Risk of shear failure and extensional failure around over-stressed excavations in brittle rock

The authors investigate the failure modes surrounding over-stressed tunnels in rock.Three lines of investigation are employed:failure in over-stressed three-dimensional(3D) models of tunnels bored under 3D stress,failure modes in two-dimensional(2D) numerical simulations of 1000 m and 2000 m deep tunnels using FRACOD,both in intact rock and in rock masses with one or two joint sets,and finally,observations in TBM(tunnel boring machine) tunnels in hard and medium hard massive rocks.The reason for 'stress-induced' failure to initiate,when the assumed maximum tangential stress is approximately(0.4-0.5)σ_c(UCS,uniaxial compressive strength) in massive rock,is now known to be due to exceedance of a critical extensional strain which is generated by a Poisson's ratio effect.However,because similar 'stress/strength' failure limits are found in mining,nuclear waste research excavations,and deep road tunnels in Norway,one is easily misled into thinking of compressive stress induced failure.Because of this,the empirical SRF(stress reduction factor in the Q-system) is set to accelerate as the estimated ratio σ_(θmax)/σ_c >> 0.4.In mining,similar 'stress/strength' ratios are used to suggest depth of break-out.The reality behind the fracture initiation stress/strength ratio of '0.4' is actually because of combinations of familiar tensile and compressive strength ratios(such as 10) with Poisson's ratio(say0.25).We exceed the extensional strain limits and start to see acoustic emission(AE) when tangential stress σθ ≈ 0.4σc,due to simple arithmetic.The combination of 2D theoretical FRACOD models and actual tunnelling suggests frequent initiation of failure by 'stable' extensional strain fracturing,but propagation in 'unstable' and therefore dynamic shearing.In the case of very deep tunnels(and 3D physical simulations),compressive stresses may be too high for extensional strain fracturing,and shearing will dominate,both ahead of the face and following the face.When shallower,the concept of 'extensional strain initiation but propagation' in shear is suggested.The various failure modes are richly illustrated,and the inability of conventional continuum modelling is emphasized,unless cohesion weakening and friction mobilization at different strain levels are used to reach a pseudo state of yield,but still considering a continuum.

DEFORMATION LOCALIZATION AND SHEAR BAND FRACTURE IN STRONG ANISOTROPY SHEET TENSION

The tensile deformation localization and the shear band fracture behaviors of sheet metals with strong anisotropy are numerically simulated by using Updating Lagrange finite element method, Quasi-how plastic constitutive theory([1]) and B-L planar anisotropy yield criterion([2]). Simulated results are compared with experimental ones. Very good consistence is obtained between numerical and experimental results. The relationship between the anisotropy coefficient R and the shear band angle theta is found.

Size-dependent effect on biaxial and shear nonlinear buckling analysis of nonlocal isotropic and orthotropic micro-plate based on surface stress and modified couple stress theories using differential quadrature method

The size-dependent effect on the biaxial and shear nonlinear buckling analysis of an isotropic and orthotropic micro-plate based on the surface stress, the modified couple stress theory （MCST）, and the nonlocal elasticity theories using the differential quadrature method （DQM） is presented. Main advantages of the MCST over the classical theory （CT） are the inclusion of the asymmetric couple stress tensor and the consideration of only one material length scale parameter. Based on the nonlinear von Karman assumption, the governing equations of equilibrium for the micro-classical plate consid- ering midplane displacements are derived based on the minimum principle of potential energy. Using the DQM, the biaxial and shear critical buckling loads of the micro-plate for various boundary conditions are obtained. Accuracy of the obtained results is validated by comparing the solutions with those reported in the literature. A parametric study is conducted to show the effects of the aspect ratio, the side-to-thickness ratio, Eringen＇s nonlocal parameter, the material length scale parameter, Young＇s modulus of the surface layer, the surface residual stress, the polymer matrix coefficients, and various boundary conditions on the dimensionless uniaxial, biaxial, and shear critical buckling loads. The results indicate that the critical buckling loads are strongly sensitive to Eringen＇s nonlocal parameter, the material length scale parameter, and the surface residual stress effects, while the effect of Young＇s modulus of the surface layer on the critical buckling load is negligible. Also, considering the size dependent effect causes the increase in the stiffness of the orthotropic micro-plate. The results show that the critical biaxial buckling load increases with an increase in G12/E2 and vice versa for E1/E2. It is shown that the nonlinear biaxial buckling ratio decreases as the aspect ratio increases and vice versa for the buckling amplitude. Because of the most lightweight micro-composite materials with high strength/weight and stiffness/weight ratios, it is anticipated that the results of the present work are useful in experimental characterization of the mechanical properties of micro-composite plates in the aircraft industry and other engineering applications.

Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian simulation of a modified direct shearapparatus for the measurement of residual shear strengths

The simulation of large-strain geotechnical laboratory tests with conventional Lagrangian finite element method(FEM)techniques is often problematic due to excessive mesh distortion.The multiple reversal direct shear(MRDS)test can be used to measure the residual shear strength of soils in a laboratory setting.However,modelling and simulation generally require advanced numerical methods to accommodate the large shear strains concentrated in the shear plane.In reality,when the standard direct shear(DS)apparatus is used,the MRDS method is prone to two major sources of measurement error:load cap tilting and specimen loss.These sources of error make it difficult or even impossible to correctly determine the residual shear strength.This paper presents a modified DS apparatus and multi-reversal multi-stage test method,simulated using the coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian(CEL)method in a finite element environment.The method was successful in evaluating equipment and preventing both load cap tilting and specimen loss,while modelling large-deformation behaviour that is not readily simulated with the conventional FEM or arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian(ALE)analysis.Thereafter,a modified DS apparatus was created for the purpose of analysing mixtures of organic materials found in an Australian clay.The results obtained from the modified DS CEL model in combination with laboratory tests show a great improvement in the measured residual shear strength profiles compared to those from the standard apparatus.The modified DS setup ensures that accurate material residual shear strengths are calculated,a factor that is vital to ensure appropriate soil behaviour is simulated for numerical analyses of large-scale geotechnical projects.

Unified analytical stressstrain curve for quasibrittle geomaterial in uniaxial tension, direct shear and uniaxial compression

Considering strain localization in the form of a narrow band initiated just at peak stress, three analytical expressions for stressstrain curves of quasibrittle geomaterial (such as rock and concrete) in uniaxial tension, direct shear and uniaxial compression were presented, respectively. The three derived stressstrain curves were generalized as a unified formula. Beyond the onset of strain localization, a linear strain-softening constitutive relation for localized band was assigned. The size of the band was controlled by internal or characteristic length according to gradient-dependent plasticity. Elastic strain within the entire specimen was assumed to be uniform and decreased with the increase of plastic strain in localized band. Total strain of the specimen was decomposed into elastic and plastic parts. Plastic strain of the specimen was the average value of plastic strains in localized band over the entire specimen. For different heights, the predicted softening branches of the relative stressstrain curves in uniaxial compression are consistent with the previously experimental results for normal concrete specimens. The present expressions for the post-peak stressdeformation curves in uniaxial tension and direct shear agree with the previously numerical results based on gradient-dependent plasticity.

Mechanical mechanism analysis of tension type anchor based on shear displacement method

Based on the fact that the shear stress along anchorage segment is neither linearly nor uniformly distributed, the load transfer mechanism of the tension type anchor was studied and the mechanical characteristic of anchorage segment was analyzed. Shear stress?strain relationship of soil surrounding anchorage body was simplified into three-folding-lines model consisting of elastic phase, elasto-plastic phase and residual phase considering its softening characteristic. Meanwhile, shear displacement method that has been extensively used in the analysis of pile foundation was introduced. Based on elasto-plastic theory, the distributions of displacement, shear stress and axial force along the anchorage segment of tension type anchor were obtained, and the formula for calculating the elastic limit load was also developed accordingly. Finally, an example was given to discuss the variation of stress and displacement in the anchorage segment with the loads exerted on the anchor, and a program was worked out to calculate the anchor maximum bearing capacity. The influence of some parameters on the anchor bearing capacity was discussed, and effective anchorage length was obtained simultaneously. The results show that the shear stress first increases and then decreases and finally trends to the residual strength with increase of distance from bottom of the anchorage body, the displacement increases all the time with the increase of distance from bottom of the anchorage body, and the increase of velocity gradually becomes greater.

Hydro-mechanical coupling mechanism on joint of clay core-wall and concrete cut-off wall

The joint of clay core-wall and concrete cut-off wall is one of the weakest parts in high earth and rockfill dams.A kind of highly plastic clay is always fixed on the joint to fit the large shear deformation between clay core-wall and concrete cut-off wall,so the hydro-mechanical coupling mechanisms on the joint under high stress,high hydraulic gradient,and large shear deformation are of great importance for the evaluation of dam safety.The hydro-mechanical coupling characteristics of the joint of the highly plastic clay and the concrete cut-off wall in a high earth and rockfill dam in China were studied by using a newly designed soil-structure contact erosion apparatus.The experimental results indicate that:1)Shear failure on the joint is due to the hydro-mechanical coupling effect of stress and seepage failure.The seepage failure will induce the final shear failure when the ratio of deviatoric stress to confining pressure is within 1.0 1.2;2)A negative exponential permeability empirical model for the joint denoted by a newly defined principal stress function,which considers the coupling effect of confining pressure and axial pressure on the permeability,is established based on hydro-mechanical coupling experiments.3)The variation of the settlement before and after seepage failure is very different.The settlement before seepage failure changes very slowly,while it increases significantly after the seepage failure.4)The stress strain relationship is of a strain softening type.5)Flow along the joint still follows Darcian flow rule.The results will provide an important theoretical basis for the further evaluation on the safety of the high earth and rockfill dam.

Chemo-mechanical couplings in compacted argillite submitted to high-pH environment

In the French concept of deep nuclear wastes repository, the galleries should be backfilled with excavated argillite after the site exploitation period. After several thousands of years, the degradation of the concrete lining of the galleries will generate alkaline fluid (pH 】 12) that will diffuse through the backfill. The objective of the paper is to describe the influence of such solute diffusion on the microstructure and the mechanical behavior of compacted argillite. Saturated-portlandite water was circulated through compacted samples for 3, 6 and 12 months at 20 °C or 60 °C, respectively. The microstructures before and after fluid circulation were determined with mercury intrusion porosimetry. Since it was planned to introduce additives (bentonite or lime) in the remoulded argillite to backfill the deep galleries, such mixtures were also studied. The results show that the influence of the alkaline fluid on the properties of the argillite is a function of the nature of the additive. The pure argillite undergoes slight modifications that can be related to a limited dissolution of its clayey particles. Conversely, intense alteration of the bentonite-argillite mixture was observed. Lime addition improves the mechanical characteristics of the argillite through the precipitation of cementitious compounds.

Coupling characteristics of stress and strain at different layers of different sub-regions in Yunnan and its adjacent areas

In this paper, we collect 6 361 waveform data to calculate the shear wave splitting parameters from a regional seismic network of 22 digital stations in Yunnan and its adjacent area from July 1999 to June 2005. By using the cross-correlation method, 64 splitting events of 16 stations are processed. We also collect the splitting results of eight earthquake sequences to present the characteristics of shear wave splitting in Yunnan and its adjacent areas. The orientations of maximum principal compressive stress of three sub-regions in this area are derived from the CMT focal mechanism solutions of 43 moderate-strong earthquakes provided by Harvard University by the P axis azimuth-averaging method. The principal strain rate at each observatory is deduced from the observations of Crustal Movement Observation Network of China during the period from 1999 to 2004. In addition, the data of Pn aniso- tropy and SKS splitting of Yunnan and its adjacent areas are also collected. We have discovered from this study that the continental lithosphere, as a main seismogenic environment for strong earthquake, can be divided into blocks laterally; the mechanical behavior of lithosphere varies with depth and can be divided into different layers in the vertical orientation; the information of crustal deformation obtained from GPS might be affected by the type of blocks, since there are different types of active blocks in Yunnan and its adjacent areas; the shear wave splitting in this region might be affected mainly by the upper crust or even the surface tectonics.

Hydrodynamic Response of A Fully Coupled TLP Hull-TTR System with Detailed Modeling of A Hydraulic Pneumatic Tensioner and Riser Joints

Tension Leg Platform(TLP)in deepwater oil and gas field development usually consists of a hull,tendons,and top tension risers(TTRs).To maintain its top tension,each TTR is connected with a tensioner system to the hull.Owing to the complicated configuration of the tensioners,the hull and TTRs form a strong coupled system.Traditionally,some simplified tensioner models are applied to analyze the TLP structures.There is a large discrepancy between their analysis results and the actual mechanism behaviors of a tensioner.It is very necessary to develop a more detailed tensioner model to consider the coupling effects between TLP and TTRs.In the present study,a fully coupled TLP hull-TTR system for hydrodynamic numerical simulation is established.A specific hydraulic pneumatic tensioner is modeled by considering 4 cylinders.The production TTR model is stacked up by specific riser joints.The simulation is also extended to analyze an array of TTRs.Different regular and irregular waves are considered.The behaviors of different cylinders are presented.The results show that it is important to consider the specific configurations of the tensioner and TTRs,which may lead to obviously different response behaviors,compared with those from a simplified model.

NONLINEAR COUPLED RESPONSE OF TENSION LEG PLATFORM

A dynamic response analysis of tension leg platform (TLP) to deterministic first order wave forces is presented, considering coupling between various degrees of freedom surge, sway, heave, pitch, roll and yaw. The analysis duly considers nonlinearities produced due to changes in cable-tension and due to nonlinear hydro-dynamic drag forces. The wave forces on the elements of the pontoon structure are calculated using Airy's wave theory and Morison's equation. The nonlinear equation of motion is solved in the time domain by Newmark's β-method. With the help of proposed analysis, some example problems are solved in order to investigate the effects of different important factors that influence the response of TLP.

Modelling erosion of a single rock block using a coupled CFD-DEM approach

Rock block removal is the prevalent physical mechanism for rock erosion and could affect the stability of dam foundations and spillways.Despite this,understanding of block removal is still inadequate because of the complex interactions among block characteristics,hydraulic forces,and erosive processes acting on the block.Herein,based on a previously conducted physical experiment of erosion of a single rock block,the removal processes of two different protruding blocks are represented by a coupled computational fluid dynamics-discrete element model(CFD-DEM)approach under varied flow conditions.Additionally,the blocks could be rotated with respect to the flow direction to consider the effect of the discontinuity orientation on the block removal process.Simulation results visualize the entire block removal process.The simulations reproduce the effects of the discontinuity orientation on the critical flow velocity inducing block incipient motion and the trajectory of the block motion observed in the physical experiments.The numerical results present a similar tendency of the critical velocities at different discontinuity orientations but have slightly lower values.The trajectory of the block in the simulations fits well with the experimental measurements.The relationship between the dimensionless critical shear stress and discontinuity orientation observed from the simulations shows that the effect of block protrusion becomes more dominant on the block incipient motion with the increase of relative protrusion height.To our knowledge,this present study is the first attempt to use the coupled finite volume method(FVM)-DEM approach for modelling the interaction behavior between the block and the flowing water so that the block removal process can be reproduced and analyzed.