Progress on research and mitigation of wind-blown sand risk in Dunhuang Singing Sand Mountain and Crescent Spring Scenic area,China

The Singing Sand Mountain and Crescent Spring Scenic Spot in Dunhuang,Northwest China is a world-renowned desert attraction that is also an integral component of the Dunhuang UNESCO Global Geopark.This scenic area underwent a 30-year transformation,i.e.,from a severe sand risk with spring water threatened by sand burial due to dune deformation,to restoration of the original sand flow field and mitigation of the sand burial problem.The current paper summarizes the research on the intensive monitoring of the dynamic change of star dunes near the spring,observation of wind and sand flow movement,and then restoring the harmonic vibration of the sand particles(singing sand)that were previously silenced.The existing and prospective impacts of anthropogenic and natural forces on the deformation of the sand dunes are investigated by integrated methods,guiding the implementation of mitigating measures with significant ameliorative effects.Contrast to common sand control practices that aim to reduce wind speed and stop blown sands,our research highlights the importance of maintaining the natural wind flow field in stabilizing surrounding dunes.These mitigation measures consist of removing excessive vegetation and newly constructed buildings to recover the original wind flow field and sand transport activity.Such research and mitigation efforts ensure the scientific protection and restoration of the special desert landform,and contribute to the mutual enhancement of the conservation and exploitation of this desert scenic spot and similar sites.

Failure Envelopes of Wide-Shallow Composite Bucket Foundation for Offshore Wind Turbines in Silty Sand

The wide-shallow composite bucket foundation(WSCBF) is a new type of offshore wind power foundation that can be built on land and rapidly installed offshore, there by effectively reducing the construction time and costs of offshore wind power foundation. In this study, the horizontal bearing capacity is calculated by finite element simulation and compared with test results to verify the validity of results. In this process, the vertical load and bending load are respectively calculated by the finite element simulation. Under the vertical load effect, the bucket foundation and the soil inside are regarded as a whole, and the corresponding buckling failure mode is obtained. The ultimate vertical bearing capacity is calculated using empirical and theoretical formulas; the theoretical formula is also revised by finite element results. Under bending load, the rotational center of the composite bucket foundation(in a region close to the bucket bottom) gradually moves from the left of the central axis(reverse to loading direction) to the nearby compartment boards along the loading direction. The H–M envelope line shows a linear relationship, and it is determined that the vertical and bending ultimate bearing capacities can be improved by an appropriate vertical load.

Responses of calcareous sand foundations to variations of groundwater table and applied loads

The long-term settlement of calcareous sand foundations caused by daily periodic fluctuations has become a significant geological hazard,but effective monitoring tools to capture the deformation profiles are still rarely reported.In this study,a laboratory model test and an in situ monitoring test were conducted.An optical frequency domain reflectometer(OFDR)with high spatial resolution(1 mm)and high accuracy(10-6)was used to record the soil strain responses to groundwater table and varied loads.The results indicated that the fiber-optic measurements can accurately locate the swelling and compressive zones.During the loading process,the interlock between calcareous sand particles was detected,which increased the internal friction angle of soil.The foundation deformation above the sliding surface was dominated by compression,and the soil was continuously compressed beneath the sliding surface.After 26e48 h,calcareous sand swelling occurred gradually above the water table,which was primarily dependent on capillary water.The swelling of the soil beneath the groundwater table was completed rapidly within less than 2 h.When the groundwater table and load remain constant,the compression creep behavior can be described by the Yasong-Wang model with R2¼0.993.The daily periodically varying in situ deformation of calcareous sand primarily occurs between the highest and lowest groundwater tables,i.e.4.2e6.2 m deep.The tuff interlayers with poor water absorption capacity do not swell or compress,but they produce compressive strain under the influence of deformed calcareous sand layers.

Self-Weight Penetration Characteristics of the Suction Foundation with Different Diameters in Sand

During the self-weight penetration process of the suction foundation on the dense sand seabed,due to the shallow penetration depth,the excess seepage seawater from the outside to the inside of the foundation may cause the negative pressure penetration process failure.Increasing the self-weight penetration depth has become an important problem for the safe construction of the suction foundation.The new suction anchor foundation has been proposed,and the self-weight penetration characteristics of the traditional suction foundation and the new suction anchor foundation are studied and compared through laboratory experiments and analysis.For the above two foundation types,by considering five foundation diameters and two bottom shapes,20 models are tested with the same penetration energy.The effects of different foundation diameters on the penetration depth,the soil plug characteristics,and the surrounding sand layer are studied.The results show that the penetration depth of the new suction foundation is smaller than that of the traditional suction foundation.With the same penetration energy,the penetration depth of the suction foundation becomes shallower as the diameter increases.The smaller the diameter of the suction foundation,the more likely it is to be fully plugged,and the smaller the height of the soil plug will be.In the stage of self-weight penetration,the impact cavity appears around the foundation,which may affect the stability of the suction foundation.

Damage by wind-blown sand and its control measures along the Taklimakan Desert Highway in China

Desertification is one of the most serious environmental problems in the world,especially in the arid desert regions.Combating desertification,therefore,is an urgent task on a regional or even global scale.The Taklimakan Desert in China is the second largest mobile desert in the world and has been called the''Dead Sea''due to few organisms can exist in such a harsh environment.The Taklimakan Desert Highway,the longest desert highway(a total length of 446 km)across the mobile desert in the world,was built in the 1990s within the Taklimakan Desert.It has an important strategic significance regarding oil and gas resources exploration and plays a vital role in the socio-economic development of southern Xinjiang,China.However,wind-blow sand seriously damages the smoothness of the desert highway and,in this case,mechanical sand control system(including sand barrier fences and straw checkerboards)was used early in the life of the desert highway to protect the road.Unfortunately,more than 70%of the sand barrier fences and straw checkerboards have lost their functions,and the desert highway has often been buried and frequently blocked since 1999.To solve this problem,a long artificial shelterbelt with the length of 437 km was built along the desert highway since 2000.However,some potential problems still exist for the sustainable development of the desert highway,such as water shortage,strong sandstorms,extreme environmental characteristics and large maintenance costs.The study aims to provide an overview of the damages caused by wind-blown sand and the effects of sand control measures along the Taklimakan Desert Highway.Ultimately,we provide some suggestions for the biological sand control system to ensure the sustainable development of the Taklimakan Desert Highway,such as screening drought-resistant species to reduce the irrigation requirement and ensure the sound development of groundwater,screening halophytes to restore vegetation in the case of soil salinization,and planting cash crops,such as Cistanche,Wolfberry,Apocynum and other cash crops to decrease the high cost of maintenance on highways and shelterbelts.

Effect of the W-beam central guardrails on wind-blown sand deposition on desert expressways in sandy regions

Many desert expressways are affected by the deposition of the wind-blown sand,which might block the movement of vehicles or cause accidents.W-beam central guardrails,which are used to improve the safety of desert expressways,are thought to influence the deposition of the wind-blown sand,but this has yet not to be studied adequately.To address this issue,we conducted a wind tunnel test to simulate and explore how the W-beam central guardrails affect the airflow,the wind-blown sand flux and the deposition of the wind-blown sand on desert expressways in sandy regions.The subgrade model is 3.5 cm high and 80.0 cm wide,with a bank slope ratio of 1:3.The W-beam central guardrails model is 3.7 cm high,which included a 1.4-cm-high W-beam and a 2.3-cm-high stand column.The wind velocity was measured by using pitot-static tubes placed at nine different heights(1,2,3,5,7,10,15,30 and 50 cm)above the floor of the chamber.The vertical distribution of the wind-blown sand flux in the wind tunnel was measured by using the sand sampler,which was sectioned into 20 intervals.In addition,we measured the wind-blown sand flux in the field at K50 of the Bachu-Shache desert expressway in the Taklimakan Desert on 11 May 2016,by using a customized 78-cm-high gradient sand sampler for the sand flux structure test.Obstruction by the subgrade leads to the formation of two weak wind zones located at the foot of the windward slope and at the leeward slope of the subgrade,and the wind velocity on the leeward side weakens significantly.The W-beam central guardrails decrease the leeward wind velocity,whereas the velocity increases through the bottom gaps and over the top of the W-beam central guardrails.The vertical distribution of the wind-blown sand flux measured by wind tunnel follows neither a power-law nor an exponential function when affected by either the subgrade or the W-beam central guardrails.At 0.0H and 0.5H(where H=3.5 cm,which is the height of the subgrade),the sand transport is less at the 3 cm height from the subgrade surface than at the 1 and 5 cm heights as a result of obstruction by the W-beam central guardrails,and the maximum sand transportation occurs at the 5 cm height affected by the subgrade surface.The average saltation height in the presence of the W-beam central guardrails is greater than the subgrade height.The field test shows that the sand deposits on the overtaking lane leeward of the W-beam central guardrails and that the thickness of the deposited sand is determined by the difference in the sand mass transported between the inlet and outlet points,which is consistent with the position of the minimum wind velocity in the wind tunnel test.The results of this study could help us to understand the hazards of the wind-blown sand onto subgrade with the W-beam central guardrails.

Experimental analysis of sand particles' lift-off and incident velocities in wind-blown sand flux

The probability distributions of sand particles＇ lift-off and incident velocities in a wind-blown sand flux play very important roles in the simulation of the wind-blown sand movement. In this paper, the vertical and the horizontal speeds of sand particles located at 1.0 mm above a sand-bed in a wind-blown sand flux are observed with the aid of Phase Doppler Anemometry （PDA） in a wind tunnel. Based on the experimental data, the probability distributions of not only the vertical lift-off speed but also the lift-off velocity as well as its horizontal component and the incident velocity as well as its vertical and horizontal components can be obtained by the equal distance histogram method. It is found, according to the results of the X^2-test for these probability distributions, that the probability density functions （pdf＇s） of the sand particles＇ lift-off and incident velocities as well as their vertical com- ponents are described by the Gamma density function with different peak values and shapes and the downwind incident and lift-off horizontal speeds, respectively, can be described by the lognormal and the Gamma density functions, These pdf＇s depend on not only the sand particle diameter but also the wind speed.

Shaking Table Tests of Four-Bucket Jacket Foundation for Offshore Wind Turbines

As the offshore wind turbine foundation,the four-bucket jacket foundation has a large stiffness and the structure is difficult to be damaged under seismic load.Nevertheless,the saturated subsoil of the four-bucket jacket foundation tends to be liquefied under earthquake,which greatly affects the safety of offshore wind turbine.Therefore,the seismic performance of four-bucket jacket foundation is mainly reflected in the anti-liquefaction capacity of foundation soil.In this paper,the liquefaction resistance of sandy soil of four-bucket jacket foundation for offshore wind turbine is studied.The liquefaction and dynamic response of sandy soil foundation of four-bucket jacket foundation under seismic load are obtained by carrying out the shaking table test,and the influence mechanism of four-bucket jacket foundation on the liquefaction resistance of sandy soil foundation is analyzed.

Dynamic Characteristics Analysis on Wind-Blown Sand Ground under Dynamic Compaction Vibration

In the 6000 kN·m energy level dynamic compaction on Inner Mongolia wind-blown sand foundation treatment process, the dynamic characteristics and dynamic response are measured. Vibration action time, vibration main frequency, peak acceleration and peak velocity are analyzed. The vibration acting time is very short, the vertical average vibration acting time increases obviously with distance increasing, and the horizontal average vibration time does hardly change. The main frequency of vibration is at 4.60 - 24.90 Hz, which depends on the soil properties and soil layer distribution. The peak acceleration and peak velocity space distribution are similar. The maximum of horizontal acceleration peak is close to vertical velocity peak, and is near to 51 g under rammer. The maximum of horizontal velocity peak is close to vertical velocity peak, and is near to 54 m/s under rammer. The peak acceleration and velocity are rapidly attenuated, but the vertical peak acceleration and peak velocity are slowly attenuated than horizontal direction. The effective treating depth arrives 13 m for wind-blown wind, peak acceleration is 1.8 g or so, and peak velocity is 2.1 m/s or so. Horizontal treating range is 2.6 times of rammer diameter, and vertical treating range is 5.65 times of rammer diameter.

Electromagnetic scattering of charged particles in a strong wind-blown sand electric field

Some field experimental results have shown that the moving sands or dust aerosols in nature are usually electrified,and those charged particles also produce a strong electric field in air, which is named as wind-blown sand electric field.Some scholars have pointed out that the net charge on the particle significantly enhances its electromagnetic(EM) extinction properties, but up to now, there is no conclusive research on the effect of the environmental electric field. Based on the extended Mie theory, the effect of the electric field in a sandstorm on the EM attenuation properties of the charged larger dust particle is studied. The numerical results indicate that the environmental electric field also has a great influence on the particle's optical properties, and the stronger the electric field, the bigger the effect. In addition, the charged angle, the charge density, and the particle radius all have a specific impact on the charged particle's optical properties.

Energy Consumption and Erosion Mechanism of Polyester Fiber Reinforced Cement Composite in Wind-blown Sand Environments

Considering the economic and environmental benefits associated with the recycling of polyester(PET)fibres,it is vital to study the application of fibre-reinforced cement composites.According to the characteristics of the wind-blown sand environment in Inner Mongolia,the erosion resistance of the polyester fibre-reinforced cement composites(PETFRCC)with different PET fibre contents to various erosion angles,velocities and sand particle flows was investigated by the gas-blast method.Based on the actual conditions of sandstorms in Inner Mongolia,the sand erosion parameters required for testing were calculated by the similarity theory.The elastic-plastic model and rigid plastic model of PETFRCC and cement mortar were established,and the energy consumption mechanism of the model under particle impact was analyzed.The experimental results indicate that the microstructure of PETFRCC rafter hydration causes a spring-like buffering effect,and the deformation of PETFRCC under the same impact load is slightly smaller than that of cement mortar,and the damage mechanism of PETFRCC is mainly characterized by fiber deformation and slight brittle spalling of matrix.And under the most unfavorable conditions of the erosion,the erosion rate of 0.5PETFRCC is about 57.69%lower than that of cement mortar,showing better erosion resistance.

Probability of rebound and eject of sand particles in wind-blown sand movement

When incident particles impact into a sand bed in wind-blown sand movement, rebound of the incident particles and eject of the sand particles by the incident particles affect directly the development of wind sand flux. In order to obtain rebound and eject lift-off probability of the sand particles, we apply the particle-bed stochastic collision model presented in our pervious works to derive analytic solutions of velocities of the incident and impacted particles in the postcollision bed. In order to describe randomness inherent in the real particle-bed collision, we take the incident angle, the impact position and the direction of resultant action of sand particles in sand bed on the impacted sand particle as ran- dom variables, and calculate the rebound and eject velocities, angles and coefficients （ratio of rebound and eject velocity to incident velocity）. Numerical results are found in accordance with current experimental results. The rebound and eject liftoff probabilities versus the incident and creeping velocities are predicted.

Influence of artificial freezing onliquefaction characteristics of Nanjing sand

Purpose–This study purposes to study the influence of artificial freezing on the liquefaction characteristics of Nanjing sand,as well as its mechanism.Design/methodology/approach–was studied through dynamic triaxial tests by means of the GDS dynamic triaxial system on Nanjing sand extensively discovered in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River under seismic load and metro train vibration load,respectively,and potential hazards of the two loads to the freezing construction of Nanjing sand were also identified in the tests.Findings–The results show that under both seismic load and metro train vibration load,freeze-thaw cycles will significantly reduce the stiffness and liquefaction resistance of Nanjing sand,especially in the first freezethaw cycle;the more freeze-thaw cycles,the worse structural behaviors of silty-fine sand,and the easier to liquefy;freeze-thaw cycles will increase the sensitivity of Nanjing sand’s dynamic pore pressure to dynamic load response;the lower the freezing temperature and the effective confining pressure,the worse the liquefaction resistance of Nanjing sand after freeze-thaw cycles;compared to the metro train vibration load,the seismic load in Nanjing is potentially less dangerous to freezing construction of Nanjing sand.Originality/value–The research results are helpful to the construction of the artificial ground freezing of the subway crossing passage in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and to ensure the construction safety of the subway tunnel and its crossing passage.

盾尾密封失效诱发砂土地基盾构管片环失稳坍塌研究

盾构管片环失稳坍塌案例时有发生,探究其失稳坍塌发生条件对于预防重大安全事故发生具有重要意义。基于Midas GTS建立30环考虑环缝螺栓作用的荷载−结构计算模型,从盾尾管片环地基掏空和盾尾姿态突变2个方面探讨盾构管片环结构失稳破坏过程及失稳坍塌的发生条件。结果表明:盾尾渗漏使盾尾壳体失去了周围地基的有效约束作用,盾尾发生前仰后俯的姿态变化,隧道结构发生横向“横鸭蛋”和纵向挠曲变形,最终导致部分管片环坍塌。盾尾下沉位移是诱发管片环失稳坍塌的主要因素,盾尾下沉导致隧道纵向变形快速发展,快于盾尾渗漏引起管片环周围地基掏空所导致的隧道纵向变形。当盾尾下沉位移大于0.50 m且掏空范围大于5环、盾尾下沉位移大于0.45 m且掏空范围大于10环、盾尾下沉位移大于0.40 m且掏空范围大于11环时,环缝最大张开量超过单根螺栓极限应力时的环缝张开量47.43 mm,部分纵向螺栓被拉断,管片外水土发生喷射,加快管片环外砂土快速流失。当盾尾下沉位移大于0.5 m且掏空范围大于9环时,环缝最大张开量超过65.2 mm,管片环椭圆率超过46.1‰,最终诱发多环管片环失稳坍塌。研究结果可为盾尾渗漏诱发的重大安全风险评判提供参考。

上砂下黏地层中桩-筒复合基础V-H承载特性

海上风机基础不仅受自重等竖向力V作用,也因水流、波浪和风等影响而承受水平荷载H。为探讨上砂下黏地层中一种由单桩和吸力筒组成的新型海上风机桩-筒复合基础受V-H组合作用时的承载特性,自主设计完成了一系列室内桩-筒复合基础V-H组合加载模型试验,获得不同组合参数下桩-筒复合基础的荷载-位移曲线和桩身弯矩分布曲线,并绘制出V-H承载力包络线。在此基础上,采用ABAQUS建立了上砂下黏地层中桩-筒复合基础三维数值分析模型,经模型验证与参数分析,进一步讨论了砂土厚度、筒径、筒高以及加载高度等参数对桩-筒复合基础承载特性的影响曲线,并拟合出桩-筒复合基础承载力简化计算公式,分析结果表明:桩-筒复合基础能显著提高桩身水平承载力,增幅达30%~90%,且增加筒径比增加筒高更有利于提高基础水平承载力;上部砂土层较厚时,桩-筒复合基础存在一个使复合基础水平承载力达到最大的预加竖向荷载最佳值,其值随不同载荷工况在(0.4~0.7)Vult范围内变化。

二元堤基结构堤防管涌机理模型试验

为了科学解释二元堤基结构堤防管涌致灾机制并揭示其形成、演化过程和致溃规律,在考虑堤基强、弱透水层之间壤土过渡层作用的基础上,通过室内模型试验完整地模拟了二元堤基管涌从单个泡泉发展至管涌群并最终造成堤基塌陷溃决的全过程。试验结果表明:上部黏土及壤土层在渗流的顶托作用下向上隆起并在堤基内部产生层间水平渗漏通道,导致发生潜层砂沸,最终向上发展为表面砂沸的渗透破坏;二元堤基结构管涌发展可分为裂缝发展、潜层破坏、上覆层破坏、管涌通道上溯、堤基破坏和堤基溃决6个发展阶段;表面砂沸由潜层砂沸发展而来,潜层砂沸是由于土层内竖向坡降所引起的渗流力大于上部土体浮容重时造成的土层结构破坏所致,临界竖向坡降处于0.9~1之间;壤土层的存在会加快堤后自由边界区域管涌群的发展速度,但可以延缓管涌通道的上溯,对堤基具有保护作用。

滩海吹填粉细砂地基长期承载力特性试验研究

对某运行10年以上出现沉陷冒水现象的滩海人工岛吹填粉细砂地基承载力进行分析,基于螺旋板载荷试验结果,研究了标贯击数、动探击数与地基承载力的关系,拟合了经验公式,在此基础上综合分析粉细砂地基承载力现状,探究地基长期承载力特性。研究结果表明,吹填粉细砂形成的滩海人工岛地基在长期反复的水力作用下可进一步密实,承载力有所提高,有利于场地的运行安全。但鉴于其松散特性,水力作用下易流失,防渗措施不到位可能导致沉陷脱空、冒水等工程问题,影响场地安全运行。因此,针对本工程沉陷冒水现象,需采取原位固化、帷幕封闭等防渗措施进行处理。

钙质砂地基中群桩基础荷载传递特性研究

为研究钙质砂地基中群桩基础承载过程中的性能特征,开展不同桩距条件下群桩基础静载试验.得到不同桩距条件下群桩的Q-S曲线和S-lgt曲线,测得3d、4.5d、6d(d为桩径)群桩在静载条件下的极限承载力F_(u),研究各个桩段的桩身轴力、桩侧摩阻力以及桩端阻力的变化趋势.研究结果表明:群桩的Q-S曲线为缓变型,S-lgt曲线为渐变型,桩基承载变形大致分为稳定、渐进以及破坏3个阶段,相较于3d群桩,4.5d、6d群桩沉降发展更缓慢,F_(u)更高;同等桩距下,钙质砂地基表现出比陆源砂地基更强的群桩效应,钙质砂地基中群桩最佳桩距应在4.5d~6d之间.该研究为群桩在钙质砂地基中的应用提供数据支撑和理论参考.

不同含水状态下微生物珊瑚砂桩单桩复合地基模型试验研究

微生物珊瑚砂桩复合地基是利用MICP技术固化珊瑚砂成桩与珊瑚砂组成复合地基,具有就地取材、对原状砂土扰动小及对岛礁生态环境影响小等优势,在岛礁工程建设中具有良好的应用前景。通过不同工况下的微生物珊瑚砂桩单桩复合地基模型试验,研究地基相对密实度(50%、65%、72%)、面积置换率(8%、14%、20%)、含水状态(干燥和饱和)和水位升降对复合地基承载特性的影响规律。结果表明:干燥状态下复合地基的承载力及桩侧摩阻力随地基相对密实度和面积置换率增大而增大;复合地基的桩身轴力和桩土应力比随地基相对密实度增大而减小,随面积置换率增大而增大;提高地基相对密实度和面积置换率可有效提高复合地基承载力。饱和状态下复合地基的承载力为干燥状态的49%~66%;饱和状态相对于干燥状态桩身最大轴力和桩侧摩阻力减小,桩土应力比增大。两次水位升降对微生物珊瑚砂桩单桩复合地基的承载特性影响较小。

南亚抗震不利地段海陆交互复杂互层地基加固性能研究

针对孟加拉国某港口工程海陆交互相复杂互层地基加固中遇到的地层特性复杂、加固效果难以预测以及软黏土和粉细砂互层土场地地震液化的问题,结合场地地质条件、使用功能、工程特点等,对插板预压联合降水强夯在该场地条件下的加固效果展开研究。依托项目试验区块,通过对加固前后土体物理力学指标的对比分析和沉降-时程曲线、孔隙水压力-时程消散曲线等的研究,得到插板预压联合降水强夯加固的过程特性以及对原状土和吹填土的加固效果。研究表明,插板预压联合降水强夯法对于复杂互层土上吹填砂场地具有较好的适应性,加固效果可满足设计承载力和工后沉降控制要求,该法对于减轻砂土层的液化具有一定的作用。研究成果对于南亚地区复杂互层土吹填场地设计具有指导意义。