International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics最新文献

Sand columns have been widely used to accelerate drainage and then improving the mechanical properties of soft soil foundations. The sand column has also been introduced into the triaxial test by researchers, in the center of the cylindrical specimen, to greatly accelerate drainage and consolidation process. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the consolidation properties of the triaxial cylindrical specimen considering the presence of a sand column, and then to propose a consolidation model that simulates the consolidation process of the triaxial test. The consolidation equations were derived considering the drainage of the specimen with a sand column composed of both vertical and double-radial flows. Then the analytical solution of the model was obtained based on specific initial and boundary conditions. The comparison between the consolidation model and the laboratory tests yielded highly consistent. The case study demonstrated that the proposed consolidation model accurately simulates the evolution of average pore pressure and degree of consolidation in triaxial specimens containing a sand column. The studies on the consolidation parameters showed that there were different effects on the drainage rate for the diameter of specimen, the permeability coefficients of specimen and sand column, as well as the radius of the sand column.

This paper proposes a simplified analytical solution for longitudinal seismic responses of a circular tunnel crossing a fault zone under longitudinally propagating shear waves. The transmissions and reflections of shear waves at two geological interfaces between the fault zone and intact rock are considered when calculating the free-field displacement. An improved elastic foundation beam model considering different tangential contact conditions at the tunnel‒rock interface is also adopted. According to the continuous conditions at the two geological interfaces, explicit expressions for the tunnel displacement, bending moment, and shearing force are given. The effectiveness of the proposed analytical solution is validated via numerical simulations, and the importance of accounting for tangential contact conditions at the tunnel‒rock interface is emphasized. Moreover, parametric studies are performed to investigate the effects of the fault zone width, rock conditions, tunnel lining stiffness, tangential contact conditions, and earthquake frequency on the deformation and internal forces of tunnels subjected to seismic waves. This novel analytical solution can be utilized to quickly estimate the longitudinal seismic responses of circular tunnels crossing fault zones subjected to longitudinally propagating shear waves, particularly in the preliminary engineering design, and can be extended to geological conditions with multiple interfaces.

Adsorption characteristics play a crucial role in solute transport processes, serving as a fundamental factor for evaluating the performance of clay liners. Nonlinear adsorption isotherms are commonly found with metal ions and organic compounds, which introduce challenges in obtaining analytical solutions for solute transport models. In this study, analytical solutions are proposed for a fully coupled hydraulic-mechanical-chemical (HMC) model that accounts for both the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms. To mitigate the difficulties arising from the variable coefficients, the system of second-order partial differential equations involving three variables is linearized. The method of separation of variables, theory of integration, and Fourier series are utilized to derive analytical solutions. The analytical method presented can potentially be extended to a broad spectrum of nonlinear adsorption isotherms. The results reveal a 56.5% reduction in solute breakthrough time under the Freundlich isotherm and a remarkable 2.6-fold extension under the Langmuir isotherm when compared to the linear isotherm. The adsorption constants of the Freundlich and Langmuir isotherms exhibit a positive correlation with breakthrough time, while the exponent of the Freundlich isotherm and the maximal adsorption capacity in the Langmuir isotherm demonstrate a negative association with breakthrough time. This study enhances the precision of solute transport prediction and provides a more scientific assessment of clay liner performance.

Expansive soils are widespread in the world and coincide with areas of high human activity. The main cause of deep instability of expansive soil slopes is due to their softening caused by excavation and seepage. By developing a comprehensive numerical model based on the theory of unsaturated soil, this study examines the characteristics of stress and displacement distribution of expansive soil slopes through hydraulic-mechanical coupled numerical simulation. This study analyzes the evolution patterns of slopes with excavation unloading and seepage of water storage to reveal the mechanisms of deep-seated instability of expansive soil slopes. The findings demonstrate that: The instability of expansive soil slopes begins at the foot of the slope and propagates along the interlayer, affecting the entire slope. Excavation leads to the softening of the expansive soil interlayer and the transfer of shear stress. During water storage, the weakening of the soil strength results in slope instability along the weak interlayer slip. Softening of the expansive soil interlayer facilitates the redistribution of shear forces in the slope and alters the distribution law of the plastic zone in the deep layer. Overly slowing down the slope leads to significant excavation unloading, which is detrimental to the slope's stability.

Slopes in nature usually present layered characteristics, and its stability is susceptible to rainfall events. Considering that current analytical solutions are only suited to simulate the rainfall infiltration of double-layered infinite unsaturated slopes, an analytical procedure is hence proposed in this study to tackle the consideration of multiple layers. The variable separation method and transfer matrix method are combined to derive the analytical solution of pore water pressure (PWP) for simulating rainfall infiltration in layered infinite unsaturated slopes. After having validated the proposed model and analytical solutions by comparing with existing literature and numerical simulation, the closed-form solution of PWP is incorporated into the limit equilibrium for assessing slope stability. A three-layer slope is selected as an example for further discussion. PWP distribution and factor of safety are calculated, considering the effects of saturated hydraulic conductivity and thickness of the upper layer, intensity of antecedent and subsequent rainfall, and varied soil unit weight along the depth. The slope stability subjected to rainfall effects is consistent with the variation of PWP. The proposed analytical solutions provide a simple and practical avenue for computing PWP distribution and evaluating the stability of multi-layered slopes under rainfall conditions, which can also serve as a benchmark for numerical solutions.