Reliability assessment of serviceability performance of braced retaining walls using a neural network approach

In urban environments, one major concern with deep excavations in soft clay is the potentially large ground deformations in and around the excavation. Excessive movements can damage adjacent buildings and utilities. There are many uncertainties associated with the calculation of the ultimate or serviceability performance of a braced excavation system. These include the variabilities of the loadings, geotechnical soil properties, and engineering and geometrical properties of the wall. A risk‐based approach to serviceability performance failure is necessary to incorporate systematically the uncertainties associated with the various design parameters. This paper demonstrates the use of an integrated neural network–reliability method to assess the risk of serviceability failure through the calculation of the reliability index. By first performing a series of parametric studies using the finite element method and then approximating the non‐linear limit state surface (the boundary separating the safe and ‘failure’ domains) through a neural network model, the reliability index can be determined with the aid of a spreadsheet. Two illustrative examples are presented to show how the serviceability performance for braced excavation problems can be assessed using the reliability index. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Benthic Metabolism and Standing Stock in the Central and Northern Deep Red Sea

Abstract. Benthic metabolism and standing stocks were investigated in the deep Red Sea between 21^o and 27^oN, Activity was assessed by the determination of respiration rates with a shipboard method and by calculating oxygen consumption from the activity in the electron transport system. We attempted to compare results from different latitudes within the warm Red Sea and with data from cold Atlantic environments. Our investigations were part of an environmental risk assessment to evaluate future mining of metalliferous sediments from the Atlantis II Deep.     

烟台市污水处理深海排放工程设计方案研究与选择

沿海城市污水处理深海排放工程在我国起步较晚，烟台市污水处理深海排放工程我国目前规模最大的同类工程，且已进入施工阶段，本文详细阐述了该工程及水工设计方案，在我国城市污水２深海排放工程领域作了积极有益的探索。     

鄂尔多斯盆地黄陵、东胜地区地温场对比

鄂尔多斯盆地黄陵、东胜铀矿区分别处于盆地南部渭北隆起的北侧边缘和盆地北部伊盟隆起的东部,赋矿层位都是中侏罗统直罗组。盆地南、北铀矿区在现今地温场及古地温场都存在明显差异,南部现今大地热值及热演化程度明显高于北部。对于下侏罗统延安组和石炭—二叠系煤层,黄陵地区镜质体反射率都高于东胜地区。通过镜质体反射率资料得出同一埋深的一套地层经历的最大古地温和对应的古地温梯度也有南部高于北部的现象。由于早白垩世后期盆地普遍整体抬升使得现今地温相对古地温降低,南部黄陵地区抬升剥蚀量大于北部东胜地区,导致古、今地温差异也大于后者。盆地南部庆阳—富县一带局部构造热运动,导致南部异常地温场的形成,使得南部热演化程度高于北部。     

焦作-郑州天然气输气管道工程地质灾害防治措施及防治建议

焦作-郑州天然气输气管道是较重要建设项目,输气管道起自焦作市博爱县磨头镇,南止郑州市惠济区古荥镇,该输气管道沿线地质环境条件复杂程度为简单-中等。地质灾害类型主要为崩塌、地裂缝、地面不均匀沉陷,黄土湿陷和沙土液化等地质灾害。工程建设有引发和加剧崩塌灾害的可能性,有遭受地质灾害的危险性。工程建设过程中应针对不同的灾害类型采取适当的预防或治理措施。     

钢筋混凝土圆环内支撑在软土深基坑支护中的设计与应用

通过对星河世纪城B2地块工程基坑成功支护设计实例介绍,全面阐述了钢筋混凝土圆环内支撑体系独特的布置形式、内力计算模式、方法和结果,以及在施工过程中的质量保证,为软土地基中类似基坑工程提供借鉴。     

Evolution of cool skin and direct air-sea gas transfer coefficient during daytime

Absorption of solar radiation within the thermal molecular sublayer of the ocean can modify the temperature difference across the cool skin as well as the air-sea gas transfer. Our model of renewal type is based on the assumption that the thermal and diffusive molecular sublayers below the ocean surface undergo cyclic growth and destruction, the heat and gas transfer between the successive burst events are performed by molecular diffusion. The model has been upgraded to include heating due to solar radiation. The renewal time is parameterized as a function of the surface Richardson number and the Keulegan number. A Rayleigh number criterion characterizes the convective instability of the cool skin under solar heating. Under low wind speed conditions, the solar heating can damp the convective instability, strongly increasing the renewal time and correspondingly decreasing the interfacial gas exchange. In the ocean, an additional convective instability caused by salinity flux due to evaporation becomes of importance in such cases. The new parameterization is compared with the cool skin data obtained in the western equatorial Pacific during the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment in February 1993. In combination with a model of the diurnal thermocline it describes main features of the field data both in nighttime and daytime. Under low wind speed conditions (< 5 m s^-1) diurnal variations of the sea surface temperature due to the formation of a diurnal thermocline were substantially larger than those across the cool skin. Under wind speeds > 5 m s^-1, diurnal variations of the surface temperature due to the variations of the thermal molecular sublayer become more important.     

“煤特征指数”与矿井瓦斯危险类型的关系

矿井瓦斯危险程度与煤层中瓦斯赋存状况及其泄出方式有关,并取决于多种地质条件和采掘工艺。其中,煤特征条件特别重要。本文分析了湖南省的5种矿井瓦斯危险类型以及相应的煤特征条件,提出了“煤特征指数(I_c)”这一概念。I_c是一项评价矿井瓦斯危险程度的综合指标。研究表明,矿井瓦斯危险愈严重,则其I_c值愈高。应用该项成果预测了16对矿井的瓦斯危险类型,取得了满意的效果。     

山西沁水盆地煤层气成藏的微观动力能条件研究

煤层气成藏的微观动力能条件主要包括煤储层的孔隙—裂隙系统、煤储层的生气作用和储气作用两个方面。以山西沁水盆地为例,深入剖析了煤储层的孔隙—裂隙系统及其发育历程、煤储层的生气作用与能量聚散,阐明了煤层气成藏的微观动力能对成藏效应的控制作用。结果表明:构造作用对储层渗透率具有明显的控制作用,成烃增压致使能量聚集,成为盖层突破作用的主要驱动力,而能量放散则主要是通过煤储层孔隙—裂隙系统的产生、发展。根据上述研究成果,沁水盆地煤层气成藏的地质区划结果为:盆地南部的有利区带为阳城和晋城的北部地区,包括潘庄、樊庄、郑庄等地区;盆地中部的有利区带为安泽—沁源地区,位于盆地西斜坡的中南部;盆地北部的可能有利区带为寿阳东南部地区,位于榆次东北部和阳泉西南部之间。