Influence of varying soil properties on evaluation of pile reliability under lateral loads

A three dimensional probabilistic approach to analyzing laterally loaded piles is presented. Two typical subsurface models are used in the analyses: the first one consists of layered linear elastic soil where each layer has a random modulus of elasticity; while the second model takes the form of linear elastic soil with a random modulus of elasticity that increases with depth. Efficient step by step procedures for the reliability computation involving pile displacements are proposed. The solution is based on three-dimensional modeling by the finite element method. A series of results has been obtained for various values of elastic parameters of the soil. Next by a non-linear regression procedure a response surface is obtained. To get the final response surface allowing for a reliability analysis, an iterative algorithm based on the so-called design point concept is applied. The failure criterion is defined as the pile head displacement exceeding displacement threshold. The two cases of piles subjected to lateral load are computed. The paper illustrates the influence of the two distinct types of subsurface variability on the probabilistic analysis. A pronounced effect of the random variability of both the lateral force and the elastic modulus of the upper layer on reliability indices has been shown in results of numerical examples

Thermographic Imaging of the Space Shuttle During Re-Entry Using a Near Infrared Sensor

High resolution calibrated near infrared (NIR) imagery of the Space Shuttle Orbiter was obtained during hypervelocity atmospheric re-entry of the STS-119, STS-125, STS-128, STS-131, STS-132, STS-133, and STS-134 missions. This data has provided information on the distribution of surface temperature and the state of the airflow over the windward surface of the Orbiter during descent. The thermal imagery complemented data collected with onboard surface thermocouple instrumentation. The spatially resolved global thermal measurements made during the Orbiter s hypersonic re-entry will provide critical flight data for reducing the uncertainty associated with present day ground-to-flight extrapolation techniques and current state-of-the-art empirical boundary-layer transition or turbulent heating prediction methods. Laminar and turbulent flight data is critical for the validation of physics-based, semi-empirical boundary-layer transition prediction methods as well as stimulating the validation of laminar numerical chemistry models and the development of turbulence models supporting NASA s next-generation spacecraft. In this paper we provide details of the NIR imaging system used on both air and land-based imaging assets. The paper will discuss calibrations performed on the NIR imaging systems that permitted conversion of captured radiant intensity (counts) to temperature values. Image processing techniques are presented to analyze the NIR data for vignetting distortion, best resolution, and image sharpness. Keywords: HYTHIRM, Space Shuttle thermography, hypersonic imaging, near infrared imaging, histogram analysis, singular value decomposition, eigenvalue image sharpnes

The Historical Earthworks of the Warsaw Citadel

In this study, we analyzed the methods and technologies used for constructing earthworks and military engineering in the latter period before the industrial revolution in Poland. The research object, the Warsaw Citadel, is a source of knowledge about military heritage from the aspect of conservation and protection of specific engineering achievements, which were dictated by early Russian geopolitical doctrine. Within the framework of the ongoing project of material heritage protection and popularization of history, the fortress has been transformed into a modern museum building. The new symbolic message of architecture was redefined, leaving behind the gloomy dominance elements in the scenery of the nearby city. In this study, reception tests of ground anchors were used for analysis. They were treated as a tool to determine the heterogeneity of fortification of historical earthworks. In the presented calculation procedure, limitations in the availability of geotechnical tests were overcome. Geological terrain layout and embankment excavation technology significantly impacted their quality and reliability. Currently, the embankments are slashed with anchored retaining walls. Ground anchors were used at short distances and were tested according to the national standard procedures. The results of the load tests are based on the physical properties of the subsoil, the conditions of contact with the supporting elements of the anchors, and the material properties. The soil interaction with the anchors is described using a rheological model, the constants of which were obtained using a fractional derivative model. The spatial variability of the rheological model parameters is presented using theoretical semivariograms matching the empirical data. The semivariograms explain the spatial correlation of the tested constants of the rheological model of the substrate with the anchors. The results of non-destructive testing were influenced by factors such as time and consolidation processes. The obtained results allowed us to directly draw conclusions about the repetitiveness of embankment features and indirectly about the quality of their construction

Probabilistic analysis of a concrete column in an aggressive soil environment.

Sulphate attack is one of the most important factors that limit the lifetime of pure concrete constructions. Harsh environmental conditions have a large impact on the operational costs of concrete columns or piles dipped into soil. The results are non-deterministic; therefore, reliability analysis is often used. The strength characteristics of the substrate around the construction were modelled as one-dimensional prismatic beams related with random p-y curves. Sulphate deterioration is defined as a set of random variables jointed with two dimensional mechanical systems at acceptable levels. Fick's second law describes the penetration of sulphate ingress into pure concrete with explicit numerical solutions for boundary conditions and an increase in the transition factor under the progress of sulphate ingress. This process was partially solved via analytical methods for sulphate ion transport and numerically for a random field. This solves the mechanical task and determines the system reliability. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the proposed method to prevent unexpected structural failures during column service life. The proposed methodology can assist designers and can help to make decisions on existing foundations to ensure the safety of geotechnical construction

Non-Deterministic Assessment of Surface Roughness as Bond Strength Parameters between Concrete Layers Cast at Different Ages

The importance of surface roughness and its non-destructive examination has often been emphasised in structural rehabilitation. The presented innovative procedure enables the estimation of concrete-to-concrete strength based on a combination of low-cost, area-limited tests and geostatistical methods. The new method removes the shortcomings of the existing one, i.e., it is neither qualitative nor subjective. The interface strength factors, cohesion and friction, can be estimated accurately based on the collected data on a surface texture. The data acquisition needed to create digital models of the concrete surface can be performed by terrestrial close-range photogrammetry or other methods. In the presented procedure, limitations to the availability of concrete surfaces are overcome by the generation of subsequential Gaussian random fields (via height profiles) based on the semivariograms fitted to the digital surface models. In this way, the randomness of the surface texture is reproduced. The selected roughness parameters, such as mean valley depth and, most importantly, the geostatistical semivariogram parameter sill, were transformed into contact bond strength parameters based on the available strength tests. The proposed procedure estimates the interface bond strength based on the geostatistical methods applied to the numerical surface model and can be used in practical and theoretical applications

Assessing the Scale Effect on Bearing Capacity of Undrained Subsoil: Implications for Seismic Resilience of Shallow Foundations

This research investigates the influence of the scale effect on the bearing capacity of fine-grained subsoil under undrained conditions. The analyses were conducted based on laboratory tests of silty clay. Uniformly compacted samples were subjected to an unconfined compression test. The research was performed on cylindrical specimens. Three different variants of the diameter D (38 mm, 70 mm, 100 mm) and the corresponding height H = 2D were analyzed. Based on the tests results, the unconfined compression strength qu was determined, and from this, the undrained shear strength cu was calculated. The obtained results showed a clear decrease in cu with increasing sample size. However, in the existing reference documents, there are no specific guidelines for calculations of bearing capacity with consideration of sample size effect on the soil shear strength. Therefore, this study utilized the laboratory soil test data to calculate the bearing capacity of undrained subsoil, taking into account the seismic impacts, with a particular focus on spread foundations

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Hayabusa Sample Return Capsule Reentry

As part of the 2010 airborne observational campaign for the Hayabusa capsule reentry, a system of four colocatedcameras was deployed to track and measure the spacecraft fragmentation and sample return capsule descents. These instruments included an intensified video camera for narrow-field tracking, an intensified video camera for visible and near-infrared spectral measurements from 400 to 900 nm, and a near-infrared spectrograph for high-resolution measurements from 980 to 1080 nm. The latter was configured to monitor the spectral evolution of capsule emissions during descent, seeking evidence of possible carbon signatures due to ablation of the heat shield. The data complement previous Stardust capsule observations in which distinct 1069 nm emission signatures were measured, likely associated with carbon ablation from the Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator heat shield. The Hayabusa capsule spectra also exhibited 1069 nm line emissions, appearing intermittently at ∼13∶52∶05, persisting from approximately 13:52:10 to 13:52:20 as the capsule approached peak heating, and weakening to undetectable levels after ∼13∶52∶20. Continuum emission and nitrogen line emissions were detected simultaneously. The evolutions of these signatures over the course of reentry are investigated, in comparison with model predictions and complementary campaign data

New Double Stars from Asteroidal Occultations, 1971 - 2008

International audienc

New Double Stars from Asteroidal Occultations, 1971 - 2008

International audienc