Research on Bearing Capacity Calculation Method of Large Diameter Cylinder in Soft Clay

A large diameter cylinder inserted in soils is a new type of engineering structures used in offshore and port engineering. The mechanism of its bearing capacity and the analysis of its stability are important to its design and applications. In this paper, the finite element method is used to analyze the reacting forces of the soft soil foundation on the structure under the wave action. A simplified method is proposed, based on the plastic limit method, for the safety and stability analysis. Our analysis shows that the assumptions made in this paper and the mechanism used are reasonable, and the results obtained are appropriate. The calculation method is very efficient and can be used to evaluate main parameters of the structure in its preliminary designs.

Vertical Bearing Capacity of a Partially-Embedded Pipeline on Tresca Soils

Slip-line field solutions are presented for the ultimate load of submarine pipelines on a purely cohesive soil obeying Tresca yield criterion, taking into account of pipe embedment and pipe-soil contact friction. The derived bearing capacity factors for a smooth pipeline degenerate into those for the traditional strip-line footing when the embedment approaches zero. Parametric studies demonstrate that the bearing capacity factors for pipeline foundations are significantly influenced by the pipeline embedment and the pipe-soil frictional coefficient. With the increase of pipeline embedment, the bearing capacity factor Nc decreases gradually, and finally reaches the minimum value (4.0) when the embedment equals to pipeline radius. As such, if the pipeline is directly treated as a traditional strip footing, the bearing capacity factor Nc would be over evaluated. The ultimate bearing loads increase with increasing pipeline embedment and pipe-soil frictional coefficient.

On the Bearing Capacity of Suction Bucket Foundations in Saturated Sand

Abstract: The static bearing capacity of suction caisson with single-and four-caissons in saturated sand foundation is studied by experiments. The characteristics of bearing capacity under vertical and horizontal loadings are obtained ex- perimentally. The effects of loading direction on the bearing capacity of four-caissons are studied under horizontal load- ing. The comparison of the bearing capacity of single-caisson and four-caisson foundation, the sealed condition of cais- son’s top and loading rate are analyzed.

Phylogenetic relationships of labeonine cyprinids of the disc-bearing group (Pisces : Teleostei)

Phylogenetic relationships of labeonine cyprinids of the disc-bearing group (Pisces. Teleostei). Zoological Studies 44 (1): 130-143. The disc-bearing group is composed of 4 currently recognized cyprinid genera: Discocheilus, Discogobio, Garra, and Placocheilus. This group is defined as having a lower lip modified to form a mental adhesive disc whose posterior margin is not continuous with the mental region, and includes 91 widely distributed species in tropical Africa and Asia. So far, it is represented in China by 28 species (about 1/3 of the total number) of all 4 genera. A phylogenetic analysis, based on 29 morphological characters scored from first-hand observations of 23 of the Chinese species examined, revealed that the disc-bearing group forms a monophyletic clade in which Garra is the basal lineage, and Placocheilus constitutes a subclade with the sister pair of Discocheilus and Discogobio. In such a phylogenetic framework, the validity of each genus of the disc-bearing group was evaluated. It was confirmed that Discocheilus, Discogobio and Placocheilus represent 3 valid cyprinid genera. Evidence provided in this phylogenetic analysis, incorporated with conclusions reached in the known literature, reveals that the monophyly and validity of Garra need to be further studied using observations of more Garra species. Additional characters should also be examined, as the characters utilized in this study and in Abebe's with Getahun's (1999) study are insufficient to resolve the monophyly of Garra.

The giant zooxanthellae-bearing ciliate Maristentor dinoferus (Heterotrichea) is closely related to folliculinidae

The small subunit rDNA sequence of Maristentor dinoferus (Lobban, Schefter, Simpson, Pochon, Pawlowski, and Foissner, 2002) was determined and compared with sequences from other Heterotrichea and Karyorelictea. Maristentor resembles Stentor in basic morphology and had been provisionally assigned to Stentoridae. However, our phylogenetic analyses show that Maristentor is more closely related to Folliculinidae. Our results support the creation of a separate family for Maristentor, Maristentoridae n. fam., and also confirm the phylogenetic grouping of Folliculindae, Stentoridae, Blepharismidae, and Maristentoridae, which we informally call 'stentorids'. Maristentor, rather than Stentor itself, appears to be most significant in understanding the origins of folliculinids from their aloricate ancestors. Our analyses suggest continued uncertainty in the exact placement of the root of heterotrichs with this phylogenetic marker.

Gas-bearing fluid influx sub-system for gas hydrate geological system in Shenhu Area, Northern South China Sea

Based on the comprehensive interpretation and study of the Neogene fracture system and diapiric structure, it can be concluded that the diapiric structures, high-angle fractures and vertical fissure system are the main gas-bearing fluid influx sub-system for gas hydrate geological system in Shenhu Area, northern South China Sea. The Neogene fractures widely developed in the study area may be classed into two groups: NW (NNW)-trending and NE (NNE)-trending. The first group was active in the Late Miocene, while the second one was active since the Pliocene. The NE (NNE)-trending fractures were characterized by lower activity strength and larger scale, and cut through the sediment layers deposited since the Pliocene. Within the top sediment layers, the high-angle fracture and vertical fissure system was developed. The diapiric structures display various types such as a turtle-back-like arch, weak piercing, gas chimney, and fracture (or crack, fissure). On the seismic profile, some diapiric structures show the vertical chimney pathway whose top is narrow and the bottom is wide, where some ones extend horizontally into pocket or flower-shaped structures and formed the seismic reflection chaotic zones. Within the overlying sediment layers of the diapiric structure, the tree branch, flower-shaped high-angle fractures and vertical fissures were developed and became the pathway and migration system of the gas-bearing fluid influx. In the study area, the diapiric structures indicate a high temperature/over pressure system ever developed. Closely associated and abundant bright-spots show the methane-bearing fluid influx migrated vertically or horizontally through the diapiric structures, high-angle fractures and vertical fissures. In the place where the temperature and pressure conditions were favor for the formation of gas hydrate, the hydrate reservoir deposition sub-system was developed.

Replacement of methane from quartz sand-bearing hydrate with carbon dioxide-in-water emulsion

The replacement of CH4 from its hydrate in quartz sand with 90:10, 70:30, and 50:50 (W-CO2:W-H2O) carbon dioxide-in-water (C/W) emulsions and liquid CO2 has been performed in a cell with size of empty set 36 x 200 mm. The above emulsions were formed in a new emulsifier, in which the temperature and pressure were 285.2 K and 30 MPa, respectively, and the emulsions were stable for 7-12 h. The results of replacing showed that 13.1-27.1%, 14.1-25.5%, and 14.6-24.3% of CH4 had been displaced from its hydrate with the above emulsions after 24-96 It of replacement, corresponding to about 1.5 times the CH4 replaced with high-pressure liquid CO2. The results also showed that the replacement rate of CH4 with the above emulsions and liquid CO2 decreased from 0.543, 0.587, 0.608, and 0.348 1/h to 0.083, 0.077, 0.069, and 0.063 1/h with the replacement time increased from 24 to 96 h. It has been indicated by this study that the use of CO2 emulsions is advantageous compared to the use of liquid CO2 in replacing CH4 from its hydrate.