非饱和膨胀土力学特性及其工程处置研究

The unsaturated expansive soil is a hotspot and difficulty in soil mechanics inland and outland. The expansive soil in our China is one of the widest in distributing and greatest in area, and the disaster of expansive soil happens continually as a result. The soil mechanics test, monitor, numerical simulation and engineering practice are used to research swell and shrinkage characteristic, edge strength characteristic and unsaturated strength characteristic of Mengzi expansive soil. The seep and stability of the slope for expansive soil associated with fissure are analyzed and two kinds of new technique are put forward to be used in expansive soil area, based on disaster mechnics proposed of the slope.The technique of reinforcement in road embankment is optimized also. Associated with engineering geology research of Mengzi expansive soil, mineral composition, chemical composition, specific area and cation content, dissolubility salt and agglutinate, microcosmic fabric characteristic, cause of formation and atmosphere effect depth are analyzed to explain the intrinsic cause and essence of swell and shrinkage for expansive soil. The rule between swell-shrinkage and initial state, namely initial water content, initial dry density and initial pressure, can be used to construction control. Does Response model is fit to simulate the rule, based on ternary regression analysis. It has great meaning to expansive soil engineering in area with salt or alkali. The mechanics under CD, CU and GCU of expansive soil is researched by edge surface theory to explain the remarkable effect of consolidation pressure, initial dry density, initial water content, cut velocity, drainage and reinforcement to the edge strength characteristic. The infirm hardening stress strain curves can be fitted with hyperbola model and the infirm softening curves can be fitted with exponential model. The normalization theory can be used to reveal the intrinsic unity of the otherness which is brought by different methods to the shear strength of the same kinds of samples. The unsaturated strain softening characteristic and strength envelope of remolding samples are researched by triaxial shear test based on suction controlled, the result of which is simulated by exponential function. The strength parameters of the unsaturated samples are obtained to be used in the unsaturated seep associated with rainfall. The elasticity and plasticity characters of expansive soil are researched to attain the model parameters by using modified G-A model. The humidification destroy characteristic of expansive soil is discussed to research the disaster mechanism of the slope with the back pressure increasing and suction decreasing under bias pressure consolidation. The indoor and outdoor SWCCs are measured to research the effect factors and the rule between different stress and filling environment. The moisture absorption curves can express the relationship between suction and water content in locale. The SWCCs of Mengzi expansive soil are measured by GDS stress path trixial system. The unsaturated infiltration function is gained to research seep and stability of the slope of expansive soil. The rainfall infiltration and ability of slope considering multifarious factors are studied by analyzing fissure cause of Mengzi expansive soil. The mechanism of the slope disaster is brought forward by the double controlling effect between suction and fissure. Two new kinds of technique are put forward to resolve disaster of expansive soil and the technique of reinforcement on embankment is optimized, which gives a useful help to solving engineering trouble.

水库滑坡复活机理及其发展趋势预测研究

Various numbers of ancient landslides of various scales are frequently distributed on both banks of reservoirs, especially large reservoirs, both in China and abroad. During inundation and operation of theses reservoirs, some of the landslides are reactivated, which caused losses of people's lives and properties to various extents, some even disasters. Systematic studies are, however, very few on the reservoir-induced reactivation mechanism and development tendency prediction. Based on investigation of reservoir-induced reactivation phenomena of ancient landslides and relevant existing research problems, a systematic study is carried out on the field identification, induced reactivation mechanism, development tendency prediction, risk decision-making and treatment of reservoir-related ancient landslides, through analysis of large numbers of engineering geological investigation results, scientific experimental and research results, in combination with prevention and treatment practices of reservoir-related landslides both in China and abroad, and a series of research results have been obtained. 1. On the basis of study of the distribution features, genesis mechanism of ancient landslides on river banks, a set of scientific methods are summarized on field identification of ancient landslides, and a significant method named "lithologic sequence method" or "indicator layer method", is proposed, which is proved to be very useful. 2. A detail study is made on the reservoir-induced hydraulic effects and material mechanic effects (or softening effects) on the ancient landslide through model and case studies, which concludes that the magnitude and properties of reservoir-induced hydraulic effects are related to the shapes of sliding planes, water content and permeability of landslide materials and variation rate and magnitude of reservoir levels; the magnitude of material mechanic effects are related to the material composition (including mineral composition and grain size), natural water content and saturation state of sliding zones. Also a sensitive analysis is made on the factors that are related to the stabilities of the landslides, which indicate that the stability of a landslide is more sensitive to the groundwater head h_w in the slides and the inner friction angleψof sliding zones than others. 3. The joint inducing mechanism of rainfall and reservoir is also discussed in the paper through model analysis and case study, which proves that reservoir inundation increases firstly the sensitivity of a landslides to rainfall through reduction of its stability or cracking deformation which will increase the rainfall infiltration to the slide body, and then rainfall triggers reactivation or intensifies the reservoir-induced deformation of a landslide. 4. Based on rheologic test results of sliding zones of several reservoir-related ancient landslides, the rheologic characteristics of sliding zones have been discussed in detail and several typical rheologic models have been set up, which well explains the dynamic process of slide deformation. The response types to reservoir inundation and development tendency of reservoir -related ancient landslide are discussed in the paper based on field investigation results. And prediction methods for reservoir-related landslides have been studied based on the Mate-Synthetic principle of quantitative and qualitative analysis, as well as combination of computation and internal mechanism analysis, and a rheologic analytical method is proposed which is proved very useful for prediction of the landslide development tendency. 6. In disaster-prevention and treatment of reservoir-related landslides, risk decision-making has been proved very significant both in engineering and economics. Based on the practices in disaster-prevention and treatment of reservoir-related landslides both in China and abroad, the disaster-prevention risk decision-making for reservoir-related landslides has been proposed in terms of philosophy, methods and procedures, and well put into practice. A summary is also made through case study of the experiences of treatment of reservoir-related landslides both in China and abroad in terms of principle, methods and technical lines. 7 A detail study is made as a case study of the reactivated Maoping ancient landslide on the left bank of the Geheyan Reservoir on Qingjiang river in Hubei province, China, including its field identification features, reservoir-induced reactivation characteristics and mechanism, development tendency prediction and proposed counter measures based on risk analysis.

K/E之交环境地球化学元素的演化与全球变化及恐龙绝灭的关系-以黑龙江中下游地区和俄罗斯远东地区为例

In this paper, We analyzed the geological and geographical settings of dinosaurs extinction at the end of Cretaceous, especially the effect of the change of the elements contents on dinosaurs extinction. We studied basis on the two typical sections-Cretaceous-Paleocene boundary (Baishantou section (in Jiayin, Heilongjiang province of China) and Arkhara-Boguchan Coal Mine section (in Far East of Russian)) and Longgushan section (in Jiayin, Heilongjiang province of China) mainly. This work provided some evidences for forecasting the effects of global environmental change on bio-circle. The followings are the primary gains: According to the paleo-climate indexes (CaO/MgO,Sr/Ba) and the results of Factor Analysis, we found that there were similar climate in Baishantou section and Arkhara-Boguchan Coal Mine section near the K/E boundary, and both of them took on the trend of temperature declining and precipitation heightening after transitory high-temperature and drought. There are similar change and evlution rule of the elements contents near the boundary in the both sections (Baishantou section and Arkhara-Boguchan Coal Mine section). Both iron group elements and chalcophile elements appeared obvious abnormity. There are not visible correlation between the change of elements contents and climate indexes. This shows that the elements abnormity maybe came from the factors excluding climate or the factors were too many to conceal the influence of climate. --The result of cluster analysis showed that the boundary between BST3-8 and BST3-9 may be the K/E boundary of Baishantou section, and the top of twofold coal were the K/E boundary of Arkhara-Boguchan Coal Mine section which was consistent with accepted conclusion formerly. By contrast of elements contents in dinosaur bones and general organism, in surrounding rock and general sand stone, the regulation of the change of elements contents in dinosaur bones and surrounding rock, we confirmed that dinosaur extinction in Jiayin were relative with the high abnormities of Sr, Ba, Pb, Cr and the low abnormity of Zn, at least, it was them which speeded up dinosaurs extinction. After a series of analysis, we concluded that dinosaurs extinction of this areas tied up with the relative high background values of geo-chemical elements , paleo-climate and disaster incidents. First of all, high background values provided the necessary condition for the accumulation of the elements. Secondly, the drought climate adverse to the survival of dinosaurs, and led them to extinct gradually. finally, disaster incidents, the eruption of volcano or the collision of aerolites, made them exit this planet.

汶川地震后青少年创伤后应激障碍症状及其相关因素研究

The present paper studies focus on the symptoms of the post-traumatic stress disorder in adolescents post-disaster. 482 students from 6 secondary schools and 17 primary schools in the extremely severe disaster areas in Mianzhu, Sichuan province and 785 students from 3 primary schools and 9 secondary schools in the severe disaster areas in Baoji, Shaanxi respectively were surveyed on the symptoms of the post-traumatic stress disorder and the extent of disaster exposure after the Wenchuan earthquake. Self-compiled background information questionnaire and CRIES were used for the investigation. In this study, we contrast the extent of disaster exposure in the two areas in order to explore the related factors about the post-traumatic stress disorder in adolescent post-disaster. The main results of this paper can be summarized as follows： 1. There are significant positive corrections between the post-traumatic stress disorder and the extent of disaster exposure(get trapped in the earthquake、relatives and friends have been injured in the earthquake、look at relatives and friends dying in the earthquake).The more exposed in the disaster, the more serious symptom of the post-traumatic stress disorder. The trauma exposure indicators (get trapped in the earthquake, relatives and friends have been injured in the earthquake、look at relatives and friends dying in the earthquake)were all significant predictors for PTSD severity. 2. There are significant sex difference in the extent（F=8.750, p <0.05） and the incidence rate of PTSD（χ =20.735, df=5,p =0.001）, the extent and the incidence rate of girls in Mianzhu is significantly higher than that of boys. 3. The age is also an influence factor of PTSD. The extent （F=7.246, p <0.001）and the incidence rate （χ =20.735, df=5,p =0.001）of PTSD get higher as adolescent in Mianzhu get older. 4. As the extremely severe disaster areas, the extent of disaster exposure of Mianzhu areas significantly higher than that of the severe disaster areas Baoji. However, there are not difference in the extent of PTSD between two areas（t=0.181，df=1265,p=0.857）, there are only significant difference in the incidence rate of PTSD between two areas（χ =8.766，df=1,p=0.003）, the incidence rate of PTSD in Mianzhu areas significantly higher than that of Baoji areas.

How Could We Explore the Terrorist Issue?

The problem of terrorism can be analyzed by means of a wide array of research theories and models. There is however a question which of these may be regarded as especially useful to analyze different aspects of terrorism such as its reasons, characteristics and effects. Among concepts or theories which more or less fulfill the above-mentioned requirements, one can mention: chaos theory, decision theory, spatial competition theory, exchange theory, black box theory, theory of disaster, system model, model of billiard balls, core model, asymmetrical model, network model or concept of hybridity.

The right to humanitarian assistance in natural and human-made disasters: progress and challenges for an emerging international legal framework

Natural and human-made disasters cause on average 120,000 deaths and over US$140 billion in damage to property and infrastructure every year, with national, regional and international actors consistently responding to the humanitarian imperative to alleviate suffering wherever it may be found. Despite various attempts to codify international disaster laws since the 1920s, a right to humanitarian assistance remains contested, reflecting concerns regarding the relative importance of state sovereignty vis-à-vis individual rights under international law. However, the evolving acquis humanitaire of binding and non-binding normative standards for responses to humanitarian crises highlights the increasing focus on rights and responsibilities applicable in disasters; although the International Law Commission has also noted the difficulty of identifying lex lata and lex ferenda regarding the protection of persons in the event of disasters due to the “amorphous state of the law relating to international disaster response.” Therefore, using the conceptual framework of transnational legal process, this thesis analyses the evolving normative frameworks and standards for rights-holders and duty-bearers in disasters. Determining the process whereby rights are created and evolve, and their potential internalisation into domestic law and policy, provides a powerful analytical framework for examining the progress and challenges of developing accountable responses to major disasters.

Repairing wireless sensor network connectivity in damaged environments

A wireless sensor network can become partitioned due to node failure, requiring the deployment of additional relay nodes in order to restore network connectivity. This introduces an optimisation problem involving a tradeoff between the number of additional nodes that are required and the costs of moving through the sensor field for the purpose of node placement. This tradeoff is application-dependent, influenced for example by the relative urgency of network restoration. In addition, minimising the number of relay nodes might lead to long routing paths to the sink, which may cause problems of data latency. This data latency is extremely important in wireless sensor network applications such as battlefield surveillance, intrusion detection, disaster rescue, highway traffic coordination, etc. where they must not violate the real-time constraints. Therefore, we also consider the problem of deploying multiple sinks in order to improve the network performance. Previous research has only parts of this problem in isolation, and has not properly considered the problems of moving through a constrained environment or discovering changes to that environment during the repair or network quality after the restoration. In this thesis, we firstly consider a base problem in which we assume the exploration tasks have already been completed, and so our aim is to optimise our use of resources in the static fully observed problem. In the real world, we would not know the radio and physical environments after damage, and this creates a dynamic problem where damage must be discovered. Therefore, we extend to the dynamic problem in which the network repair problem considers both exploration and restoration. We then add a hop-count constraint for network quality in which the desired locations can talk to a sink within a hop count limit after the network is restored. For each new problem of the network repair, we have proposed different solutions (heuristics and/or complete algorithms) which prioritise different objectives. We evaluate our solutions based on simulation, assessing the quality of solutions (node cost, movement cost, computation time, and total restoration time) by varying the problem types and the capability of the agent that makes the repair. We show that the relative importance of the objectives influences the choice of algorithm, and different speeds of movement for the repairing agent have a significant impact on performance, and must be taken into account when selecting the algorithm. In particular, the node-based approaches are the best in the node cost, and the path-based approaches are the best in the mobility cost. For the total restoration time, the node-based approaches are the best with a fast moving agent while the path-based approaches are the best with a slow moving agent. For a medium speed moving agent, the total restoration time of the node-based approaches and that of the path-based approaches are almost balanced.

Simulating the Swissair flight 111 in-flight fire using the CFD fire simulation software SMARTFIRE

At 8.18pm on 2 September 1998, Swissair Flight 111 (SR 111), took off from New York’s JFK airport bound for Geneva, Switzerland. Tragically, the MD-11 aircraft never arrived. According to the crash investigation report, published on 27 March 2003, electrical arcing in the ceiling void cabling was the most likely cause of the fire that brought down the aircraft. No one on board was aware of the disaster unfolding in the ceiling of the aircraft and, when a strange odour entered the cockpit, the pilots thought it was a problem with the air-conditioning system. Twenty minutes later, Swissair Flight 111 plunged into the Atlantic Ocean five nautical miles southwest of Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia, with the loss of all 229 lives on board. In this paper, the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis of the in-flight fire that brought down SR 111 is described. Reconstruction of the wreckage disclosed that the fire pattern was extensive and complex in nature. The fire damage created significant challenges to identify the origin of the fire and to appropriately explain the heat damage observed. The SMARTFIRE CFD software was used to predict the “possible” behaviour of airflow as well as the spread of fire and smoke within SR 111. The main aims of the CFD analysis were to develop a better understanding of the possible effects, or lack thereof, of numerous variables relating to the in-flight fire. Possible fire and smoke spread scenarios were studied to see what the associated outcomes would be. This assisted investigators at Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada, Fire & Explosion Group in assessing fire dynamics for cause and origin determination.

Extreme weather events and business continuity planning

There is now a broad scientific consensus that the global climate is changing in ways that are likely to have a profound impact on human society and the natural environment over the coming decades. The challenge for Facilities Mangers is to ensure that business continuity plans acknowledge the potential for such events and have contingencies in place to ensure that their organisation can recover from an extreme weather event in a timely fashion. This paper will review current literature/theories pertinent to extreme weather events and business continuity planning; will consider issues of risk; identify the key drivers that need to be considered by Facilities Managers in preparing contingency/disaster recover plans; and identify gaps in knowledge (understanding and toolkits) that need to be addressed. The paper will also briefly outline a 3 year research project underway in the UK to address the issues

Post-trauma: Is evidence based practice a fantasy?

Trauma, bereavement, and loss are universal human experiences. Much has been written about the process that the bereaved go through following the loss of a loved one. Recent events such as 9/11, earthquakes in Turkey, genocides in Rwanda, community conflict in Northern Ireland, and the Asian Tsunami Disaster have drawn unprecedented public attention to the subject of traumatic bereavement. Increasingly, it is recognised that while most people are able to cope with loss generally by eventually restructuring their lives, those bereaved in traumatic circumstance often find it extremely difficult. As a consequence, a plethora of interventions have emerged, however, to-date, little is know about their actual effectiveness in helping the bereaved. With the emphasis of health and welfare professions on evidencebased practice (EBP) greater than ever and a raising awareness of accountability as key element of ethical practice, the call for EBP in traumatic bereavement is compelling. Using examples from work carried out in Northern Ireland, we look at the backdrop of the issues involved, describe some of the most commonly used therapeutic interventions, and explore the possibility of evidence-based practice.

Gazing at Ground Zero: Tourism, Voyeurism and Spectacle

This essay uses the temporary viewing platform at the site of the former World Trade Center to explore our fascination with violence, conflict and disaster. It illustrates how discourses of voyeurism and authenticity promote a desire for sites of horror, and examines how that desire both disrupts and reinforces our prevailing interpretations of global politics. The viewing platform at Ground Zero was initially constructed to manage the thousands of people who traveled to New York in response to the shocking media images of 11 September. However, their desire to escape mediation and touch "the real" had the opposite effect - it transformed Ground Zero into a tourist attraction. Using Ground Zero as a starting point, this essay theorizes discourses of voyeurism and authenticity through the work of Baudrillard, Debord and Bauman in an effort to position the tourist as a significant political subject.

Hillsborough: The Truth

Hillsborough: The Truth was first published in 1999 to universal acclaim. Established as the definitive, unique account of the disaster, in which 96 men, women and children died, hundreds were injured and thousands traumatised, it details the appalling treatment endured by the bereaved and survivors in the immediate aftermath and the inhumanity of the identification process. It reveals the inadequacies of the police investigations, official inquiries and inquests, uncovering the systematic review and alteration of South Yorkshire police statements conducted with the approval of police investigators and Lord Justice Taylor’s inquiry. It examines in depth the subsequent private prosecution and trial of two senior police officers in 2000. Using verbatim accounts, Scraton's detailed analysis demonstrates the inadequacy of legal processes and the remarkable breadth of judicial discretion, undermining and inhibiting such cases.

Powerful, disturbing and harrowing, Hillsborough: The Truth exposes the institutional complacency that made a tragedy on this scale inevitable. It shows the law’s failure to provide appropriate means of access, disclosure and redress for those facing the consequences of institutional neglect and personal negligence. And it tells how ordinary people suffer when those in authority sacrifice truth and accountability to protect their reputations. In this new edition Scraton reflects critically on two decades of policy and legal reform including crowd safety and inquest procedure and on the continuing struggles of the bereaved and survivors who have campaigned relentlessly for truth, acknowledgment and justice.

Emergency Management in Developed Countries: An Investigation of Hazard Risk, Vulnerability and Government Response in the UK and USA

During the summer of 2007 the United Kingdom experienced some of the worst flooding in its history, with the city of Hull amongst the worst affected. Meanwhile, the city of New Orleans, USA was subject to severe flooding in August 2005 as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The study has found that both the UK and US government disaster management programmes were ill prepared for these flood events. Many parallel issues have been discovered and discussed. The conditions of vulnerability that are evident in developing countries are not widely present in the UK or US but this must not be allowed to lead to complacency and lack of preparation and awareness. The cost in terms of mortality is relatively low compared to similar events in developing countries; however, the economic implications are considerable and must be addressed.