放牧对内蒙古草原群落和土壤种子库的影响及两者关系的研究

选取内蒙古草原三种主要草原类型（草甸草原、典型草原和荒漠草原）代表性群落羊草杂类草群落、羊草群落和大针茅群落、小针茅群落，应用样线法沿水分梯度研究放牧对内蒙古草原不同植物群落功能群组成、多样性、生产力以及多样性与生产力关系的影响和放牧对土壤种子库组成、大小以及多样性的影响，在此基础上，研究土壤种子库与地上植被间的关系。主要结论如下： 1 放牧对植物群落的影响 荒漠草原的放牧演替规律为小针茅群落→猪毛菜 + 小针茅群落→猪毛菜群落;典型草原为羊草或大针茅群落→糙隐子草 + 大针茅群落或克氏针茅群落→星毛委陵菜 + 糙隐子草群落;草甸草原为羊草杂类草群落→羊草 + 贝加尔针茅群落，这是不同物种对牧压的不同适应结果造成的。 放牧使4种草原群落生活型功能群组分间发生强烈的生态替代作用，但不同的群落生态替代模式不同：放牧使小针茅群落多年生丛生禾草作用减弱，一二年生草本作用增强;羊草群落和大针茅群落多年生丛生禾草、多年生根茎禾草作用减弱，多年生杂类草作用增强;羊草杂类草群落多年生根茎禾草作用减弱，多年生丛生禾草作用增强。放牧使非旱生和C3植物作用减弱，而旱生、C4植物作用增强。 放牧对4种群落物种和功能群多样性的影响随不同的群落而表现不同：物种丰富度、物种多样性、生活型多样性 和水分生态类型多样性除羊草杂类草群落外随放牧强度的加大而降低，但适度放牧增加了羊草杂类草群落的上述多样性指标。 群落地上现存量一般随放牧强度的增大而下降，但小针茅群落反之，主要与一年生植物猪毛菜的生物量迅速增加有关。除羊草群落外，0~10 cm 地下生物量随放牧强度的变化不显著;除大针茅群落外，放牧显著降低0~30 cm 地下生物量。 放牧影响下内蒙古草原植物群落生物量随水分生态类型多样性的升高而升高，其回归方程为：Y = 809 + 774x （R2=0.84, P<0.001），其中Y代表群落地上现存量和地下生物量之和，x代表群落水分生态类型多样性。 2 放牧对土壤种子库的影响 小针茅群落、大针茅群落、羊草群落和羊草杂类草群落土壤种子库组成中均以多年生杂类草为主，分别占各自群落种子库总物种数的40%、52%、54%和67%。 生活型功能群种子库密度除羊草杂类草群落外，均以一二年生草本占优势。中度放牧升高了除小针茅群落外多年生禾草种子库密度;放牧增大了小针茅群落和羊草杂类草群落一二年生草本种子库密度;除羊草杂类草群落外，放牧对多年生杂类草种子库密度影响不大;总种子库组成中，灌木半灌木和小半灌木种子库密度不大，不随取样时间和牧压而变化。 中度放牧种子库总密度最大，小针茅群落在重度放牧最大，主要是由于猪毛菜种子库密度在重度放牧突增所致。总体上，内蒙古草原4种群落在不同取样时间不同牧压下种子库总密度波动在20.8~3819.2粒/m2。 土壤种子库物种丰富度最大值一般出现在10月份，除羊草杂类草群落外，不放牧群落较放牧群落为高，中度放牧使羊草杂类草群落土壤种子库物种丰富度增加。中度放牧增加了小针茅群落、大针茅群落7月份和羊草杂类草群落各取样时间土壤种子库物种多样性。 3 地上植被与土壤种子库的关系 土壤种子库的优势种在特定时间特定放牧强度下与地上现有植被优势种一致，但一致率仅为三次取样时间不同放牧强度下总体的23.3%。 地上植被与土壤种子库物种组成相似性指数受不同取样时间的影响，一般的10月取样最大。不同放牧强度对二者间的相似性亦有影响，中度放牧提高了小针茅群落、羊草杂类草群落各取样时间和大针茅群落、羊草群落4月份的相似性指数。隔年二次萌发法提高了二者间的相似性水平。总体上相似性指数变动在0.1~0.75之间。 地上植被现存量、总密度与各取样时间土壤种子库总密度之间不存在显著的相关性。 4 对于估计土壤种子库密度、物种组成和确定种子库与地上植被间的关系，隔年二次萌发法对于弥补直接萌发法本身所具有的不足不失为一种有益的尝试。

开垦和放牧对内蒙古草原土壤碳库和温室气体通量的影响

本文采用野外观测和室内测定相结合的方法，研究了内蒙古草原两种主要的土地利用方式（开垦和放牧）对土壤碳库和温室气体通量的影响，结果如下： 1．内蒙古草甸草原开垦后30年后，与天然草原相比，在休闲年份0～20 cm土壤有机碳和土壤微生物量碳含量均没有显著下降，但开垦导致土壤易分解碳下降了24%。土壤易氧化碳受季节性水热因子的驱动，表现出明显的季节变化动态。因此，土壤易分解碳的较土壤碳库的其他组分对开垦更敏感，是表征土壤管理措施引起有机质变化的一个重要指标。 草原开垦后，土壤-植物系统氧化大气甲烷的能力明显提高，农田和天然草原CH4平均吸收通量分别是48.9 和 29.0 μg C m-2 h-1，开垦后增加了1.7倍。开垦没有改变CH4吸收通量 “夏季高秋季低” 的季节变化规律（由降水决定）;开垦使N2O的平均释放通量增加了47%，农田和天然草原N2O平均吸收通量分别是56.6 和 38.6 ugN m-2 h-1;开垦同时也增大了通量的变异幅度;但没有改变N2O季节变化规律，只是出现高峰的时间较天然草原推后约10天左右。 2．开垦后的农田土壤在模拟添加厩肥后，刺激了土壤微生物的呼吸代谢，使CO2的释放量增加了5-7倍。试验期间总体排放的CO2中，约60%来源于羊粪，40% 来源于土壤。两种土壤即羊草顶级草原土壤（高碳高氮）和冷蒿－小禾草退化草原土壤（低碳低氮），在CO2的释放总量和释放比例上都没有显著性差异。添加厩肥均造成两种土壤碳库的净碳损失，并且退化草原土壤（7.0%）的土壤净碳损失要大于羊草草原（2.6%）。说明与开垦后的高C土壤相比，在已经退化草原的低C土壤上施厩肥将趋向于土壤更大的净碳损失。 3．自由放牧22年后，羊草草原0～10 cm土壤有机碳、微生物量碳和易分解碳分别下降了14.1%、27.9%和22.0%;大针茅草原0～5 cm土壤有机碳和微生物量碳分别下降了27.6%和38.2%。两类草原土壤碳组分的季节变化受水热因子的驱动，大针茅草原季节波动出现高峰的时间较羊草草原迟。土壤微生物量碳在表征羊草草原和大针茅草原土壤碳素的动态变化时，要敏感于土壤总有机碳。放牧对冷蒿-小禾草草原土壤各碳素组分影响不明显。在表征放牧对冷蒿-小禾草草原土壤的影响指示上，MB-C/ Org-C和Lab-C/ Org-C要比MB-C和Lab-C更加敏感。这说明在研究放牧对草原土壤碳库影响时，不同的草原类型应使用不同的指标来表征其变化。 内蒙古羊草草原是大气CH4的汇，自由放牧增加土壤对CH4的吸收。CH4平均吸收通量增加了27%，但CH4吸收的季节变化形式没有改变;放牧使。自由放牧还增大了N2O的排放通量，将原来N2O源、汇的双重功能改变为单一的源功能;放牧使N2O平均释放通量增加了1倍;放牧显著增加了羊草草原向大气排放CO2的量（p<0.05），并且年度排放量范围也有所增大。 4．草原羊尿斑土壤的pH和NH4+浓度在施后显著升高，但土壤微生物C和N没有明显变化，尿斑N素会发生大量的流失。粪斑和厩肥斑中各有46%和27%的N素分解后转移到植物中。羊草种群斑块上粪尿斑引起CO2和N2O通量的变化，要大于星毛委陵菜种群斑块。与植被类型的影响相比，羊粪尿斑尤其是尿斑对温室气体通量的影响更大。尿斑既降低了土壤对CH4的吸收，又增加了CO2和N2O的释放，使粪尿斑上相当于CO2的净排放量比对照土壤增加了15%。 在内蒙古草原中等放牧条件下，家畜粪尿斑在放牧草地上的覆盖面积约只有2%，与未被家畜排泄物覆盖的草原土壤 相比，粪尿斑对内蒙古草原温室气体总体收支产生的影响可以忽略不计。因此内蒙古草原地区温室气体减排措施的重点，应放在家畜的食性食量对温室气体的影响以及厩肥的科学利用上。但随放牧强度的加大，家畜排泄物覆盖草地的面积将大大增加，加之放牧生态系统中家畜瘤胃代谢产生的的大量温室气体，其对草原温室气体的核算将会产生的影响也是不容忽视的。

三峡水库蓄水对消落带土壤理化性状的影响

三峡水利枢纽工程的调度运行导致水库水位的涨落，从而在三峡水库周边水陆交错带形成周期性淹没与出露于水面的一段特殊区域，被称为三峡水库消落带。三峡水库消落带生态系统的健康是库岸稳定和水库安全运行的重要保障。土壤养分是三峡库区消落带土壤生态系统的重要组成部分。三峡水库蓄水以来，土壤理化性状发生改变，水土流失日益加剧。土壤是植物的基础，因此，对三峡水库消落带土壤性状的研究对消落带植被恢复有一定的指导意义，也为研究水库消落带水土流失提供依据，为研究水库消落带土壤污染与水体污染提供基础。 本文首先通过对重庆忠县石宝寨水库消落带不同水位、不同时期的表层土壤分析，研究了消落带不同水位土壤容重、酸碱度、有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾、硝态氮、氨态氮、速效磷、速效钾的含量变化。实验结果表明：（1）消落带土壤淹水前各测定指标在不同海拔高程之间的差异均不显著（P>0.05）；（2）三峡水库淹水后消落带土壤由微碱性变为碱性，养分平均含量普遍下降，土壤养分缺乏，淹水易造成养分流失；（3）不同淹水强度下，土壤pH 值、有机质、全氮、全磷、氨态氮、速效钾平均含量差异显著（P＜0.001），经过淹水土壤有机质、全氮、速效钾含量进一步降低；（4）不同淹水时期，土壤全钾、硝态氮、氨态氮平均含量差异显著（P＜0.001），速效氮含量随季节变化较大，与土壤水分有密切关系；（5）干湿交替更容易造成氮、磷解吸释放入水体，从而增加富营养化的风险。 其次，通过对石宝寨消落带5 个时间段6个水位的表层土壤分析，研究了消落带不同时期、不同淹水强度土壤酸碱度及Cu、Zn、Pb、Cr 的含量变化。结果表明（1）淹水土壤pH 显著高于未淹水土壤，长期淹水土壤重金属含量显著高于短期淹水土壤与未淹水土壤，146m 土壤重金属含量最高；（2）经过淹水土壤，pH 先升高后下降，铜含量、锌含量都下降，铬含量先上升后下降，铅含量随着土壤暴露先稍微上升，后又下降，但在08 年9 月达到最大值；（3）各土壤重金属之间均存在显著相关关系，表明三峡消落带土壤存在重金属复合污染隐患；（ 4 ） 以三峡水库土壤背景值为评价标准， 消落带土壤污染程度具有Cu>Pb>Zn>Cr 的特征，其中，铜污染相对最为严重，消落带土壤随着淹水强度的加大与淹水时间的延长，污染程度加重，消落带综合污染指数达到1.24，属于轻度污染级。

APPLICATION OF CENTRIFUGE MODELS IN THE STUDY OF AN INTERACTION PROBLEM.

Rigid retaining walls are considered. Both the backfill and the soil supporting the foundation of the model wall have been made of a single dry granular soil. Attention is limited to one grain.

HACCP based management system for improving quality of freshwater giant prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii

The study was conducted on the present status of HACCP based quality management system of golda, Macrobrachium rosenbergii farms in Fulpur region of Mymensingh. Information was collected on general condition of farms, culture systems and post-harvest quality management. In almost all farms, there is no or inadequate infrastructure facilities such as, road access, electric supply, telecommunications, ice, feed storage facility, vehicle for golda transportation, washing and toilet facilities. The problems associated with sanitation and hygiene was: widespread use of cow dung, poultry manure and construction of open toilet within the vicinity of prawn culture pond. Different grades of commercially available and locally prepared feeds were used for golda culture in the pond. Golda post-larvae (PL) of 40-50 days old were stocked with carp species. The price of golda PL ranged from Tk. 1.00 to Tk. 1.25/piece. The pond size varied from 50 decimal (0.2 ha) to 2.5 acre (1.0 ha) with an average depth of 2-2.5 m. The culture period of golda varied from April-May to November-December and survival rate ranged between 75 and 80%. Production of golda varied from 250-500 kg/acre (625-1,250 kg/ha). Harvested golda were transported to city market within 4 h. Two size grading were generally followed during pricing, e.g. Tk. 500 to 550/kg for >100 g size and Tk. 300/kg for <100 g size. The cost-benefit ratio was found to remain around 1:1.25 depending on availability of PL. Water quality parameters such as, water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, total alkalinity and chlorophyll a in five golda farms in Fulpur region were monitored. Water temperature ranged from 29°C to 33°C, dissolved oxygen from 2.28 to 4.13 mg/l, pH between 6.65 and 7.94, alkalinity from 44 to 70 mg/l and chlorophyll a concentration from 61.88 to 102.34 µg/l in the five investigated ponds. The Aerobic Plate Count (APC) of the water sample was within the range of 2.0x10^6 - 2.96x10^7 CFU/ml and of soil samples within the range of 6.9x10^6 - 7.73x10^6 CFU/g. Streptococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus sp., Pseudomonas sp. and Salmonella sp. were isolated from pond water and sediment. Different feed samples used for golda was analyzed for proximate composition. Moisture content ranged around 14.14-21.22%, crude protein 20.55-44.1%, lipid 4.67-12.54% and ash 9.7-27.69%. The TVB-N values and peroxide values of feeds used as starter, grower and fish meal were found within the acceptable ranges and samples were free from pathogenic organisms. A training was organized for the golda farmers on HACCP, water quality and post-harvest quality management of prawn.

Seismic behaviour of anchored quay walls with dry backfill

The seismic behaviour of anchored sheet pile walls is a complex soil-structure interaction problem. Damaged sheet pile walls are very expensive to repair and their seismic behaviour needs to be investigated in order to understand their possible mechanisms of failure. The research described in this paper involves both centrifuge testing and Finite Element (FE) analyses aimed at investigating the seismic behaviour of an anchored sheet pile wall in dry sand. The model wall is tied to the backfill with two tie rods connected to an anchor beam. The accelerations of the sheet pile wall, the anchor beam and the soil around the wall were measured using miniature piezoelectric accelerometers. The displacement at the tip of the wall was also measured. Stain gauges at five different locations on the wall were used to measure the bending moments induced in the the wall. The anchor forces in the tie rods were also measured using load cells. The results from the centrifuge tests were compared with 2-D, plane strain FE analyses conducted using DIANA-SWANDYNE II and the observed seismic behaviour was explained in the light of these findings. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.

The use of centrifuge tests in the study of arching

The horizontal arching mechanism transfers horizontal earth pressures acting on flexible retaining wall panels to stiffer neighbouring elements via soil shear stresses. In this research, the horizontal arching mechanism and lateral displacements of fixed cantilever walls in a model basement are investigated using centrifuge tests. A series of six tests was carried out at 45 gravities where the panel widths and thicknesses around the model basement were varied, so that the effects of panel geometry and stiffness on horizontal arching could be studied. It is shown that panel crest displacements and base bending moments of the most flexible, narrow panels can be an order of magnitude smaller than conventional active earth pressure calculations would allow. It is suggested that the reduction of earth pressure acting on a panel is directly correlated to the mobilized soil shear strength and hence, soil shear strain. Earth pressure coefficients K are plotted against panel displacements normalized by the panel width, u/B, to simulate the reduction of K with increasing soil strain.An idealized K-u/B curve is introduced, characterised by a reference distortion (u/B) ref beyond which fully plastic soil arching can be inferred, and which is related to the corresponding reference shear strain γ ref at which soil strength is fully mobilized in element tests. © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group, London.

Measuring shaft friction during earthquakes

The failure of piled foundations has been observed in many earthquake events. The manner in which a pile is able to support its applied superstructure loading during an earthquake is not yet fully understood, particularly with respect to the shaft friction capacity. In this paper, new pile group is presented which has been instrumented to measure the shaft friction distribution along the length of a pile. In addition, this pile group is able to measure the pore pressures directly beneath the pile tips. The pile group was tested in dynamic centrifuge experiments and showed differing shaft friction behaviour in dense and loose soil layers as well as strong dilation beneath the pile tips at the start of earthquake loading. A reduction in shaft friction was observed after the earthquake due to soil down-drag. © 2010 Taylor & Francis Group, London.

The response of piled buildings to deep excavations

This paper explores the influence of the piled foundation on the building response to excavation-induced deformations. The influence of the type of foundation, the position of positive and negative skin friction zones, and the flexibility of the piles is evaluated with respect to both horizontal and vertical soil deformations. Case histories from the Netherlands are included from Amsterdam (North South Line) and Rotterdam (a building adjacent to the Willemspoortunnel). Most of the buildings are founded on timber piles ranging in length from 12-17 m. Conclusions are drawn about the interaction between the piled building and the soil deformation. © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group.

Factors affecting seismic response of submarine slopes

The response of submerged slopes on the continental shelf to seismic or storm loading has become an important element in the risk assessment for offshore structures and "local" tsunami hazards worldwide. The geological profile of these slopes typically includes normally consolidated to lightly overconsolidated soft cohesive soils with layer thickness ranging from a few meters to hundreds of meters. The factor of safety obtained from pseudo-static analyses is not always a useful measure for evaluating the slope response, since values less than one do not necessarily imply slope failure with large movements of the soil mass. This paper addresses the relative importance of different factors affecting the response of submerged slopes during seismic loading. The analyses use a dynamic finite element code which includes a constitutive law describing the anisotropic stress-strain-strength behavior of normally consolidated to lightly overconsolidated clays. The model also incorporates anisotropic hardening to describe the effect of different shear strain and stress histories as well as bounding surface principles to provide realistic descriptions of the accumulation of the plastic strains and excess pore pressure during successive loading cycles. The paper presents results from parametric site response analyses on slope geometry and layering, soil material parameters, and input ground motion characteristics. The predicted maximum shear strains, permanent deformations, displacement time histories and maximum excess pore pressure development provide insight of slope performance during a seismic event. © 2006 Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Permeability of aged grout around tunnels in London

Prediction of the long-term settlement of clay soils over tunnels requires a knowledge of the permeability of the soil and of the tunnel lining; however, determination of the lining permeability in the field is difficult. An important contributor to this problem is the lack of knowledge concerning the permeability of the grout between the lining and the soil. This paper presents the results of tests to characterise the properties of grout samples from London Underground tunnels, investigating permeability, porosity, micro structure and composition. The tests revealed that the newer grout was impermeable relative to the surrounding clay. However, the older samples showed much greater permeabilities and an altered grout composition, suggesting that degradation had taken place. Exposure to groundwater appeared to have caused carbonation and sulfate reaction. The combination of chemical reaction and leaching of cementitious and degradation products appears to have made these grouts more permeable, so that the grout could act as a drainage path rather than a barrier. This challenges the typical assumption that the grout acts as an impermeable barrier.

Modelling of jacked piles in centrifuge

Pile jacking is a common installation method for displacement piles due to the low noise and vibration involved in the installation procedure. Problems may occur when modelling jacked piles in the centrifuge, especially for friction piles, due to scaling effects which can be minimised, provided that the pile diameter is greater than fifty times the mean grain size. A series of centrifuge tests of jacked piles was performed in both dry and saturated fine sand. Piles were installed using three different methods. The effect of the installation method on the head load required is assessed. The influence of the normalised roughness was also tested by testing one rough and one smooth pile. Finally, cyclic shearing at constant depth was performed to establish the shaft load reduction due to friction fatigue. © 2014 Taylor & Francis Group.

Modelling of settlement induced building damage

This thesis focuses on the modelling of settlement induced damage to masonry buildings. In densely populated areas, the need for new space is nowadays producing a rapid increment of underground excavations. Due to the construction of new metro lines, tunnelling activity in urban areas is growing. One of the consequences is a greater attention to the risk of damage on existing structures. Thus, the assessment of potential damage of surface buildings has become an essential stage in the excavation projects in urban areas (Chapter 1). The current damage risk assessment procedure is based on strong simplifications, which not always lead to conservative results. Object of this thesis is the development of an improved damage classification system, which takes into account the parameters influencing the structural response to settlement, like the non-linear behaviour of masonry and the soil-structure interaction. The methodology used in this research is based on experimental and numerical modelling. The design and execution of an experimental benchmark test representative of the problem allows to identify the principal factors and mechanisms involved. The numerical simulations enable to generalize the results to a broader range of physical scenarios. The methodological choice is based on a critical review of the currently available procedures for the assessment of settlement-induced building damage (Chapter 2). A new experimental test on a 1/10th masonry façade with a rubber base interface is specifically designed to investigate the effect of soil-structure interaction on the tunnelling-induced damage (Chapter 3). The experimental results are used to validate a 2D semi-coupled finite element model for the simulation of the structural response (Chapter 4). The numerical approach, which includes a continuum cracking model for the masonry and a non-linear interface to simulate the soil-structure interaction, is then used to perform a sensitivity study on the effect of openings, material properties, initial damage, initial conditions, normal and shear behaviour of the base interface and applied settlement profile (Chapter 5). The results assess quantitatively the major role played by the normal stiffness of the soil-structure interaction and by the material parameters defining the quasi-brittle masonry behaviour. The limitation of the 2D modelling approach in simulating the progressive 3D displacement field induced by the excavation and the consequent torsional response of the building are overcome by the development of a 3D coupled model of building, foundation, soil and tunnel (Chapter 6). Following the same method applied to the 2D semi-coupled approach, the 3D model is validated through comparison with the monitoring data of a literature case study. The model is then used to carry out a series of parametric analyses on geometrical factors: the aspect ratio of horizontal building dimensions with respect to the tunnel axis direction, the presence of adjacent structures and the position and alignment of the building with respect to the excavation (Chapter 7). The results show the governing effect of the 3D building response, proving the relevance of 3D modelling. Finally, the results from the 2D and 3D parametric analyses are used to set the framework of an overall damage model which correlates the analysed structural features with the risk for the building of being damaged by a certain settlement (Chapter 8). This research therefore provides an increased experimental and numerical understanding of the building response to excavation-induced settlements, and sets the basis for an operational tool for the risk assessment of structural damage (Chapter 9).

Impacts of Choerospondias axillaris growth on acidity of Udic Ferrosols in subtropical China

Changes in acidity of Udic Ferrosols, caused by growth of Choerospondias axillaris (Roxb.) Burtt et Hill, in comparison to wild grass, were investigated for pH distribution in the soil profile, exchangeable acidity, and cation status in the soil leachate of a simulated leaching experiment. Soils were sampled in profiles at 5 cm intervals to a depth of 100 cm. In the 1.5-60 cm layer the soils with 10-year old C. axillaris had significantly lower pH (P < 0.05), with the largest difference being 0.41: and in the 25-75 cm soil depths, especially in the 30-55 cm layer, the soils had a significantly higher exchangeable acidity, ranging 1.93 to 3.02 cmol(c) kg(-1). There was also higher aluminum, potassium, and sodium contents in the soil leachate under C. axillaris than with wild grasses. This suggested that the growth of C. axillaris accelerated acidification of Udic Ferrosols and promoted soil clay mineral weathering.

Assessment of the settlement vulnerability of masonry buildings

Excavation works in urban areas require a preliminary risk damage assessment. In historical cities, the prediction of building response to settlements is necessary to reduce the risk of damage of the architectural heritage. The current method used to predict the building damage due to ground deformations is the Limiting Tensile Strain Method (LTSM). In this approach the building is modelled as an elastic beam subjected to imposed Greenfield settlements and the induced tensile strains are compared with a limit value for the material. These assumptions can lead to a non realistic evaluation of the damage. In this paper, the possibility to apply a settlement risk assessment derived from the seismic vulnerability approach is considered. The parameters that influence the structural response to settlements can be defined through numerical analyses which take into account the nonlinear behaviour of masonry and the soil-structure interaction. The effects of factors like material quality, geometry of the structure, amount of openings, type of foundation or the actual state of preservation can be included in a global vulnerability index, which should indicate the building susceptibility to damage by differential settlements of a given magnitude. Vulnerability curves will represent the expected damage of each vulnerability class of building as a function of the settlement.