Wave-soil-pipe coupling effect on submarine pipeline on-bottom stability

Wave-soil-pipe coupling effect on the untrenched pipeline stability on sands is for the first time investigated experimentally. Tests are conducted in the U-shaped water tunnel, which generates an oscillatory how, simulating the water particle movements with periodically changing direction under the wave action. Characteristic times and phases during the instability process are revealed. Linear relationship between Froude number and non-dimensional pipe weight is obtained. Effects of initial embedment and loading history are observed. Test results between the wavesoil-pipe interaction and pipe-soil interaction under cyclic mechanical loading are compared. The mechanism is briefly discussed. For applying in the practical design, more extensive and systematic investigations are needed.

Stability of ZrTiCuNiBe Bulk Metallic Glass Upon Isothermal Annealing Near the Glass Transition Temperature

The stability of Zr41Ti14Cu12.5Ni10Be22.5 bulk metallic glass (BMG) upon isothermal annealing near the glass transition temperature has been investigated by using x-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and the pulse echo overlap method. The density, elastic constants, and thermodynamic parameters as well as their annealing time dependence have been determined. The microstructural and properties changes of the annealed BMG were checked by acoustic measurement. Obvious structural and property changes were observed with prolonged annealing of the BMG near the glass transition temperature.