Yang Xiao-li

Influences of nonassociated flow rules on seismic bearing capacity factors of strip footing on soil slope by energy dissipation method

Seismic bearing capacity factors of a strip footing placed on soil slope were determined with both associated and nonassociated flow rules. Quasi-static representation of earthquake effects using a seismic coefficient concept was adopted for seismic bearing capacity calculations. A multi-wedge translational failure mechanism was used to obtain the seismic bearing capacity factors for different seismic coefficients and various inclined angles. Employing the associated flow rule, numerical results were compared with the published solutions. For bearing capacity factors related to cohesion and equivalent surcharge load, the maximum difference approximates 0.1%. However, the difference of bearing capacity factor related to unit weight is larger. With the two flow rules, the seismic bearing capacity factors were presented in the form of design charts for practical use. The results show that seismic bearing capacity factors related to the cohesion, the equivalent surcharge load and the unit weight increase greatly as the dilatancy angle increases, and that the nonassociated flow rule has important influences on the seismic bearing capacity.

Effects of intermediate principal stress on rock cavity stability

The linear Mohr-Coulomb and nonlinear Hoek-Brown failure criteria, which neglect the effects of intermediate principal stress, are widely used in soil and rock engineering. However, much experimental data shows that the failure envelope relates to the intermediate principal stress. Employing the failure criterion and the generalized plastic potential function, the stability of rock cavity driven in an isotropic and homogeneous medium was investigated under the condition of plane strain considering the effects of intermediate principal stress. The closed-form solutions for stresses and displacement around a rock cavity were given in the elastic and plastic zones. Based on the closed-form solutions, the intermediate principal stress has an important effect on cavity stability.

Hazard development mechanism and deformation estimation of water solution mining area

Based on the hazard development mechanism, a water solution area is closely related to the supporting effect of pressure-bearing water, the relaxing and collapsing effect of orebody interlayer, the collapsing effect of thawless material in orebody, filling effect caused by cubical expansibility of hydrate crystallization and uplifting effect of hard rock layer over cranny belt. The movement and deformation of ground surface caused by underground water solution mining is believed to be much weaker than that caused by well lane mining, which can be predicted by the stochastic medium theory method. On the basis of analysis on the engineering practice of water solution mining, its corresponding parameters can be obtained from the in-site data of the belt water and sand filling mining in engineering analog approach.