A verified elasto-viscoplastic finite element model is used to develop a better understanding of the performance of embankments with geosynthetic reinforcement constructed over rate-sensitive soil. The interaction between reinforcement and prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) and their effects on time-dependent behaviour of embankments are examined. For rate-sensitive soils, the generation of creep-induced pore pressures following the end of construction is evident along the potential slip surface. As a result, the minimum factor of safety with respect to embankment stability occurs after the end of construction. The combined use of reinforcement and PVDs are shown to provide an effective means of minimizing creep-induced excess pore pressure, increasing overall stability, and decreasing deformation of the embankments. The combined effects of the viscoelastic properties of geosynthetic reinforcement (polyester, polypropylene and polyethylene) and the rate-sensitive nature of foundation soils on the performance of embankments are examined. The effect of various factors, including reinforcement type (i.e., stiffness and viscosity), soil viscosity, construction rate and allowable long-term reinforcement strain, on the time-dependent behaviour of embankments are considered. The long-term performance of reinforced embankments is investigated for different maximum allowable long-term reinforcement strains. From a series of finite element analyses, the ideal allowable reinforcement strains to minimize embankment deformation while providing optimum long-term service height of the embankment, considering the effect of soil and reinforcement viscosity, are proposed for soils similar to those examined in this study. The currently proposed design methods for embankments with creep-susceptible reinforcement over rate-sensitive soils appear to be overly conservative. This study proposes a refined approach for establishing the allowable long-term reinforcement strains that are expected to provide adequate performance while reducing the level of conservativeness of reinforced embankment design. Finally, a previously developed elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model is modified to incorporate the effect of soil structure using a state-dependent fluidity parameter and damage law. The model was evaluated against data from a well-documented case study of a reinforced test embankment constructed on a sensitive Champlain clay deposit in Saint Alban, Quebec. The benefit of basal reinforcement and the effect of reinforcement viscosity are then discussed for these types of soil deposits. / Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2011-01-21 22:26:40.133

Lateral pressures on non-yielding walls due to surface strip loads were investigated considering the non-linear stress-strain behaviour of the soil by finite element analyses. Data obtained from the finite element analyses were used to train neural networks in order to obtain a solution to assess the total lateral thrust and its point of application on a non-yielding wall due to a strip load. A 2-layered backpropogation type neural network was used. An artificial neural network solution was obtained, as a function of six parameters including the shear strength parameters of the soil ( cohesion and angle of friction ). The effects of each input parameter on the lateral thrust and point of application were summarized and the results were compared with the conventional linear elastic solution.

[pt] Prever o comportamento de estruturas de solo de grande porte, como barragens, durante a construção, em operação e inclusive sob o efeito de eventos sísmicos tem muita importância para evitar possíveis consequências catastróficas e indesejáveis. Neste sentido, este estudo apresenta, através de uma análise acoplada hidromecânica pelo método dos elementos finitos, os resultados numéricos discutidos em termos de tensões e suas trajetórias, deslocamentos verticais e horizontais, poropressões, incluindo a estabilidade de taludes. Além disso, é apresentada também a análise da resposta sísmica quando a estrutura é submetida a um carregamento dinâmico. Para tanto, analisou-se a barragem de terra zonada Recreta, situada na província de Huaraz - Peru, mediante o emprego do programa PLAXIS 2010. Foram descritas as metodologias de análise para simular passo a passo a construção incremental da barragem, o primeiro enchimento do reservatório por incrementos de níveis de água, o avanço da frente de saturação até atingir a condição de fluxo permanente e a avaliação da resposta dinâmica quando a barragem é submetida ao último maior movimento sísmico (história de acelerações) registrado em 1974 na capital do Peru, Lima, adjacente à cidade onde se localiza este projeto. Também se empregou o software Seismosignal versão 5.0, para o tratamento do sinal sísmico, e os programas Shake 2000 e Strata para a calibração dos parâmetros de amortecimento. Os resultados fornecidos por estas ferramentas numéricas foram avaliados em função do fundamento teórico, exposto na revisão bibliográfica, e de uma série de testes para o estabelecimento das metodologias e procedimentos mais adequados para a obtenção destes resultados. / [en] Predicting the behavior of soil structures, such as large-scale dams, during construction and operation, including the effect of earthquakes, is very important to prevent possible catastrophic and undesirable consequences. This study presents, through a coupled hydromechanical analysis by the finite element method, numerical results discussed in terms of stresses and trajectories, vertical and horizontal displacements, poropresssures and soil slope stability analyses. The investigation of the seismic response when the structure is subjected to a seismic load is also included, considering the dynamic behavior of the zoned earth dam Recreta, located in the province of Huaraz in Peru. The numerical analyses were carried out using the computational program PLAXIS 2010 to simulate the incremental construction of the dam, the first fill of the reservoir by increments of the water levels, the advance of the front of saturation until achieving the condition of steady flow condition and the seismic response when the dam is subject to the last major earthquake (accelerations history) registered in Peru s capital, Lima, in 1974, which is located near to the site of the Recreta dam. The Seismosignal software version 5.0 was also used for seismic signal processing and the programs SHAKE 2000 and STRATA were also employed for calibration of the damping parameters of the soils. All the results provided herein were discussed, based on the theoretical basics presented in the literature review as well as on the various numerical examples investigated with the main purpose to better understand the hydromechanical behavior of a zoned earth dam subject to static and dynamic loads.

Diplomová práce představuje vytvoření softwarového 2D MKP modelu přehrady Slezská Harta v České Republice za pomoci softwaru PLAXIS 2D. V úvodu práce je analýza vodní nádrže, vytvořené jako zásobárna vody a protipovodňové dílo. Analýza sleduje geomorfologii, geologii, konstrukci tělesa hráze, použité materiály a metody, a stávající monitorovací zařízení. Pro pochopení tvorby 2D MKP modelu jsou předloženy a definované metody použitých analýz - metoda konečných prvků, analýza prosakování, materiálové modely, citlivostná analýza. Následně byla definována tvorba struktury modelu - určení posloupnosti použitých analýz, definování vstupních dat a mezních podmínek a tvorba kalibračního segmentu. V závěrečné části práce je analýza dosažených výstupů rozsáhlého testování modelu, jejich korelace s reálnými naměřenými hodnotami a celkové shrnutí přínosu vytvořeného modelu pro jeho využití při předpovídání chování přehrady v extrémních případech.

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In this study settlement behaviour of K&uuml / rt&uuml / n dam, which is the first concrete faced rockfill dam in Turkey, is investigated. Two dimensional plane strain finite element analyses are carried out in order to determine the total stresses and displacements during construction and reservoir filling conditions. Hardening soil model is used in order to represent the non-linear, inelastic and stress dependent behaviour of rockfill material. Material model parameters are selected mainly referring to the previous studies on the dams consisting of similar materials. Calculated stresses and settlements are compared with the observed values and in general, they were found to be in good agreement for the construction stages. It is seen that, due to the relatively narrow valley and steep abutment slopes, arching is a significant parameter as far as the stresses and settlements are concerned. For the reservoir impounding condition, calculated settlements were found to be slightly larger than the observed values, which may indicate that during the reservoir impounding, the rockfill embankment behaves in a stiffer manner as compared to that of during construction stages.

La croissance en début de cycle des grandes cultures est principalement influencée par la température et la teneur en eau du sol. Nous avons développé un modèle capable de prédire ces variables grâce à l’utilisation de données climatiques largement disponibles. Des analyses de la sensibilité du modèle nous ont permis d’identifier les composants qui contribuent à son incertitude. Après calibration, une erreur moyenne relative de moins de 10 % est constatée pour la température et la teneur en eau à 30 cm de profondeur.Dans des conditions de semis standard en Suisse, l’émergence du maïs a été mieux prédite en utilisant notre température de sol simulée plutôt que la température de l’air, plus couramment utilisée. Ce travail est une application d’un modèle biophysique complexe à un problème agronomique. Les résultats participeront à l’optimisation de l’effort de sélection des variétés tolérantes au froid. Deux pistes de recherche peuvent être considérées pour des futurs travaux: une meilleure modélisation de l’évaporation et une décomposition de l’émergence. / The beginning of crop growth is influenced by soil temperature and water content near the surface. We have developed a model that predicts the local temperature and water content surrounding the seed using easily available meteorological data. Our global sensitivity analysis helped us identify the components of the model with the largest contribution to the output uncertainty. After calibration, the model showed less than 10 % relative error for temperature and water content at 30 cm. In standard sowing conditions in north-western Switzerland, the emergence was better predicted when using our simulated seed bed temperature than air temperature, the classical proxy variable. Combining the emergence model with soil temperature simulation, an accurate prediction of emergence was achieved. This work is an example of applying complex biophysics model for understanding an agronomic problem. The results of this work will participate in optimising breeding efforts for cold-tolerant crop varieties. Future investigations should consider a finer modelling of processes for evaporation and emergence.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / A procedure for calibrating a discrete element (DE) computational soil model for various moisture contents using a conventional Asperity-Spring friction modeling technique is presented in this thesis. The procedure is based on the outcomes of two physical soil experiments: (1) Compression and (2) unconfined shear strength at various levels of normal stress and normal pre-stress. The Compression test is used to calibrate the DE soil plastic strain and elastic strain as a function of Compressive stress. To calibrate the DE inter-particle friction coefficient and adhesion stress as a function of soil plastic strain, the unconfined shear test is used. This thesis describes the experimental test devices and test procedures used to perform the physical terramechanical experiments. The calibration procedure for the DE soil model is demonstrated in this thesis using two types of soil: sand-silt (2NS Sand) and silt-clay(Fine Grain Soil) over 5 different moisture contents: 0%, 4%, 8%, 12%, and 16%. The DE based models response are then validated by comparing them to experimental pressure-sinkage results for circular disks and cones for those two types of soil over 5 different moisture contents. The Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) during the compression calibration was 26.9% whereas during the unconfined shear calibration, the MAPE was calculated to be 11.38%. Hence, the overall MAPE was calculated to be 19.34% for the entire calibration phase.

Dans ce mémoire, nous présentons une stratégie basée sur une approche hybridedans le domaine temporel, couplant une méthode de résolution des équations de Maxwelldans le domaine 3D (FDTD) avec une méthode de résolution des équations de ligne detransmission, afin de pouvoir simuler des problèmes électromagnétiques de grande échelle. Lemémoire donne les éléments d’hybridation pour deux cadres d’utilisation de cette approche :une approche multi-domaine et une approche multi-résolution ou d’échelle.L’approche multi-domaine est une extension de la méthode FDTD 3D à plusieurs sousdomainesreliés par des structures filaires sur lesquelles on résout une équation de lignes detransmission par un formalisme FDTD 1D. La difficulté est d’abord d’avoir une définitionimplicite du champ électromagnétique dans la théorie des lignes de transmission, et d’autrepart de prendre en compte les effets du sol sur les courants induits au niveau des lignes etsur les champs électromagnétiques.L’approche multi-résolution ou d’échelle est conçue pour étendre les capacités de la méthodeFDTD au traitement du routage de câbles complexes ayant une section plus petite quela taille de la cellule. Ce mémoire présente différentes techniques pour évaluer les paramètresde la ligne, basées sur la résolution d’un problème de Laplace 2D, ainsi qu’une méthode decouplage champs/câbles basée sur le courant de mode commun.L’ensemble de ce travail nous a permis de proposer une méthode numérique efficace pourcalculer les effets électromagnétiques induits par une source (type onde plane ou dipolaire)sur des sites de grande dimension, composés de plusieurs bâtiments reliés entre eux par unréseau de câbles. Dans ce cadre une application à la foudre a été réalisée. / In this thesis, we present a strategy based on a hybrid approach in the timedomain, by coupling 3D method (FDTD) with a multi-conductors transmission line (MTL)method, in order to simulate complex large scale electromagnetic problems. This reportgives the theoretical and numerical elements for coupling these approaches for two kindof problems, which are the multi domains approach and the multi scale approach. Themultiple domains approach is an extension of the classical FDTD method taking into accountseveral 3D subdomains, interconnected by a wire network, on which a 1D transmission lineformalism is used. The main issues are, on one hand to have an implicit expression ofthe electromagnetic field in the transmission line approach, and on the other hand to beable to take into account the ground effects on the induced currents, on the transmissionline parameters and on the electromagnetic field. The multi scale approach is developed toextend the capabilities of FDTD to deal with complex cables routing. We assume that thecross section of the cables are smallest than the cell size, and in these problems, the 1Dtransmission line problem is physically included in the 3D global computational domain.The work done in this thesis leaded to a new field to transmission line coupling based onthe common mode current, and an evaluation of the transmission. line parameters basedon a Laplace equation resolution in 2D. In this work, we have elaborated and proposedefficient numerical strategies for the computation of electromagnetic induced effects on largeand complex sites, composed of several interconnected distant buildings. An application tolightning problems have been done.

Esta dissertação apresenta em primeira etapa o trabalho desenvolvido para averiguar a adequação dos modelos reológicos de Mohr-Coulomb e de Endurecimento de solo, para representar as deformações e distorções que ocorrem no sistema soloestrutura, quando do processo de escavação de valas escoradas. Além disto, em uma segunda etapa fazem-se estimativas de previsão de danos causados em edificações, em decorrência das escavações de uma vala escorada da linha 1 do Metropolitano de São Paulo (Metrô S.P.). A primeira e a segunda etapa foram feitas através de 810 simulações numéricas, em elementos finitos utilizando-se o software PLAXIS, associadas a retroanálise por processo direto do módulo de deformabilidade a 50% da tensão de ruptura dos solos utilizando-se para isto o processo direto. Apresenta-se também uma síntese da formação e dos tipos de solos que constituem a bacia sedimentar de São Paulo, onde se localiza a seção experimental nº1 objeto de estudo desta dissertação. Faz-se uma breve revisão bibliográfica a respeito das técnicas de retroanálise. Apresentam-se critérios para escolha de intervalos de parâmetros geotécnicos que representem o sistema solo-estrutura no processo de escavação. Foram feitas análises paramétricas para determinar os parâmetros geotécnicos que mais influenciam o sistema solo-estrutura. Comparam-se os modelos constitutivos de Mohr-Coulomb e de endurecimento na previsão das deformações. Por fim, faz-se a previsão do nível de danos causados pelas escavações da vala, a um edifício hipotético / This dissertation presents, in a first part, the work done to verify how appropriate are the Mohr-Coulomb and hardening soil constitutive models to represent the strains and the distortions associated with escavations of braced wall process. In the second part, estimates are made of the damages in constructions due to the braced excavations of line one of Sao Paulo Subway (Metrô S.P.). In the two phases, 810 numeric simulations were made, in finite elements using the software PLAXIS, associated the back analysis for direct process. It is presented a synthesis of the formation and the types of soils that constitute the basin of the sediments of the city of São Paulo, where is located the section experimental nº1, object of study of this dissertation. It is presented an short bibliographical revision regarding the back analysis techniques. Criteria for choice of intervals of parameters geotechnical that represent the system soil-structure in the excavation process are presented. Parametric analyses are made to determine which the parameters have larger influence in the behavior of the system soil-structure. The behavior of the soil-structure system is simulated using the Mohr-Coulomb and hardening soil constitutive models. The Mohr-Coulomb and hardening soil constitutive models are compared in the forecast of the deformations. Finally, it is made the forecast of the level of damages to a hypothetical building caused by the braced excavations