QC 20110616

The San Andreas fault forms the right lateral transform boundary between the North American and Pacific tectonic plates. At various locations along the San Andreas fault the geometry of the fault surface is much more complex than a straight, vertical, plane. The San Bernardino Mountain segment of the San Andreas fault, in the San Gorgonio Pass region has one of the most complex active fault geometries in southern California due to a left-stepping restraining bend in the San Andreas fault. The evolution of the actively faulting pass has created an intricate network of active and formerly active, dipping and vertical, three-dimensionally irregular fault surfaces. The purpose of this research is to gain a better understanding of the mechanics of the present day active fault geometry and the evolution in the San Gorgonio pass region, through numerical modeling. We use the three-dimensional Boundary Element Method modeling code Poly3D to simulate different fault configurations. We see that fault geometries that include geologically observed and inferred fault dips match geologic data more accurately than simplified, vertical faults in the San Gorgonio Pass region of the San Andreas fault. The evolution of the San Andreas Fault in the San Gorgonio Pass region over the past million years may follow the principle of work minimization in the Earth’s crust up until the present day configuration.

Surveys of emergent terraces and U-series ages for ten sites along the coast of East Timor provide estimates of late Quaternary differential vertical strain in the most mature region of the Banda Arc-continent collision complex. Over a distance of ~180 km vertical displacement rates vary between 0.0 and 1.6 meters per 1000 years for the last 150,000 years. Two models of terrace formation (constructional and erosional) are applied to interpret terrace ages from coral ages and to estimate uplift rates. The highest uplift rates are from three sites over a distance of 15 km along the coast. Uplift rates were estimated from corals approximately 20 m above mean sea-level that yield ages of c. 54–74 ka, which correspond to the 3a (c. 49-52 ka) sea-level highstand and a possible highstand or standstill in regression between the 5a sea-level highstand and the 4 sea-level lowstand . These ten sites and resulting variable uplift rates are used constrain a wavelength of deformation due to the fact that recognizable terraces along the coast are not consistent. Terraces cannot be correlated over distances greater than 10 km, vary between 2 to 25 in number, and reach varying altitudes between ~100 and 600 meters above sea-level. The results propose that along an east-west transect a background surface uplift rate increases from 0.1 meter per 1000 years near Subau to 0.5–0.6 meters per 1000 years west of Baucau and remains at that rate for over 170 km. This would indicate a broad wavelength of deformation, possibly related to lithospheric scaled processes. However, superimposed on this background uplift rate is a shorter wavelength (< 15 km) of uplift with a mean of 1.2 meters per 1000 years and peak surface uplift at 1.6 meters per 1000 years. Another interpretation proposes the possibility of at least three shorter wavelength features. The shorter wavelength is likely associated to deformation in the upper crust. This study associates the crustal deformation to Quaternary movement along retro-wedge thrust faults at depth, which indicates active crustal shortening in Timor region.

The design of metal building roof and wall systems under uplift and suction wind loading is complicated because the laterally unbraced purlin and girt's free flange is compressed, and the cross-section rotates due to the shear flow. The objective of this thesis is to introduce a Direct Strength Method (DSM) prediction approach for simple span purlins and girts with one flange through-fastened under uplift or suction loading. This prediction method is also applicable for the case when rigid board insulation is placed between the metal panel and through-fastened flange. The prediction method is validated with a database of 62 simple span tests. To evaluate the prediction for the case when rigid board is used, 50 full-scale tests with rigid board insulation are conducted by the author of this thesis. In the experimental study panel failure, connection failure and member (purlin and girt) failure are observed, and they all limit the system's capacity. Another important contribution of this thesis is that it builds the foundation for future study of a general, mechanics-based limit state design approach for metal building roof and wall systems that can accommodate uplift and gravity loads, simple and continuous spans, and through-fastened and standing seam roofs. / Ph. D.

This report investigates the possibilities to model the causal effect of treatment within the insurance domain to increase return on investment of sales through telemarketing. In order to capture the causal effect, two or more subgroups are required where one group receives control treatment. Two different uplift models model the causal effect of treatment, Class Transformation Method, and Modeling Uplift Directly with Random Forests. Both methods are evaluated by the Qini curve and the Qini coefficient. To model the causal effect of treatment, the comparison with a control group is a necessity. The report attempts to find the optimal treatment group allocation in order to maximize the precision in the difference between the treatment group and the control group. Further, the report provides a rule of thumb that ensure that the control group is of sufficient size to be able to model the causal effect. If has provided the data material used to model uplift and it consists of approximately 630000 customer interactions and 60 features. The total uplift in the data set, the difference in purchase rate between the treatment group and control group, is approximately 3%. Uplift by random forest with a Euclidean distance splitting criterion that tries to maximize the distributional divergence between treatment group and control group performs best, which captures 15% of the theoretical best model. The same model manages to capture 77% of the total amount of purchases in the treatment group by only giving treatment to half of the treatment group. With the purchase rates in the data set, the optimal treatment group allocation is approximately 58%-70%, but the study could be performed with as much as approximately 97%treatment group allocation.

A new barometric technique measuring stored stress in quartz inclusions via laser Raman microspectrometry was employed in an attempt to elucidate the extent of highpressure (HP) metamorphism in the Llano Uplift of central Texas. Rare lithologies within the Llano Uplift contain mineralogical evidence of HP metamorphism (pressures from 1.4 to 2.4 GPa at temperatures from 650 to 775°C), but much of the uplift is composed of felsic gneisses lacking any HP signature; these felsic gneisses may never have transformed to HP assemblages, or they may have been thoroughly overprinted by later low-pressure events. Barometry via laser Raman microspectrometry computes entrapment pressure for a quartz inclusion in garnet from measurement of the displacements of its Raman peak positions from those of a quartz standard at atmospheric pressure. Quartz inclusions in garnets that grew in felsic gneisses under HP conditions should retain HP signatures, despite later overprinting. Application of the Raman microspectrometry technique should therefore allow barometry of previously uncharacterizable rocks. For two localities in the Llano Uplift, entrapment pressures from Raman barometry (0.6-0.7 GPa and 0.2-0.3 GPa) were substantially lower than pressures expected based on conventional barometers (1.4 GPa and 1.6-2.4 GPa). This absence of any HP signatures in the Llano rocks contrasts with more successful applications of the Raman technique by previous workers in high P/T blueschist-facies rocks. A key difference in the Llano rocks is that they reached peak temperatures at which intracrystalline diffusion in garnet, driven by compositional gradients produced during growth, had noticeable effects: complete homogenization of growth zoning had occurred in the locality that produced the greatest discrepancies between Raman and conventional pressures, and modest relaxation of zoning occurred in the locality with the smaller discrepancies. The failure of the Raman technique to recover pressures consistent with conventional barometry in the Llano Uplift is therefore attributed to relaxation of stress on the quartz inclusions as the result of intracrystalline diffusion within the garnet. This conclusion suggests that use of the Raman barometric technique must be restricted to rocks whose time-temperature histories produce only very limited intracrystalline diffusion in garnet, typically those rocks whose peak metamorphic temperatures fall at or below upper amphibolite-facies conditions. / text

Pliocene to Pleistocene glacial-marine deposits adjacent to the Fairweather Ground basement in the Gulf of Alaska are the focus for seismic interpretation using public domain seismic reflection data. The late Tertiary and early Quaternary sections of the Yakataga Formation record a glacial/ interglacial climate change sequence with increasing rates of sedimentation (175 meters per million years to 4000 meters per million years). The foreland basin sediment load is deposited onto the Yakutat block, a microplate that takes up the strike-slip to convergent movement with respect to North America and Pacific plates. Tectonic activity during the last 5 million years has resulted in Eocene rock exposed at the sea floor. High resolution bathymetry data adjacent to the Yakutat microplate is utilized to 1) observe the results of deformation from Pacific plate loading on the Yakutat microplate and 2) interpret the Transition fault as an active thrust to oblique thrust fault.

As estacas helicoidais têm sido empregadas em diversos tipos de obras no Brasil e no mundo, principalmente em casos em que a fundação é submetida a carregamentos simultâneos de tração e de compressão ou que necessitam de rápida e facilitada instalação. O maior uso nacional é em fundações de torres de linhas de transmissão de energia, no entanto, são escassos os estudos do comportamento deste tipo de estaca em solos tropicais brasileiros. Considerando-se o crescimento do uso de estacas helicoidais no Brasil, e a necessidade de um melhor entendimento do comportamento deste tipo de fundação em nossos solos, o presente trabalho foi realizado para verificar a influência do arranjo das hélices, tanto do diâmetro quanto da quantidade, na capacidade de carga à tração das estacas helicoidais multi-hélices, instaladas em solo tropical da região de São Carlos, na cidade de Itirapina próxima a lagoa do Broa. A campanha de investigações geotécnicas foi composta por sondagens de simples reconhecimento (SPT) e ensaios de cone (CPT). Foram ensaiadas nove estacas, com diferentes configurações de diâmetro e de número de hélices, instaladas com a ponta em mesma profundidade, mesmo espaçamento entre hélices (igual a três vezes o maior diâmetro) e mesmo diâmetro de haste. Nesta investigação foram medidos os torques de instalação, e realizadas provas de cargas à tração do tipo estática com carregamento rápido. Como conclusões, o atrito lateral obtido com o ensaio CPT foi útil para verificar o efeito de perda de resistência do solo com a instalação da estaca; o método de capacidades de carga individuais obteve estimativas mais próximas as medidas em prova de carga; o efeito da configuração (cônicas ou cilíndricas) influencia no torque de instalação, mas não na capacidade de carga das estacas; o acréscimo de diâmetro médio das estacas é interessante para acréscimos na capacidade de carga, no entanto o acréscimo do número de hélices, a hélice superior sempre absorve menores cargas do que a hélice da ponta da estaca. / The helical piles have been used in different types of constructions, especially in cases where the foundation is subjected to tension and compression loads. In Brazil, this type of pile is normally used as the foundation of towers of power transmission lines, as guyed masts and self-supporting towers. However, there are few studies about the behavior of helical piles in Brazilian tropical soils. Considering the growing use of helical piles in Brazil, and the need of a better understanding of the behavior of this type of foundation in our soils, this study was conducted to evaluate the influence of the arrangement of the helices on the uplift capacity of helical piles installed in the tropical soil of São Carlos zone of São Paulo State. For this study, geotechnical investigations were carried out: standard penetration tests (SPT) and cone tests (CPT). Nine piles with different configurations (diameter and number of blades) were tested after being installed with the tip at the same final depth into the ground, and the same relative helix spacing (S/D>3). For this investigation, the torque necessary to install the piles were recorded, and subsequently static tensile loads tests were performed on all piles. As results: the lateral friction obtained with the CPT test was useful to check the effect of losing soil strength with the installation of the screw pile, the individual bearing method obtained estimates closer measurements in load test then cylindrical shear method; the effect of configuration (conical or cylindrical) influences on the torque installation, but not the uplift capacity of the screw piles, increases in the size of average diameter of helix in screw piles make increases in uplift capacity, however the increase in the number of helix did not appear as good as increases in the average diameter of the helix.

Na prática brasileira, usualmente a previsão da capacidade de carga de fundações por estacas é baseada em métodos semi-empíricos, por meio de correlações diretas da resistência de ponta e por atrito lateral ao longo da estaca com os valores de NSPT. Entretanto, no caso de fundações por estacas helicoidais, ainda utilizam-se métodos teóricos que necessitam de valores de parâmetros geotécnicos obtidos indiretamente a partir de correlações com os valores de NSPT (coesão, peso específico, ângulo de atrito, coeficiente de empuxo). Portanto, nesta dissertação foi desenvolvido um método semi-empírico para estimar a capacidade de carga à tração de fundações por estacas helicoidais profundas por meio de correlações diretas com o valor de NSPT do solo de instalação da estaca. Além disso, são apresentados no presente trabalho valores de fator de torque KT, obtidos por análise estatística, para a verificação da capacidade de carga à tração da estaca usando-se medidas do torque necessário para instalá-la no terreno. Nesta pesquisa dois diferentes modelos para estimativa da capacidade de carga foram desenvolvidos e analisados estatisticamente. O estudo das características das amostras de fundações por estacas helicoidais usadas nesta pesquisa permitiu a subdivisão em grupos (tipo de solo e quantidade de hélices) de modo a se obter modelos mais precisos. Com os resultados deste trabalho, foi possível elaborar recomendações para projeto e execução de estacas helicoidais, bem como desenvolver um modelo para estimar a capacidade de carga à tração de estacas helicoidais instaladas em solos similares aos das estacas usadas neste estudo. / The pile capacity in Brazil is usually predicted by semi-empirical methods based on direct correlations between SPT-N values and pile shaft and pile base resistance. However, the uplift capacity of helical piles is still calculated using theoretical methods based on soil parameters, as: cohesion, unit weight, friction angle, and lateral earth pressure coefficient. In this case, these parameters are obtained indirectly from correlations with values of SPT-N. This dissertation was inspired by the need of a more appropriate method to calculate the uplift capacity of helical piles, by correlating the capacity of the bearing plates directly with the soil type and SPT-N values. In this work, it was developed a semi-empirical method for estimating the pullout capacity of deep helical piles by using SPT test results, similarly to the other methods used for conventional piles. Also, this work presents some results of torque factor, obtained by statistical analysis, to the verification of the pile capacity by using the torque recorded at the end of pile installation. In this research, it was performed several statistical analysis to obtain appropriate models to estimate the uplift capacity of helical piles. The cases of helical piles used in this investigation are classified into groups according to the soil type and the number of helices. As a result, detailed evaluations and recommendations for improvement of helical pile design are presented. The proposed model is recommended to calculate the uplift capacity of helical piles installed in similar soils to that used in this study.

Pendant des années, la recherche s'est principalement concentrée sur le soulèvement Andin de la Cordillère orientale de Colombie et sur l’étude des sédiments tertiaires dans les bassins sédimentaires pour comprendre la déformation andine. Récemment, la nécessité d'évaluer de nouvelles cibles a poussé l'industrie pétrolière à acquérir de nouvelles informations sur la série crétacée de la Cordillère Orientale (CO) et du cours moyen du Rio Magdalena (CMM). Le but de ce travail, est d'analyser ces données qui suggèrent que les sédiments du bassin du CMM ont été déformés au Crétacé.Les sédiments crétacés sont exposés dans la CO, mais seuls quelques affleurements sont connus dans le CMM. En revanche, beaucoup les informations de nombreuses lignes sismiques et de quelques puits traversant les unités crétacées sont disponibles sur cette zone. L’interprétation de quelques lignes sismiques sélectionnées du CMM a été contrôlée par les données de puits et et les observations de terrain, et la nature et le style des déformations observées ont été analysées. De cette façon, des discontinuités importantes et des structures tectoniques ont été identifiées, montrant que des failles ont été inversées tectoniquement par à-coups au Crétacé, avant l'orogenèse andine. Cette vision détaillée de l’évolution tectonique et sédimentaire de la série crétacée, surtout dans le CMM, met en évidence des discordances multiples résultant de multiples phases de déformation, de soulèvement et/ou de variations du niveau marin survenant au cours du Crétacé. Ceci est important pour comprendre les processus affectant la marge andine au Crétacé, puisque les interactions entre tectonique et variations eustatiques pourraient avoir été plus complexes que proposé antérieurement.L’analyse des traces de fission sur zircon et apatite et la modélisation thermique du Nord au Sud de la zone d'étude ont été faites sur des échantillons du Crétacé indiquant l'occurrence de deux événements thermiques et deux événements de refroidissement pour des unités anté-Campaniennes, et d'un réchauffement et d’un refroidissement pour les unités postérieures à ~ 70 Ma. Enfin, un régime de subduction cyclique pourrait expliquer les événements tectoniques extensifs et compressifs responsable des phases de dépôt, d'exhumation et d'érosion observées dans le CMM et l’OCO entre le Jurassique terminal et le Paléocène.L'analyse réalisée à l'aide de la stratigraphie et des cartes de faciès génère au chapitre 3, L'interprétation structurelle, chronostratigraphie en utilisant des diagrammes de roues, restauration structurelle schématique, permettant de reconnaître plusieurs cycles de dépôt (S1 à S5) limités par discordances (SU1 à SU5), sont le résultat de la fluctuation du niveau de la mer (cycles de régression-transgression) générée pour les événements tectoniques liés au régime de subduction des dalles. / For years, studies have been mainly focused on the Andean uplift of the Eastern Cordillera in Colombia and on the evaluation of the Tertiary units in sedimentary basins, in order to understand the recent deformation. Recently, due to the necessity oil industry to evaluate new targets, new information has been acquired on Cretaceous units form the Eastern Cordillera (EC) and the Middle Magdalena Valley (MMV). The aim of this work, is to analyses these data, which provide evidences for Cretaceous deformation in the basin of the MMV.Cretaceous sediments are exposed in the Eastern Cordillera, but only few outcrops are known in the MMV. Instead, a lot of seismic information is available and some drilled wells crosscut the Cretaceous units in this area. The interpretation of some key seismic sections in the MMV has been validated using field observation and well information, and the nature and style of the observed structures have been discussed. By these means, important Cretaceous unconformities and tectonic structures were identified, showing that some faults were progressively, tectonically inverted, prior to the Andean Orogeny. The resulting detailed picture of the Cretaceous tectonic and sedimentary evolution, especially in the MMV, evidences multiple unconformities resulting from different stages of deformation, uplift and/or level sea changes during the Cretaceous. This must be kept in mind to understand the processes acting in the Andean margin during the Cretaceous, since the interaction between deformation and sea level changes may have been more complex than previously thought.The fission tracks analyses on zircon and apatite and the thermal modeling from the North to the South of the study area were made on Cretaceous samples indicate the occurrence of two heating events and two events of cooling for pre-Campanian units, and of one event of heating and one event of cooling from units younger than ~ 70 Ma. Finally, a cyclic subduction regime may explain the tectonic extension and compression events responsible for the deposition, exhumation and erosion phases observed in the MMV and WEC from the latest Jurassic to the Paleocene.The analysis made using stratigraphy and the facies maps generate in chapter 3, The structural interpretation, chronostratigraphy chart using wheeler diagrams, schematic structural restauration, permit to recognize several cycles of deposition (S1 to S5) limited by unconformities (SU1 to SU5), which are the result of sea level fluctuation (Regression-Transgression cycles) generated for the Tectonic events related to the regimen of slabs subduction.