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In this thesis, the mechanism of landslides in loess slope is studied based on a field test in association with laboratory tests and numerical modeling. The field test was carried out in the Heifangtai Plateau in China. Heifangtai belongs to semiarid monsoonal with scarce precipitation. Therefore, agricultural irrigation is the major source of water infiltration for the loess slopes in Heifangtai. The test site was selected at the crest of a steep loess slope with developed cracks, covered by more than 40m loess layer. Ground investigation, including lithological composition, groundwater level, soil sampling and soil permeability, was conducted. A field monitoring program was then performed by installation of inclinometers, piezometers, moisture probes, tensiometers and crackmeters. The field irrigation test with instrument monitoring was conducted at the test site on October 2009, lasting for 12 days. Based on field observation and monitoring results, some typical failures occurred in the field test were analyzed in details, including development of cracks, formation of sinkholes and failures on slope surface. These failures are representative in loess regions and are potential factors of loess landslides. A conceptual model was proposed to reflect soil failures induced by water infiltration along the crack. To characterize the loess behavior to infiltration, a comprehensive triaxial testing program was conducted on trimmed loess specimens sampled in Heifangtai. The fundamental behavior of loess was investigated following different stress paths under both saturated and unsaturated conditions. Based on triaxial tests, the soil parameters including mechanical properties and hydraulic properties were obtained. The finite difference program FLAC3D was adopted in this study, the fluid model of which was extended from saturated flow to saturated/unsaturated flow. A numerical model was built to study the mechanism of soil failures induced by variation of water level in the crack, using a proposed moving boundary algorithm. In the numerical modeling, fluid-mechanical coupled analysis was conducted by solving Biot’s consolidation equation, utilizing soil parameters obtained in the laboratory tests. The proposed conceptual model in the field test was verified in the numerical analysis. Subsequently, different draining rates of water in the crack were simulated to investigate soil failures affected by the dropping of water level in the crack. Based on the numerical analysis, the mechanism of sinkhole formation was discussed. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for future research on loess landslides induced by infiltration were made. It is hoped that the study on the mechanism of loess landslides can provide a useful reference for the future research. / published_or_final_version / Civil Engineering / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Earth Sciences / Master / Master of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / History / Master / Master of Philosophy

Thesis (M.Phil.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 226-236). Also available in electronic version.

Bereavement, an unavoidable event in everyone’s life, brings endless missing, grief, and suffering to people. Among all kinds of bereavement, losing a child is considered the most sorrowful and traumatizing. It is extremely difficult for parents who lose a child to recover from their deepest pain. On May 12, 2008, an earthquake, measuring 8.0 Ms, occurred in Wenchuan, Sichuan province, China. The earthquake killed more than 70,000 people and left about 20,000 missing. During the earthquake, some school buildings collapsed and as a result, hundreds of students died. Their parents experienced overwhelming bereavement. To understand what bereaved mothers experience and how they cope with bereavement after the loss of children, the author conducted this longitudinal study based on the dual process model of coping with bereavement (DPM), and applied qualitative inquiry using interpretative phenomenological analysis. In this study, the author has reported on her 4 waves of interviews with these parents, regarding how they coped with grief over 2 years. The author conducted 4 waves of in-depth, face-to-face interviews with mothers who lost their children during the Wenchuan earthquake (N= 43). The findings reveal that three levels of stresses exist in these bereaved mothers’ (BMs) grief experiences, including individual, family, and society levels. On the individual level, they experienced not only emotional distress, such as overwhelming grief, despair, and anger, but they also experienced cognitive distresses, such as regret, guilt, meaninglessness and hopelessness. On the family level, BMs experienced various stresses, such as family incompleteness, despair of their family life, and tensions with their spouses. On the society level, these BMs experienced pressure from social expectations and public opinion. They felt segregated and detached from their social networks. Life became meaningless to these BMs, resulting in suicidal thoughts. These BMs practiced a variety of coping strategies to deal with their endless grief and stresses in their daily lives. These BMs actively worked through their grief and negative emotions. They adjusted their cognition to deal with their children’s deaths, and made efforts to reconstruct their lives; through things like having another child, rebuilding their life purpose, and rebuilding relationships with others. Avoidance strategies included proactive avoidance and reactive avoidance coping. Respite was manifested in the BMs temporarily devoting themselves to other things in order to distract themselves from tremendous bereavement. This study verifies and enriches the DPM in the Chinese socio-cultural context, while indicating suggestions for social work practice and social policy. / published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

With the rapid urbanization process around the world, especially in China, the new town planning seems like a wise choice to handle the urgent demands from increasing urban population and economic growth. But China stepped into an incredible new towns growth, the massive and rapid development of new town result in hundreds of empty and ghost towns. As the developing pace of the new town plan the situation will be worse and worse. I have study 8 most famous empty town and chose Chenggong as the designing site. The government was played a great expectation on Chenggong new town. However looking at the facts of the empty town Chenggong, even though it has already been built for 11 years, there is still less people. The condition is still serious and it is impossible to have a great plan without caring about the people already living in the site. We have to strengthen communities and ensure a safer, stronger and smarter development. Therefore, creating a green way comes to the core strategy of the design. The main idea is to shift the focus from constructing the entirely new to the local residents and existing environment. The design looks at creating an integrated green network for the whole town making it as a new green infrastructure to achieve the multifunction. Diverse design elements has been used response to the 4 kinds of typical sites. All of those aim to form a good community and improve the living environment. The detail design sites is a sequence of “centre park”, “civic plaza”, “farm market”, “river front park” just like a chain from urban to rural. Meanwhile retrofit the edge of the channel into a more natural friendly area. The goal is to shift the focus from entire new to the existing community. Through developing the growing green way to form a good community. / published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Landscape Architecture

published_or_final_version / abstract / Geography / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Tang Chi Wai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-121) and index. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.i / 摘要 --- p.iii / Acknowledgements --- p.v / Table of Contents --- p.vii / List of Tables --- p.x / List of Figures --- p.xi / List of Plates --- p.xii / Chapter Chapter One --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Conceptual Framework --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Objectives and Significance --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- Structure of the Thesis --- p.7 / Chapter Chapter Two --- Literature Review / Chapter 2.1 --- Impacts of Soil Erosion on Agriculture --- p.8 / Chapter 2.2 --- Farmland Shortage Problems in the Reservoir Region --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3 --- Terracing Systems in China --- p.11 / Chapter 2.4 --- Contour Hedgerows --- p.13 / Chapter 2.5 --- Sustainable Agriculture and its Development in China --- p.18 / Chapter Chapter Three --- Study Area / Chapter 3.1 --- The Three Gorges Reservoir Region --- p.22 / Chapter 3.2 --- Geographical Settings of Zigui County --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Geographical and Administrative Location --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Geology and Geomorphology --- p.24 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Soils --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Climate --- p.25 / Chapter 3.2.5 --- Hydrology --- p.26 / Chapter 3.3 --- Socioeconomic Conditions of Zigui County --- p.26 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Demography --- p.26 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Educational Attainments --- p.27 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Economic and Social Development --- p.27 / Chapter 3.4 --- Environmental Problems in Zigui and the Reservoir Region --- p.28 / Chapter Chapter Four --- Cost-benefit Analysis of Contour Hedgerows / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2 --- Methodology --- p.32 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Trial Plot Design --- p.32 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Cost-benefit Analysis --- p.35 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Identification and Valuation of Costs --- p.35 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Identification and Valuation of Benefits --- p.37 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Discount Rate --- p.37 / Chapter 4.2.6 --- Time Horizon --- p.37 / Chapter 4.2.7 --- Cost-benefit Criterion --- p.38 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results and Discussion --- p.38 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Investment Costs and Operating Costs --- p.38 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Replacement Costs --- p.39 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Benefits --- p.42 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Net Present Values (NPVs) --- p.44 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Sensitivity Analysis --- p.47 / Chapter 4.4 --- Conclusion --- p.48 / Chapter Chapter Five --- A Questionnaire Survey of the Comparative Performance of Various Farming Systems / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.50 / Chapter 5.2 --- Methodology --- p.52 / Chapter 5.2.1. --- Sampling Method --- p.52 / Chapter 5.2.2. --- Questionnaire --- p.52 / Chapter 5.2.3. --- Analytical Technique --- p.53 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results and Discussion --- p.54 / Chapter 5.3.1. --- Background of Households and Farming Systems --- p.54 / Chapter 5.3.2. --- Net Returns --- p.57 / Chapter 5.3.3. --- Inputs of Inorganic Fertilizers and Organic Manure --- p.61 / Chapter 5.3.4. --- Labour Inputs --- p.64 / Chapter 5.3.5. --- Characteristics of Hedgerow Management --- p.65 / Chapter 5.4 --- Conclusion --- p.66 / Chapter Chapter Six --- An Interview Study of the Perception of Contour Hedgerows / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.68 / Chapter 6.2 --- Methodology --- p.70 / Chapter 6.3 --- Results and Discussion --- p.72 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Familiarity with Hedgerows --- p.72 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Hedgerow Acceptance in Usage --- p.74 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- Factors of Hedgerow Implementation --- p.79 / Chapter 6.3.4 --- Variation of Agricultural Inputs and Outputs --- p.83 / Chapter 6.3.5 --- Values of Indigenous Knowledge --- p.86 / Chapter 6.3.6 --- Implications for Hedgerow Extension --- p.88 / Chapter 6.4 --- Conclusion --- p.90 / Chapter Chapter Seven --- Conclusion / Chapter 7.1 --- Summary of Findings --- p.92 / Chapter 7.2 --- Synthesis of the Study --- p.95 / Chapter 7.3 --- Limitations of the Study --- p.100 / Chapter 7.4 --- Suggestions for Further Studies --- p.101 / Bibliography --- p.104 / Appendix I: Structured Questionnaire --- p.122 / Appendix II: Interview Guide for Hedgerow Users --- p.131 / Appendix III: Interview Guide for Non-hedgerow Users --- p.134 / Appendix IV: Interview Guide for Government Officials --- p.137 / Appendix V: Index --- p.140 / "Appendix VI: Publication-Cost-benefit Analysis of Contour Hedgerow in the Three Gorges Region (Published in ´ب´بResources Science´ح，Vol26 Supplement,pp. 132-136)" --- p.145

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Geography and Geology / Master / Master of Philosophy