Volume 34 (2012): Issue 3 (September 2012)

In this paper, a simple generalization of Darcy’s law is proposed for the description of hydraulic properties of anisotropic porous materials. The coefficient of permeability is defined as a scalarvalued function of orientation. The principal directions of permeability are determined from a fabric descriptor specifying the distribution of average pore size. An example is provided for identification of material parameters, which is based on an idealized “pipe network model”. A procedure for defining the anisotropy in strength properties, which incorporates a conceptually similar approach, is also reviewed and an illustrative example is provided.

This study presents calculations results of thermal consolidation process of the porous medium with the rheological Kelvin-Voigt skeleton, obtained numerically with the use of Flex.PDE software. The investigated calculation scheme consisted of the porous column filled with a liquid. The vertical load was applied to the top surface of the column through a porous plate allowing the free flow of liquid through this surface. Numerical solution is based on compression of the sample at appropriately defined boundary conditions. The aim of this study was to describe the influence of external load and temperature gradient on the deformation tests progress at different values of three parameters: λ, rs and cv. The results obtained, in the context of further research, can also be used for the determination of the influence of other parameters of the state and model parameters on the process of thermo poroelasticity of Biot model with rheological skeleton.

The paper presents an application of High Dimensional Model Representation (HDMR) to reliability assessment of a single pile subjected to lateral load. The purpose is to compare HDMR with some classical method based on response surface technique.

First 3D numerical model of the problem for finite elements computations in the ABAQUS STANDARD program has been presented. The soil model is assumed to be linear elastic. However, contacts between the sidewall and the foundation of the pile and the soil are modelled as Coulomb one with friction and cohesion.

Next the Response Surface Method is briefly reviewed in conjunction with reliability approach.

Then the High Dimensional Model Representation approach is presented. In our approach the HDMR algorithm is based on polynomial of the second degree. Finally the numerical studies have been carried out. The first series of computations demonstrate the efficiency of HDMR in comparison to neural network approach. The second series allows comparison of reliability indices resulting from three different approaches, namely neural network response surface, first-order HDMR and second-order HDMR. It has been observed that for increasing values of the length of the pile reliability indices reach similar values regardless of the method response surface applied.

This article deals with the question of theoretical description of behaviour of a single pile rested in a layered soil medium. Particular attention is paid to soil modulus which is used in calculation method for pile load-settlement curve. A brief analysis of the results obtained by laboratory tests to assess soil modulus and its nonlinear variability has been presented. The results of tests have been used in triaxial apparatus and resonant column/torsional shear device. There have also been presented the results of load-settlement calculation for a single pile under axial load with implementation of different models of soil modulus degradation. On this basis, possibilities of using particular kinds of laboratory tests in calculation procedure of foundation settlement have been presented as well as further developments of them.

DMT is one of the most popular methods of determining soil parameters needed to design a safe construction. Apart from the basic outcome parameter obtained from DMT measurements hydraulic conductivity (k) can be determined, previously proposed DMTA and DMTC methods were modified. The basic idea of the method is that the return of the deformed membrane is due to soil and water pressure. In the proposed SASK method the hydraulic conductivity of the soil is determined by measuring time-varying pressures A and C. Research has been performed at the experimental site of the Department of Geotechnical Engineering, WULS. In the paper, the assumptions of the new method for determining the hydraulic conductivity k are presented. The proposed method allows us to determine a reliable value for the hydraulic conductivity of clay soils. Using this method, the value of hydraulic conductivity (k = 5,47*10-11) is similar to the results of BAT, DMTA and laboratory measurements.