Fracture mechanism of rock collapse in the freeze–thaw zone of the eastern Sichuan–Tibet Mountains under seasonal fluctuating combinations of water and heat

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Wu ◽  
Xinpo Li ◽  
Lei Zhu
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Wu ◽  
Xinpo Li ◽  
Lei Zhu

Abstract In the freeze-thaw zone of eastern Sichuan-Tibet Mountains, the phases of water in cracks show strong seasonal variations, which significantly affect the stability of perilous rocks in mountains. However, few works have clearly addressed the role of water/ice in crack development from a fracture mechanics viewpoint to explain the seasonality of rock collapse. In this study, we built physical models from a fracture mechanics viewpoint to calculate water-freezing stress, hydrostatic pressure, and their combinations induced by water/ice in cracks, and show the crack propagation mechanism under temperature fluctuations in different seasons in mountainous regions. Based on the models, we calculate fracture conditions, simulate the crack process, and illustrate the rock collapse mechanism in different seasons by the extended finite element method. The results indicate that different phases of water, which induce stress under spatiotemporal fluctuations of temperature, determine the various propagation styles and influence what kind and when a collapse will occur. The collapse of fractured rocks in different seasons generally results from rock damage accumulation owing to the initiation, propagation, and connection of primary cracks under freezing stress or hydrostatic pressure or their different combinations.


2013 ◽  
Vol 486 ◽  
pp. 412-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fanghua Hao ◽  
Siyang Chen ◽  
Wei Ouyang ◽  
Yushu Shan ◽  
Shasha Qi

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 442-454
Author(s):  
Jinliang Liu ◽  
Yanmin Jia ◽  
Guanhua Zhang ◽  
Jiawei Wang

Purpose In the freeze-thaw zone, the pre-stressed concrete of bridge structure will be damaged by freezing-thawing, the bearing capacity of structure will decrease and the safety will be affected. The purpose of this paper is to establish the time-dependent resistance degradation model of structure in the freeze-thaw zone, and analysis the structural reliability and remaining service life in different freeze-thaw zones. Design/methodology/approach First, according to the theory of structural design, a calculation model of the resistance of pre-stressed concrete structures in f freeze-thaw zone is established. Second, the time-dependent resistance model was verified by the test beam bending failure test results done by the research group, which has been in service for 20 years in freeze-thaw zone. Third, using JC algorithm in MATLAB to calculate the index on the reliability of pre-stressed concrete structure in frozen thawed zones, forecasting the s remaining service life of structure. Findings First, the calculation model of the resistance of pre-stressed concrete structures in freeze-thaw zone is accurate and it has excellent applicability. Second, the structural resistance deterioration time in Wet-Warm-Frozen Zone is the earliest. Third, once the pre-stressed reinforcement rusts, the structural reliability index will reach limit value quickly. Finally, the remaining service life of structure meets the designed expectation value only in a few of freeze-thaw zones in China. Originality/value The research will provide a reference for the design on the durability of a pre-stressed concrete structure in the freeze-thaw zone. In order to verify the security of pre-stressed concrete structures in the freeze-thaw zone, engineers can use the model presented in this paper for durability checking, it has an important significance.


2012 ◽  
Vol 446-449 ◽  
pp. 2681-2684
Author(s):  
Ya Qi Gong ◽  
Jian Hua Cui ◽  
Hai Dong Su ◽  
Liang Shan

Based on the theory of damage finite element method, the deterioration process of hydraulic concrete under the freeze-thaw cycles is simulated. The damage evolution equation is deduced and freeze-thaw zone is discussed. The results indicate that the load capacity of structure is degraded under the freeze-thaw cycles. The deterioration of hydraulic concrete under the freeze-thaw cycles, however, is mainly limited at the region of the water fluctuation district and has a little effect to the overall structure. This means that the major loads causing hydraulic concrete failure under the freezing-thawing damage in the coldest region is not those of general design loads, such as gravity load and water pressure load, but the thermal loads, especially by the distinct daily temperature difference. Thus, the freeze-thaw modeling should consider these loads together.


1987 ◽  
Vol 33 (113) ◽  
pp. 60-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S. Gardner

AbstractTemperature records from several randkluft sites at the margins and headwall of Boundary Glacier (lat. 52° 12′ N., long. 117° 12′ W.) in the Canadian Rocky Mountains are presented. These records indicate that during the ablation season a diurnal freeze-thaw air and rock-surface temperature regime occurs in a 2 m wide zone centred on the randkluft lip. Deeper in the randkluft, stable sub-zero conditions prevail whereas above the randkluft an above-freezing temperature regime prevails. The freeze-thaw temperature regime, observed freezing of melt water and rain water on randkluft rock surfaces, and copious in-situ loose weathering products on the headwall and marginal free faces suggest an active frost-shattering environment. Down-slope migration of the randkluft lip during the ablation season results in a migration of the freeze-thaw zone and thus a seasonal extension of the rock surface area exposed to the favorable weathering environment. Longer-term glacier fluctuations, with attendant thinning and thickening of the ice body, could result in large areas of marginal and headwall rock surfaces being exposed to the randkluft weathering environment over long periods of time. The data and observations from Boundary Glacier support an idea, suggested by Battle (1960), that open and shallow randklufts, rather than closed and deep bergschrunds, are a focus of weathering at glacier margins and thus a potential factor in cirque development.


1987 ◽  
Vol 33 (113) ◽  
pp. 60-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S. Gardner

AbstractTemperature records from severalrandkluftsites at the margins and headwall of Boundary Glacier (lat. 52° 12′ N., long. 117° 12′ W.) in the Canadian Rocky Mountains are presented. These records indicate that during the ablation season a diurnal freeze-thaw air and rock-surface temperature regime occurs in a 2 m wide zone centred on therandkluftlip. Deeper in therandkluft, stable sub-zero conditions prevail whereas above therandkluftan above-freezing temperature regime prevails. The freeze-thaw temperature regime, observed freezing of melt water and rain water onrandkluftrock surfaces, and copiousin-situloose weathering products on the headwall and marginal free faces suggest an active frost-shattering environment. Down-slope migration of therandkluftlip during the ablation season results in a migration of the freeze-thaw zone and thus a seasonal extension of the rock surface area exposed to the favorable weathering environment. Longer-term glacier fluctuations, with attendant thinning and thickening of the ice body, could result in large areas of marginal and headwall rock surfaces being exposed to therandkluftweathering environment over long periods of time. The data and observations from Boundary Glacier support an idea, suggested by Battle (1960), that open and shallowrandklufts, rather than closed and deep bergschrunds, are a focus of weathering at glacier margins and thus a potential factor in cirque development.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liang Chen ◽  
Xianbiao Mao ◽  
Shengli Yang ◽  
Chao An ◽  
Peng Wu

The coupling effect of freeze-thaw (F-T) temperature and dynamic load on the dynamic mechanical properties and fracture mechanism of saturated yellow sandstone was experimentally investigated in this research. The dynamic compression tests on the specimen after different F-T temperatures (i.e., −5°С, −10°С, −15°С, −20°С, −30°С, and 20°С) have been carried out with split-Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB) setup under eight F-T cycle numbers. The density and P-wave velocity of the specimens were obtained before and after the F-T tests. After the F-T tests, the specimen microstructures were examined via the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The dynamic fracture process was visualized by the high-speed camera. The particle size distribution and fragment shapes of the specimens were analyzed using a classifying screen. In addition, the energy dissipation law of specimens during the impact test was also discussed. Experimental results show that the dynamic elastic modulus, strength of the specimen, and the average particle size decrease with decreasing F-T temperature. SEM results reveal that low F-T temperature leads to severer internal damage of the specimen by inducing freeze-swell holes, interconnected cracks, and pore clusters. In addition, the fragmentation shapes of the failed specimens exhibit double-cone failure, single-side slope failure, double-side slope failure, and split failure. The energy dissipation increases gradually with increasing F-T temperature. This study helps to prevent geological disasters and optimize engineering design in cold regions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 147 (2) ◽  
pp. 06020030
Author(s):  
Sang Yeob Kim ◽  
Junghee Park ◽  
Wonjun Cha ◽  
Jong-Sub Lee ◽  
J. Carlos Santamarina
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