A Solution of Subgrade Modulus for Response Displacement Method of Circular Underground Structures

In the seismic analysis and design of the underground structure, the response displacement method, as a pseudostatic method, has been widely adopted for its solid theoretical background, clear physical concept, and ease of implementation. The subgrade modulus is an essential parameter to the response displacement method, and a few approaches are available to determine its value. However, the existing methods neglect the interaction between the radial and tangential subgrade modulus and the influence of actual ground deformation, resulting in an inaccurate estimation. This study presents a solution to overcome these defects for the response displacement method adopted in the transverse seismic analysis of the shield tunnel with a circular cross section. First, the analytical solutions of subgrade modulus for ground deformation modes described by the Fourier series are derived based on the theory of elasticity. The ratio of the radial displacement to tangential displacement is introduced to create a link between the radial and tangential subgrade modulus. Based on the solutions of subgrade modulus for different ground deformation modes, the displacement fitting method is proposed to derive the subgrade modulus corresponding to the actual ground deformation. With this method, the subgrade modulus would adjust according to the ground displacement. Finally, a case study is conducted to illustrate the validity of the displacement fitting method.

Incipient sliding of adhesive contacts

A model is proposed herein to investigate the incipient sliding of contacts in the presence of both friction and adhesion, where the interfacial response is modeled based on traction-separation laws. A Maugis-like parameter is defined to characterize the response in the tangential direction. Subsequently, the model is used to investigate the contact between a smooth cylinder and a flat body, where adhesion-friction interactions are strong. A range of behaviors are observed when a tangential displacement is imposed: When the parameter is low, the contact pressure exhibits a relatively constant profile; when it is high, a pressure spike is observed at the edge of the contact. This difference is caused by a significant interface compliance in the former case, which limits the amount of slip. The results for the mid-range values of the Maugis-like parameter can qualitatively replicate various experiments performed using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) balls.

Chrono::GPU: An Open-Source Simulation Package for Granular Dynamics Using the Discrete Element Method

We report on an open-source, publicly available C++ software module called Chrono::GPU, which uses the Discrete Element Method (DEM) to simulate large granular systems on Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) cards. The solver supports the integration of granular material with geometries defined by triangle meshes, as well as co-simulation with the multi-physics simulation engine Chrono. Chrono::GPU adopts a smooth contact formulation and implements various common contact force models, such as the Hertzian model for normal force and the Mindlin friction force model, which takes into account the history of tangential displacement, rolling frictional torques, and cohesion. We report on the code structure and highlight its use of mixed data types for reducing the memory footprint and increasing simulation speed. We discuss several validation tests (wave propagation, rotating drum, direct shear test, crater test) that compare the simulation results against experimental data or results reported in the literature. In another benchmark test, we demonstrate linear scaling with a problem size up to the GPU memory capacity; specifically, for systems with 130 million DEM elements. The simulation infrastructure is demonstrated in conjunction with simulations of the NASA Curiosity rover, which is currently active on Mars.

Experimental Study on Influence of Joint Surface Morphology on Strength and Deformation of Nonthrough Jointed Rock Masses under Direct Shear

Direct shear tests were carried out on nonthrough jointed rock masses (NTJRM) with three types of joints under five normal stresses. The strength characteristics of shear strength, initial crack strength, and residual strength and the deformation characteristics of tangential displacement and dilatancy displacement as well as the transformation of failure mode and the variation of shear parameters of rock mass with different joint morphology are studied. Under the same normal stress, with the increase of joint undulation, the shear strength of NTJRM increases, and the corresponding tangential displacement of NTJRM increases. Two typical failure modes are observed: TTTS mode and TSSS mode. TTTS model indicates that the initial failure, extension failure, and final failure of rock mass are caused by tensile action, while the failure mode of through plane is formed by shear action. The initial failure of TSSS mode rock mass is caused by tensile action, while the expansion and final failure are caused by shear action, and the failure mode of through plane is formed under shear action. When the joint undulation is small and the normal stress is small, NTJRM will fail in TTTS mode; when the joint undulation is large and the normal stress is large, NTJRM will fail in TSSS mode. The results show that the shear parameters of NTJRM are related to the joint morphology, the bond force increases with the increase of joint undulation, and the internal friction angle increases with the increase of joint undulation. The research results of direct shear test of nonthrough jointed rock mass can provide reference for related research.

Experimental Results of Local Shear Stresses and Friction Torque in an Open Rotor-Stator Disc System

This contribution presents experimental investigations of friction torque in an open rotor-stator disc system by using two different measuring procedures. The first procedure based on a thermo electrical wall shear stress sensor. The sensor is investigated in two different substrates and different measuring parameters. A thermal model consisting of the supplied heating power, the thermal resistance toward the fluid, and into the substrate as well as the over temperature is used to achieve the heat transfer coefficient on the sensor surface. This heat transfer coefficient is attributed by a functional relationship to the wall shear stress. This relationship is firstly calibrated in a rectangular channel and subsequently validated at a fully turbulent flat plat flow. The second measuring procedure based on the tangential displacement of the stator disc due the friction torque. The disc is attached at a torsion spring. The friction torque is achieved by the torsion spring constant and the tangential displacement of the stator disc. Both measuring procedures are compared and agree well with each other. The used test rig has the possibility of reaching rotational Reynolds numbers representative for instance of a modern gas turbine. The investigations were carried out by a 0.5 m diameter rotor disc rotating up to 8500 rpm with a gap ratio between 0.008 and 0.04. The friction torque is measured on the stator disc and can be converted into moment coefficient. Moment coefficient on stator as well as measured pressure distributions are presented.

Temporal coherency of mechanical stimuli modulates tactile form perception

The human hand can detect both form and texture information of a contact surface. The detection of skin displacement (sustained stimulus) and changes in skin displacement (transient stimulus) are thought to be mediated in different tactile channels; however, tactile form perception may use both types of information. Here, we studied whether both the temporal frequency and the temporal coherency information of tactile stimuli encoded in sensory neurons could be used to recognize the form of contact surfaces. We used the fishbone tactile illusion (FTI), a known tactile phenomenon, as a probe for tactile form perception in humans. This illusion typically occurs with a surface geometry that has a smooth bar and coarse textures in its adjacent areas. When stroking the central bar back and forth with a fingertip, a human observer perceives a hollow surface geometry even though the bar is physically flat. We used a passive high-density pin matrix to extract only the vertical information of the contact surface, suppressing tangential displacement from surface rubbing. Participants in the psychological experiment reported indented surface geometry by tracing over the FTI textures with pin matrices of the different spatial densities (1.0 and 2.0 mm pin intervals). Human participants reported that the relative magnitude of perceived surface indentation steeply decreased when pins in the adjacent areas vibrated in synchrony. To address possible mechanisms for tactile form perception in the FTI, we developed a computational model of sensory neurons to estimate temporal patterns of action potentials from tactile receptive fields. Our computational data suggest that (1) the temporal asynchrony of sensory neuron responses is correlated with the relative magnitude of perceived surface indentation and (2) the spatiotemporal change of displacements in tactile stimuli are correlated with the asynchrony of simulated sensory neuron responses for the fishbone surface patterns. Based on these results, we propose that both the frequency and the asynchrony of temporal activity in sensory neurons could produce tactile form perception.

Temporal coherence of mechanical stimulation modulates tactile form perception

The human hand can detect both form and texture information of a contact surface. The detection of skin displacement (sustained stimulus) and changes in skin displacement (transient stimulus) are thought to be mediated in different tactile channels; however, tactile form perception may use both types of information. Here, we studied whether both the temporal frequency and the temporal coherency information of tactile stimuli encoded in sensory neurons could be used to recognize the form of contact surfaces. We used the fishbone tactile illusion (FTI), a known tactile phenomenon, as a probe for tactile form perception in humans. This illusion typically occurs with a surface geometry that has a smooth bar and coarse textures in its adjacent areas. When stroking the central bar back and forth with a fingertip, a human observer perceives a hollow surface geometry even though the bar is physically flat. We used a passive high-density pin matrix to extract only the vertical information of the contact surface, suppressing tangential displacement from surface rubbing. Participants in the psychological experiment reported indented surface geometry by tracing over the FTI textures with pin matrices of the different spatial densities (1.0 and 2.0 mm pin intervals). Human participants reported that the relative magnitude of perceived surface indentation steeply decreased when pins in the adjacent areas vibrated in synchrony. To address possible mechanisms for tactile form perception in the FTI, we developed a computational model of sensory neurons to estimate temporal patterns of action potentials from tactile receptive fields. Our computational data suggest that i) the temporal asynchrony of sensory neuron responses is correlated with the relative magnitude of perceived surface indentation and ii) the spatiotemporal change of displacements in tactile stimuli are correlated with the asynchrony of simulated sensory neuron responses for the fishbone surface patterns. Based on these results, we propose that both the frequency and the asynchrony of temporal activity in sensory neurons could produce tactile form perception.

The impact assessment of plant oils on unctuousity of drilling fluids

The object of study is natural oils. Lubricating additives based on natural substances – vegetable oils and animal fats – meet the increased requirements for environmental safety of materials used in the drilling process. Consumption of environmentally friendly lubricants is constantly growing and requires an expansion of the raw material base for their production. Therefore today lubricants are important drilling reagents. From the ecological point of view, lubricating additives based on vegetable oils are of the greatest interest. The main physicochemical properties of sunflower and castor vegetable oils and the influence of these lubricating additives on lubricating and rheological characteristics of drilling fluids were investigated. In addition, the main properties of water-clay drilling fluids were investigated and their main parameters were determined according to standard API methods. During the testing of the samples, we took into account, first of all, a shear rate of the filter cake (CFC). It is the value that characterizes the strength of filter cake and is determined by the ratio of strength necessary for the tangential displacement of cyclic load across the cake to its weight. It is the CFC that characterizes the lubricating properties of the samples of solutions with a lubricant additive of a certain concentration that were studied. It is the CFC that characterizes the lubricating properties of the samples of solutions with a lubricant additive of a certain concentration that were studied. Based on the above studies, it can be concluded that the addition of castor oil effectively reduces the coefficient of friction of the filtration crust formed from the studied drilling fluids (fresh, mineralized, and saline). The recommended concentrations of this oil to the drilling fluid are 0.5 %, 1 %, and 5 %. Sunflower oil has an effective effect on the saline solution, less effectively – on the mineralized with an oil concentration of 0.5 %, 3 %, and 5 %. On the basis of the conducted researches the prospects of use of sunflower and castor oils at development of a new compounding of a greasing additive to a drilling mud are defined. Further research is aimed at assessing their lubricity in the drilling fluid at the friction limit «metal-metal». It is planned to repeat the study at the Sticking Tester OFI (USA).

Experimental and numerical investigations on the effects of radius of curvature and longitudinal slope on the responses of curved bridges subject to seismic pounding

Because of the irregular geometries, earthquake-induced adjacent curved bridge pounding may lead to more complex local damage or even collapse. The relevant research is mainly concentrated on the numerical analysis which lack experimental verification and discussion by changing of structural parameters. In this paper, a scaled three-dimensional numerical model of a curved bridge is established based on 3D contact friction theory for investigating the uneven distribution of pounding forces at the expansion joint of the bridge. Shaking table tests were carried out at first on a curved bridge to validate the numerical model. A series of parametric studies were then conducted to examine the impacts of the radius of curvature and longitudinal slope of the superstructure of the curved bridge on its seismic pounding response. The results show that the maximum pounding force first increases and then decreases as the radius of curvature increases, but that it decreases monotonically with the growth of the longitudinal slope. These results suggest that controlling the radius of curvature and the longitudinal slope of the superstructure of the bridge can reduce the localized high stress that is induced by seismic pounding. Also, the unevenly distributed pounding forces can significantly increase the relative radial displacement of the bridge’s deck corners, although the relative tangential displacement may decrease. It is thus necessary to adopt effective anti-pounding measures to prevent the superstructure of the bridge from being unseated.

Correlation between tangential distortion of the outer retinal layer and metamorphopsia in patients with epiretinal membrane

Purpose To evaluate tangential morphological changes in the outer retina and assess their correlation with the degree of metamorphopsia in patients with idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM). Methods This retrospective study included patients with idiopathic ERM who underwent vitrectomy between January 2018 and December 2019. We evaluated the preoperative examination results. Using cross-sectional spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) images along the horizontal/vertical meridian through the fovea, we defined a new parameter, tangential displacement (TD), as the tangential component of the position vector of the distorted outer nuclear layer caused by ERM. Visual function measurements included M-CHARTS results (vertical/horizontal metamorphopsia score [MV/MH]) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA). The correlations among the OCT parameters including TD and central foveal thickness (CFT) with visual function measurements were determined. Results Overall, 78 eyes of 76 patients (49 females; mean age, 67.9 [± standard deviation, 7.5 years]) were included. The mean horizontal TD was 24.0 ± 73.9 μm, which was significantly different from 0 (p = 0.005). The mean vertical TD was 6.0 ± 76.2 μm, which was not significantly different from 0. The absolute value of horizontal TD was significantly correlated with MV (r = 0.513, p < 0.01) and MH (r = 0.423, p < 0.01). The absolute value of vertical TD was also significantly correlated with MV (r = 0.274, p = 0.02) and MH (r = 0.413, p < 0.01). However, neither value was significantly correlated with BCVA. Multiple regression analysis showed that the horizontal absolute TD was an independent factor associated with both MV (β = 0.635, p < 0.001) and MH (β = 0.259, p = 0.048). Conclusion We found that ERM tended to distort the outer retinal layer toward the temporal side of the fovea. The tangential distortion of this layer was associated with the degree of metamorphopsia, suggesting that misalignment of parafoveal photoreceptors causes metamorphopsia in patients with ERM.