1,721,037 research outputs found
On the "Matrix Approach" to Interacting Particle Systems
No full textDerrida et al. and Schütz and Stinchcombe gave algebraic formulas for the correlation functions of the partially asymmetric simple exclusion process. Here we give a fairly general recipe of how to get these formulas and extend them to the whole time evolution (starting from the generator of the process), for a certain class of interacting systems. We then analyze the algebraic relations obtained to show that the matrix approach does not work with some models such as the voter and the contact processes
The Kruskal-Katona theorem and a characterization of system signatures
Full text linkWe show how to determine if a given vector can be the signature of a system on a finite number of components and, if so, exhibit such a system in terms of its structure function. The method employs combinatorial results from the theory of (finite) simplicial complexes, and provides a full characterization of signature vectors using a theorem of Kruskal (1963) and Katona (1968). We also show how the same approach can provide new combinatorial proofs of further results, e.g. that the signature vector of a system cannot have isolated zeroes. Finally, we prove that a signature with all nonzero entries must be a uniform distribution
Bearing Capacity of Piled Rafts on Soft Clay Soils
No full textThe conventional design of a piled foundation is based on a bearing capacity approach, and neglects the contribution of the raft. As a consequence, piled foundations are usually designed by overconservative criteria. With respect to the conventional approach, a more rational and economical solution could be obtained by accounting for the contribution of the raft toward the overall bearing capacity, but this potential is not exploited due to the lack of theoretical and experimental research on the behavior of piled rafts at failure. Based on both experimental evidence and three-dimensional finite element analyses, a simple criterion is proposed to evaluate the ultimate vertical load of a piled raft as a function of its component capacities, which can be simply evaluated by the conventional bearing capacity theories. The results presented in the paper thus provide a guide to assess the safety factor of a vertically loaded piled raft
Analysis and Performance of Piled Rafts Designed Using Innovative Criteria
No full textIn this paper the main criteria adopted for the design and some aspects of the observed behavior of the piled foundations of a cluster of circular steel tanks are reported. They were designed to store sodium hydroxide, a toxic liquid with a unit weight of 15.1 kN/m(3). Shallow foundations would have been safe against a bearing capacity failure, while the predicted settlement was beyond the allowed limit. Accordingly piles were designed to reduce the settlement and improve the overall performance of the foundations. While conventional capacity based design approach led to a total of 160 piles to support the five tanks the settlement based design approach led to a total of 65 piles achieving significant savings on the cost of the project. The settlements of four out of the five tanks were measured and for two out of the five tanks the load sharing among the raft and the piles was also observed. Both the analyses carried out at the design stage and the back-analyses of the observed behavior were based on the interaction factors method as implemented in the computer code NAPRA [Russo (1998), Int. J. Numer. Anal. Methods Geomech., 22(6), 477-493]
New Design Criteria for Piled Rafts and Related Methods of Analysis
No full textSimple numerical codes for the analysis of soil structure interaction in the case of piled raft
foundations are available. A proper idealisation and geotechnical quantification of the subsoil profile is of
main concern. Firstly, recent research work on the problem of piled foundations embedded in layered
soils is reported. In the second part of the paper innovative design criteria for piled rafts are discussed. It
is argued that for a proper application of innovative concepts the safety factor of a piled raft has to be
defined. To this aim 3D finite element predictions of the ultimate vertical load of a piled raft will be
presented
Numerical modelling of installation effects for diaphragm walls in sand
No full textThe scopes of this work are to study the mechanisms of load transfer and the deformations of the ground during slurry trenching and concreting in dry sand and to evaluate their effects on service structural loads, wall deflections and ground displacements behind the wall caused by subsequent excavation. A series of three-dimensional finite element analyses was carried out modelling the installation of diaphragm walls consisting of panels of different length. The soil was modelled as either linearly elastic-perfectly plastic or incrementally non-linear (hypoplastic) with elastic strain range. Plane strain analyses of diaphragm walls of identical cross section were also carried out in which wall installation was either modelled or the wall was wished in place (WIP). The analyses predict ground movements consistent with the experimental observations both in magnitude and trend. The results also show that the maximum horizontal wall deflections and structural loads reduce with increasing panel aspect ratio towards a minimum which is about twice the value computed for WIP analyses. Panel aspect ratios should be larger than about three to take advantage of the three-dimensional effects. The pattern and magnitude of surface vertical displacements obtained from linearly elastic-perfectly plastic analyses, no matter whether three- or two-dimensional, are unrealistic
Piles-induced filtering effect on the Foundation Input Motion
No full textThe inertial interaction analysis of a structure founded on piles is conventionally performed by imposing that the Foundation Input Motion is merely that of the free field, thus neglecting the kinematic interaction between piles and soil generated by the passage of seismic waves. This would lead to unnecessary overconservatism in the design, as there is evidence that the free-field motion may be thoroughly filtered out by piles (generally reduced), especially in the case of soft soils, where piles are recurrently required to carry out the total load transmitted by the superstructure and/or to reduce foundation settlements. Results provided from analytical and numerical tools elucidate the crucial aspects controlling the mechanism of filtering effect. Reduced design spectra are also suggested to account for the beneficial effect coming from the piles when the inertial interaction analysis of the superstructure is being performed
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