Hasil untuk "Engineering geology. Rock mechanics. Soil mechanics. Underground construction"

Cláudio Lúcio do Val Lopes, João Marcus Pitta, Fabiano Belém et al.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into clinical settings presents a software engineering challenge, demanding a shift from isolated models to robust, governable, and reliable systems. However, brittle, prototype-derived architectures often plague industrial applications and a lack of systemic oversight, creating a ``responsibility vacuum'' where safety and accountability are compromised. This paper presents an industry case study of the ``Maria'' platform, a production-grade AI system in primary healthcare that addresses this gap. Our central hypothesis is that trustworthy clinical AI is achieved through the holistic integration of four foundational engineering pillars. We present a synergistic architecture that combines Clean Architecture for maintainability with an Event-driven architecture for resilience and auditability. We introduce the Agent as the primary unit of modularity, each possessing its own autonomous MLOps lifecycle. Finally, we show how a Human-in-the-Loop governance model is technically integrated not merely as a safety check, but as a critical, event-driven data source for continuous improvement. We present the platform as a reference architecture, offering practical lessons for engineers building maintainable, scalable, and accountable AI-enabled systems in high-stakes domains.

Changsong Wang, Mingliang Zhou, Le Zhang et al.

JI Yufei 1, SHAO Shuai 1 , SHAO Shengjun 1, 2, 3, ZHU Xueliang 1, YAN Guangyi 4

Slopes are highly susceptible to collapse under seismic action and are often accompanied by distinct three-dimensional (3D) features. The 3D stability of unsaturated soil slopes is investigated based on the principle of limit analysis upper bound and the one-dimensional stable infiltration model. A new 3D horizontal slicing method is proposed, which effectively considers the nonlinear distribution characteristics of unsaturated soil gravity, seismic acceleration and apparent cohesion. The seismic inertia force is expressed by a modified pseudo-dynamics method (MPDM) considering soil damping and resonance. The explicit expression for the slope safety factor is derived by gravity increase method (GIM). Comparison and validation with the existing research results and a series of parameter studies were carried out. The results show that when the slope is subjected to seismic wave action close to the intrinsic frequency of the soil body, resonance phenomenon occurs and the slope safety coefficient decreases rapidly; under the action of the same seismic frequency, the safety coefficient decreases with the increase of seismic acceleration coefficient. When B/H < 3, the 3D effect is obvious, and the 3D effect should be taken into account in the design of the slope; the existence of suction contributes to maintaining slope stability.

GAO Xin 1, 2, 3, WANG Tianliang 1, 2, ZHOU Zhengguo 2, ZHANG Xinju 2, GUO Wei 1, SUN Liqiang 1

Rubber dams are widely employed for urban river and canal impoundment. They are the preferred water - retaining structures in water supply projects of small and medium-sized cities. Previous studies have predominantly concentrated on the stress and deformation characteristics of single-anchored dams, employing tabular methods to design geometric dimensions and tensile forces. Double-anchored lines are more commonly used in practical engineering. However, the engineering design method is not perfect. This study establishes a fluid-structure interaction theoretical model for these dams, the accuracy of the theoretical model is verified by model tests. The effects of anchor line distances, perimeters, and internal water heads on the cross-sectional shape and tension force are analyzed. Results indicate that increasing internal water head causes the ultimate external water level, cross-sectional area, and tension force to increase nonlinearly, while the dam width decreases nonlinearly. Increasing the perimeter results in nonlinear increases in ultimate external water level, dam width, cross-sectional area, with minimal impact on tension force. A simplified design equation is derived by fitting the geometric dimensions and tensile forces under design conditions using a dual-exponential growth curve model.

Tao Zhang, Yufeng Shi, Shuying Wang et al.

When shield tunnels traverse the upper-soft and lower-hard stratum, the pronounced geological differences lead to uneven stress distribution on the segmental lining, thereby intensifying both construction challenges and safety risks. Investigating the loading conditions and mechanical characteristics of tunnel linings in such strata is imperative. Therefore, field measurements were conducted at two shield tunnel construction sites along Nanchang Metro Line 1, specifically within a silty clay-gravel layer and a homogeneous sand layer. The acting load and internal forces of the segmental lining were monitored over an extended period. By analyzing the monitoring data, the variation patterns of the loads acting on the segmental lining in the upper-soft and lower-hard stratum during the construction stage were summarized. Furthermore, a comparative analysis was carried out between the measured loading conditions and the theoretical analytical solutions. Subsequently, a refined numerical simulation incorporating bolt joints and bolt preload on the segment was performed to further explore the mechanical behavior of the segmental lining, with a comparison to the measured internal force data. The results indicate that synchronous grouting at the shield tail significantly affects the earth pressure in the upper soft soil layer, with the maximum earth pressure induced by synchronous grouting being approximately 1.9 times the final stable value. The vertical earth pressure in the upper part of the segmental lining exhibits a characteristic pattern of being “large in the middle and small at both ends”, with the measured maximum value after stabilization corresponding to approximately 72% of the theoretical value predicted by Terzaghi’s theory. Notably, a sudden change in lateral earth pressure is observed at the stratum interface. The bending moment and axial force at the invert of the tunnel segment are comparatively smaller than those at the vault. Additionally, the development of internal forces within the segment is fairly constrained in the lower hard stratum.

Saeed Tourchi

This paper synthesizes nearly a decade of research on the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical (THM) behavior of clays and argillaceous rocks. Drawing from experimental observations, numerical model development, and field-scale simulations, it presents a consolidated view of soil-structure interaction under thermal loading, desiccation cracking, and long-term excavation impacts. Key findings are drawn from constitutive modeling, in situ tests, and energy geostructure applications, offering a practical THM framework for nuclear waste repositories and climate-resilient infrastructure.

Marina Araújo, Júlia Araújo, Romeu Oliveira et al.

[Context] Domain knowledge is recognized as a key component for the success of Requirements Engineering (RE), as it provides the conceptual support needed to understand the system context, ensure alignment with stakeholder needs, and reduce ambiguity in requirements specification. Despite its relevance, the scientific literature still lacks a systematic consolidation of how domain knowledge can be effectively used and operationalized in RE. [Goal] This paper addresses this gap by offering a comprehensive overview of existing contributions, including methods, techniques, and tools to incorporate domain knowledge into RE practices. [Method] We conducted a systematic mapping study using a hybrid search strategy that combines database searches with iterative backward and forward snowballing. [Results] In total, we found 75 papers that met our inclusion criteria. The analysis highlights the main types of requirements addressed, the most frequently considered quality attributes, and recurring challenges in the formalization, acquisition, and long-term maintenance of domain knowledge. The results provide support for researchers and practitioners in identifying established approaches and unresolved issues. The study also outlines promising directions for future research, emphasizing the development of scalable, automated, and sustainable solutions to integrate domain knowledge into RE processes. [Conclusion] The study contributes by providing a comprehensive overview that helps to build a conceptual and methodological foundation for knowledge-driven requirements engineering.

Xunli Zhang, Lingwei Zheng, Shangqi Ge et al.

Based on the electroosmotic reinforcement mechanism of pulsating direct current (PDC) with a high energy efficiency ratio, the calculation method of PDC electroosmosis drainage rate was verified under different potential gradients using two forms of voltage loading, i.e., constant direct current (CDC) and PDC. The drainage weight and electric current were achieved by laboratory tests, and then the energy efficiency ratio, soil resistivity and contact resistance was calculated. The energy consumption of each test group was analyzed by considering the initial potential gradient. The obtained results show that under the same potential gradient, the difference in soil resistivity and electroosmotic drainage between PDC and CDC is not significant, but there is a significant difference in contact resistance, which leads to low current intensity and high energy efficiency ratio in the PDC test group. The expression of the electroosmotic drainage rate of the PDC is described with the coefficient μ, and then the energy efficiency ratio versus potential gradient curve is calculated, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. The reason for the lower energy consumption of PDC electroosmosis compared to CDC is described in terms of the drainage mechanism of electroosmosis.

Min Hu, Bingjian Wu, Huiming Wu et al.

To solve the problem that current attitude planning methods do not fully consider the interaction and constraints among the shield, segmental tunnel ring, and geology, and cannot adapt to the changes in the actual engineering environment, or provide feasible long-term and short-term attitude planning, this paper proposes autonomous intelligent dynamic trajectory planning (AI-DTP) to provide tunnel ring and centimeter-layer planning targets for a self-driving shield to meet long-term accuracy and short-term rapidity. AI-DTP introduces the Frenet coordinate system to solve the problem of inconsistent spatial representation of tunnel data, segmental tunnel ring location, and surrounding geological conditions, designs the long short-term memory attitude prediction model to accurately predict shield attitude change trend based on shield, tunnel, and geology, and uses a heuristic algorithm for trajectory optimization. AI-DTP provides ring-layer and centimeter-layer planning objectives that meet the needs of long-term accuracy and short-term correction of shield attitude control. In the Hangzhou-Shaoxing Intercity Railroad Tunnel Project in China, the “Zhiyu” shield equipped with the AI-DTP system was faster and more accurate than the manually controlled shield, with a smoother process and better quality of the completed tunnel.

Meng Meng, Luke P. Frash, J. William Carey et al.

Debonding at the cement-casing interface is recognized as a principal failure mechanism leading to CO2 leakage in wells. This detachment gives rise to a microannulus, which notably possesses greater permeability than undamaged cement, undermining its sealing efficacy. Conventionally, the permeability of the microannulus is regarded as a uniform value throughout the well. However, fundamentally, a microannulus is one type of fracture, and its gap or aperture size is affected by the effective stress. In this work, we developed a unique experimental apparatus. This equipment facilitates the curing of cement inside a steel casing, the formation of a microannulus between the casing and the cement, and the investigation of the fluid flow dynamics along the microannulus under laboratory-replicated in situ conditions. The microannulus was formed by injecting fluid from one end of the setup, and receiving similar amount of fluid on the other end signified the development of the leakage channel. Additionally, strain gauges affixed to the casing’s external surface yielded key information on the microannulus’s opening and closure. We observed a noticeable decline in microannulus hydraulic aperture (or permeability) in relation to effective stress and an exponential equation fits their relationship. Our findings also indicate a distinct behavior when comparing liquid CO2 with water. Specifically, it is easier for liquid CO2 to create the microannulus. However, the hydraulic aperture range for this microannulus (0.7–6 μm) is considerably smaller than that created by water flow (2–17 μm). Finally, we integrated the stress-dependent microannulus aperture size into the combined analysis of well mechanical integrity and well leakage. The outcomes consistently demonstrated that when factoring in the stress-dependent aperture sizes, the leakage rates are 3–5 times compared to a fixed aperture model. The traditional assumption of a constant aperture significantly underestimates fluid leakage risks.

Yanjie Zhang, Zheng Cao, Chun Liu et al.

Micro-disturbance grouting is a recovery technique to reduce the excessive deformation of operational shield tunnels in urban areas. The grout mass behaves as a fluid in the ground before hardening to form a grout–soil mixture, which highlights the necessity of using fluid–solid coupling method in the simulation of grouting process. Within a discrete element modeling environment, this paper proposes a novel fluid-solid coupling method based on the pore density flow calculation. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this method, it is applied to numerical simulation of micro-disturbance grouting process for treatment of large transverse deformation of a shield tunnel in Shanghai Metro, China. The simulation results reveal the mechanism of recovering tunnel convergence by micro-disturbance grouting in terms of compaction and fracture of soil, energy analysis during grouting, and mechanical response of soil-tunnel interaction system. Furthermore, the influence of the three main grouting parameters (i.e., grouting pressure, grouting distance, and grouting height) on tunnel deformation recovery efficiency is evaluated through parametric analysis. In order to efficiently recover large transverse deformation of shield tunnel in Shanghai Metro, it is suggested that the grouting pressure should be about 0.55 MPa, the grouting height should be in the range of 6.2–7.0 m, and the grouting distance should be in the range of 3.0–3.6 m. The results provide a valuable reference for grouting treatment projects of over-deformed shield tunnel in soft soil areas.

Rezvan Alizadeh, Mohammad Fatehi Marji, Abolfazl Abdollahipour et al.

Heterogeneous brittle geomaterials are highly susceptible to cyclic loads. They contain inherent flaws and cracks that grow under fatigue loads and lead to failure. This study presents a numerical model for analyzing fatigue in these materials based on the two-dimensional (2D) boundary element method and linear elastic fracture mechanics. The process is formulated by coupling the displacement discontinuity method with the incorporation technique of dissimilar regions and the governing equations of fatigue. The heterogeneous media are assumed to consist of materials with different properties, and the interfaces are assumed to be completely bonded. In addition, the domains include multiple cracks exposed to constant and variable amplitude cyclic loads. The stress intensity factor is a crucial parameter in fatigue analysis, which is determined using the displacement field around crack tips. An incremental crack growth scheme is applied to calculating the fatigue life. The growth rate values are employed to estimate the length of crack extension when there are multiple cracks. The interaction between cracks is considered, which also includes the coalescence phenomenon. Finally, various structures under different cyclic loads are examined to evaluate the accuracy of this method. The results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach in modeling fatigue crack growth and life estimation. The behavior of life curves for the heterogeneous domain was as expected. These curves illustrate the breakpoints caused by utilizing discrete incremental life equations. At these points, the trend of the curves changed with the material properties and fatigue characteristics of the new material around the crack tips.

WANG Zili 1, LI Jinfeng 1, TENG Jidong 1, 2, ZHANG Sheng 1, 2, SHENG Daichao 1, 2, 3

The frost heave and thaw settlement are the main frost damage in cold areas, which are the complex coupling process of water, temperature and stress fields. In this study, a coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical model is developed based on the water film theory, in which the temperature and void ratio of soils are the input variables. The novelty of this model is that the frozen water film pressure is used as the criterion for the generation of ice lens. The driving force of water migration is newly defined, and the frost heave includes the pristine frost heave and the amount of ice segregation. The fully coupled model is numerically solved based on the Matlab and COMSOL Multiphysics, generating the results of soil temperature, moisture, stress and the layered ice lens. The simulated results are then compared with those of the laboratory freezing tests, which shows that they match quite well and verify the validity of the proposed model. The simulation indicates that temperature gradient can promote the frost heave, and the overburden pressure can attract more water to the freezing front but decrease the amount of the frost heave. In addition, both the hydraulic conductivity and the compressive modulus have positive effects on the frost heave. The proposed model provides a new approach to understand the frost heave.

Pengfei Han, Xusheng Wang, Xiaowei Jiang et al.

Significance Groundwater flow paths may cross the surface divide at the regional scale, resulting in interbasin groundwater circulation that affects hydrological relationships and solute transport process between basins. However, research on interbasin groundwater circulation is still in its infancy internationally, and the progress achieved is a matter of concern. Progress This study systematically tracks and analyses the literature on interbasin groundwater circulation at home and abroad in the past 20 years and summarizes the existing research progress from three perspectives: formation mechanism, identification methods, and impact assessment. In terms of the hydrodynamic formation mechanism, the study theoretically determines the deviation characteristics between the surface divide, the highest point of the water table and the divide point of groundwater flow systems. Based on the deviation characteristics, multiple interbasin groundwater circulation paths can be separated between rivers.In terms of identifying the interbasin groundwater circulation, a series of real basin cases provide available methods, including the water balance method, basin-scale hydrological model and hydrogeochemical end element mixed model. The methods identify the existence of interbasin groundwater circulation and even evaluate the circulation fluxes, which can improve the recognition of the water balance in the basin. It is also found that the location, size, climate and geological conditions of the basin affect the occurrence and flux of interbasin groundwater circulation.In terms of impact assessment, it is preliminarily found that the interbasin groundwater circulation has an important impact on the assessments of climate sensitivity, state parameters of the Budyko framework and carbon source/sink in the basin. Ignoring its role may lead to obviously incorrect conclusions. Conclusions and Prospects At present, research on the dynamic process and material transport effect of interbasin groundwater circulation is relatively weak. Accurate and quantitative evaluation methods are also lacking. The focuses of future research are to reveal the circulation paths of interbasin groundwater in three-dimensional aquifer space and accurately assess the various impacts of interbasin groundwater circulation.

WU Si-si, LUO Wen-qiang, LI Yin-can et al.

Soil tends to have nonlinear compression characteristics, and the consolidation laws of soil are different under different compression characteristics. Considering the nonlinear characteristics of soil, variable load and continuous drainage boundary conditions, a one-dimensional consolidation equation is established. Its solutions are obtained by using the unconditionally stable finite difference method and semi-analytical method, and the reliability of the two methods is verified by the degradation of continuous drainage boundary condition and the comparison of the two solutions. Based on the solution of finite difference method, the influences of interface parameter, load parameters and nonlinear parameter on soil consolidation are analyzed in detail. The results show that, the larger the interface parameter of continuous drainage boundary, the greater the dissipation rate of excess pore water and the settlement rate of soil, while the interface parameter has no effect on the final settlement. The excess pore water pressure gradually increases at the loading stage and dissipates at the constant loading stage. With the increase of loading rate, both the peak value of excess pore water pressure and soil consolidation rate increase, indicating that extending the construction period is conducive to reducing the influence of excess pore water pressure. It is difficult to accurately predict the consolidation rate of soil in engineering. The accuracy of soil model, boundary conditions and soil calculation parameters should be ensured when the consolidation theory is used.

Wenbin Fei, Guillermo A. Narsilio

Effective thermal conductivity of soils can be enhanced to achieve higher efficiencies in the operation of shallow geothermal systems. Soil cementation is a ground improvement technique that can increase the interparticle contact area, leading to a high effective thermal conductivity. However, cementation may occur at different locations in the soil matrix, i.e. interparticle contacts, evenly or unevenly around particles, in the pore space or a combination of these. The topology of cementation at the particle scale and its influence on soil response have not been studied in detail to date. Additionally, soils are made of particles with different shapes, but the impact of particle shape on the cementation and the resulting change of effective thermal conductivity require further research. In this work, three kinds of sands with different particle shapes were selected and cementation was formed either evenly around the particles, or along the direction parallel or perpendicular to that of heat transfer. The effective thermal conductivity of each sample was computed using a thermal conductance network model. Results show that dry sand with more irregular particle shape and cemented along the heat transfer direction will lead to a more efficient thermal enhancement of the soil, i.e. a comparatively higher soil effective thermal conductivity.

Wu Yang, Jianxin He, Liang Liu et al.

An accurate description of composite geomembranes (CGs)–cushion interface behaviour (particularly creep behaviour) is of great importance. This paper presents a creep experiment method for studying the shearing creep characteristics of CGs–cushion interfaces. In this study, natural sand and sandy gravel cushion materials were tested for their creep characteristics with CGs. In the proposed method, the shearing creep curves of CGs–cushion interfaces in multi-stage loading are obtained, and they can be transformed to the creep curve at each specific loading level with Chen’s method. The results show that the power function and modified hyperbolic function exhibit perfect performance in fitting the displacement–stress and displacement–time relationships, respectively. An original empirical creep model for the CGs–cushion interface was established on the basis of these fitting means; it was found to exhibit superior performance in fitting and predicting the attenuation creep curve at each stress level. An accelerating creep model applicable to the accelerating creep phase is presented by using the Kachanov damage factor to reflect the accelerating creep damage to CGs–cushion interface. The study provides enhanced guidance for the engineering design and construction of structures incorporating CGs.

WANG Nian-xiang 1, 2, ZHOU Chun-er 3, WU Jia-wu 3, JIANG Wen-bo 3, ZHANG De-en 3

For the slipped soft soil foundation in the storage yard of a wharf, the root pile-net composite foundation is used for reinforcement. The geotechnical centrifugal model tests are carried out to study the deformation and pile-soil stress characteristics of the root pile-net composite foundation under super-large loads. The foundation, root piles, reinforced cushions, dust nets, track beam foundation and ore loads are simulated. The variation laws of deformations and loads at the top of the root piles, the earth pressures between the root piles and the pile-soil stress ratio of the composite foundation are analyzed under super-large loads. The settlement of the composite foundation meets the requirements of the storage yard. The horizontal displacements and settlements of the dust net foundation and the track beam foundation are small. The pile-soil stress ratio is 60~69. The test results show that the root pile-net composite foundation in the slip zone is stable and safe under the load of 350 kPa, and the foundation reinforcement has achieved the expected effects.

Hironori Washizaki

It is essential to discuss the role, difficulties, and opportunities concerning people of different gender in the field of software engineering research, education, and industry. Although some literature reviews address software engineering and gender, it is still unclear how research and practices in Asia exist for handling gender aspects in software development and engineering. We conducted a systematic literature review to grasp the comprehensive view of gender research and practices in Asia. We analyzed the 32 identified papers concerning countries and publication years among 463 publications. Researchers and practitioners from various organizations actively work on gender research and practices in some countries, including China, India, and Turkey. We identified topics and classified them into seven categories varying from personal mental health and team building to organization. Future research directions include investigating the synergy between (regional) gender aspects and cultural concerns and considering possible contributions and dependency among different topics to have a solid foundation for accelerating further research and getting actionable practices.

Lars Reimann, Günter Kniesel-Wünsche

Development of machine learning (ML) applications is hard. Producing successful applications requires, among others, being deeply familiar with a variety of complex and quickly evolving application programming interfaces (APIs). It is therefore critical to understand what prevents developers from learning these APIs, using them properly at development time, and understanding what went wrong when it comes to debugging. We look at the (lack of) guidance that currently used development environments and ML APIs provide to developers of ML applications, contrast these with software engineering best practices, and identify gaps in the current state of the art. We show that current ML tools fall short of fulfilling some basic software engineering gold standards and point out ways in which software engineering concepts, tools and techniques need to be extended and adapted to match the special needs of ML application development. Our findings point out ample opportunities for research on ML-specific software engineering.