Overwinter changes to near-surface bulk density, penetration resistance and infiltration rates in compacted soil

Previous studies at Yakima Training Center (YTC), in Washington State, suggest freeze-thaw (FT) cycles can ameliorate soil compacted by tracked military vehicles [J. Terramechanics 38 (2001) 133]. However, we know little about the short-term effects of soil freezing over a single winter. We measured bulk density (BD), soil penetration resistance (SPR), and steady-state runoff rates in soil newly tracked by an Abrams tank and in uncompacted soil, before and after a single winter at YTC. We similarly measured BD, SPR and saturated hydraulic conductivity (k_fs) in simulated tank tracks at another site near Lind Washington. Average BD was significantly greater in tank ruts at YTC and in simulated tracks at the Lind site than in uncompacted soil soon after tracking and did not change significantly during the winter of 1997–1998. Measurements of SPR were strongly influenced by soil moisture. When soil was moist or tracks were newly formed, SPR was significantly higher in tank ruts than in uncompacted soil from the surface to a depth of about 10–15 cm. The greatest average SPR in compacted soil was observed between 4 and 6 cm depth. We observed less difference in SPR between tank ruts and uncompacted soil near-surface at YTC as the time after trafficking increased. We observed highest SPR ratios (compacted rut:undisturbed) in fresh tracks near the surface, with lower ratios associated with increasing track age or soil depth, indicating that some recovery had occurred at YTC near-surface. However, we did not observe a similar over-winter change in SPR profiles at the Lind site. Rainfall simulator data from YTC showed higher steady-state runoff rates in tank ruts than over uncompacted soil both before and after winter. However, more time was required to reach steady-state flow in tank ruts and the proportion of runoff was slightly lower in May 1998 than in August 1997. At the Lind site, k_fs was lower in newly compacted soil than in one-year old compacted soil or uncompacted soil. Our data suggest that indices of water infiltration such as steady-state runoff rates or k_fs, are more sensitive indicators of soil recovery after compaction than are BD or SPR.     

Rolling resistance and rut formation by implement tyres on tilled clay soil

The rolling resistance and rutting incurred by towed flotation implement tyres were investigated on an arable clay soil in three different soil strength conditions. Three radial (600/55R26.5) and two bias ply (600/55–26.5) tyres were compared. Experimental wheel loads were in the 35.4–36.4 kN range. Tyre inflation pressures, representing typical field operation, and road transport applications were in 100–150 kPa and 150–200 kPa, respectively. Soil strength was determined from mean soil penetration resistance (CI_0–15, in the layer 0–15 cm) and mean cohesion (C_0–10, 0–10 cm). Wheel rolling resistance evaluated by the coefficient of rolling resistance (CRR), rut depth (RD), driving speed, and field gradient were measured with the tyres mounted on a test trailer hitched to a tractor. CI_0–15 and C_0–10 values predicted the sinkage and the resistance to travel motion on clay soil reasonably well. When the CI_0–15 was less than 1 MPa and C_0–10 was below 100 kPa, CRR and RD increased rapidly. On average, CRR was 20% lower for the radials than the bias plies. In soft conditions (CI_0–15 ? 0.48 MPa), the radials produced 15% shallower ruts than bias plies, and the CRR was lower and RD shallower with field inflation pressures than with road pressures used. According to our results, flotation tyres can be recommended to agricultural machines when the implement or trailer is used in soft soil conditions.     

Effects of timber skidding on chemical characteristics of herbaceous cover, forest floor and topsoil on skidroad in an oak (Quercus petrea L.) forest

This paper examines the effects of timber harvesting by skidding on some soil properties (sand, silt, clay, pH, organic carbon, bulk density and compaction), herbaceous cover (unit mass) and forest floor (unit weight) properties. Also N (%), P, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn (ppm) were determined in all herbaceous cover, forest floor and two soil depth (0–5 cm and 5–10 cm) on skidroad of an oak (Quercus petrea L.) stand in Istanbul Belgrad Forest – Turkey. In this study, obtained results are; the forest floor and the herbaceous cover amount on the skidroad have been found considerably lower than undisturbed area. There were some crucial changes in the characteristics of the soil which has been investigated down to 10 cm depth. Soil bulk density was found quite high in the samples taken from the skidroad subject to compaction compared to the ones on the undisturbed area. Nevertheless, no important difference had been detected between the skidroad and the undisturbed area at both soil depths in terms of organic carbon contents. Moreover, the soil acidity (pH) values showed noteworthy differences in the analysis of soil samples taken from both soil depths on the skidroad and on the undisturbed area. Fe and Cu contents of herbaceous samples on skidroad were significantly higher than undisturbed area. Forest floor on skidroad had significantly higher K content, and significantly lower Zn, Mn and N content compared to undisturbed area. P, Fe, Zn and Mn contents were found significantly lower in 0–5 cm soil depth on skidroad than undisturbed area. In 5–10 cm soil depth, concentrations of N, P, Fe, Zn and Mn were significantly lower, while Mg and Cu contents were significantly higher than undisturbed area. Results indicate that long-term harvest using skidding techniques on these sites had adversely affected soil cation concentrations, physical soil conditions and mass of herbaceous cover and forest floor.     

Effect of tine rake angle and aspect ratio on soil failure patterns in dry loam soil

Studies were conducted in a laboratory glass-sided soil bin with dry compact loam soil (c = 0.02 kPa, Φ = 20° and cone index 210 kPa) with the specific objective of observing the effect of flat tine rake angle and aspect ratio on soil failure patterns. The tine was moved in the soil in a quasi-static condition and soil failure patterns were observed through a glass window. Tine rake angles of 50°, 90° and 130° were used while aspect ratio effects were studied by varying both width and depth of the tine. Individual effects of width and depth were investigated by maintaining a constant aspect ratio of 2.0 but varying width and depth. Results obtained indicated that soil failure patterns are affected by tine design parameters. Soil failure patterns were observed to be of progressive shear type in all cases. For 50° rake angle tines, the patterns consisted of inclined shear lines starting from the tine tip and gradually moving upwards towards the horizontal soil surface, intersecting it at an average failure angle of 32°. In the case of 90° rake angle tines, the inclined shear surface was at a distance from the tine tip whereas, for 130° rake angle tines, prismatic-shaped stationary soil wedges were formed adjacent to the tine. Failure angles for the 90° and 130° rake angle tines were almost the same as those for 50° rake angle tines. The results of this study also indicated that aspect ratio alone cannot account for changes in soil failure patterns, their corresponding soil reactions, forward rupture or surcharge profiles. The effects are mainly due to the individual changes in width and depth. There were no distinct zones as described in the passive soil pressure theory. Soil failures were in regular cycles resulting in corresponding variations in the soil reactions on the tines.     

Estimation of a three-dimensional tyre footprint using dynamic soil–tyre contact pressures

A method for estimating the three-dimensional (3D) footprint of a 16.9R38 pneumatic tyre was developed. The method was based on measured values of contact pressure at the soil–tyre interface and wheel contact length determined from the contact pressures and the depths and widths of ruts formed in the soil. The 3D footprint was investigated in an area of the field where the pressure sensors of the tyre passed in a soft clay soil. The tyre was instrumented with six miniature pressure sensors, three on the lug face and the remaining three on the under-tread region between two lugs. The instrumented tyre was run at a constant forward speed of 0.27 m/s and 23% slip on a soft soil, 0.48 MPa cone index, 25.6% d.b. moisture content for four wheel load and tyre pressure combination treatments. The 3D footprint assessment derived from soil–tyre interface stress used in this research is a unique methodology, which could precisely relate the trend profile of the 3D footprint to the measured rut depth. The tyre–soil interface contact pressure distributions results showed that as inflation pressure increased the soil strength increased significantly near the centre of the tyre as a compaction increase sensed with the cone penetrometer.     

Dynamic interaction of various beams with the underlying soil – finite and infinite, half-space and Winkler models

Various beams lying on the elastic half-space and subjected to a harmonic load are analyzed by a double numerical integration in wavenumber domain. The compliances of the beam–soil systems are presented for a wide frequency range and for a number of realistic parameter sets. Generally, the soil stiffness G has a strong influence on the low-frequency beam compliance whereas the beam parameters EI and m^′ are more important for the high-frequency compliance. An important parameter is the elastic length l=(EI/G)^1/4 of the beam–soil system. Around the corresponding frequency ω_l=v_S/l, the wave velocity of the combined beam–soil system changes from the Rayleigh wave v_R≈v_S to the bending wave velocity v_B and the combined beam–soil wave has typically a strong damping. The interaction frequency ω_l is found not far from the characteristic frequency ω₀=(G/m^′)^1/2 where an amplification compared to the static compliance is observed for special parameter constellations. In contrast, real foundation beams show no resonance effects as they are highly damped by the radiation into the soil. At medium and high frequencies, asymptotes for the compliance of the beam–soil system are found, u/P(ρv_Paiω)^−3/4 in case of the dominating damping and u/P(−m^′ω²)^−3/4 for high frequencies. The low-frequency compliance of the coupled beam–soil system can be approximated by u/P1/Gl, but it also depends weakly on the width a of the foundation. All numerical results of different beam–soil systems are evaluated to yield a unique relation u/P₀=f(a/l). The integral transform method is also applied to ballasted and slab tracks of railway lines, showing the influence of train speed on the deformation of the track beam. The presented results of infinite beams on half-space are compared with results of finite beams and with infinite beams on a Winkler support. Approximating Winkler parameters are given for realistic foundation-soil systems which are useful when vehicle-track interaction is analyzed for the prediction of railway induced vibration.     

Effects of tillage systems on compaction and crop yield of Albic Luvisol in Croatia

This four-year experiment was conducted in north-west Slavonia (agricultural area of Croatia) to evaluate the effects of different tillage systems on compaction of silty loam soil (Albic Luvisol). The compared tillage systems were: (1) conventional tillage (CT), (2) conservation tillage (CM), (3) no-tillage system (NT), and the crop rotation was corn (Zea mays L.) – winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) – corn – winter wheat. For detecting the soil compaction, bulk density and penetration resistance were measured during the growing seasons. In all seasons and tillage systems, the bulk density and penetration resistance increased with depth and the greatest increase from surface to the deepest layer in average was observed at CT system. The bulk density and penetration resistance increased at all tillage systems during the experiment, but the greatest increase was also observed at CT system. The greatest bulk density (1.66 Mg m⁻³) and the greatest increase of 6.4% were observed at CT system in the layer 30–35 cm. In the first season, the bulk density was the greatest at NT system, but during the experiment the lowest average increase of 1.9% was observed at this system. The greatest penetration resistance of all measurements (5.9 MPa) was observed in the last season at CT system in depth of 40 cm. The lowest average increase of penetration resistance 11.4% was also observed at NT system. The highest yield of corn in the first season was achieved with CT system while in other seasons the highest yield of winter wheat and corn was achieved with CM system.     

A specific slit die rheometer for extruded starchy products. Design,validation and application to maize starch

A novel in-line rheometer, called Rheopac, has been designed and built in order to study the rheological behaviour of starchy products or, more generally, of products sensitive to a thermomechanical treatment. It is based on the principle of a twin channel, using a balance of feed rate between each of them, in order to make local shear rate vary in the measuring section without changing the flow conditions into the extruder. A wide range of shear rate could be reached and measurements were performed more swiftly than with a classical slit die. The viscous behaviour of maize starch was studied by taking into account the influence of the thermomechanical history, which modified the starch degradation and thus led to important variations in the viscosity. Experimental results were satisfactorily compared to previously published models.Nomenclature E activation energy (J · mol^–1) - h channel depth (m) - h ₁ depth under the piston valve in channel 1 (m) - h ₂ depth under the piston valve in channel 2 (m) - K consistency (Pa·s ⁿ ) - K ₀ reference consistency (Pa·s ⁿ ) - L total channel length (m) - L _p length of the piston valve (m) - MC moisture content (wet basis) - n power law index - N screw rotation speed (rpm) - P ₀ entrance pressure (Pa) - P _e pressure at the entry of the piston valve (Pa) - Q ₁ flow rate in channel 1 (m3 · s^–1) - Q ₂ flow rate in channel 2 m³·s^–1) - Q _T total flow rate (m3 · s^–1) - R constant of perfect gas (8.314 J·mol^–1·K^–1) - SME specific mechanical energy (kWh · t^–1) - T temperature (°C) - T _a absolute temperature (K) - T _b barrel temperature (°C) - T _d die temperature (°C) - T _p product temperature (°C) - w channel width (m) - W energetical term (J·m^–3) - viscosity (Pa · s) - [gh ₀] intrinsic viscosity of native starch (ml·g^–1) - [] intrinsic viscosity (ml·g^–1) - shear rate (s^–1) - shear rate in measuring section (s^–1) - maximum shear rate (s^–1)     

Comparisons of different procedures of pre-compaction stress determination on weakly structured soils

Compaction is an important component of soil degradation. In this regard, the pre-compaction stress (σ_pc) concept is considered useful in mechanized agriculture nowadays. When the external forces exceed the internal strength (σ_pc) of soil, soil structure and soil physical quality will deteriorate. This concept was introduced at first for confined consolidation of non-structured, homogenized and saturated subsoils in civil engineering, though it is also suitable for agricultural conditions where the topsoil and subsoil are considered and both are often structured, heterogeneous and unsaturated. The best method for predicting σ_pc is by the plate sinkage test (PST) in the field, but it is expensive and time-consuming. This study was conducted to find an alternative laboratory method besides the confined compaction test (CCT) for predicting σ_pc. The CCT may not be a good method, especially at higher water contents, and for soils with low organic matter content, because of low sharpness of the critical region on the stress–strain curves. The study was performed on five soil types with a range of soil textures and organic matter content from central Iran using three loading types and three pF (i.e. Log [soil matric suction in cm]) values of 2.3, 2.7 and 2.9 with two replicates. Loading types consisted of CCT, the semi-confined compaction test (SCCT) and the kneading compaction test (KCT) at three maximum (or pre-compaction) stresses of 200, 400 and 600 kPa. The experiment was a completely randomized factorial design. The aim was to determine how accurately each loading type test could predict σ_pc of soil pre-compacted by one of the other methods. The applied combinations of CCT–SCCT, SCCT–CCT and KCT–CCT mean that the soil was pre-compacted by the first loading type and evaluated by the second one. The results showed that σ_pc and the sharpness of the σ_pc region were significantly affected by loading types as well as the soil conditions. The sharpest σ_pc region was observed in SCCT and the least sharp in CCT with the overall order being CCT–SCCT > SCCT–CCT > KCT–CCT. The sharpness of the σ_pc region was reduced for the soil samples with higher water content and coarser texture. Regardless of the soil and loading conditions, the prediction by SCCT was consistently more accurate than by CCT. The prediction of σ_pc by SCCT was more precise in comparison with CCT especially at higher stresses and soil water contents. However, the prediction of σ_pc by SCCT was very accurate at pF values of 2.7 and 2.9, and with low σ_pc values, when compared with the actual values of the σ_pc. For the clay soil at a pF value of 2.3, no pre-compaction region (i.e. zero σ_pc) could be determined by CCT at a maximum axial stress of 600 kPa. This was because of the incompressibility of soil water at this near-saturated soil condition at high stress. However, the sharpness of the critical region in SCCT was high enough to predict σ_pc satisfactorily. There was no significant difference between the combinations of SCCT–CCT and KCT–CCT in predicting σ_pc. The SCCT is a compromise method that lies between CCT and PST. SCCT has the advantage of using a limited and definite soil volume that can be modeled as a soil element. Marginal effects of disturbance caused by coring/sampling as well as pre-test sample preparation seem to have minor effects on the stress–strain curve determined by SCCT in comparison with CCT. Moreover, the soil volume needed for this test is the same as for CCT.     

Fatigue and fretting fatigue of ion-nitrided 34CrNiMo6 steel

This work is concerned with the surface treatment (ion nitriding) of fretting fatigue and fatigue resistance of 34CrNiMo6. Tests are made on a servo-hydraulic machine under tension for both treated and non-treated specimens. The test parameters involve the applied displacements δ±80–±170 μm; fretting pressure σ_n=1000–1400 MPa; fatigue stress amplitude σ_a=380–680 MPa and stress ratio R=−1. The ion nitriding process improves both fatigue and fretting fatigue lives. Subsurface crack initiation from internal discontinuities was found for ion-nitrided specimens.     

Parametric study of the Hartmann–Sprenger tube

Experiments were conducted with a Hartmann–Sprenger tube (H–S) to study the effect of different parameters on the frequency and amplitude of acoustic fluctuations excited when the H–S underexpanded jet impinges on an in-line cavity. Time averaged shadowgraphs were acquired to study the flow field between the underexpanded jet and the cavity for varying parameters of the H–S tube. It was observed that the H–S tube primarily excited two different modes. The first mode corresponds to the jet regurgitant mode (JRG) where the frequency of oscillations scales as a function of the cavity depth. The other mode is screech where an oscillating shock is formed in front of the cavity. The screech mode excites a higher acoustic frequency than the JRG and it is observed to be a strong function of the pressure ratio R, and distance between the jet and the cavity X. At a fixed cavity length, varying standoff distance X could excite either the JRG or screech. At very low standoff distances (X/D_j<0.8), the current study indicates that there is a mode switch from screech to JRG. A cavity to jet diameter, D_c/D_j>1 was found to sustain JRG over a wide range of X. Diameter ratios D_c/D_j<1 sustained high frequency screech modes in a wide range of H–S tube parameters.     

Experimental investigation of the flow around a radially vibrating circular cylinder

This work aims to develop a process for controlling a cylinder wake, especially the von Karman vortex street, in such way so as to drastically reduce the drag coefficient. A new technique for influencing the cylinder wake is proposed in the present experimental study. The flow around a circular cylinder is perturbed by temporarily changing the cylinder diameter. Experiments have been performed for Reynolds numbers in the range Re=9,500 to Re=31,500. Three values of the controlling frequencies are considered: fs₁=0.41, fs₂=0.54 and fs₃=0.73, in addition to the stationary case corresponding to a non-deformable cylinder, fs₀=0. The visualisation flow shows that the pulsing motion of the cylinder walls greatly influences both the near and far wake dynamics. A decrease of the drag is expected.

Rut depth, soil compaction and rolling resistance when using bogie tracks

There are few studies of rolling resistance for bogie tracks on forestry machines. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of wheels and two types of bogie tracks on rut formation, cone index, and vehicle rolling resistance on some typical forest soils in Sweden. In an experiment, two types of tracks were put on a trailer with a bogie with hydraulic extension on the pulling bar giving the trailer repeatable travelling speed. Loads of 0 and 9.9 Mg were used on the trailer. The main results of this study are: Compared to rather wide and soft tires, tracks on the bogie reduced rut depth by up to 40% and cone index in the ruts by about 10%, although the tracks increased the mass on the trailer by 10–12%. The relative rolling resistance coefficient was not higher for tracks than for wheels. Further studies should be conducted to show the effect of track tension on rolling resistance and flotation and of the effects of tracks on heavy vehicles on subsoil compaction.     

A Numerical Study of Micro-Heterogeneity Effects on Upscaled Properties of Two-Phase Flow in Porous Media

Commonly, capillary pressure–saturation–relative permeability (P ^c–S–K _r) relationships are obtained by means of laboratory experiments carried out on soil samples that are up to 10–12 cm long. In obtaining these relationships, it is implicitly assumed that the soil sample is homogeneous. However, it is well known that even at such scales, some micro-heterogeneities may exist. These heterogeneous regions will have distinct multiphase flow properties and will affect saturation and distribution of wetting and non-wetting phases within the soil sample. This, in turn, may affect the measured two-phase flow relationships. In the present work, numerical simulations have been carried out to investigate how the variations in nature, amount, and distribution of sub-sample scale heterogeneities affect P ^c–S–K _r relationships for dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) and water flow. Fourteen combinations of sand types and heterogeneous patterns have been defined. These include binary combinations of coarse sand imbedded in fine sand and vice versa. The domains size is chosen so that it represents typical laboratory samples used in the measurements of P ^c–S–K _r curves. Upscaled drainage and imbibition P ^c–S–K _r relationships for various heterogeneity patterns have been obtained and compared in order to determine the relative significance of the heterogeneity patterns. Our results show that for micro-heterogeneities of the type shown here, the upscaled P ^c–S curve mainly follows the corresponding curve for the background sand. Only irreducible water saturation (in drainage) and residual DNAPL saturation (in imbibition) are affected by the presence and intensity of heterogeneities.     

Agricultural traffic impacts on soil

Alternate configurations of tires and tracks vary in their ability to generate tractive forces. These tractive elements also vary in the way that they impact the soil with some causing more soil disturbance than others. This soil disturbance includes soil compaction and rut formation which negatively impacts rainfall infiltration, rooting, and crop production while potentially increasing soil erosion and runoff. This paper will review a portion of the agricultural research that has been conducted related to soil impacts caused by the use of vehicle traffic in agricultural fields. Recommendations will also be made for ways to minimize the effects of vehicle traffic on soils when trafficking is necessary. These include: reducing axle load; reducing tractive element–soil contact stress by using radial tires, duals, and tracks; increasing soil drying prior to traffic; using conservation tillage systems which minimize vehicle traffic; using controlled traffic systems which eliminate random vehicle traffic across fields; and subsoiling to eliminate compacted soil profiles in crop growth zones. Soil compaction resulting from vehicle traffic may not be able to be completely eliminated, but it can be controlled and reduced through intelligent management of vehicle traffic.     

Hydro-mechanical aspects of the sand production problem

This paper examines the hydro-mechanical aspect of the sand production problem and sets the basic frame of the corresponding mathematical modelling. Accordingly, piping and surface erosion effects are studied on the basis of mass balance and particle transport considerations as well as Darcy's law. The results show that surface erosion is accompanied by high changes of porosity and permeability close to the free surface. Quantities which can be measured in experiment, like the amount of produced solids or fluid discharge, can be used in an inverse way to determine the constitutive parameters of the problem.Notation dV Volume element - dV _s Volume of solids pt - dV _v Volume of voids - dV _ff Volume of fluid phase - dV _fs Volume of fluidized-particles - Volume of mixture - dM _s Mass of solids - dM _ff Mass of fluid phase - d _{M fs} Mass of fluidized-particles - Mass of mixture - s Density of solids - f Density of fluid - ff Density of fluid phase - fs Density of fluidized-particles - Density of mixture - _i ^ff Velocity of fluid - _i ^fs Velocity of fluidized-particles - _i ^s Velocity of solids - Velocity of mixture - q ^ff Volume-discharge of fluid - q ^fs Volume-discharge of fluidized-particles - Volume-discharge of mixture - m ^ff Mass-discharge of fluid - m ^fs Mass-discharge of fluidized-particles - Mass-discharge of mixture - _er Rate of mass-eroded - _dep Rate of mass-deposited - Mass generation term - dS _i Surface element - Pore-surface element - D _IJ Tensor of mechanical dispersion - x _i Location - t Time - Porosity - c Transport concentration - c _cr Critical value ofc - p Fluid-pressure - k Permeability coefficient - _k Kinematic viscosity - Spatial frequency of erosion starter points     

Improved operator comfort and off-road capability through pendulum arm technology

The Nordic forest industry requires just-in-time wood deliveries. Operations must continue regardless of season, weather and terrain. Soil compaction and deep ruts must be avoided while providing high performance and a reasonable working environment for operators.The Xt28 pendulum arm forwarder is a full-size concept forwarder with six hydrostatic propelled wheels on pendulum arms built on a three-piece frame connected with two articulation joints. The Xt28 concept machine was tested according to Skogforsk standard machine tests. Rut depth test focused on soil interaction where rut depth was measured related to number of passes. Machine dynamics were measured using standardized test track with focus on operator comfort.The project proved the potential of pendulum arm technology in off-road transportation. Automatic pendulum arm levelling, equalized ground pressure between wheels and improved operator comfort through reducing adverse vibrations and roll angles, simultaneously reducing dynamic forces transferred to the forest floor. Pendulum arm technology improves travel speed in adverse terrain, providing unparalleled side slope capability and enhanced productivity.     

Non-linear finite element analysis of cone penetration in layered sandy loam soil – Considering precompression stress state

Axisymmetric finite element (FE) method was developed to simulate cone penetration process in layered granular soil. The FE was modeled using ABAQUS/Explicit, a commercially available package. Soil was considered as a non-linear elastic plastic material which was modeled using variable elastic parameters of Young’s Modulus and Poisson’s ratio and Drucker–Prager criterion with yield stress dependent material hardening property. The material hardening parameters of the model were estimated from the USDA-ARS National Soil Dynamics Laboratory – Auburn University (NSDL-AU) soil compaction model. The stress–strain relationship in the NSDLAU compaction model was modified to account for the different soil moisture conditions and the influence of precompression stress states of the soil layers. A surface contact pair (‘slave-master’) algorithm in ABAQUS/Explicit was used to simulate the insertion of a rigid cone (RAX2 ABAQUS element) into deformable and layered soil medium (CAX4R ABAQUS element). The FE formulation was verified using cone penetration data collected on a soil chamber of Norfolk sandy loam soil which was prepared in two compaction treatments that varied in bulk density in the hardpan layer of (1) 1.64 Mg m⁻³ and (2) 1.71 Mg m⁻³. The FE model successfully simulated the trend of cone penetration in layered soils indicating the location of the sub-soil compacted (hardpan) layer and peak cone penetration resistance. Modification of the NSDL-AU model to account for the actual soil moisture content and inclusion of the influence of precompression stress into the strain behavior of the NSDL-AU model improved the performance of FE in predicting the peak cone penetration resistance. Modification of the NSDL-AU model resulted in an improvement of about 42% in the finite element-predicted soil cone penetration forces compared with the FE results that used the NSDL-AU ‘virgin’ model.     

Fatigue crack growth studies in rail steels and associated weld metal

Fatigue crack growth studies in rail steels and associated weld metal have shown that (a) deformed rail steel exhibited fatigue crack growth rates that are slightly faster than undeformed rail steel and (b) weld metal growth data are appreciably faster than rail steel growth results and exhibit growth rate plateaux that reside above the upper bound reported for rail steel fatigue crack growth.In rail steel microstructures at low ΔK levels fatigue crack extension occurred by a ductile striated growth mechanism. However at K_max values approaching 40 MPa √m transgranular cleavage facets initially formed and their incidence increased with K_max until final fast fracture. The average cleavage facet size agreed well with pearlite nodule dimensions of 60–100 μm.The weld metal microstructure was much coarser than the rail steel and contained highly directional columnar grain growth. At all ΔK levels the dominant fracture mode was transgranular cleavage containing small isolated regions of ductile striated fatigue crack growth. The cleavage facet size varied from 150 to 600 μm; such a large variation was explained by the fact that in general crack extension tended to occur in association with the proeutectoid ferrite phase.     

The drag of three-dimensional rectangular cavities

Cavities and other surface cut-outs are present on aircraft in numerous forms, from cargo bays and landing gear housing to rivet depressions and panel handles. Although these surface imperfections make a significant contribution to the overall drag on an aircraft, relatively little is known about the flow mechanisms associated with cavities, particularly those which have a strongly three-dimensional geometry. The present work is a wind tunnel investigation of the drag forces and flow regimes associated with cavities having a 2:1 rectangular planform geometry. The effects of both the cavity depth and the flow incidence angle have been examined in terms of the overall cavity drag increment and the mean surface pressure distributions. The drag forces have been determined from both integrated pressures and direct force balance measurements. For the model normal to the flow direction the flow within the cavity was remarkably symmetrical in all the configurations examined. In most cases the cavity flow is dominated by a single large eddy. However, for cavities yawed to other incidence angles there is considerable flow asymmetry, with strong vorticity shedding and high drag in some cases, notably with depth/narrowest width ratio of 0.4–0.5 at 45–60° incidence. The present data correspond well with established results and extend the scope of information available for design purposes and for the development of numerical models.Nomenclature A _p planform area of model - C _D pressure drag coefficient (F _D /(A _p · q)) - C _D drag coefficient increase due to cavity (C _D – c_f) - c _f local skin friction coefficient - C _L pressure lift coefficient (F _L /(A _p · q)) - C _p mean surface pressure coefficient (P – P _s )/q) - F _D drag force - F _L lift force - h depth - L longest planform dimension of model - P surface pressure on model - P _s freestream static pressure - P _t freestream total pressure - q freestream dynamic pressure (P _t – P_s) - Re Reynolds number (U _R · W/v) - U _R freestream velocity - W narrowest planform dimension of model - Z vertical cartesian coordinate - incidence angle - kinematic viscosity