A theory of glacier dynamics and instabilities Part 1: Topographically confined glaciers

We present a theoretical framework that integrates the dynamics of glaciers with and without the topographic confinement. This Part 1 paper concerns the former, which may exhibit surge cycles when subjected to thermal switches associated with the bed condition. With the topographic trough setting the glacier width and curbing the lateral drainage of the meltwater, the problem falls under the purview of the undrained plastic bed (UPB) formalism. Employing the UPB, we shall examine the external controls of the glacial behavior and test them against observations. Through our non-dimensionalization scheme, we construct a 2-D regime diagram, which allows a ready prognosis of the glacial properties over the full range of the external conditions, both climate- and size-related. We first discern the boundaries separating the glacial regimes of steady-creep, cyclic-surging and steady-sliding. We then apply the regime diagram to observed glaciers for quantitative comparisons. These include the Svalbard glaciers of both normal and surge types, Northeast Greenland Ice Stream characterized by steady-sliding, and Hudson Strait Ice Stream exhibiting cyclic surges. The quantitative validation of our model containing no free parameters suggests that the thermal switch may unify the dynamics of these diverse glaciers.

Experimental Study on the Creep Characteristics of Cemented Backfill in a Goaf under Water Pressure

As the groundwater environment changes in a goaf, the creep deformation of the backfill underwater pressure is worthy of attention. This paper takes the undercut goaf filling in the Yuzhou section of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project as an example. Grading loading creep testing of the backfill under different water pressures was carried out using equipment developed by our research team. Based on the experimental results, the following key points were observed: (1) under the same axial stress, the creep strain and steady creep rate increase with increasing water pressure. Under the same water pressure, the creep strain and steady creep rate also increase with increasing axial stress. (2) The long-term strength of a backfill sample decreases with increasing water pressure and has a nonlinear relationship with water pressure. (3) The increase in water pressure exacerbates the damage of a backfill sample, which is manifested by the secondary crack propagation at the time of failure. Therefore, the increase in water pressure degrades the mechanical properties of the backfill to some extent. The results of this paper provide a reliable theoretical basis for the long-term stability analysis of goaf filling underwater pressure.

Evaluating Long-Term Strength and Time to Failure of Sandstone with Different Initial Damage

Long-term strength (LTS) of rock materials is important for the long-term stability analysis and the failure prediction of structures in rock engineering. Numerous studies have been carried out on the LTS for various kinds of rock; however, the effects of initial damage on the LTS and creep failure time of rock have not been conducted. In the present study, the creep experiment with controllable initial damage state of rock was designed. Then, the LTS of rock specimens with different initial damage was determined by four methods (i.e., the isochronous stress-strain curve method, the steady creep discriminated method, the volumetric strain inflexion point determined method, and the intersection of the steady creep rate method). The results show that, with the increase in the initial damage, the LTS of rock decreases and the relationship between the initial damage and the LTS of rock can be described as a linear function. Finally, an evaluation method for predicting the creep failure time of rock under a single stress level was proposed. In addition, the creep failure time of rock with different initial damage under different creep stress levels was obtained by the method. The results indicate that both the initial damage and the creep stress levels have a great influence on creep failure time, i.e., greater initial damage or creep stress leads to a shorter period for rock failure. Thus, for analyzing the long-term stability of rock mass structure, not only the influence of in situ stress but also the initial damage state of the surrounding rock should be considered.

Cost-Benefit Analysis as an Expression of Liberal Neutrality

The past few decades have seen an expansion in the use of cost-benefit analysis as a tool for policy evaluation in the public sector. This slow, steady creep has been a source of consternation to many philosophers and political theorists, who are inclined to view cost-benefit analysis as simply a variant of utilitarianism and consider utilitarianism to be completely unacceptable as a public philosophy. The chapter shows that this impression is misleading. When construed narrowly, cost-benefit analysis does look a lot like utilitarianism. However, when it is seen in its broader context, in the way that it is applied, and the types of problem to which it is applied, it is better understood as an attempt by the state to avoid taking sides with respect to various controversial conceptions of the good.

A Creep Model of Asphalt Mixture Based on Variable Order Fractional Derivative

In order to quantitatively describe the time-varying mechanical properties of asphalt mixture during creep process, a nonlinear viscoelastoplastic creep model was proposed, by using variable-order fractional calculus. The differential order of the variable-order fractional element of the model is no longer constant, but a variable that changes with time, which reflects the changes of the mechanical properties of the material during the creep process. Whereas the tertiary creep phase is modeled by the viscoplastic element with time-varying viscosity, which is attributed to damage evolution. The uniaxial creep compression tests of AC-13C asphalt mixture under different stress levels (0.7 MPa, 0.9 MPa, 1.1 MPa, 1.3 MPa, 1.5 MPa, 1.7 MPa) were carried out with MTS-809 testing machine at 25 °C, and the test results were analyzed by the model using Levenberg–Marquardt optimization algorithm. It is shown that creep damage occurs when the applied stress exceeds a certain critical value, and the damage incubation time depends on the applied stress level. The higher stress decreases the damage incubation time. The model is in good agreement with the experimental results, and is applicable to describe the entire creep process, which consists of primary, steady and tertiary stages. Moreover, the variation of the model parameter can describe the change of viscoelastic properties of the material during the creep process. The differential order of the variable-order fractional element is constant during the primary creep stage, indicating that the creep behavior of the asphalt mixture is linear viscoelastic in small strain range. For the same stress level, the fractional order of the steady creep stage is greater than that of the primary creep stage, and it increases with the increasing stress level, which shows that the viscous behavior in the steady creep is more remarkable than that in the primary creep, and the higher the stress level, the more prominent the viscous performance exhibits.

Formation and evolution of porosity during high temperature creep of a nickel-based single crystal superalloy

A Re-containing single-crystal superalloy was used to research the high temperature low stress creep behavior. Transmission electron microscope, scanning electron microscope and some other research methods are employed. The results and analysis are summarized below: Two mechanisms for the steady creep are found in this experiment. The volume fraction of pores after creep test at 1100°C increased more than 2 times compared with that before test, but the increasing at 1000°C is relatively small, which reveals that temperature has an great influence on the formation of pore during creep; There are two types of pores associated with fracture during the creep process. One is the casting shrinkage located between the interdentritic, which is formed in the solidification of the alloy. Another type of pore is nucleated and growing during the creep deformation.

Creep properties and damage constitutive model of salt rock under uniaxial compression

To study the creep property of salt rock, uniaxial compression creep tests on salt rock specimens were carried out. The test results indicate that there is no steady creep of the salt rock used in this test in a strict sense. Even in the steady creep stage, the creep rate of salt rock changes continuously over time, but with a relatively smaller change range. When the axial stress does not exceed 9.5 MPa, the isochronous stress–strain curve of salt rock is approximately straight. While the axial stress exceeds 9.5 MPa, the isochronous stress–strain curve deflects to the strain axis, and the larger the axial stress, the more obvious the deflection. Thus, the long-term strength of the salt rock used in this test can be determined as 9.5 MPa. A mathematical expression for predicting the creep failure time of rock is proposed on the basis of assuming the change rule of rock strength over time conforms to the Usher function. Then starting from the variation in deformation modulus with respect to time in the creep process of salt rock, the elastic modulus of the damaged rock material is characterized by the deformation modulus, and the creep damage evolution equation of rock is established. Combined with the continuous damage mechanics theory, a new creep damage constitutive model for rock is proposed. The rationality of the model is verified using the uniaxial compression creep test results of salt rock. The results show that the new model can not only describe the attenuation and the steady creep of salt rock under low stress level, but also reflect the whole creep failure process under high stress level. The predicted curves under different axial stresses are all in good agreement with the test data.

Influence of Thermal Ratcheting on the Creep and Mechanical Properties of High-Density Polyethylene

The objective of this research is to describe the consequence of thermal ratcheting on the long-term creep property of the high-density polyethylene (HDPE) material. The thermal ratcheting phenomenon increases significantly the creep strain of HDPE. The magnitude of the creep strain of HDPE increases by 8% after just 20 thermal cycles between 28 and 50 °C. The creep modulus, which is inversely proportional to the creep strain, depletes further under thermal ratcheting. Both the properties change significantly with the number of thermal cycles. The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of HDPE varies with the applied compressive load, with successive thermal cycles, and with the thermal ratcheting temperature. The impact of thermal ratcheting diminishes with an increase in initial steady creep exposure time period, but still the magnitude cumulative deformation induced is noteworthy. The magnitude of growth in creep strain drops from 8% to 2.4% when thermal ratcheting is performed after 1 and 45 days of steady creep, respectively. There is a notable change in the thickness of the material with each heating and cooling cycle even after 45 days of creep; however, the thermal ratcheting strain value drops by 80% in comparison with the thermal ratcheting strain after 1 day of creep and under similar test conditions.

Study on Multi-Step Creep Aging Behavior of Al-Li-S4 Alloy

Creep age forming (CAF) is a new technology developed for manufacturing large aluminum components in the aerospace industry. Aluminum–lithium alloys may be used in aerospace components because of their high modulus, specific strength and specific stiffness. Therefore, the creep deformation, mechanical properties and aging precipitation of Al-Li-S4 alloy under CAF conditions were studied. It was found that the creep behavior presents double steady state creep stages during the creep aging process. With the increase of stress level, the first steady creep rate increased, but the second steady creep rate was slightly reduced. Coincidentally, in the first steady state creep stage, the yield strength of the studied alloy also showed a slow increase stage. TEM observation showed that Al-Li-S4 alloy mainly contains two precipitation phases, T1 phase and θ’ phase. A few precipitates form during the first steady creep stage. Then, a lot of nucleation and growth of T1 phase resulted in rapid increase of yield strength. At the same time, the increase of stress level effectively inhibited the growth of T1 phase, which resulted in these strengthening phases being more uniform, and thus improved the mechanical properties of materials. On this basis, the relationship between the multi-step behaviors of creep, mechanical properties and aging precipitates are discussed. It is considered that the main reasons for the multi-step phenomenon of creep and mechanical properties are strongly related to the nucleation, growth and distribution of T1 phase.