Macroscopic properties of granular materials are important in modeling a variety of flow and transport phenomena in many fields of science. Determination of these parameters has always been an issue among both researchers and engineers, mainly in view of tortuosity and permeability. This paper presents analytical functions for the tortuosity and permeability of monosized sphere arrays based on a volume averaging approach and eliminates some ambiguities by modification of the original representative elementary volume model. Veracity of the proposed formulations has been illustrated through comparisons with the latest available results on the subject. Good agreement is found.

A numerical analysis is presented to model the cone penetration test (CPT) tip resistance in layered soil. Analyses are performed for two-layer soils composed of either sands with different relative densities or different materials (sand and clay). Parametric numerical modeling is used to determine the distance that a cone senses a new upcoming soil layer interface or a layer interface behind. Analyses are also carried out for a thin sand layer embedded in soft clay. It is seen that the full tip resistance may not be reached in thin stiff layers. This is especially true for penetration in thin dense sand layers interbedded in softer clay. A correction factor is suggested to correct the cone tip resistance in thin sand layers. The higher the stiffness and the thinner the layer, the larger the correction factor. The numerical results obtained in this paper are in good agreement with experimental observations. Some limitations of a previously proposed correction factor are discussed.Key words: cone tip resistance, modeling, sand, clay, interface influence distance, layering.

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A numerical modeling procedure is presented to evaluate cone tip resistance in sand. The procedure involves a moving boundary simulating cone penetration. The soil is modeled as a Mohr–Coulomb elastic–plastic material with stress-dependent parameters. The procedure is verified by comparing predicted numerical values of cone tip resistance with published experimental measurements from calibration chamber tests. The selected database consists of 59 calibration chamber tests on Ticino sand with different relative densities, overconsolidation ratios, stresses, and boundary conditions. Several applications of the modeling procedure are also presented. The computer program FLAC is used to carry out the analysis.Key words: cone tip resistance, numerical modeling, sand, calibration chamber, Mohr-Coulomb, in situ horizontal stress.

Ground vibration due to pile driving is a long-lasting concern associated with the foundation construction industry. It is of great importance to estimate the level of vibration prior to the beginning of pile driving, to avoid structural damage, or disturbance of building occupants. In this study, an axisymmetric finite-element model that utilises an adaptive meshing algorithm has been introduced, using the commercial code Abaqus, to simulate full penetration of the pile from the ground surface to the desired depth by applying successive hammer impacts. The model has been verified by comparing the computed particle velocities with those measured in the field. The results indicate that the peak particle velocity at the ground surface does not occur when the pile toe is on the ground surface; as the pile penetrates into the ground, the particle velocity reaches a maximum value at a critical depth of penetration. Some sensitivity analyses have been performed to evaluate the effect of soil, pile and hammer properties on the level of vibrations. The results show that increase in pile diameter, hammer impact force, soil-pile friction and reduction in soil elastic modulus can increase the peak particle velocity.

Ground-based skidding operations can lead to soil compaction and displacement, which could cause negative effects on forest soil. Hence, some efforts such as forestry best management practices (BMPs) must be implemented in the prone area to mitigate these possible impacts. Several materials and treatments have been adopted to suppress these adverse effects by increasing the ground cover. However, the effects of mulch treatments on runoff and sediment yield are inconclusive with a diverse range of effectiveness. For these reasons, in this research mulch treatments were tested as to determine how the application of organic mulch amendments such as straw and leaf litter and contour-felled logs would alleviate the runoff and sediment yield on machine operating trails and ensure successful hillslope stabilization. The aims of the study were to analyse and compare the effectiveness of leaf litter (LM) and straw mulch (SM) rate and different distances of contour-felled logs (CFL) to mitigate the runoff and sediment yield, and examine the impact of rainfall intensity on effectiveness of litter mulch, straw mulch, and contour-felled logs. Totally, 30 bounded runoff plots in the machine operating trails and four treatments including litter mulch (LMR1: 0.62, LMR2: 1.24, and LMR3: 1.86 kg m-2), straw mulch (SMR1: 0.45, SMR2: 0.92, and SMR3: 1.34 kg m-2), contour-felled logs (CFL10: 10, CFL20: 20, and CFL30: 30 m), and untreated area were established in triplicate with 4 m width and 100 m length. During the study period, the runoff and sediment yield in the untreated trails (U) were 2.36 mm and 11.84 g m-2. Straw (from 41.5 to 60.6%) and litter mulch (from 38.1 to 55.1%), and contour-felled logs treatments (from 70.8 to 88.1%) significantly decreased the runoff, compared to U treatment. Results show that mulch treatments with three different levels of Litter Mulch Rate, LMR1, LMR2, and LMR3 decreased mean sediment by 46.6, 64.0 and 71.8%, in the treatments with three different levels of Straw Mulch Rate, SMR1, SMR2, and SMR3 decreased mean sediment by 42.9, 62.1, and 69.9%, and in the treatments with three different distances of Contour-Felled Logs, CFL10, CFL20, and CFL30 decreased mean sediment by 90.6, 94.7 and 88.3% comparing to U, respectively. The relationships of the runoff and sediment responses to increasing mulching rate of litter and straw followed as negative logarithmic curves, but the decreasing-increasing trends were observed in runoff and sediment yield as the distance between contour-felled logs increased from 10 to 30 m. Polynomial regression equations were developed for predicting the runoff and sediment yield as a function of the application rate of litter and straw mulch and the distance between contour-felled logs, and rainfall intensity. We concluded that contour-felled logs treatment was more effective than both litter and straw mulch to mitigate the runoff, runoff coefficient, and sediment yield on machine operating trails. As a management measure, it could be possible to propose that the contour-felled logs with a distance of 20 m be prescribed to protect the machine operating trails from the negative effects of surface waterflow.