Changes in Pipeline Embedment due to Sediment Mobility: Observations and Implications for Design

Author(s):  
Antonio Borges Rodriguez ◽  
M. Fraser Bransby ◽  
Ian M. S. Finnie ◽  
Han Eng Low ◽  
David J. White

This paper describes temporal variations in embedment of several existing pipelines on the North-West Shelf (NWS) of Australia, and the sediment mobility processes that cause them. Distinct and explainable patterns in the extent, distribution and rate of the development of pipeline embedment have been revealed through systematic detailed examination of repeated annual integrity surveys by ROV. This represents a unique data-set that has been used to optimize the reliability of a newly designed pipeline. This paper explains why these clear findings should not be overlooked in both the buckling and stability design of initially unburied pipelines, which is in contrast to currently established industry practice. This new information supports the presumption that conventional approaches for calculating the hydrodynamic stability of unburied pipelines may be more conservative than necessary. Conversely, and arguably more importantly, it is shown that conventionally accepted methods for calculating pipe-seabed resistance forces when planning buckling schemes should be considered unsafe if embedment due to sediment mobility is possible. Consequently, this paper proposes an innovative calculation methodology that statistically captures these sediment mobility effects, and which facilitates a more justifiable geotechnical input to pipeline engineering than what is conventionally adopted. This methodology is currently being used by the authors as a state-of-the-art design practice for unburied offshore pipelines in regions of sediment mobility.

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 695 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. H. Andrew ◽  
G. M. Lodge

This paper outlines the development and design of the Sustainable Grazing Systems (SGS) National Experiment from the initial call for expressions of interest, through several workshop processes to the final selection and implementation of its 6 component sites, and the general methodology used at each. Sites were located in Western Australia, western Victoria, north-east Victoria, and on the Central Tablelands, North West Slopes, and the eastern Riverina of New South Wales. Sites in Western Australia, north-east Victoria, the North West Slopes, and the eastern Riverina also had subsites. Methods for the sites and subsites (data collection for pastures, livestock, weather, soils and site characterisation) are presented to provide a central reference, and to save duplication in subsequent papers. Descriptions are provided of the location, average annual rainfall, major pasture, soil and stock types, design and number of treatments, and initial soil levels (0–10 cm) of phosphorus, electrical conductivity, and pH for sites and subsites. Also outlined is the major focus of the research undertaken at each site. While sites studied regionally relevant issues, they operated under a common protocol for data collection with a minimum data set being specified for each of 5 unifying themes: pastures, animal production, water, nutrients, and biodiversity. Economic analyses were also undertaken at the macro- and micro-level, and a procedural tool developed for appraising the on- and off-farm impacts of different systems. To give effect to the themes, common database and modelling tools were developed specifically for the national experiment, so that collectively sites comprised a single experiment.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Campbell ◽  
Nick Ponsillo ◽  
Paul Budd ◽  
John Keady

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the work conducted by Manchester Camerata (an internationally renowned and world-class chamber orchestra) programme for people with dementia in one care home in the north west of England. The study aim was to undertake an exploratory qualitative evaluation of experiences of those taking part in its ten week “Music in Mind” programme, namely care home staff, Manchester Camerata musicians/organisational staff, care home activity workers, the assigned music therapist and visiting family carers. Design/methodology/approach During July-September 2014 a sample of 11 participants was recruited and a total of 19 interviews conducted over ten weeks. All respondents were offered the opportunity to be interviewed more than once. Interview data were supplemented by information gathered at two musicians de-brief sessions and from two activity workers’ diaries. All data was organised using NVivo 10 and thematic analysis applied to the whole data set. People with dementia could not be included in the sample owing to the time limitations on starting and completing the evaluation. Findings This analytical process generated three overarching themes: Making it Happen, which referred to the contextual, structural and organisational considerations necessary for setting up the engagement programme; Orchestrating Person-centred Care, which addressed the importance of building relationships through person to person communication; Making Musical Connections, which identified the sensory and embodied qualities of live music and the need to capture in-the-moment experiences. Originality/value Whilst each of these theme headings has slightly different meanings and applications to each of the participating stakeholders, the evaluation highlights the potential power of improvised music making to equalise and harmonise the group dynamics by co-creating “in-the-moment” experiences.


2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 345
Author(s):  
Felicity Harrison ◽  
Riley McAuliffe ◽  
Jose Romero ◽  
Keith Stubbs ◽  
Carolyn Oldham

The application of fluorometry to hydrocarbon detection in marine waters is a standard procedure in many parts of the world. This technology is advantageous because spatial and temporal variations in hydrocarbon distributions can be acquired readily and rapidly in a cost-effective manner compared to traditional sampling methods. Its application to North West Shelf marine waters has been examined through two recent research studies. In the first study, the fluorescent properties of North West Shelf hydrocarbons were compared to those from North America. In general, peak fluorescence of North West Shelf samples are lower than North American and European hydrocarbons. Hence, fluorometer specifications (e.g. excitation and emission wavelengths) need to be tailored for hydrocarbon detection within North West Shelf waters. The second study measured low background fluorescence of a representative region of the North West Shelf using the fluorometer specifications recommended in the first study. This indicates that background fluorescence is unlikely to affect hydrocarbon detection in the marine waters of the North West Shelf. These studies support the use of fluorometry as a technique to reliably detect and to monitor unplanned (e.g. spills) and planned (e.g. producted formation water) hydrocarbon discharges across the North West Shelf.


1987 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 461 ◽  
Author(s):  
DA Griffin ◽  
JH Middleton ◽  
L Bode

Between June and December 1983, nine current meters and three water level recorders were deployed on the continental shelf and slope of the Capricornia Section of the Great Barrier Reef between Fraser Island (25�s.) and the mouth of the Capricorn Channel (23�s.) on the east coast of Australia. Tidal analyses of the hourly data set reveal an amplification of the semi-diurnal tides as they propagate north- westward into the Capricorn Channel. The results of a numerical model of tidal flow show excellent agreement with observations. The daily averaged (non-tidal) currents are highly variable and produce complex circulation patterns, but with a mean flow generally alongshore to the north-west. Comparisons with previous drifter studies and satellite-tracked buoy data suggest that the south-eastward flowing East Australian Current drives a large clockwise eddy, in the lee of the Swain Reefs, located east of the study region. It is postulated that this eddy, in addition to the generally north-westward wind stress, contributes to the north-westward flow within the study region. Temperatures recorded by the deployed instruments and temperature profiles from conductivity-temperature-depth casts confirm that tidal and longer period variablity contribute to upwelling onto the continental shelf.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fakhraddin Gadirov (Kadirov) ◽  
Luciano Telesca ◽  
Gulam Babayev ◽  
Gurban Yetirmishli ◽  
Rafig Safarov

<p>Reservoir-induced seismicity has been studied worldwide due to its potential to provoke damage to buildings and constructions, and, more important, human loss. Reservoir-induced seismicity (RIS) is normally related with additional static loading (the weight of the water reservoir and its seasonal variations), tectonic faults, liquefaction and pore pressure variations.The Mingechevir reservoir is located in the north-west of Azerbaijan on the Kurriver. This water reservoir is extended from north-west towards south-east through Kur river valley by 75 km. The area of the dam is 625 km<sup>2</sup> with the average width accounting for 6-8 km. The volume of the dam is 16 km<sup>3</sup>. The dam filling started in 1953. This reservoir is the largest one in the Caucasus and carries a number of geo-hazards interrelated with geodynamics and technogenic factors. The aim of the present study in the Mingechevir reservoir is to investigate relationship between the fluctuations of the water level and the onset of seismicity in the area around the dam more in detail, by using several and independent statistical methods.The temporal variations of the instrumental seismicity (0.5≤M<sub>L</sub>≤3.5) recorded in the Mingechevir area (Azerbaijan) between January 2010 to April 2018 and its relationship with the level variation of the water reservoir was analysed in this study. Due to the relative high completeness magnitude (M<sub>C</sub> = 1.6) of the seismic catalogue of the area, only 136 events were selected over a period of more than 8 years. Thus, the monthly number of events was analysed by using the correlogram-based periodogram, the singular spectrum analysis (SSA) and the empirical mode decomposition (EMD), which are robust against the short size of the time series. Our results point out to the following findings: 1) annual periodicity was found in one SSA reconstructed component of the monthly number of events; 2)quasi-annual periodicity was found in one EMD intrinsic mode function of the monthly number of earthquakes. These obtained results could support in a rigorously statistical manner that the seismicity occurring in Minghechevir area could be triggered by the yearly cycle of the water level of the reservoir.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Keywords:</strong>water reservoir, induced seismicity, water level change, Mingechevir reservoir, Azerbaijan</p>


Author(s):  
Peter Moser

Our relationships to places, people, and our physical and metaphysical environment drive our personal journeys. Our identity develops from birth through this complex web of relationships where skills, creativity, and personality grow in unique pathways. A sense of place is about this personal development as well as the way communities grow in response to their constituents in a symbiotic process of sympathetic exchange. This chapter will examine how music and culture articulate these changes and through examining forms of practice in historic and geographic contexts I will also investigate aspects of the role of the artist, educator, and facilitator. Over thirty years I have created work inspired by the towns and countryside of Morecambe Bay in the North West of England. Through detailed examination of this work in this chapter, I introduce themes of cultural creativity, vernacular art, and civic and personal celebration that are at the heart of the work of a community musician.


Author(s):  
M.B. Santos ◽  
G.J. Pierce ◽  
J. Herman ◽  
A. López ◽  
A. Guerra ◽  
...  

Published information on the diet of Cuvier's beaked whales Ziphius cavirostris (Odontoceti: Ziphiidae) is reviewed and new information on the stomach contents of three animals: two stranded in Galicia (north-west Spain) in February 1990 at A Lanzada, and in February 1995 at Portonovo; and the third stranded in February 1999 in North Uist (Scotland), is presented. The whale stranded in 1990 was a male; the other two were adult females. All animals were >5 m long.  The limited published information on the diet of this species indicates that it feeds primarily on oceanic cephalopods although some authors also found remains of oceanic fish and crustaceans.  Food remains from the three new samples consisted entirely of cephalopod beaks. The Scottish sample set is the largest recorded to date for this species. The prey identified consisted of oceanic cephalopods, mainly squid (Cephalopoda: Teuthoidea). The most frequently occurring species were the squid Teuthowenia megalops, Mastigoteuthis schmidti and Taoniuspavo (for the Galician whale stranded in 1990), Teuthowenia megalops and Histioteuthis reversa (for the second Galician whale) and T. megalops, Gonatus sp. and Taoniuspavo (for the Scottish whale). Other prey included the squid Histioteuthis bonnellii, Histioteuthis arcturi and Todarodes sagittatus as well as Vampiroteuthis infernalis (Cephalopoda: Vampyromorpha), Stauroteuthis syrtensis and Japetella diaphana (Cephalopoda: Octopoda). The squid eaten (estimated from the measurement of the lower beaks) included juvenile and mature individuals of the most important species (Teuthowenia megalops, Gonatus sp.).  The range of species found in the diet of Z. cavirostris is greater than that reported for sperm whales and bottlenosed whales in the north-east Atlantic.


Author(s):  
R.G. Gustafson ◽  
R.A. Lutz

Early development in the north-west Atlantic awning clam, Solemya velum (Solemyoida: Solemyidae) was examined by light and scanning electron microscopy. Embryonic and pericalymma larval stages, typical of protobranch bivalves, developed within individual adhesive gelatinous egg capsules and offspring emerged at hatching as benthic crawl-away juveniles. Fertilized eggs were light orange in colour, spherical, and had a yolk-mass diameter of approximately 190 μm. Entirely ciliated cylindrical pericalymma larvae, with a length and width of 318 μm and 208 μn, respectively, were obtained within 24 h. These larvae lacked an apical ciliary tuft, possessed nine rows of calymma cells, and actively rotated within the egg capsule. During metamorphosis, which occurred within 48 h of fertilization, the transitory larval ectoderm was entirely ingested. The prodissoconch measured roughly 320 μm in length by 215 μm in height. The foot and ciliated gill buds were well developed by four days after fertilization and subsequent growth contributed to the dissoconch or adult shell. Hatching began at 13 d after fertilization when the shell measured approximately 402 μm in length by 251 μm in height. Actively crawling and burrowing juveniles were cultured for six months after fertilization and an ontogenetic sequence of encapsulated and juvenile shell morphology was obtained for identification purposes. Current contradictory hypotheses regarding the phylogeny of marine bivalve develop-mental types are reviewed in light of new information on the Order Solemyoida.


1889 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 337-357 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry M. Cadell

Among most of the geologists who had of late years been engaged in investigating the structure of the North-West Highlands, and especially among those who did not concur in Murchison's explanation of the phenomena exhibited there, it was a growing belief that great overthrusts had been largely instrumental in producing the remarkable stratigraphical relations of the rock masses of that region. After a most careful detailed examination of the ground by the Geological Survey, the existence and importance of such thrusts was not only placed beyond a doubt, but a variety of additional remarkable structures were discovered, which open up new fields of investigation to the physical geologist.


Author(s):  
J.M. Fromentin ◽  
F. Ibanez ◽  
J.C. Dauvin ◽  
J.M. Dewarumez ◽  
B. Elkaim

Changes in four macrobenthic assemblages of the muddy-fine sand Abra alba community along the north-west French coast were compared using several numerical analyses (distogram, Eigen vector filtering, clustering and multi-dimensional scaling). The faunistic composition of these four assemblages continuously changed during the 1978–1992 period. These modifications are characterized by more or less rapid and abrupt successions of distinct groups of species, but the amplitude and the frequency of these changes are different between sites. Comparison of the results provided by different analyses also reveal that these four macrobenthic assemblages did not fluctuate in parallel, and that local conditions might play a key role on their temporal variations. However, it is shown that a major mesoscale climatic event, the alternation of mild and cold periods, probably also influenced the temporal variations of these four macrobenthic assemblages. Thus it is likely that there is a combination of both local and mesoscale events influencing these communities. In certain cases, changes in local conditions were the major source of variations. Sometimes the impact of the mesoscale conditions was more apparent, especially at the northern sites where the amplitude of the variations of temperature was greater.


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