The engineering significance of Pleistocene stratigraphy in the Saskatoon area, Saskatchewan, Canada

1970 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. B. MacDonald ◽  
E. Karl Sauer

It was recognized that repeated stages and substages of glaciation in Saskatchewan during the Pleistocene Epoch produced a series of overlapping sediments. It was shown that these sediments could be analyzed for engineering purposes within a three-dimensional stratigraphic framework. Preliminary field investigations indicated that a stratigraphic analysis could be related to construction problems found on highway embankment construction, gravel location, and tunnel excavation. Field studies established that it is practical for the field engineer to analyze and interpret the stratigraphy in the field. Furthermore, laboratory studies indicated that there were significant differences in the engineering properties of different drift-stratigraphic units. It was shown that the behavior of the till units during construction could be explained in terms of the fundamental engineering properties of soils such as shear strength parameters and compressibility. Finally, it appeared to be probable that the basic concepts developed in this study would apply to other areas covered by glacial sediments.

2010 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 600-610 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladan Kuzmanovic ◽  
Ljubodrag Savic ◽  
John Stefanakos

This paper presents two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) numerical models for unsteady phased thermal analysis of RCC dams. The time evolution of a thermal field has been modeled using the actual dam shape, RCC technology and the adequate description of material properties. Model calibration and verification has been done based on the field investigations of the Platanovryssi dam, the highest RCC dam in Europe. The results of a long-term thermal analysis, with actual initial and boundary conditions, have shown a good agreement with the observed temperatures. The influence of relevant parameters on the thermal field of RCC dams has been analyzed. It is concluded that the 2D model is appropriate for the thermal phased analysis, and that the boundary conditions and the mixture properties are the most influential on the RCC dam thermal behavior.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 03002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sławomir Porzucek ◽  
Monika Łój ◽  
Karolina Matwij ◽  
Wojciech Matwij

In the region of Siesławice (near Busko-Zdrój, Poland) there are unique phenomena of gypsum karst. Atmospheric factors caused numerous gypsum outcrops, canals and underground voids. The article presents the possibility of using non-invasive gravimetric surveys supplemented with geodetic measurements to illustrate karst changes occurring around the void. The use of modern geodetic measurement techniques including terrestrial and airborne laser scanning enables to generate a digital terrain model and a three-dimensional model of voids. Gravimetric field studies allowed to map the anomalies of the gravitational field of the near-surface zone. Geodetic measurement results have made it possible to accurately determine the terrain correction that supplemented the gravimetric anomaly information. Geophysical interpretation indicate the presence of weathered rocks in the near surface zone and fractures and loosened zones located surround the karst cave.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 709-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riley P.M. Mulligan ◽  
Andy F. Bajc

Recent three-dimensional mapping investigations in southern Simcoe County, Ontario, allow refinement of the existing regional stratigraphic framework. Analysis of 25 continuously cored boreholes has revealed a complex but consistent sediment succession that provides a record of the last two glacial cycles (Marine Isotope Stages 1–6). Five stratigraphic units (SU1–SU5) comprise the pre-Late Wisconsin record. The stratigraphy is floored by a presumed Illinoian glacial complex consisting of a lower, coarse-grained till (SU1), locally overlain by stratified glaciolacustrine and glaciofluvial sediments (SU2), but more commonly capped by a stone-poor, fine-grained till (SU3) of the Georgian Bay lobe. A widespread subaerial unconformity developed on the upper surface of SU3 contains organic-bearing, nonglacial deposits (SU4) ranging between 54 800 ± 3000 years BP (considered beyond the limits of radiocarbon dating) and 37 450 ± 590 14C years BP. SU4 is abruptly overlain by a thick succession of rhythmically laminated lacustrine muds graded upwards into glaciolacustrine silts and clays interrupted by regionally continuous sand bodies (SU5). The succession is capped (and locally truncated) by Late Wisconsin Newmarket Till. The sedimentary record of southern Simcoe County is correlated with other well-studied reference sections in southern Ontario and contains information that informs reconstructions of former ice extents in the lower Great Lakes region following the Illinoian glaciation. Several sediment units host aquifers, but limited thickness and spatial extent, as well as issues with naturally occurring dissolved gases and solids, restrict their use for groundwater supply.


GeoArabia ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bastian Koehrer ◽  
Michael Zeller ◽  
Thomas Aigner ◽  
Michael Poeppelreiter ◽  
Paul Milroy ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The Middle Permian to Lower Triassic Khuff Formation is one of the most important reservoir intervals in the Middle East. This study presents a sequence stratigraphic analysis of the Khuff Formation of a well-exposed outcrop in the Oman Mountains, which may provide a reference section for correlations across the entire Middle East. On the Saiq Plateau of the Al Jabal al-Akhdar, the Permian Upper Saiq Formation is time-equivalent to the Lower and Middle Khuff Formation (K5–K3 reservoir units in Oman). The Permian section is dominated by graded skeletal and peloidal packstones and cross-bedded grainstones with a diverse marine fauna. The Lower Mahil Member (Induan Stage), time-equivalent to the Upper Khuff Formation (K2–K1 reservoir units in Oman), is dominated by grainstones composed of microbially-coated intra-clasts and ooids. In general, the studied outcrop is characterized by a very high percentage of grain-dominated textures representing storm-dominated shoal to foreshoal deposits of a paleogeographically more distal portion of the Khuff carbonate ramp. A sequence-stratigraphic analysis was carried out by integrating lithostratigraphic marker beds, facies cycles, bio- and chemostratigraphy. The investigated outcrop section was subdivided into six third-order sequences, named KS 6 to KS 1. KS 6–KS 5 are interpreted to correspond to the Murgabian to Midian (ca. Wordian to Capitanian) stages. KS 4-Lower KS 2 correspond to the Dzhulfian (Wuchiapingian) to Dorashamian (Changhsingian) stages. Upper KS 2–KS 1 represent the Triassic Induan stage. Each of the six sequences was further subdivided into fourth-order cycle sets and fifth-order cycles. The documentation of this outcrop may contribute to a better regional understanding of the Khuff Formation on the Arabian Platform.


1977 ◽  
Vol 19 (81) ◽  
pp. 499-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Schwarz ◽  
W. F. Weeks

AbstractAs the continental shelves of the Arctic become important as source areas for the oil and minerals required by human society, sea ice becomes an increasing challenge to engineers. The present paper starts with a consideration of the different fields of engineering which require information on sea ice with the tasks ranging from the design of ice-breaking ships to Arctic drilling platforms and man-made ice islands. Then the structure of sea ice is described as it influences the observed variations in physical properties. Next the status of our knowledge of the physical properties important to engineering is reviewed. Properties discussed include mechanical properties (compressive, tensile, shear and flexural strengths; dynamic and static elastic moduli; Poisson’s ratio), friction and adhesion, thermal properties (specific and latent heats, thermal conductivity and diffusivity, density) and finally electromagnetic properties (dielectric permittivity and loss, resistivity). Particular attention is given to parameters such as temperature, strain-rate, brine volume, and loading direction as they affect property variations. Gaps, contradictions in the data, and inadequacies in testing techniques are pointed out. Finally suggestions are made for future research, especially for more basic laboratory studies designed to provide the data base upon which further theoretical developments as well as field studies can be built.


2012 ◽  
Vol 226-228 ◽  
pp. 1504-1508
Author(s):  
Ai Bing Jin ◽  
Long Fu Li ◽  
Fu Gen Deng ◽  
Min Zhe Zhang

While the tunnel crossing the ancient Great Wall, we must take effective measures to control ground deformation, prevent ground deformation is too large, destroying the heritage. In order to study the effects of tunnel excavation types on strata deformation, a three-dimensional computational model is built to simulate surface settlement and horizontal displacement by three different excavation types which are both-side heading method, CRD method, and hole pile method. Following comparative analysis, in line with the realistic program is recommended. The results show that both-side heading method can better control the surface deformation, and has a high efficiency of construction, which was selected as the construction scheme of tunnel crossing the ancient great wall. The results of this study are expected to provide construction experience to the works of a similar background.


1992 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 71-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Verbanck

Although sewer sediments are now widely recognized as a major source of misfunction of urban drainage systems (for both hydraulic and environmental considerations), it is still too infrequent that priority of research activities in this area is given to field studies. The measuring campaigns conducted since 1986 in the drainage system of Brussels-North have been focused on sedimentation processes in the major sewer lines. There is an obvious distinction to be made between solids constituting the sediment bed of a man-entry sewer, which are relevant for its hydraulic capacity, and the ones contributing to the pollutional impact of CSOs upon receiving waters. The material which is removed several times a year from the main trunk sewer of Brussels is coarse, granular and has a low environmental impact, notably because of its limited mobility. This appears to be due to a very efficient granulometric grading, as a result firstly of the retention of the coarsest solids in highly selective gully-pot inlets, and secondly of an elutriation process removing from the sediment bed all fine organic-rich particles during daily peak flows. There is evidence to show that the build-up of the sediment bed in these large-sized sewers is driven by a bed-load process (active even during dry spells), while the solid material responsible for the detrimental effects of CSOs (which is much finer) is primarily transported through wash-load and suspended-load.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 5557
Author(s):  
Hassan A. Eltom ◽  
Nabil A. Saraih ◽  
Oliver G. Esteva ◽  
Lundi Kusuma ◽  
Saleh Ahmed ◽  
...  

Three-dimensional (3D) facies and petrophysical models were generated from previously published data of carbonate strata in the Dam Formation (eastern Saudi Arabia) to quantitatively investigate, describe, understand, model, and predict the permeability anisotropy in tidal flat carbonate on the basis of a sequence stratigraphic framework. The resulting 3D models were used to conduct fluid flow simulations to demonstrate how permeability anisotropy influences the production of hydrocarbons and ultimately affects decisions concerning future drilling in the exploration and development of carbonate reservoirs with tidal flat strata. The constructed 3D facies model consists of four lithofacies associations, two of which are grain-dominated associations and two of which are mud-dominated associations. These lithofacies associations vary spatially in four reservoir zones (zones 1 to 4), which represent two fourth-order sequences in the uppermost part of the Dam Formation. Zones 1 and 3 consist of transgressive parasequences, and zones 2 and 4 consist of the regressive parasequences of these sequences. The 3D porosity and permeability models have a coherent match with the distribution of the lithofacies and the stratigraphic framework of the Dam Formation. The results suggest that the permeability anisotropy in zones 1 and 3 is controlled by the occurrence of the grain-dominated lithofacies associated with tidal flat channels. This lithofacies association overlies the sequence boundaries of sequences 1 and 3, forms reservoir bodies with relatively high permeability values, and is elongated perpendicular to the shoreline of the depositional environment. In contrast, permeability anisotropy in zones 2 and 4 is thought to be controlled by the occurrence of the grain-dominated lithofacies associated with the oolitic shoal. This lithofacies association overlies the maximum flooding surface of sequences 2 and 4, forms reservoir bodies with relatively high permeability values, and is elongated parallel to the shoreline of the depositional environments. Fluid flow simulation results suggest that the trend in hydrocarbon production from the constructed 3D models depends on permeability anisotropy in each reservoir zone. Thus, recognizing trends in permeability anisotropy, which can be predicted using sequence stratigraphy, could help to identify potential areas for future drilling.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Mohammed N J Alzaidy

Many of gypsum soils have existed in arid and semi-arid lands. It is considered one of the most problematic soils because of its complicated and unpredicted behavior when exposure to moisture. Extensive researches have been conducted in Iraq to observe the behavior of such soil and to suggest safety restrictions for the collapse and set practical precautions for the structures. This study investigated the effect of gypsum content on some unsaturated engineering properties of a clayey soil. Three different proportions of gypsum (0%, 5% and 20% by weight of the parent soil) were added and tested. The samples have been subjected to swelling potential test, soil water retention curve (SWRC), vapour diffusion and shear strength parameters. It is observed that gypsum content has a significant influence on SWRC, whereas, soil that has high gypsum content made SWRC with higher variables represented by air entry values and residual state. On the other hand, an increase in gypsum content led to a reduction of swelling potential and shear strength parameters. The results of vapour diffusion indicate that gypsum content could modify the microstructure in an unsaturated state and reduce the vapour diffusion through the soil.  


1990 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 342 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. J. Mudge ◽  
A. B. Thomson

RESMAP is an Exxon proprietary program that makes possible the building of three-dimensional geological models. The models consist of millions of tabular cells contained within a stratigraphic framework. The models are generated by the integration of log analysis, seismic interpretation and the geologist's well picks and interpretation.RESMAP models are easy to access for generating structural and stratigraphic geological cross-sections. Maps such as structure, top of porosity and net sand percentage can be generated as well as subcrop and supercrop maps. Hydrocarbon-in-place estimates are also made from the model.The Kingfish and West Kingfish fields each possess a complex stratigraphic framework and exhibit rapid facies changes in the nearshore marine sediments. Techniques available in RESMAP enable the integration of the well data and seismic maps to produce an accurate stratigraphic framework containing the geometries of truncation onlap and downlap. The interpolation of porosity data from the wells successfully captures the facies distribution. This is due to the excellent well spacing in the vicinity of the facies changes and the ability to place geological constraints on the interpolation.The model provides a valuable communication tool for the mass of data present in a field. The model can also be updated quickly upon receipt of new data, providing a dynamic reservoir description on which to base future field management.


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