Preconsolidation pressure of Champlain clays. Part I. In-situ determination

1983 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 782-802 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Morin ◽  
S. Leroueil ◽  
L. Samson

The preconsolidation pressure of sensitive clays is an important parameter for the design of foundations on these soils, which are widespread in Eastern Canada and above all in the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Valleys where Champlain clays are found. A research study was initiated in 1979 to assess whether the preconsolidation pressure values derived from laboratory tests are representative of the preconsolidation pressure effectively mobilized in situ.Several existing structures were investigated and five of them are presented with performance records taken during and after construction together with data obtained from recent soil investigations. For each case study, the in-situ preconsolidation pressure is determined from the analysis of settlement and/or pore pressure records.The preconsolidation pressure values derived from conventional oedometer tests on good quality undisturbed samples are compared with the in-situ values and a simple correlation taking into account the overconsolidation ratio of the clay is proposed. Keywords: preconsolidation pressure, in-situ, laboratory, Champlain sea clays.

1990 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed G. Kabir ◽  
Alan J. Lutenegger

An investigation was conducted to demonstrate the applicability of cylindrical piezocone and flat piezoblade tests for providing reliable estimates of the coefficient of consolidation in clays. Coefficients of consolidation were calculated from piezocone dissipation tests for different degrees of consolidation using theoretical time factors to provide a comparison with laboratory oedometer tests. Three techniques were developed to calculate the coefficient of consolidation from piezoblade dissipation tests. Results from in situ pore pressure dissipation tests were compared with laboratory oedometer tests performed on undisturbed samples oriented in both the vertical and horizontal directions, to provide reference values of cv and ch. The results of investigations conducted at several clay sites are presented. Key words: in situ tests, piezocone, piezoblade, coefficient of consolidation, oedometer test, clays.


1987 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. E. Becker ◽  
J. H. A. Crooks ◽  
K Been ◽  
M. G. Jefferies

A method of interpreting conventional oedometer test data using work per unit volume as a criterion for determining both in situ effective and yield stresses in clay is presented. This technique was applied to the results of oedometer tests carried out on samples of natural clay deposits and on specimens consolidated anisotropically from a slurry to a known effective stress state. The work per unit volume – effective stress relationship, using arithmetic scales, can be approximated or fitted using linear relationships. The intersections of these fitted lines are demonstrated to provide accurate values for in situ current and yield (preconsolidation) stresses. The yield stress is defined as the intersection of the initial fitted line and the linear relationship observed at higher stresses. The current effective stress is indicated by the first significant divergence of the data from the initial fitted line. These relationships apply to both conventionally (horizontally) trimmed specimens and to vertically trimmed oedometer samples. It is hypothesized that the in situ effective and yield stresses (in both the vertical and horizontal directions) in a natural clay can be determined by the work per unit volume interpretation of oedometer tests carried out on horizontally and vertically trimmed specimens. Key words: in situ, stress, yield, oedometer, interpretation, clays, work, state, K0, preconsolidation pressure.


1983 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 477-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Leroueil ◽  
L. Samson ◽  
M. Bozozuk

In recent literature several special test methods have been proposed to measure the preconsolidation pressure of a compressible clay soil. Five methods, in addition to the conventional oedometer test, were applied to the marine clays from the Gloucester test site. The preconsolidation pressures measured using these laboratory tests were compared with that mobilized in situ below the centre of a test embankment. The investigation showed that the preconsolidation pressure is directly related to the rate of strain and that special techniques such as constant rate of strain, controlled gradient, single-stage loading, and anisotropic triaxial consolidation tend to overestimate the in-situ preconsolidation pressure. The conventional oedometer test using a load increment ratio of 0.5 and a reloading schedule of 24 h applied to good-quality undisturbed samples produced preconsolidation pressures that compared best with the in-situ values. Keywords: preconsolidation pressure, laboratory, in situ, strain rate effects, disturbance.


2018 ◽  
pp. 60-67
Author(s):  
Henrika Pihlajaniemi ◽  
Anna Luusua ◽  
Eveliina Juntunen

This paper presents the evaluation of usersХ experiences in three intelligent lighting pilots in Finland. Two of the case studies are related to the use of intelligent lighting in different kinds of traffic areas, having emphasis on aspects of visibility, traffic and movement safety, and sense of security. The last case study presents a more complex view to the experience of intelligent lighting in smart city contexts. The evaluation methods, tailored to each pilot context, include questionnaires, an urban dashboard, in-situ interviews and observations, evaluation probes, and system data analyses. The applicability of the selected and tested methods is discussed reflecting the process and achieved results.


2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-67

<p>The Soil Science Institute of Thessaloniki produces new digitized Soil Maps that provide a useful electronic database for the spatial representation of the soil variation within a region, based on in situ soil sampling, laboratory analyses, GIS techniques and plant nutrition mathematical models, coupled with the local land cadastre. The novelty of these studies is that local agronomists have immediate access to a wide range of soil information by clicking on a field parcel shown in this digital interface and, therefore, can suggest an appropriate treatment (e.g. liming, manure incorporation, desalination, application of proper type and quantity of fertilizer) depending on the field conditions and cultivated crops. A specific case study is presented in the current work with regards to the construction of the digitized Soil Map of the regional unit of Kastoria. The potential of this map can easily be realized by the fact that the mapping of the physicochemical properties of the soils in this region provided delineation zones for differential fertilization management. An experiment was also conducted using remote sensing techniques for the enhancement of the fertilization advisory software database, which is a component of the digitized map, and the optimization of nitrogen management in agricultural areas.</p>


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 965
Author(s):  
Xingyue Zhu ◽  
Kaixiong Yu ◽  
Xiaofan Zhu ◽  
Juan Su ◽  
Chi Wu

Nowadays, it is still a challenge for commercial nitrate sensors to meet the requirement of high accuracy in a complex water. Based on deep-ultraviolet spectral analysis and a regression algorithm, a different measuring method for obtaining the concentration of nitrate in seawater is proposed in this paper. The system consists of a deuterium lamp, an optical fiber splitter module, a reflection probe, temperature and salinity sensors, and a deep-ultraviolet spectrometer. The regression model based on weighted average kernel partial least squares (WA-KPLS) algorithm together with corrections for temperature and salinity (TSC) is established. After that, the seawater samples from Western Pacific and Aoshan Bay in Qingdao, China with the addition of various nitrate concentrations are studied to verify the reliability and accuracy of the method. The results show that the TSC-WA-KPLS algorithm shows the best results when compared against the multiple linear regression (MLR) and ISUS (in situ ultraviolet spectrophotometer) algorithms in the temperatures range of 4–25 °C, with RMSEP of 0.67 µmol/L for Aoshan Bay seawater and 1.08 µmol/L for Western Pacific seawater. The method proposed in this paper is suitable for measuring the nitrate concentration in seawater with higher accuracy, which could find application in the development of in-situ and real-time nitrate sensors.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4339
Author(s):  
Marta Mańkowska ◽  
Michał Pluciński ◽  
Izabela Kotowska ◽  
Ludmiła Filina-Dawidowicz

The world-wide crisis caused by the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had a significant impact on the global economy functioning and the sustainable development of supply chains. The changes also affected seaports being the key links of maritime supply chains. The purpose of the research study described in this article was to identify the sources and kinds of disruptions observed in various maritime supply chains as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and their impact on the operations of various types of seaport terminals, namely those serving bulk (universal, specialised) and general cargoes (universal, specialised). An additional purpose was to identify the dependencies between the type of terminal and its main function, and the tactical decisions adopted by the particular terminals. The research was carried out using the multiple-case study method. The study covered some selected port terminals functioning in Polish seaports (Gdańsk, Szczecin, Świnoujście), applying direct, semi-structured in-depth interviews. The analysis of the results was carried out using the inductive reasoning method. The research study has shown that as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic some maritime supply chains ceased to exist, some of them were operating with decreased cargo volumes, while in other cases the transshipment volumes actually rose during the pandemic. Among terminal operators’ tactical responses to disruptions in maritime supply chains, there were pro-active and adaptive measures. Pro-active (offensive) measures included actions taken by an enterprise in order to engage in new maritime supply chains, and even participating in establishing new maritime chains in response to limitations caused by the pandemic. Adaptive (defensive) measures covered actions taken by the port terminals as a consequence of changes in the existing maritime supply chains, caused by the pandemic in the port’s foreland or hinterland. The research study results revealed that the terminals extent of engagement and tactical decisions related to the pandemic were depended on the type of terminal (universal or specialised) and its main function played within a supply chain.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1505
Author(s):  
Ignacio Menéndez Pidal ◽  
Jose Antonio Mancebo Piqueras ◽  
Eugenio Sanz Pérez ◽  
Clemente Sáenz Sanz

Many of the large number of underground works constructed or under construction in recent years are in unfavorable terrains facing unusual situations and construction conditions. This is the case of the subject under study in this paper: a tunnel excavated in evaporitic rocks that experienced significant karstification problems very quickly over time. As a result of this situation, the causes that may underlie this rapid karstification are investigated and a novel methodology is presented in civil engineering where the use of saturation indices for the different mineral specimens present has been crucial. The drainage of the rock massif of El Regajal (Madrid-Toledo, Spain, in the Madrid-Valencia high-speed train line) was studied and permitted the in-situ study of the hydrogeochemical evolution of water flow in the Miocene evaporitic materials of the Tajo Basin as a full-scale testing laboratory, that are conforms as a whole, a single aquifer. The work provides a novel methodology based on the calculation of activities through the hydrogeochemical study of water samples in different piezometers, estimating the saturation index of different saline materials and the dissolution capacity of the brine, which is surprisingly very high despite the high electrical conductivity. The circulating brine appears unsaturated with respect to thenardite, mirabilite, epsomite, glauberite, and halite. The alteration of the underground flow and the consequent renewal of the water of the aquifer by the infiltration water of rain and irrigation is the cause of the hydrogeochemical imbalance and the modification of the characteristics of the massif. These modifications include very important loss of material by dissolution, altering the resistance of the terrain and the increase of the porosity. Simultaneously, different expansive and recrystallization processes that decrease the porosity of the massif were identified in the present work. The hydrogeochemical study allows the evolution of these phenomena to be followed over time, and this, in turn, may facilitate the implementation of preventive works in civil engineering.


Buildings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 276
Author(s):  
Nisar Ali Khan ◽  
Giorgio Monti ◽  
Camillo Nuti ◽  
Marco Vailati

Infilled reinforced concrete (IRC) frames are a very common construction typology, not only in developing countries such as Pakistan but also in southern Europe and Western countries, due to their ease of construction and less technical skills required for the construction. Their performance during past earthquakes has been in some cases satisfactory and in other cases inadequate. Significant effort has been made among researchers to improve such performance, but few have highlighted the influence of construction materials used in the infill walls. In some building codes, infills are still considered as non-structural elements, both in the design of new buildings and, sometimes, in the assessment of existing buildings. This is mainly due to some difficulties in modeling their mechanical behavior and also the large variety of typologies, which are difficult to categorize. Some building codes, for example, Eurocode, already address the influence of infill walls in design, but there is still a lack of homogeneity among different codes. For example, the Pakistan building code (PBC) does not address infills, despite being a common construction technique in the country. Past earthquake survey records show that construction materials and infill types significantly affect the seismic response of buildings, thus highlighting the importance of investigating such parameters. This is the object of this work, where a numerical model for infill walls is introduced, which aims at predicting their failure mode, as a function of some essential parameters, such as the friction coefficient between mortar and brick surface and mortar strength, usually disregarded in previous models. A comprehensive case study is presented of a three-story IRC frame located in the city of Mirpur, Pakistan, hit by an earthquake of magnitude 5.9 on 24 September 2019. The results obtained from the numerical model show good agreement with the damage patterns observed in situ, thus highlighting the importance of correctly modeling the infill walls when seismically designing or assessing Pakistani buildings that make use of this technology.


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