Geotechnical and groundwater geophysics

Geophysics ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 50 (12) ◽  
pp. 2621-2636 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. Dobecki ◽  
P. R. Romig
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Petroleum Reservoir ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Reflection Seismic ◽  
Proper Role ◽  
Healthy State ◽  
Reservoir Description ◽  
The Stability

Because of a change in emphasis from power plant siting to projects principally involving process and facility monitoring and certification of existing structures (dams, pipelines, etc.), geotechnical and groundwater geophysics is in quite a healthy state after some lean years following the demise of nuclear energy construction projects. The orders‐of‐magnitude jump in the computational capability of geophysicists working in these fields has overshadowed advances in instrumentation (e.g., digital enhancement seismographs), field methods (e.g., cross‐borehole EM), and interpretive procedures. The advent of powerful, affordable microcomputers has enabled expansion into applications demanding finer resolution and quicker turnaround of results. As a result, shallow seismic reflection, seismic and electromagnetic geotomography, and the complementary use of surface and borehole electrical resistivity and seismic data will soon be common if not dominant methods in geotechnical and groundwater investigations. Future trends point to increased emphasis on environmental and economic issues (e.g., toxic wastes or the stability of underground petroleum storage facilities), cross‐fertilization with petroleum reservoir engineering (process monitoring and detailed reservoir description), and greater involvement of computers in the planning, data acquisition, and interpretive phases of our projects. As computers take over more of the data collection‐processing‐interpretation sequence, one of the greatest challenges facing us will be to define the proper role of humans and to use the new technology wisely.

scholarly journals Using an Outdoor Activity on Local Plant Biodiversity to Teach Conservation Ecology and Promote Environmentally Responsible Behaviors

2018 ◽  
Vol 80 (5) ◽  
pp. 359-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
McKenzie L. Doup
Keyword(s):  
Plant Biodiversity ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Environmental Behaviors ◽  
Simplified Approach ◽  
Connectedness To Nature ◽  
Nature Preserve ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Environmentally Responsible Behaviors ◽  
The Stability

Children today do not spend as much time outside as they did in previous generations; consequently, they are not building connectedness to nature and are less likely to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. Environmental education is one way to ameliorate this problem. However, teachers are limited by their access to natural habitats, time, and field expertise. To address both of these issues, I present an inquiry-based activity for both Advanced Placement and general high school biology that requires students to spend time in nature, use authentic field methods for collecting data, and apply their findings to pertinent conservation issues. This four-day activity uses a simplified approach, called the meter stick random sampling method, to measure plant biodiversity of different local habitats. Time-efficient and not reliant on species identification, this method is designed so students can repeat this procedure in their backyards or at a local nature preserve. The data can be used to discuss how human disturbance of habitat affects biodiversity, the importance of biodiversity for the stability of ecosystems, and how to restore biodiversity locally.

Developing an integrated framework for optimization of spatial requirements of construction equipment

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Hemalattha ◽  
R. Vidjeapriya
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Outdoor Environment ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Actual Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Space Planning ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Building Information

PurposeThis study aims to develop a framework for optimizing the spatial requirements of the equipment in a construction site using a geographic information system (GIS).Design/methodology/approachAn ongoing construction project, an existing thermal powerplant in India, is considered to be the case study, and the corresponding construction activities were scheduled. The equipment spaces were defined for the scheduled activities in building information modelling (BIM), which was further imported to GIS to define the topology rules, validate and optimize the spatial requirements. The BIM simulates the indoor environment, which includes the actual structure being constructed, and the GIS helps in modelling the outdoor environment, which includes the existing structures, temporary facilitates, topography of the site, etc.; thus, this study incorporates the knowledge of BIM in a geospatial environment to obtain optimized equipment spaces for various activities.FindingsSpace in construction projects is to be considered as a resource as well as a constraint, which is to be modelled and planned according to the requirements. The integration of BIM and GIS for equipment space planning will enable precise identification of the errors in the equipment spaces defined and also result in fewer errors as possible. The integration has also eased the process of assigning the topology rules and validating the same, which otherwise is a tedious process.Originality/valueThe workspace for each activity will include the space of the equipment. But, in most of the previous works of workspace planning, only the labour space is considered, and the conflicts and congestions occurring due to the equipment were neglected. The planning of equipment spaces cannot be done based only on the indoor environment; it has to be carried out by considering the surroundings and topography of the site, which have not been researched extensively despite its importance.

Fatigue Crack Propagation Behavior and Degradation Characteristics of STS316L by Nondestructive Evaluation

2005 ◽  
Vol 297-300 ◽  
pp. 2016-2021
Author(s):  
So Soon Park ◽  
Seok Hwan Ahn ◽  
Chang Kwon Moon ◽  
Ki Woo Nam
Keyword(s):  
Crack Detection ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Signal Amplitude ◽  
Detection Algorithm ◽  
Source Location ◽  
Patch Type ◽  
Fatigue Crack Propagation Behavior ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Propagation Behavior ◽  
Evaluation Algorithm

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is a new technology that has been increasingly evaluated by the industry as a potential approach to improve the cost and ease of structural inspection. Piezoelectric smart active layer (SAL) sensor was fabricated to verify the applicability of finding cracks and conducting source location in a various materials. A crack detection and source location works were done in three kinds of test condition such as aluminum plates with crack for patch type SAL sensor, a smart airplane with embedding SAL sensor, and a concrete beam with real crack for practical application. From this experimental study, the evaluation algorithm for the arrival time delay and decrease of signal amplitude was suggested in this paper. Consequently, it was found that the SAL sensor and detection algorithm developed in this study can be effectively used to detect and monitor damages in the both existing structures and new designed smart structures.

scholarly journals Síntese, caracterização e estabilidade de nanopartículas de magnetita

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 2738-2749
Author(s):  
Monise Cristina Ribeiro Casanova Coltro ◽  
Warde Antonieta da Fonseca-Zang ◽  
Joachim Werner Zang ◽  
Danilo César Silva e Sousa
Keyword(s):  
New Technology ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Synthesis Of Nanoparticles ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Magnetite Fe3o4 ◽  
Mineral Substance ◽  
Abundant Element ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Average Size

Nanopartículas de ferro são muito utilizadas em diversas áreas de pesquisa. O elemento químico ferro (Fe), sendo o quarto elemento mais abundante na crosta terrestre, e a substância mineral magnetita, com propriedade magnética, apresentam aplicações nas áreas industrial, ambiental, biomédica e de novas tecnologias. Este trabalho apresenta processo de síntese de nanopartículas partindo-se de sais precursores, bem como a caracterização dos produtos e as rotas para estabilizá-los. Os sais químicos precursores utilizados foram o cloreto férrico (FeCl3) e o sulfato ferroso (FeSO4) na proporção de 2:1, sob agitação por ultrassom e pH ácido. Para formação do precipitado de nanopartículas usou-se solução aquosa de hidróxido de sódio (NaOH) de pH 12. A difratometria de raio-X, mostra a presença de magnetita (Fe3O4) indicada pelos picos característicos de difração em graus 2Ө = 18° (largo), 31° (fino), 36° (bem definido), 43,4°, 45°, 53,6°, 57,7°, 63,3°. A microscopia eletrônica de transmissão mostra a morfologia dos produtos da síntese. Fatores que influenciam a estabilidade das partículas são agitação, o ajuste de pH, condições de secagem. O tamanho médio das nanopartículas de magnetitas é de aproximadamente 15 nm.   Iron nanoparticles are widely used in several research areas. The chemical element iron (Fe), being the fourth most abundant element in the earth's crust, and the mineral substance magnetite, with magnetic properties, have applications in industrial, environmental, biomedical, and new technology areas. This work presents the process of synthesis of nanoparticles starting from precursor salts, as well as the characterization of the products and the routes to stabilize them. The precursor chemical salts were ferric chloride (FeCl3) and ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) in a 2:1 ratio, under ultrasound agitation and acidic pH. For the nanoparticles growth was applied aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at pH 12. X-ray diffraction shows the presence of magnetite (Fe3O4) indicated by characteristic diffraction peaks in degrees 2Ө = 18° (wide), 31° (fine), 36° (well defined), 43.4°, 45°, 53.6°, 57.7°, 63.3°. Scanning electron microscopy shows the morphology of the synthesis products. Factors that influence the stability of the particles are agitation, the pH adjustment, and the conditions of drying. The average size of the magnetite nanoparticles is approximately 15 nm.

scholarly journals ASSESSING THE SAFETY OF EXISTING STRUCTURES: RELIABILITY BASED ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK, EXAMPLES AND APPLICATION

2004 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-141
Author(s):  
Luc Schueremans ◽  
Dionys Van Gemert
Keyword(s):  
Assessment Framework ◽  
City Wall ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
Surface Splines ◽  
Model Response ◽  
Low Degree ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Reliability Methods ◽  
Reliability Algorithms ◽  
The Stability

Safety, reliability and risk are key issues in the preservation of our built, cultural heritage. Several structural collapses make us aware of the vulnerability of our technical and natural environment and demand an adequate engineering response. In the analysis phase, an objective way to assess the safety of the structure is essential. The present raises the need for a reliability based assessment framework for existing masonry structures. Although this field of research is relatively young, different techniques have been proposed and optimised. These permit to calculate the global probability of failure of complex structures, relying on deterministic techniques able to calculate the stability state for a prescribed set of parameters. This paper illustrates how these techniques can be a valid tool to evaluate the bearing capacity of existing structures. Focus is on reliability methods based on simulation procedures (Monte Carlo, Directional Sampling), combined with an adaptive meta‐model (Response Surface, Splines, Neural Networks). Several benchmark examples demonstrate the applicability of the methodology. The mutual efficiency of the different reliability algorithms is discussed. The application focuses on the assessment of an existing masonry structure. The overall stability of a Romanesque city wall of Leuven (B) is studied in detail. The analysis treats the present safety of the city wall, regarding the uncertainties in load, geometry and resistance. Because of the low degree of safety of several parts of the wall, consolidation measures and strengthening techniques are proposed.

scholarly journals A new technology for strengthening soils as an intangible resource for investment-building projects

2018 ◽  
Vol 212 ◽  
pp. 07001
Author(s):  
Alexander Petrov ◽  
Artem Peshkov ◽  
Ksenia Baginova
Keyword(s):  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Soil Reinforcement ◽  
Load Carrying Capacity ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Intellectual Activity ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Load Carrying ◽  
Ground Conditions

The effectiveness of intellectual activity in construction is determined by the relevance and the possibility of practical application of its results in the implementation of investment and construction projects. The investment attractiveness of the territory depends to a large extent, including on the construction site’s ground conditions. Analysis of scientific research conducted by Russian and foreign researchers shows that the solution of this problem is possible due to the strengthening of soils. Areas of application of soil reinforcement technology are identified. The analysis of existing technologies carried out in the field of increasing the load-carrying capacity of soils has been carried out, and the main shortcomings of the methods have been identified. A new technology for strengthening soils with crushed stone piles is proposed. The main problems are researched, and the ways of their solution are considered in case of applying the proposed technology.

Science-Based Innovation in China: A Case Study of Artemisinin from Laboratory to the Market

2018 ◽  
Vol 03 (02) ◽  
pp. 1850011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhang Qingzhi ◽  
Yang Yacheng ◽  
Qi Yaoyuan ◽  
Lei Jiasu
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Medicine ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Multidisciplinary Research ◽  
Research Teams ◽  
Research Involvement ◽  
Corporate Funding ◽  
The Stability

Science-based innovation emerged from novel and discontinuous innovations which provoked irreversible yet significant changes in science and technology. This research investigated the commercialization process of artemisinin, a typical science-based innovation in China. Due to her research involvement with artimisinin (qinghaosu), Tu Youyou received the 2011 Lasker Award in clinical medicine and the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with William C. Campbell and Satoshi Ōmura. In this paper, the authors reviewed the process of artemisinin’s innovation from labs in a research institute to its entrance into the market. Based on the research, we reached the following conclusions. First, during the process of science-based innovation, a “new technology platform” might be established and a series of applications might be invented. Second, the extensive cooperation among research institutions and companies played a vital role in the science-based innovation. Third, the science-based innovation emerged through multidisciplinary research teams as well as contacts among scientists with cross-fields expertise. Fourth, for science-based innovation, early research funding mainly relied on public funds. During the commercialization stage, corporate funding plays a major role. Fifth, a clear research objective, an overall planning, coordination, and the stability of policies were also important factors in the entire science-based innovation process.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Quality Supervision System for Construction Projects in China Considering the Quality Behavior Risk Transmission

Symmetry ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1660
Author(s):  
Jingchun Feng ◽  
Yuting Wang ◽  
Ke Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Evolutionary Game ◽  
Game Model ◽  
Evolutionary System ◽  
Stable Strategy ◽  
Supervision System ◽  
System A ◽  
Low Efficiency ◽  
The Stability

In construction projects, improper quality behavior of a participant results in quality behavior risks, which can transmit to the downstream participants and may cause detrimental effects on the quality of the entity finally constructed. Controlling the transmission of quality behavior risks is the key to effectively supervising and ensuring the quality of construction projects. In this study, the effectiveness of the quality supervision system of construction projects in China was investigated by considering the transmission of quality behavior risks. A multi-player evolutionary game model consisting of the players of quality supervision of a government department, upstream participant (UP), and downstream participant (DP) was generated. By using the system dynamics theory, the game model was simulated to determine the stability of the evolutionary system and to evaluate the effectiveness of China’s current quality supervision system under different scenarios. The results showed that there is no evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) in the evolutionary system of the current quality supervision system in China and there are fluctuations in the evolution process. It revealed that high risk exists in the current quality supervision system in China. To resolve the problem of the low efficiency of the current Chinese supervision system, a dynamic penalty and incentive method is developed, which has been proven to be able to effectively control the quality behavior risks in construction projects and hence ensuring the quality of the entity finally constructed.

scholarly journals Cutting the Face

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-71
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Fitzgibbon Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Middle East ◽  
New Media ◽  
Social Control ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
New Technology ◽  
State Building ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Existing Structures ◽  
The Face

The local uptake of new media in the Middle East is shaped by deep histories of imperialism, state building, resistance and accommodation. In contemporary Jordan, social media is simultaneously encouraging identification with tribes and undermining their gerontocratic power structures. Senior men stress their own importance as guarantors (‘faces’), who restore order following conflicts, promising to pay their rivals a large surety if their kin break the truce. Yet, ‘cutting the face’ (breaking truces) remains an alternative, one often facilitated by new technologies that allow people to challenge pre-existing structures of communication and authority. However, the experiences of journalists and other social media mavens suggest that the liberatory promise of the new technology may not be enough to prevent its reintegration into older patterns of social control.

Interviewing and Qualitative Field Methods: Pragmatism and Practicalities

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Christopher Rathbun
Keyword(s):  
Interview Data ◽  
Field Methods ◽  
Proper Role ◽  
The Status ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Gain Access

This article recommends the use of intensive, in-depth interviews which can help to establish motivations and preferences, even though they must deal with the perils of ‘strategic reconstruction’. The first section of this article makes the pragmatic case for interviewing. The second portion is devoted to assembling in one place the consensus in the literature on the basics of how to undertake interviews, including issues of how to build arguments using interview data, how to structure questionnaires, the proper role to adopt vis-à-vis respondents, and how to gain access to conversation partners. Doubts about the status of interview data and the reliability of respondents must be taken into account but can be addressed. These disadvantages rarely outweigh the unique advantages of interviewing.

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