Volume 3 Issue 3
Authors: Giuseppe Campione; Michele Fabio Granata; Calogero Cucchiara
Abstract: This work presents the results of an experimental investigation on the behavior of columns made of solid clay bricks strengthened by stainless steel wires placed in the joints. The characterization of each constituent property (bricks, mortar, and steel wires) and the compression tests on columns show the effectiveness of the proposed strengthening technique with the result of increased ductility of brick columns. From the analytical point of view a model is proposed which gives the response in terms of the stress-strain curve, by taking into account the presence of steel wires placed in the joints, and the consequences on the effective confinement pressure with the following resulting enhancement of column strength and ductility. The analytical model is validated through the results obtained by the experimental campaign and those given in the literature.
Keywords: Masonry; Confinement; Steel Wires; Compression; Ductility; Strength
Authors: Timur S. Khaybrakhmanov; Irina A. Labutina; Elena M. Nikiforova; Natalia E. Kosheleva
Abstract: The methodological approaches to compilation of landscape-geochemical maps of urban areas have been developed around a cartographic database which systematizes digital maps presenting the land-use zoning of a study area, its landscape structure and anthropogenic anomalies of heavy metals. The methods have been tested in the course of geoinformation landscape-geochemical mapping the Eastern Administrative District of Moscow. A landscape-geochemical map has been compiled displaying the taxonomy of urban landscapes with respect to factors of heavy metal accumulation and contamination levels of snow and soil cover.
Keywords: Geoinformation Mapping; GIS; Geochemistry of Landscapes; Urban Area; Contamination; Risk Assessment; Moscow
Authors: AQEEL AL-ADILI
Abstract: In this paper, a numerical study using F.E. method is undertaken to predict the settlement response of a flexible footing, considering the plane strain conditions, resting on a reinforced granular bed on a soft soil. The granular fill, soft soil and geosynthetic reinforcements are considered as non-linear materials. The geosynthetic reinforcement is modeled with interface elements for allowing slip between the soil and reinforcement. When no interface elements were used, the geosynthetic reinforcement was modeled as if there was a slip. It appears that allowing slip has a negligible effect on the settlement predicted. The results obtained from the present investigation showed very close agreement when compared with the results of finite element analysis and lumped parameter modeling carried out by previous researchers, assuming no slip conditions. The number of reinforcement layers was taken as one and three. A parametric study has been carried out to illustrate the effect of slippage of the reinforcement layer on the settlement response as dry and phreatic surface (saturation) conditions. The increase in the settlement is not significant when the slippage of the reinforcement is considered.
Keywords: Geosynthetic Reinforcements; Granular Bed; PLAXIS; Slippage; Soft Soil; Parametric Modeling
Authors: Xiaomin Wang; Andre J.A. Unger; Beth L. Parker
Abstract: The focus of this paper is to present a methodology to assimilate soil core permeability and trichloroethylene (TCE) soil gas concentration data, and then to assess their worth in reducing prediction uncertainty with a numerical model. The specific problem involves a residential development impacted by indoor air exposure of TCE contamination originating from a groundwater plume. Three metrics are used to quantify the prediction uncertainty, namely: the ability to accurately predict the indoor air concentration within the houses at any point in time; the ability to reduce the standard deviation of predicted indoor air concentration within these houses; and, the ability to accurately forecast the probability of indoor air concentrations exceeding a regulatory limit. The data assimilation methodology involves generating multiple realizations of heterogeneous permeability fields conditioned upon a geostatistical analysis of the borehole data, combined with a discrete static Kalman filter to assimilate actual soil gas concentration data, to estimate soil gas and indoor air concentrations at those locations where the developer does not have any data but liability. The worth of using progressively more permeability and soil gas concentration data is quantified on the basis that it provides a statistically significant improvement in the three metrics used to measure prediction uncertainty.
Keywords: Brownfields; Vapour Intrusion; Prediction Uncertainty; Data Worth; Kalman Filter; Probability of Exceedance