On the Road to Reuse: Residential Demolition Bid Specification Development Tool Report & Factsheet - September 2013

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The September 2013 EPA Region 5 report and factsheet provide tools to help with waste management plans, waste disposal, handling hazardous materials, and earthwork. The documents also suggest demolition modifications to improve environmental results.

MSE wall void repair effect on corrosion of reinforcement - phase 2 : specialty fill materials, [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

Ramps leading, for example, to overpasses or bridges are usually constructed using : mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls, earthworks retained by concrete walls. Because : MSE walls are reinforced with steel embedded in the fill, their fill is c...

Long-Term Toxicity of Naturally Occurring Asbestos in Male Fischer 344 Rats

EPA Science Inventory

Naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) fibers are found in geologic deposits that may be disturbed by mining, earthworks, or natural processes, resulting in adverse health risks to exposed individuals. The toxicities of Libby amphibole and NOA samples including Sumas Mountain chrysot...

The Future is Now: OpenTERRAworks - Interoperable 2D/3D Landscape Design Software for Integrated Environmental Modeling

EPA Science Inventory

Human activities involving significant terrain alteration (e.g., earthworks operations associated with mines, urban development, landslides) can lead to broad-ranging changes in the surrounding terrestrial and aquatic environments. Potential aesthetic impacts can be associated wi...

Performance-based quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) acceptance procedures for in-place soil testing phase 3 : [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-01-01

Acceptance of earthwork construction by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) : requires in-place testing conducted with a nuclear density gauge (NDG) to determine : dry density, which must obtain a required percent compaction based upon a ...

A Sustaining Environment for Environmental Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malamud, Randy

2008-01-01

Environmental art (aka land art, green art, earthworks) aims to interpret nature and to inspire audiences to re-envision people's relationship with nature. Some artists see their work as a springboard for reclaiming and remediating damaged environments. Art began keenly grounded in nature--think of cave paintings of animals, in charcoal and…

Distribution of chloride, pH, resistivity, and sulfate levels in backfill for mechanically-stabilized earth walls and implications for corrosion testing : [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-04-01

Road construction projects often require mechanically stabilized earth (MSE), earthwork : construction in which soil is retained by walls and reinforced with wire mesh, metal strips, : and structural geosynthetics (geotextile or geogrid). The fill so...

Holes Creek, Water Resources Development. Volume 2. Appendices.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-09-01

Hydraulic Design B-43 Earthwork B-44 Relocations B-45 Real Estate B-46 Re creation B-46 Construccion B-47 Operation and Maintenance B-7 UVISED 20 MAR81...residential) within the next five or six years, regardless of project contruction . Therefore, on the basis of the best information available, it is

Water, frost, and frost resistance of natural and artificial building stones

USGS Publications Warehouse

Breyer, H.; Britt, S. H.

1953-01-01

The worst enemy of construction engineering and of construction material is uncontrollable water, whether it be ground-, seepage-, rainwater, water of condensation, or melting snow and ice, exerting objectionable pressure upon tracks and roads. this applies as well to structures above the ground as to bridge piers and foundations, road construction, earthwork, etc. 

Short-term recovery of soil physical, chemical, micro- and mesobiological functions in a new vineyard under organic farming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Costantini, E. A. C.; Agnelli, A. E.; Fabiani, A.; Gagnarli, E.; Mocali, S.; Priori, S.; Simoni, S.; Valboa, G.

2015-06-01

Deep earthwork activities carried out before vineyard plantation can severely affect soil profile properties. As a result, soil features in the root environment are often much more similar to those of the underlying substratum than those of the original profile. The time needed to recover the original soil functions is ecologically relevant and may strongly affect vine phenology and grape yield, particularly under organic viticulture. The general aim of this work was to investigate soil resilience after vineyard pre-planting earthworks. In particular, an old and a new vineyard, established on the same soil type, were compared over a 5-year period for soil chemical, physical, micro- and mesobiological properties. The investigated vineyards (Vitis vinifera L., cv. Sangiovese) were located in the Chianti Classico district (central Italy), on stony and calcareous soils, and were not irrigated. The older vineyard was planted in 2000, after slope reshaping by bulldozing and back-hoe ploughing down to about 0.8-1.0 m. The new vineyard was planted in 2011, after equivalent earthwork practices carried out in the summer of 2009. Both vineyards were organically managed, and they were fertilized with compost only every autumn (1000 kg ha-1 per year). The new vineyard was cultivated by periodic tillage, while the old vineyard was managed with alternating grass-covered and tilled inter-rows. Soil samples were collected at 0-15 cm depth from fixed locations in each vineyard every spring from 2010 to 2014. The old vineyard was sampled in both tilled and grass-covered inter-rows. According to the results from physical and chemical analyses, the new vineyard, during the whole 2010-2014 period, showed lower total organic carbon, total nitrogen, carbon to nitrogen ratio and electrical conductivity, along with higher silt and total CaCO3 contents than the old vineyard, suggesting still-evolving equilibrium conditions. The microarthropod analysis showed significantly different abundances and community structures, in relation to both vineyard and time. Rainfall appeared to have an enhancing effect on microarthropod abundance, but only in the old vineyard, where the biota was more structured than in the new one. The euedaphic forms, well adapted to soil life, were always rare. Microbiological analysis revealed a different structure of eubacterial communities between the old and the new vineyard in the whole period. However, the DGGE similarity values of these communities increased by about 2.5% per year, suggesting that at least 3 years more are needed to compare intra- and inter-specific diversity of the two vineyards. In conclusion, the consequences of deep earthworks on soil chemical, micro- and mesobiological properties were still evident 4 years after planting, indicating that more time is necessary for the recovery of soil functions, probably longer than the time needed to reach a state of economically viable grape production.

Photographic copy of original drawing, by Corps of Engineers, U.S. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Photographic copy of original drawing, by Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, June 1939 (original in possession of Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, Pittsburgh District, Engineering Division files) Unit 3, general plan and earthwork distribution - Johnstown Local Flood Protection Project, Beginning on Conemaugh River approx 3.8 miles downstream from confluence of Little Conemaugh & Stony Creek Rivers at Johnstown, Johnstown, Cambria County, PA

Photographic copy of original drawing, by Corps of Engineers, U.S. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Photographic copy of original drawing, by Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, February 1939 (original in possession of Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, Pittsburgh District, Engineering Division files) Unit 2, general plan and earthwork distribution - Johnstown Local Flood Protection Project, Beginning on Conemaugh River approx 3.8 miles downstream from confluence of Little Conemaugh & Stony Creek Rivers at Johnstown, Johnstown, Cambria County, PA

Photographic copy of original drawing, by Corps of Engineers, U.S. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Photographic copy of original drawing, by Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, May 1938 (original in possession of Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, Pittsburgh District, Engineering Division files) Unit 1, general plan and earthwork distribution - Johnstown Local Flood Protection Project, Beginning on Conemaugh River approx 3.8 miles downstream from confluence of Little Conemaugh & Stony Creek Rivers at Johnstown, Johnstown, Cambria County, PA

Final Environmental Assessment: Western Range Command Transmit Site Vandenberg Air Force Base, California

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-20

EarthWorks, Inc. B.S. 1979, Anthropology , The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio M.A. 1992, Archaeology, University of California, Santa Barbara Years...Corvallis M.A. 1983, Archaeology, Cultural Anthropology & Geography, Oregon State University, Corvallis Years of Experience: 27 M. Paloma Nieto...Areas on Vandenberg Air Force Base, Santa Barbara County, California. Anthropology Department, University of California, Santa Barbara. Submitted to

Photographic copy of original drawing, by Corps of Engineers, U.S. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

Photographic copy of original drawing, by Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army,February 17, 1940 (original in possession of Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, Pittsburgh District, Engineering Division files) Unit 4, general plan and earthwork distribution - Johnstown Local Flood Protection Project, Beginning on Conemaugh River approx 3.8 miles downstream from confluence of Little Conemaugh & Stony Creek Rivers at Johnstown, Johnstown, Cambria County, PA

Guidance for Mitigating Environmental Concerns During Range Siting

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-12-01

facilities, processing plants, and landfills . CERCLA authorizes two kinds of response actions: (1) Short-term remov- als, where actions may be taken to...on a slightly higher elevation than the positions to minimize earthwork. Avoid siting berms on crests of high hills, mesas, or ridges, as these...Observing existing vegetation on potential sites is also an important as- sessment tool. Soils with thick vegetative cover are capable of supporting

Counter Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Operations, This document compliments JCS Pub 3-11

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-08-16

Successful German Chemical Attack The concept of creating a toxic gas cloud from chemical cylinders was credited to Fritz Haber of the Kaiser Wilhelm Physical...of considerations: The high caliber of German theoretical and experimental physicists like Otto Hahn, Paul Harteck, Werner Heisenberg, Fritz ...Institute of Berlin in late 1914. Owing to a shortage of artillery shells, Haber thought a chemical gas cloud would negate the enemy’s earthworks

American Canyon Sanitary Landfill Operation Regulatory Permit Application, Napa County, California, Public Notice 9297-29R.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-01

control and containment levees on land located along the east bank of the Napa River in southern Napa County, California. 2. In response to the National...approximately 60 acres with construction of flood protection and containment levees around these areas. The estimated refuse and earthwork volumes are...of flood control and containment levees) of restorable wetland being permanently converted to upland. f. provide nuisance factors associated with

Towards a more sustainable transport infrastructure: how spatial geological data can be utilized to improve early stage Life cycle assessment of road infrastructure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karlsson, Caroline; Miliutenko, Sofiia; Björklund, Anna; Mörtberg, Ulla; Olofsson, Bo; Toller, Susanna

2017-04-01

Environmental impacts during the life cycle stages of transport infrastructure are substantial, including among other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as resource and energy use. For transport infrastructure to be sustainable, such issues need to be integrated in the planning process. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required by the European Union (EU) in order to ensure that all environmental aspects are considered during planning of road infrastructure projects. As a part of this process, the European Commission has suggested the use of the tool life cycle assessment (LCA) for assessing life cycle energy use and GHG emissions. When analyzing life cycle impacts of the road infrastructure itself, it was shown that earthworks and materials used for the road construction have a big share in the total energy use and GHG emissions. Those aspects are largely determined by the geological conditions at the site of construction: parameters such as soil thickness, slope, bedrock quality and soil type. The geological parameters determine the amounts of earthworks (i.e. volumes of soil and rock that will be excavated and blasted), transportation need for excavated materials as well as the availability of building materials. The study presents a new geographic information system (GIS)-based approach for utilizing spatial geological data in three dimensions (i.e. length, width and depth) in order to improve estimates on earthworks during the early stages of road infrastructure planning. Three main methodological steps were undertaken: mass balance calculation, life cycle inventory analysis and spatial mapping of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy use. The proposed GIS-based approach was later evaluated by comparing with the actual values of extracted material of a real road construction project. The results showed that the estimate of filling material was the most accurate, while the estimate for excavated soil and blasted rock had a wide variation from the actual values. It was also found that the total volume of excavated and ripped soils did not change when accounting for geological stratigraphy. The proposed GIS-based approach shows promising results for usage in LCA at an early stage of road infrastructure planning, and by providing better data quality, GIS in combination with LCA can enable planning for a more sustainable transport infrastructure.

The Low-Rodgers Expedition: A Study in the Foundations of U.S. Policy in Korea

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-06-01

the lower end of Kangwha Island. There a long line of earthworks and fluttering yellow * 0 flags came into view, as well as large numbers of white...clad Korean troops. Through a telescope, John Cowles, the interpreter, translated the Chinese characters on the largest of the yellow banners as...The huge yellow "General Commanding" banner flapped in the wind. (Ref. 28:p. 73] The march to the Citadel was as formidable as anything the landing 0

Archaeological Survey and Testing of Areas along Main Ditch and Ditch 9, Pemiscot County, Missouri.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-15

authors of the great earthworks of the eastern United States. Most of the early work was concerned with the collection of specimerns for museums (e.g...h,-storic rnater-al, ircY.udirg archtectural e’ese•.. No structure was located; !92 anc M93--P’robaoly mccern -e` se piles, small scatters of historic...Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural H-story, Vol. 50, Part 1, New York. Ford, James A., and Gordon R. Willey 1941 An Interpretation

Experiment on Uav Photogrammetry and Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Ict-Integrated Construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, N.; Wakutsu, R.; Kato, T.; Wakaizumi, T.; Ooishi, T.; Matsuoka, R.

2017-08-01

In the 2016 fiscal year the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan started a program integrating construction and ICT in earthwork and concrete placing. The new program named "i-Construction" focusing on productivity improvement adopts such new technologies as UAV photogrammetry and TLS. We report a field experiment to investigate whether the procedures of UAV photogrammetry and TLS following the standards for "i-Construction" are feasible or not. In the experiment we measured an embankment of about 80 metres by 160 metres immediately after earthwork was done on the embankment. We used two sets of UAV and camera in the experiment. One is a larger UAV enRoute Zion QC730 and its onboard camera Sony α6000. The other is a smaller UAV DJI Phantom 4 and its dedicated onboard camera. Moreover, we used a terrestrial laser scanner FARO Focus3D X330 based on the phase shift principle. The experiment results indicate that the procedures of UAV photogrammetry using a QC730 with an α6000 and TLS using a Focus3D X330 following the standards for "i-Construction" would be feasible. Furthermore, the experiment results show that UAV photogrammetry using a lower price UAV Phantom 4 was unable to satisfy the accuracy requirement for "i-Construction." The cause of the low accuracy by Phantom 4 is under investigation. We also found that the difference of image resolution on the ground would not have a great influence on the measurement accuracy in UAV photogrammetry.

Selection of Excavators for Earth Work on the Basis of their Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vondráčková, Terezie; Voštová, Věra

2017-10-01

For the specific construction of the reconstruction of the railway section Ostrov nad Oslavou and Žďár nad Sázavou will be done removed the railway superstructure and the partial adjustment of the substructure including drainage. For the earthwork will be used excavators of the company Komatsu, with the possibility of adjustment of parameters of the working tool - the length of the bracket and the volume of the shovel. The determined value will be purely indicative, as it does not affect how the operator of the excavator handles the discharge of cargo means.

Geospatial Data Integration for Assessing Landslide Hazard on Engineered Slopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, P. E.; Mills, J. P.; Barr, S. L.; Birkinshaw, S. J.

2012-07-01

Road and rail networks are essential components of national infrastructures, underpinning the economy, and facilitating the mobility of goods and the human workforce. Earthwork slopes such as cuttings and embankments are primary components, and their reliability is of fundamental importance. However, instability and failure can occur, through processes such as landslides. Monitoring the condition of earthworks is a costly and continuous process for network operators, and currently, geospatial data is largely underutilised. The research presented here addresses this by combining airborne laser scanning and multispectral aerial imagery to develop a methodology for assessing landslide hazard. This is based on the extraction of key slope stability variables from the remotely sensed data. The methodology is implemented through numerical modelling, which is parameterised with the slope stability information, simulated climate conditions, and geotechnical properties. This allows determination of slope stability (expressed through the factor of safety) for a range of simulated scenarios. Regression analysis is then performed in order to develop a functional model relating slope stability to the input variables. The remotely sensed raster datasets are robustly re-sampled to two-dimensional cross-sections to facilitate meaningful interpretation of slope behaviour and mapping of landslide hazard. Results are stored in a geodatabase for spatial analysis within a GIS environment. For a test site located in England, UK, results have shown the utility of the approach in deriving practical hazard assessment information. Outcomes were compared to the network operator's hazard grading data, and show general agreement. The utility of the slope information was also assessed with respect to auto-population of slope geometry, and found to deliver significant improvements over the network operator's existing field-based approaches.

Providing Middle School Students With Science Research Experiences Through Community Partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, D.

2007-12-01

Science research courses have been around for years at the university and high school level. As inquiry based learning has become more and more a part of the science teacher's vocabulary, many of these courses have adopted an inquiry model for studying science. Learners of all ages benefit from learning through the natural process of inquiry. I participated in the CIRES Earthworks program for science teachers (Colorado University) in the summer of 2007 and experienced, first hand, the value of inquiry learning. With the support and vision of my school administration, and with the support and commitment of community partners, I have developed a Middle School Science Research Program that is transforming how science is taught to students in my community. Swift Creek Middle School is located in Tallahassee, Florida. There are approximately 1000 students in this suburban public school. Students at Swift Creek are required to take one science class each year through 8th grade. As more emphasis is placed on learning a large number of scientific facts and information, in order to prepare students for yearly, standardized tests, there is a concern that less emphasis may be placed on the process and nature of science. The program I developed draws from the inquiry model followed at the CIRES Earthworks program, utilizes valuable community partnerships, and plays an important role in meeting that need. There are three major components to this Middle School Research Program, and the Center for Integrated Research and Learning (CIRL) at the National High Magnetic Field Lab (NHMFL) at Florida State University is playing an important role in all three. First, each student will develop their own research question and design experiments to answer the question. Scientists from the NHMFL are serving as mentors, or "buddy scientists," to my students as they work through the process of inquiry. Scientists from the CIRES - Earthworks program, Florida State University, and other institutions are also volunteering to be mentors. Second, each student will participate in the GLOBE-FLEXE pilot program that involves comparing environmental conditions of local environments to those of extreme environments, like hydrothermal vents in the deep sea. This real-world science program is being coordinated through the FLEXE Project Office at Penn State University, and the GLOBE Program Office in Boulder, Co. We will spend 18 class periods collecting local weather data and analyzing meteorological data from around the world, writing scientific reports, and peer reviewing other students reports. The NHMFL is a sponsor of the Communtiy Classroom Consortium in Tallahassee that is has funded a grant for equipment needed to conduct the data collection portion of this process. Finally, the students will share their research with other students, parents, teachers, and scientists at a school science fair in the fall, and a scientific poster session in the spring. The NHMFL will be supplying judges for the two sessions. They will also be offering the use of their facilities at the laboratory in the spring. Scientists from the lab will mingle with the students, discuss their research, and critique and encourage the young scientists at the first annual Middle School Research Symposium in May, 2008.

Semi top-down method combined with earth-bank, an effective method for basement construction.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuan, B. Q.; Tam, Ng M.

2018-04-01

Choosing an appropriate method of deep excavation not only plays a decisive role in technical success, but also in economics of the construction project. Presently, we mainly base on to key methods: “Bottom-up” and “Top-down” construction method. Right now, this paper presents an another method of construction that is “Semi Top-down method combining with earth-bank” in order to take the advantages and limit the weakness of the above methods. The Bottom-up method was improved by using the earth-bank to stabilize retaining walls instead of the bracing steel struts. The Top-down method was improved by using the open cut method for the half of the earthwork quantities.

Protection of Workers and Third Parties during the Construction of Linear Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vlčková, Jitka; Venkrbec, Václav; Henková, Svatava; Chromý, Adam

2017-12-01

The minimization of risk in the workplace through a focus on occupational health and safety (OHS) is one of the primary objectives for every construction project. The most serious accidents in the construction industry occur during work on earthworks and linear structures. The character of such structures places them among those posing the greatest threat to the public (referred to as “third parties”). They can be characterized as large structures whose construction may involve the building site extending in a narrow lane alongside previously constructed objects currently in use by the public. Linear structures are often directly connected to existing objects or buildings, making it impossible to guard the whole construction site. However, many OHS problems related to linear structures can be prevented during the design stage. The aim of this article is to introduce a new methodology which has been implemented into a computer program that deals with safety measures at construction sites where work is performed on linear structures. Based on existing experience with the design of such structures and their execution and supervision by safety coordinators, the basic types of linear structures, their location in the terrain, the conditions present during their execution and other marginal conditions and influences were modelled. Basic safety information has been assigned to this elementary information, which is strictly necessary for the construction process. The safety provisions can be grouped according to type, e.g. technical, organizational and other necessary documentation, or into sets of provisions concerning areas such as construction site safety, transport safety, earthworks safety, etc. The selection of the given provisions takes place using multiple criteria. The aim of creating this program is to provide a practical tool for designers, contractors and construction companies. The model can contribute to the sufficient awareness of these participants about technical and organizational provisions that can help them to meet workplace safety requirements. The software for the selection of safety provisions also contains module that can calculate necessary cost estimates using a calculation formula chosen by the user. All software data conform to European standards harmonized for the Czech Republic.

Geophysical Survey of Poverty Point UNESCO World Heritage Site Mound A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frazer, W.; Bourke, J. R.; De Smet, T.; Nikulin, A.

2017-12-01

Poverty Point is an UNESCO World Heritage Site located in northern Louisiana, known for its six earthwork ridges and mounds of archeological significance. The largest of these earthworks and most significant feature on the site, Mound A is over 70 feet (21 m) high and 640 feet (200 m) long. To construct this mound, it would have taken about 16 million basket loads of dirt which weight approximately 50 lbs. each (23 kg). The current archeological theory describing the construction of Mound A states it was built in three months at most, with some suggesting construction times as short as a month, but beyond this not much else is known about Mound A or Poverty Point. The pace of Mound A's construction has been used as evidence to support the idea that there was a central leader directing its construction and that the population inhabiting the site was more socio-politically complex than previous hunter-gatherer populations in North America. Evidence of heterogeneity and stratigraphic layering, however, is an indication of a slow mound construction over centuries by a relatively egalitarian hunter-gather society. A greater understanding of the construction style and timeline for the construction of Mound A will lead to a greater understanding to the site, its people their lifestyles. Mound Builders have been known to cap mounds they have built if they were to be built in stages so if Mound A was built in stages it is likely capped with some more dense material than the dirt surrounding it. To better understand the construction history of Mound A we collected photogrammetry, seismic reflection, ground-penetrating radar, frequency-domain electromagnetic-induction, resistivity, and magnetometry data over the mound. The seismic data had a normal moveout correction, it was stacked and migrated. Additionally, with the application of quadcopter-based photogrammetry a three-dimensional digital model of Mound A was developed to display and assist in further understanding and dissemination of these data. With greater knowledge of the composition and construction of Mound A at Poverty Point will give greater insight to the people of who built it and their way of life.

Recent archaeomagnetic studies in Slovakia: Comparison of methodological approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubišová, Lenka

2016-03-01

We review the recent archaeomagnetic studies carried out on the territory of Slovakia, focusing on the comparison of methodological approaches, discussing pros and cons of the individual applied methods from the perspective of our experience. The most widely used methods for the determination of intensity and direction of the archaeomegnetic field by demagnetisation of the sample material are the alternating field (AF) demagnetisation and the Thellier double heating method. These methods are used not only for archaeomagnetic studies but also help to solve some geological problems. The two methods were applied to samples collected recently at several sites of Slovakia, where archaeological prospection invoked by earthwork or reconstruction work of developing projects demanded archaeomagnetic dating. Then we discuss advantages and weaknesses of the investigated methods from different perspectives based on several examples and our recent experience.

Impact of pre-Columbian “geoglyph” builders on Amazonian forests

PubMed Central

Watling, Jennifer; Iriarte, José; Schaan, Denise; Pessenda, Luiz C. R.; Loader, Neil J.; Dickau, Ruth E.; Damasceno, Antonia; Ranzi, Alceu

2017-01-01

Over 450 pre-Columbian (pre-AD 1492) geometric ditched enclosures (“geoglyphs”) occupy ∼13,000 km2 of Acre state, Brazil, representing a key discovery of Amazonian archaeology. These huge earthworks were concealed for centuries under terra firme (upland interfluvial) rainforest, directly challenging the “pristine” status of this ecosystem and its perceived vulnerability to human impacts. We reconstruct the environmental context of geoglyph construction and the nature, extent, and legacy of associated human impacts. We show that bamboo forest dominated the region for ≥6,000 y and that only small, temporary clearings were made to build the geoglyphs; however, construction occurred within anthropogenic forest that had been actively managed for millennia. In the absence of widespread deforestation, exploitation of forest products shaped a largely forested landscape that survived intact until the late 20th century. PMID:28167791

Impact of pre-Columbian "geoglyph" builders on Amazonian forests.

PubMed

Watling, Jennifer; Iriarte, José; Mayle, Francis E; Schaan, Denise; Pessenda, Luiz C R; Loader, Neil J; Street-Perrott, F Alayne; Dickau, Ruth E; Damasceno, Antonia; Ranzi, Alceu

2017-02-21

Over 450 pre-Columbian (pre-AD 1492) geometric ditched enclosures ("geoglyphs") occupy ∼13,000 km 2 of Acre state, Brazil, representing a key discovery of Amazonian archaeology. These huge earthworks were concealed for centuries under terra firme (upland interfluvial) rainforest, directly challenging the "pristine" status of this ecosystem and its perceived vulnerability to human impacts. We reconstruct the environmental context of geoglyph construction and the nature, extent, and legacy of associated human impacts. We show that bamboo forest dominated the region for ≥6,000 y and that only small, temporary clearings were made to build the geoglyphs; however, construction occurred within anthropogenic forest that had been actively managed for millennia. In the absence of widespread deforestation, exploitation of forest products shaped a largely forested landscape that survived intact until the late 20th century.

[Epidemiological health surveillance among the troops during combat operations in armed conflicts].

PubMed

Mel'nichenko, P I

1997-08-01

With local wars and armed conflicts the sanitary-epidemiological situation for the troops and local population shows a tendency to worsen. The main objects of the military medical service at the period of deployment are the preventive measures against troops infection from local sources by virus hepatitis A, bacterial dysentery, typhoid, cholera etc. As a rule, combat actions result in communal service destruction, low quality of potable water, soil contamination and worsening sanitary norms and standards. Also, there is a danger of reactivation of the natural centres of infection due to large-scale defence earthworks in the region of operations. The experience of the military medical service in Afghanistan and Chechnya proves, that a multimedia approach to preventive antiepidemic measures is necessary together with the emphasis on the most important actions against infections that represent the biggest danger for the land troops.

American Society of Photogrammetry and American Congress on Surveying and Mapping, Fall Technical Meeting, ASP Technical Papers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1981-01-01

Various topics in the field of photogrammetry are addressed. Among the subjects discussed are: remote sensing of Gulf Stream dynamics using VHRR satellite imagery an interactive rectification system for remote sensing imagery use of a single photo and digital terrain matrix for point positioning crop type analysis using Landsat digital data use of a fisheye lens in solar energy assessment remote sensing inventory of Rocky Mountain elk habitat Washington state's large scale ortho program educational image processing. Also discussed are: operational advantages of on-line photogrammetric triangulation analysis of fracturation field photogrammetry as a tool for measuring glacier movement double modelmore » orthophotos used for forest inventory mapping map revisioning module for the Kern PG2 stereoplotter assessing accuracy of digital land-use and terrain data accuracy of earthwork calculations from digital elevation data.« less

Reconnaissance report on geology of Eklutna Lake dam site and conduit route near Anchorage, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bateman, A.F.

1947-01-01

C. A foundation exploration program is recommended that includes deepening test pit No. 1 and drill hole No. 2, and drilling 11 new holes. It is suggested that one drill hold near the center of the valley be taken to bedrock to give a complete picture of the fill materials underlying the foundation. 3. Delivery of water from the forebay of the reservoir to the powerhouse eight miles downvalley by means of a conduit is regarded as infeasible because: difficult terrain of the route will require earthwork more extensive than the volume of the dam; the route is subject to land slides, and will require expensive maintenance; it is more or less completely exposed to adverse winter conditions that may engender icing conditions; and it is easily subject to sabotage. It is recommended that the water be taken to the powerhouse through a rock tunnel.

Geophysical investigation of the June 6, 1944 D-Day invasion site at Pointe du Hoc, Normandy, France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Everett, M. E.; Pierce, C. J.; Warden, R. R.; Burt, R. A.

2005-05-01

A near-surface geophysical survey at the D-Day invasion site atop the cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, Normandy, France was carried out using ground-penetrating radar, electromagnetic induction, and magnetic gradiometry equipment. The subsurface targets of investigation are predominantly buried concrete and steel structures and earthworks associated with the German coastal fortifications at this stronpoint of Hitler's Atlantic Wall. The targets are readily detectable embedded within the vadose zone of a weakly magnetic, electrically resistive loess soil cover. The radar and electromagnetic induction responses lend themselves to plan-view imaging of the subsurface, while the magnetics data reveal the presence of buried magnetic bodies in a more subtle fashion. Several intriguing geophysical signatures were discovered, including what may be the buried remains of a railway turntable, ordnance fragments in the bomb craters, a buried steel-reinforced concrete trench, and a linear chain of machine gun firing positins. Geophysical prospecting is shown to be a very powerful tool for historical battlefield characterization.

Closed-loop recycling of construction and demolition waste in Germany in view of stricter environmental threshold values.

PubMed

Weil, Marcel; Jeske, Udo; Schebek, Liselotte

2006-06-01

Recycling of construction and demolition waste contributes decisively to the saving of natural mineral resources. In Germany, processed mineral construction and demolition waste from structural engineering is used nearly exclusively in civil engineering (earthwork and road construction sector) as open-loop recycling. Due to the planned stricter limit values for the protection of soil and water, however, this recycling path in civil engineering may no longer be applicable in the future. According to some new guidelines and standards adopted recently, recycled aggregates may also be used for concrete production in the structural engineering sector (closed-loop recycling). Wastes from the structural engineering sector can thus be kept in a closed cycle, and their disposal on a landfill can be avoided. The present report focuses on the determination of maximum waste volumes that may be handled by this new recycling option. Potential adverse effects on the saving of resources and climate protection have been analysed. For this purpose, materials flow analysis and ecobalancing methods have been used.

(Environmental investigation of ground water contamination at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-04-01

This Removal Action System Design has been prepared as a Phase I Volume for the implementation of the Phase II removal action at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) near Dayton, Ohio. The objective of the removal action is to prevent, to the extent practicable, the migration of ground water contaminated with chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCS) across the southwest boundary of Area C. The Phase 1, Volume 9 Removal Action System Design compiles the design documents prepared for the Phase II Removal Action. These documents, which are presented in Appendices to Volume 9, include: Process Design, which presents the 30more » percent design for the ground water treatment system (GWTS); Design Packages 1 and 2 for Earthwork and Road Construction, and the Discharge Pipeline, respectively; no drawings are included in the appendix; Design Package 3 for installation of the Ground Water Extraction Well(s); Design Package 4 for installation of the Monitoring Well Instrumentation; and Design Package 5 for installation of the Ground Water Treatment System; this Design Package is incorporated by reference because of its size.« less

Rainfall thresholds as a landslide indicator for engineered slopes on the Irish Rail network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinović, Karlo; Gavin, Kenneth; Reale, Cormac; Mangan, Cathal

2018-04-01

Rainfall thresholds express the minimum levels of rainfall that need to be reached or exceeded in order for landslides to occur in a particular area. They are a common tool in expressing the temporal portion of landslide hazard analysis. Numerous rainfall thresholds have been developed for different areas worldwide, however none of these are focused on landslides occurring on the engineered slopes on transport infrastructure networks. This paper uses empirical method to develop the rainfall thresholds for landslides on the Irish Rail network earthworks. For comparison, rainfall thresholds are also developed for natural terrain in Ireland. The results show that particular thresholds involving relatively low rainfall intensities are applicable for Ireland, owing to the specific climate. Furthermore, the comparison shows that rainfall thresholds for engineered slopes are lower than those for landslides occurring on the natural terrain. This has severe implications as it indicates that there is a significant risk involved when using generic weather alerts (developed largely for natural terrain) for infrastructure management, and showcases the need for developing railway and road specific rainfall thresholds for landslides.

Determination of the utility of remote sensing data for land use/cover analysis in the lower Appalachia region: Assessing the utility of remote sensing data for archeological site recognition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weber, N. V.

1983-01-01

Thematic Mapper Simulator (TMS) data were gathered by NASA/ERL over a portion of the lower Ohio River and the middle Mississippi River valleys on April 11, 1982. CIR imagery accompanied the 10 and 30 meter resolution TMS data sets. This area is somewhat unique archeologically as there exists a concentration of sites with major features such as mounds, earthworks, and villages. It was the primary purpose of this study to determine the utility of TMS data in identifying signatures which are distinctly archeological. TMS data were processed using the NASA/ERL software package ELAS. No signatures that were distinctly archeological were detected, due in large part to the complexity of the land cover and land use practices. However, as more sophisticated classification techniques were employed, the classes which were related to archeological features were narrowed. TMS data could certainly be of assistance to a trained archeologist/interpreter in narrowing an area which has to be field-surveyed as anomalous features can be recognized within a particular environmental context.

[Environmental investigation of ground water contamination at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio]. Volume 9, Removal action system design

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-04-01

This Removal Action System Design has been prepared as a Phase I Volume for the implementation of the Phase II removal action at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) near Dayton, Ohio. The objective of the removal action is to prevent, to the extent practicable, the migration of ground water contaminated with chlorinated volatile organic compounds (VOCS) across the southwest boundary of Area C. The Phase 1, Volume 9 Removal Action System Design compiles the design documents prepared for the Phase II Removal Action. These documents, which are presented in Appendices to Volume 9, include: Process Design, which presents the 30more » percent design for the ground water treatment system (GWTS); Design Packages 1 and 2 for Earthwork and Road Construction, and the Discharge Pipeline, respectively; no drawings are included in the appendix; Design Package 3 for installation of the Ground Water Extraction Well(s); Design Package 4 for installation of the Monitoring Well Instrumentation; and Design Package 5 for installation of the Ground Water Treatment System; this Design Package is incorporated by reference because of its size.« less

Unveiling topographical changes using LiDAR mapping capability: case study of Belaga in Sarawak, East-Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganendra, T. R.; Khan, N. M.; Razak, W. J.; Kouame, Y.; Mobarakeh, E. T.

2016-06-01

The use of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) remote sensing technology to scan and map landscapes has proven to be one of the most popular techniques to accurately map topography. Thus, LiDAR technology is the ultimate method of unveiling the surface feature under dense vegetation, and, this paper intends to emphasize the diverse techniques that can be utilized to elucidate topographical changes over the study area, using multi-temporal airborne full waveform LiDAR datasets collected in 2012 and 2014. Full waveform LiDAR data offers access to an almost unlimited number of returns per shot, which enables the user to explore in detail topographical changes, such as vegetation growth measurement. The study also found out topography changes at the study area due to earthwork activities contributing to soil consolidation, soil erosion and runoff, requiring cautious monitoring. The implications of this study not only concurs with numerous investigations undertaken by prominent researchers to improve decision making, but also corroborates once again that investigations employing multi-temporal LiDAR data to unveil topography changes in vegetated terrains, produce more detailed and accurate results than most other remote sensing data.

The domestication of Amazonia before European conquest.

PubMed

Clement, Charles R; Denevan, William M; Heckenberger, Michael J; Junqueira, André Braga; Neves, Eduardo G; Teixeira, Wenceslau G; Woods, William I

2015-08-07

During the twentieth century, Amazonia was widely regarded as relatively pristine nature, little impacted by human history. This view remains popular despite mounting evidence of substantial human influence over millennial scales across the region. Here, we review the evidence of an anthropogenic Amazonia in response to claims of sparse populations across broad portions of the region. Amazonia was a major centre of crop domestication, with at least 83 native species containing populations domesticated to some degree. Plant domestication occurs in domesticated landscapes, including highly modified Amazonian dark earths (ADEs) associated with large settled populations and that may cover greater than 0.1% of the region. Populations and food production expanded rapidly within land management systems in the mid-Holocene, and complex societies expanded in resource-rich areas creating domesticated landscapes with profound impacts on local and regional ecology. ADE food production projections support estimates of at least eight million people in 1492. By this time, highly diverse regional systems had developed across Amazonia where subsistence resources were created with plant and landscape domestication, including earthworks. This review argues that the Amazonian anthrome was no less socio-culturally diverse or populous than other tropical forested areas of the world prior to European conquest. © 2015 The Author(s).

Bitcoin and Potosí Silver: Historical Perspectives on Cryptocurrency.

PubMed

Zimmer, Zac

Bitcoin, the digital cryptocurrency, has been celebrated as the future of money on the Internet. Although Bitcoin does present several forward-looking innovations, it also integrates a very old concept into its digital architecture: the mining of precious metals. Even though Bitcoin explicitly invokes mining as a metaphor and gold as an example for understanding the cryptocurrency, there has been little critical work on the connections between Bitcoin and previous metalist currency regimes. The following essay proposes a historical comparison with colonial South American silver mining and the global currency regime based on the New World silver peso it created as a way to interrogate Bitcoin. The comparison with colonial South America, and specifically the silver mining economy around the Cerro Rico de Potosí, will help to develop a historical and political understanding of Bitcoin's stakes, including questions of resources, labor, energy, and ecology. Mining and the extractive apparatus that accompanies it always imply massive-scale earthworks that reshape the planet itself, a process known as terraforming. The Potosí comparison will reveal Bitcoin to form part of a similar process of digital primitive accumulation we can provisionally name cryptoforming.

Restoring the natural state of the soil surface by biocrusts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaady, Eli; Ungar, Eugene D.; Stavi, Ilan; Shuker, Shimshon; Knoll, Yaakov M.

2017-04-01

In arid and semi-arid areas, with mean annual precipitation of 70-200 mm, the dominant component of the ground cover is biocrusts composed of cyanobacteria, moss and lichens. Biocrusts play a role in stabilizing the soil surface, which reduces erosion by water and wind. Human disturbances, such as heavy vehicular traffic, earthworks, overgrazing and land mining destroy the soil surface and promote erosion. The aim of the study was to evaluate restoration of the soil surface by the return of a biocrust layer. We examined the impact of disturbances on the creation of a stable crust and on the rate of recovery. Biocrust disturbance was studied in two sites in the northern Negev. The nine treatments included different rates of biocrust inoculum application and NPK fertilization. Recovery rates of the biocrusts were monitored for five years using chemical, physical and bio-physiological tests which determined infiltration rate, soil surface resistance to pressure, shear force of the soil surface, levels of chlorophyll, organic matter and polysaccharide, NDVI and aggregate stability. The results show that untreated disturbed biocrusts present long-term damage and a very slow rate of recovery, which may take decades, while most of the treatments showed a faster recovery. In particular, NDVI, polysaccharide levels and aggregate stability showed steady improvements over the research period.

DALY-Based Health Risk Assessment of Construction Noise in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Xiao, Jun; Li, Xiaodong; Zhang, Zhihui

2016-10-26

Noise produced by construction activities has become the second most serious acoustic polluting element in China. To provide industry practitioners with a better understanding of the health risks of construction noise and to aid in creating environmentally friendly construction plans during early construction stages, we developed a quantitative model to assess the health impairment risks (HIA) associated with construction noise for individuals living adjacent to construction sites. This model classifies noise-induced health impairments into four categories: cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbance, and annoyance, and uses disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) as an indicator of damage. Furthermore, the value of a statistical life (VSL) is used to transform DALYs into a monetary value based on the affected demographic characteristics, thereby offering policy makers a reliable theoretical foundation for establishing reasonable standards to compensate residents suffering from construction noise. A practical earthwork project in Beijing is used as a case study to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model. The results indicate that construction noise could bring significant health risks to the neighboring resident community, with an estimated 34.51 DALYs of health damage and 20.47 million yuan in social costs. In particular, people aged 45-54 are most vulnerable to construction noise, with the greatest health risks being caused by sleep disturbance.

Revealing the Secrets of Stonehenge Through the Application of Laser Scanning, Photogrammetry and Visualisation Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bryan, P. G.; Abbott, M.; Dodson, A. J.

2013-07-01

Stonehenge is perhaps the most famous prehistoric monument in the world. Begun as a simple earthwork enclosure, it was built in several stages with the unique lintelled stone circle being erected in the Neolithic period in around 2,500 BC. Today Stonehenge, together with Avebury and other associated sites, form the heart of a World Heritage Site (WHS) with a unique and dense concentration of outstanding prehistoric monuments. In 2011 English Heritage (EH) embarked on a new survey of the monument. Undertaken by the Greenhatch Group, a commercial survey company based near Derby, a combination of laser scanning and photogrammetric approaches were used to generate the required scale and detailed level of output required by English Heritage. This paper will describe the background to this project and its context within previous survey activities at this World Heritage Site. It will explain the data acquisition technology and processes undertaken on site, the datasets derived from post-processing and their filtering and analysis within both subsequent research projects. Alongside a description of how the data is currently being exploited and proposed future applications within the conservation and management of the site, it will finish by considering the impact of developing geospatial imaging technologies.

Uncertainty modelling and analysis of volume calculations based on a regular grid digital elevation model (DEM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chang; Wang, Qing; Shi, Wenzhong; Zhao, Sisi

2018-05-01

The accuracy of earthwork calculations that compute terrain volume is critical to digital terrain analysis (DTA). The uncertainties in volume calculations (VCs) based on a DEM are primarily related to three factors: 1) model error (ME), which is caused by an adopted algorithm for a VC model, 2) discrete error (DE), which is usually caused by DEM resolution and terrain complexity, and 3) propagation error (PE), which is caused by the variables' error. Based on these factors, the uncertainty modelling and analysis of VCs based on a regular grid DEM are investigated in this paper. Especially, how to quantify the uncertainty of VCs is proposed by a confidence interval based on truncation error (TE). In the experiments, the trapezoidal double rule (TDR) and Simpson's double rule (SDR) were used to calculate volume, where the TE is the major ME, and six simulated regular grid DEMs with different terrain complexity and resolution (i.e. DE) were generated by a Gauss synthetic surface to easily obtain the theoretical true value and eliminate the interference of data errors. For PE, Monte-Carlo simulation techniques and spatial autocorrelation were used to represent DEM uncertainty. This study can enrich uncertainty modelling and analysis-related theories of geographic information science.

DALY-Based Health Risk Assessment of Construction Noise in Beijing, China

PubMed Central

Xiao, Jun; Li, Xiaodong; Zhang, Zhihui

2016-01-01

Noise produced by construction activities has become the second most serious acoustic polluting element in China. To provide industry practitioners with a better understanding of the health risks of construction noise and to aid in creating environmentally friendly construction plans during early construction stages, we developed a quantitative model to assess the health impairment risks (HIA) associated with construction noise for individuals living adjacent to construction sites. This model classifies noise-induced health impairments into four categories: cardiovascular disease, cognitive impairment, sleep disturbance, and annoyance, and uses disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) as an indicator of damage. Furthermore, the value of a statistical life (VSL) is used to transform DALYs into a monetary value based on the affected demographic characteristics, thereby offering policy makers a reliable theoretical foundation for establishing reasonable standards to compensate residents suffering from construction noise. A practical earthwork project in Beijing is used as a case study to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed model. The results indicate that construction noise could bring significant health risks to the neighboring resident community, with an estimated 34.51 DALYs of health damage and 20.47 million yuan in social costs. In particular, people aged 45–54 are most vulnerable to construction noise, with the greatest health risks being caused by sleep disturbance. PMID:27792207

Soil Compaction Assessment Using Spectral Analysis of Surface Waves (SASW)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afiq Roslan, Muhammad; Madun, Aziman; Hazreek Zainalabidin, Mohd; Dan@Azlan, Mohd Firdaus Md; Khaidir Abu Talib, Mohd; Nur Hidayat Zahari, Muhammad; Ambak, Kamaruddin; Ashraf Mohamad Ismail, Mohd

2018-04-01

Compaction is a process of soil densification in earthworks via by pressing the soil particles with air being expelled from the soil mass, thereby increasing its unit weight. Thus, it is important to evaluate the quality of soil compaction as prescribed in the technical requirement. SASW method is widely used for estimating material properties in layered structures based on the dispersion characteristics of Rayleigh Waves. The small scale at dimension area of 1.0 m width x 1.0 m length x 0.9 m depth was excavated and back filled with laterite soil. The soil was compacted for every layer at 0.3 m thickness. Each layer of soil compaction was conducted compaction test using core cutter methods and SASW test to determine the density and shear wave velocity. The phase velocity for layer 1 was between 112 m/s and 114 m/s, layer 2 was between 67 m/s and 74 m/s and layer 3 was between 74 m/s and 97 m/s. The result shows that the compacted soil layers are not fulfilled the quality of compacted soil layers where supposedly the expected shear wave velocity for the compacted layers should be higher than 180 m/s which is classified as stiff soil.

Derailment-based Fault Tree Analysis on Risk Management of Railway Turnout Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dindar, Serdar; Kaewunruen, Sakdirat; An, Min; Gigante-Barrera, Ángel

2017-10-01

Railway turnouts are fundamental mechanical infrastructures, which allow a rolling stock to divert one direction to another. As those are of a large number of engineering subsystems, e.g. track, signalling, earthworks, these particular sub-systems are expected to induce high potential through various kind of failure mechanisms. This could be a cause of any catastrophic event. A derailment, one of undesirable events in railway operation, often results, albeit rare occurs, in damaging to rolling stock, railway infrastructure and disrupt service, and has the potential to cause casualties and even loss of lives. As a result, it is quite significant that a well-designed risk analysis is performed to create awareness of hazards and to identify what parts of the systems may be at risk. This study will focus on all types of environment based failures as a result of numerous contributing factors noted officially as accident reports. This risk analysis is designed to help industry to minimise the occurrence of accidents at railway turnouts. The methodology of the study relies on accurate assessment of derailment likelihood, and is based on statistical multiple factors-integrated accident rate analysis. The study is prepared in the way of establishing product risks and faults, and showing the impact of potential process by Boolean algebra.

Lime treatment of an Italian pyroclastic soil: a multi-scale analysis for the correlation of mechanical and chemo-mineralogical effects.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guidobaldi, Giulia; Cambi, Costanza; Cecconi, Manuela; Comodi, Paola; Zucchini, Azzurra

2017-04-01

In recent years, the ever-growing need to minimize costs and environmental impact in the construction of major civil infrastructure has led to the development of a large amount of methods based on the reuse of local materials. In particular, one of the most diffused methods is represented by lime treatment, widely applied in earthwork field to achieve mechanical improvement of otherwise unsuitable fine grained soils. However, unlike fine grained soils, many other types of world-wide common natural soils still represent a geotechnical obstacle. Among these, pyroclastic soils are a typology widely spread in Central and Southern Italy that finds marginal applications in earthworks practice due to the intrinsic complexities in terms of nature, heterogeneity, microstructural features and unsaturated hydro-mechanical behaviour. The need to overcome the described limitations motivates the focus of this work on the geotechnical characterization of pyroclastic deposits along with the increasing attention on the volume-scale and micro-scale features characterization and correlation. The main goal of the present study is to highlight the effects of lime treatment on a zeolite rich pyroclastic soil, focusing on the relationship between macro and micro modifications induced by lime addition. Within this research, an extensive experimental work was developed on a zeolitic pyroclastic soil coming from Orvieto cliff (Vulsini volcanic district, Central Italy). The overall investigation was organized in three phases: the first phase was devoted to the thorough chemo-physical and mineralogical characterization of the raw soil; subsequently, conventional direct shear tests were performed on reconstituted specimens of both raw and lime treated soil (2% and 5% Ca(OH)2) at increasing curing times and stress levels; finally, a wide chemo-mineralogical investigation was carried out on the lime treated samples to gain a more complete knowledge of the reactions responsible for the mechanical improvements. Direct shear tests on treated soil samples revealed a brittle and dilatant behaviour; both features are more evident with increasing lime content, curing time and stress levels. Mechanical and chemo-mineralogical observations were coupled to obtain a better comprehension of the treated soil system evolution. During the chemo-mineralogical investigation phase, the ongoing system modifications at particle level were extremely stressed mixing soil and lime in the same weight proportions. This also led to a clear identification of the reaction products and kinetics through µX-Ray Fluorescence, X-Ray Diffraction, Thermogravimetry, Fourier Transformed Infra-Red and 29Si Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. The performed multi-scale analysis of the treated pyroclastic soil revealed the high reactivity of the system to lime addition, and the occurrence of pozzolanic reactions since the very beginning. The availability of secondary phases, in both crystalline and gel-like state, and their structural features are the main responsible for the observed mechanical behavior of the treated soil, showing the effectiveness of the treatment and the key role of zeolites in the chemo-physical evolution of the system. The obtained results, validated and supported by a deep comprehension of the micro-scale processes induced by lime treatment might open new perspective for future fruitful applications of pyroclastic problematic soils.

Study of Lever-Arm Effect Using Embedded Photogrammetry and On-Board GPS Receiver on Uav for Metrological Mapping Purpose and Proposal of a Free Ground Measurements Calibration Procedure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daakir, M.; Pierrot-Deseilligny, M.; Bosser, P.; Pichard, F.; Thom, C.; Rabot, Y.

2016-03-01

Nowadays, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) on-board photogrammetry knows a significant growth due to the democratization of using drones in the civilian sector. Also, due to changes in regulations laws governing the rules of inclusion of a UAV in the airspace which become suitable for the development of professional activities. Fields of application of photogrammetry are diverse, for instance: architecture, geology, archaeology, mapping, industrial metrology, etc. Our research concerns the latter area. Vinci-Construction- Terrassement is a private company specialized in public earthworks that uses UAVs for metrology applications. This article deals with maximum accuracy one can achieve with a coupled camera and GPS receiver system for direct-georeferencing of Digital Surface Models (DSMs) without relying on Ground Control Points (GCPs) measurements. This article focuses specially on the lever-arm calibration part. This proposed calibration method is based on two steps: a first step involves the proper calibration for each sensor, i.e. to determine the position of the optical center of the camera and the GPS antenna phase center in a local coordinate system relative to the sensor. A second step concerns a 3d modeling of the UAV with embedded sensors through a photogrammetric acquisition. Processing this acquisition allows to determine the value of the lever-arm offset without using GCPs.

Research-informed design, management and maintenance of infrastructure slopes: development of a multi-scalar approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glendinning, S.; Helm, P. R.; Rouainia, M.; Stirling, R. A.; Asquith, J. D.; Hughes, P. N.; Toll, D. G.; Clarke, D.; Powrie, W.; Smethurst, J.; Hughes, D.; Harley, R.; Karim, R.; Dixon, N.; Crosby, C.; Chambers, J.; Dijkstra, T.; Gunn, D.; Briggs, K.; Muddle, D.

2015-09-01

The UK's transport infrastructure is one of the most heavily used in the world. The performance of these networks is critically dependent on the performance of cutting and embankment slopes which make up £20B of the £60B asset value of major highway infrastructure alone. The rail network in particular is also one of the oldest in the world: many of these slopes are suffering high incidents of instability (increasing with time). This paper describes the development of a fundamental understanding of earthwork material and system behaviour, through the systematic integration of research across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Spatially these range from microscopic studies of soil fabric, through elemental materials behaviour to whole slope modelling and monitoring and scaling up to transport networks. Temporally, historical and current weather event sequences are being used to understand and model soil deterioration processes, and climate change scenarios to examine their potential effects on slope performance in futures up to and including the 2080s. The outputs of this research are being mapped onto the different spatial and temporal scales of infrastructure slope asset management to inform the design of new slopes through to changing the way in which investment is made into aging assets. The aim ultimately is to help create a more reliable, cost effective, safer and more resilient transport system.

Potential of scrap tire rubber as lightweight aggregate in flowable fill.

PubMed

Pierce, C E; Blackwell, M C

2003-01-01

Flowable fill is a self-leveling and self-compacting material that is rapidly gaining acceptance and application in construction, particularly in transportation and utility earthworks. When mixed with concrete sand, standard flowable fill produces a mass density ranging from 1.8 to 2.3 g/cm(3) (115-145 pcf). Scrap tires can be granulated to produce crumb rubber, which has a granular texture and ranges in size from very fine powder to coarse sand-sized particles. Due to its low specific gravity, crumb rubber can be considered a lightweight aggregate. This paper describes an experimental study on replacing sand with crumb rubber in flowable fill to produce a lightweight material. To assess the technical feasibility of using crumb rubber, the fluid- and hardened-state properties of nine flowable fill mixtures were measured. Mixture proportions were varied to investigate the effects of water-to-cement ratio and crumb rubber content on fill properties. Experimental results indicate that crumb rubber can be successfully used to produce a lightweight flowable fill (1.2-1.6 g/cm(3) [73-98 pcf]) with excavatable 28-day compressive strengths ranging from 269 to 1194 kPa (39-173 psi). Using a lightweight fill reduces the applied stress on underlying soils, thereby reducing the potential for bearing capacity failure and minimizing soil settlement. Based on these results, a crumb rubber-based flowable fill can be used in a substantial number of construction applications, such as bridge abutment fills, trench fills, and foundation support fills.

Research and Enhancement of Used Tyres, Such as Material Innovative in Algeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belabdelouahab, F.; Trouzine, H.

Currently engineers seeking to improve the characteristics of soils used for the construction of earthworks, with innovations developed from ideas, products or processes of original construction, the land army is an early example particularly successful but there are many other processes as well as other Pneusol processes more or less known to sometimes use bulky industrial wastes, while fitting well into the existing environment. In this paper, we discuss a particular research work within the framework of environmental protection and sustainable development, led to the realization of the recovery and reuse of used tires in the construction of works civil engineering. The main objective of this paper is to present the results of studies in Algiers on ENSTP "Pneusol reducing the thrust" on a scale model on the study of a retaining wall reinforced by a simulation tablecloths tires, and the results of particular research enterprise at the University Djillali Liabes of Sidi Bel Abbes, on an experimental campaign on the Pneusol under expansive soil foundations. Topics will also present the projects carried out in Algeria, as the pilot of stability of a slope to Pneusol in Bousmail (2005), then another item of protection against landslides in Bejaia (2006), from the project of Africa in Mostaganem (2007), concerning the stability of an embankment on the RN11 road, and the conduct of a small dike protection technology Pneusol in Blida (2008), and in 2010 the stability of a landslide in Miliana.

Effigy mound sites as cultural landscapes: A geophysical spatial analysis of two Late Woodland sites in southeastern Wisconsin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaufmann, Kira E.

This dissertation is a spatial analysis of a class of sacred sites known as Effigy Mounds during the Late Woodland period in southeast Wisconsin, circa A.D. 700--1100. Effigy Mounds are earthworks in the shape of animals, conical, linear, or geometric shapes. The research is focused on the upper Rock River Drainage in southern Wisconsin, a region where Effigy Mounds are very common. Although there are many theories concerning the meanings of Effigy Mounds, there is no cohesive description of Effigy Mounds as landscape elements and their function in the use of space by Late Woodland people. This research connects cultural and cognitive aspects of Native American cosmology with physical manifestations on the landscape. Effigy Mounds are examined from ideological and physical perspectives that are not mutually exclusive. Effigy Mounds are viewed as signifiers with multiple levels of function and meaning including sacred space, territorial markers, and mechanisms of social control and cohesion. Investigation at two Late Woodland Effigy Mound sites, Indian Mounds County Park in Jefferson County and Nitschke Mounds County Park in Dodge County, shows that landscape utilization varied significantly within and among Effigy Mound sites. An alternative model to understand Late Woodland Effigy Mound sites as ritual landscapes explores these features, their distribution across space, and the connection to internal site structures by synthesizing multidisciplinary data from historical ethnographic accounts, previous archaeological surveys, and new geophysical data. This multidisciplinary approach provides an example applicable to other landscape studies.

Methods of erection of high-rise buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherednichenko, Nadezhda; Oleinik, Pavel

2018-03-01

The article contains the factors determining the choice of methods for organizing the construction and production of construction and installation work for the construction of high-rise buildings. There are also indicated specific features of their underground parts, characterized by powerful slab-pile foundations, large volumes of earthworks, reinforced bases and foundations for assembly cranes. The work cycle is considered when using reinforced concrete, steel and combined skeletons of high-rise buildings; the areas of application of flow, separate and complex methods are being disclosed. The main conditions for the erection of high-rise buildings and their components are singled out: the choice of formwork systems, delivery and lifting of concrete mixes, installation of reinforcement, the formation of lifting and transporting and auxiliary equipment. The article prescribes the reserves of reduction in the duration of construction due to the creation of: complex mechanized technologies for the efficient construction of foundations in various soil conditions, including in the heaving, swelling, hindered, subsidence, bulk, water-saturated forms; complex mechanized technologies for the erection of monolithic reinforced concrete structures, taking into account the winter conditions of production and the use of mobile concrete-laying complexes and new generation machines; modular formwork systems, distinguished by their versatility, ease, simplicity in operation suitable for complex high-rise construction; more perfect methodology and the development of a set of progressive organizational and technological solutions that ensure a rational relationship between the processes of production and their maximum overlap in time and space.

Review On Feasibility of Using Satellite Imaging for Risk Management of Derailment Related Turnout Component Failures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dindar, Serdar; Kaewunruen, Sakdirat; Osman, Mohd H.

2017-10-01

One of the emerging significant advances in engineering, satellite imaging (SI) is becoming very common in any kind of civil engineering projects e.g., bridge, canal, dam, earthworks, power plant, water works etc., to provide an accurate, economical and expeditious means of acquiring a rapid assessment. Satellite imaging services in general utilise combinations of high quality satellite imagery, image processing and interpretation to obtain specific required information, e.g. surface movement analysis. To extract, manipulate and provide such a precise knowledge, several systems, including geographic information systems (GIS) and global positioning system (GPS), are generally used for orthorectification. Although such systems are useful for mitigating risk from projects, their productiveness is arguable and operational risk after application is open to discussion. As the applicability of any novel application to the railway industry is often measured in terms of whether or not it has gained in-depth knowledge and to what degree, as a result of errors during its operation, this novel application generates risk in ongoing projects. This study reviews what can be achievable for risk management of railway turnouts thorough satellite imaging. The methodology is established on the basis of other published articles in this area and the results of applications to understand how applicable such imagining process is on railway turnouts, and how sub-systems in turnouts can be effectively traced/operated with less risk than at present. As a result of this review study, it is aimed that the railway sector better understands risk mitigation in particular applications.

Steel Sheet Piles - Applications and Elementary Design Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobala, Dariusz; Rybak, Jarosław

2017-10-01

High-intensity housing having been carried out in town’s centres causes that many complex issues related to earthworks and foundations must be resolved. Project owners are required to ensure respective number of parking bays, which in turn demands 2-3 storeys of underground car parks. It is especially difficult to fulfil in dense buildings of old town areas where apart from engineering problems, very stringent requirements of heritage conservator supervision are also raised. The problems with ensuring stability of excavation sidewalls need to be, at the same time, dealt with analysis of foundations of neighbouring structures, and possible strengthening them at the stages of installing the excavation protection walls, progressing the excavations and constructing basement storeys. A separate problem refers to necessity of constructing underground storeys below the level of local groundwater. This requires long-term lowering of water table inside excavation while at possibly limited intervention in hydrological regime beyond the project in progress. In river valleys such “hoarding off” the excavation and cutting off groundwater leads to temporary or permanent disturbances of groundwater run-off and local swellings. Traditional way to protect vertical fault and simultaneously to cut-off groundwater inflow consists in application of steel sheet pilings. They enable to construct monolithic reinforced concrete structures of underground storeys thus ensuring both their tightness and high rigidity of foundation. Depending on situation, steel sheet pilings can be in retrieving or staying-in-place versions. This study deals with some selected aspects of engineering design and fabrication of sheet piling for deep excavations and underground parts of buildings.

Landslide Distribution, Damage and Land Use Interactions During the 2004 Chuetsu Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sidle, R. C.; Trandafir, A. C.; Kamai, T.

2005-05-01

A series of earthquakes struck Niigata Prefecture, Japan, on 23 October 2004 killing about 40 people and injuring about 3000. These earthquakes were characterized by a shallow focal depth (13 km) that generated strong levels of ground motion, resulting in extensive damage and thousands of landslides throughout the region. Most landslides on natural slopes occurred in the regional geological structure consisting of sandy siltstone and thin-bedded alternations of sandstone and siltstone. Earthquakes exacerbate such potential instabilities by the ground motion induced and the enhancement of pore water pressure in wet regoliths. The three strongest earthquakes occurred within a period of less than 40 minutes, and had sequential magnitudes (JMA) of 6.8, 6.3, and 6.5. The highest density of landslides (12/km2) was mapped within a 2.9 km radius of the M6.5 epicenter near Yamakoshi village; about 4 times higher density compared to the other epicenters located to the east and west. This higher density may be a consequence of the cumulative shaking effects associated with the two earlier earthquakes of M6.8 and 6.5, in addition to the topographic and geologic factors controlling the stability of the region. Roads, residential fills, agricultural terraces on hillslopes, and other earthworks increased the susceptibility of sites to slope failure. Numerous earthquake-induced failures in terraces and adjacent hillslopes around rice paddy fields occurred near Yamakoshi village. A housing development in Nagaoka city constructed on an old earthflow suffered from severe damage to fill slopes during the earthquake. Nearly saturated conditions in these deep fills together with poor drainage systems contributed to the landslide damages. Clearly, land use activities in rural and urban areas exacerbated the extent of earthquake-triggered landslides.

Geospatial modeling approach to monument construction using Michigan from A.D. 1000-1600 as a case study.

PubMed

Howey, Meghan C L; Palace, Michael W; McMichael, Crystal H

2016-07-05

Building monuments was one way that past societies reconfigured their landscapes in response to shifting social and ecological factors. Understanding the connections between those factors and monument construction is critical, especially when multiple types of monuments were constructed across the same landscape. Geospatial technologies enable past cultural activities and environmental variables to be examined together at large scales. Many geospatial modeling approaches, however, are not designed for presence-only (occurrence) data, which can be limiting given that many archaeological site records are presence only. We use maximum entropy modeling (MaxEnt), which works with presence-only data, to predict the distribution of monuments across large landscapes, and we analyze MaxEnt output to quantify the contributions of spatioenvironmental variables to predicted distributions. We apply our approach to co-occurring Late Precontact (ca. A.D. 1000-1600) monuments in Michigan: (i) mounds and (ii) earthwork enclosures. Many of these features have been destroyed by modern development, and therefore, we conducted archival research to develop our monument occurrence database. We modeled each monument type separately using the same input variables. Analyzing variable contribution to MaxEnt output, we show that mound and enclosure landscape suitability was driven by contrasting variables. Proximity to inland lakes was key to mound placement, and proximity to rivers was key to sacred enclosures. This juxtaposition suggests that mounds met local needs for resource procurement success, whereas enclosures filled broader regional needs for intergroup exchange and shared ritual. Our study shows how MaxEnt can be used to develop sophisticated models of past cultural processes, including monument building, with imperfect, limited, presence-only data.

Overview of landslide problems, research, and mitigation, Cincinnati, Ohio, area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baum, Rex L.; Johnson, Arvid M.

1996-01-01

Landslides cause much damage to property throughout the metropolitan area of Cincinnati, Ohio. Most landslides occur in unconsolidated deposits, including colluvium, till, glacial lake clays, and man-made fill derived from colluvium and glacial deposits. Landslides in thin colluvium are widespread on steeper slopes that wall the valleys of the Ohio River and its tributaries. Abundant landslides also form in thick colluvium on flatter slopes, especially where the colluvium has been disturbed by earthwork. Unusual block glides and block-extrusion glides form where till rests on lake clay. Through the years, knowledge of the distribution and causes of landslides has increased as a result of many investigations. This knowledge became part of the basis for landslide mitigation programs adopted by the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio. In 1974 the Cincinnati City Council passed an excavation and fill ordinance to help reduce landslide damage in areas of new construction. In 1989 following much additional study, Cincinnati created a geotechnical office within its Department of Public Works. The office, which is staffed by a geotechnical engineer, an engineering geologist, and two technicians, carries out a mitigation program. Since 1989, members of the geotechnical staff have worked in several ways to reduce landslide damage in the city; their work includes engineering-geologic mapping of selected parts of the city, inspection of retaining walls that impact public right-of-way, review of proposed construction in hillside areas, inspecting and arranging for repair of landslide areas that affect city property, and compiling geologic and geotechnical data on landslide areas within the city. In 1990, Hamilton County also adopted an excavation and fill ordinance to help reduce the damage due to landslides in areas of new construction.

Laser Scanning and Modelling of Barely Visible Features: the Survey of the Grotto of the Animals at the Villa of Castello (florence)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesi, V.; Tucci, G.; Bonora, V.; Fiorini, L.; Conti, A.

2017-05-01

The deep fusion of natural and artificial elements typical of Italian Renaissance gardens is particularly evident in the park of Villa di Castello and in the Grotto of the Animals, also called Grotto of the Flood. The soil slope is the essential element of a huge underlying hydraulic machine and it is the result of extensive earthworks which led to the construction of the big retaining wall limiting the grotto and the adjacent fountains. Hence, this grotto represents only the visible part of a mechanism running all around it. It is formed by a single chamber vaulted and covered with sponge-like stones, as well as decorations made of pebbles and shells. The space is divided into three wings, with big marble basins at their end. Over them there are reliefs of animals made of different stones and marbles. Animals recur also in the compositions of fish and shellfish decorating the side basins and in the bronze birds currently kept in the Museo del Bargello. The name "Grotto of the Flood" comes from the water feature that characterised this place: visitors were surprised by tens of jets hidden among the stones in the vault and in the floor. To obtain this effect, the whole grotto is surrounded by multi-storey tunnels, hiding the hydraulic system and people activating the mechanisms. Research agreements were drawn up between the Special Superintendence for the Historical, Artistic and Ethnoanthropological Heritage, the Florence museums group and the GeCO Lab, for the realization of the survey presented in this paper. The task of the GeCO Lab was thus identifying the best solutions to check the spatial relations between the grotto and the area above, as well as the geometric and functional connections between the building and the ancient hydraulic system, composed by pipes and nozzles concealed between the stones. Besides, the overall survey was intended as a documentation of the on-going restoration work.

Flux estimation of fugitive particulate matter emissions from loose Calcisols at construction sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, Hala A.; Kumar, Prashant; Kakosimos, Konstantinos E.

2016-09-01

A major source of airborne pollution in arid and semi-arid environments (i.e. North Africa, Middle East, Central Asia, and Australia) is the fugitive particulate matter (fPM), which is a frequent product of wind erosion. However, accurate determination of fPM is an ongoing scientific challenge. The objective of this study is to examine fPM emissions from the loose Calcisols (i.e. soils with a substantial accumulation of secondary carbonates), owing to construction activities that can be frequently seen nowadays in arid urbanizing regions such as the Middle East. A two months field campaign was conducted at a construction site, at rest, within the city of Doha (Qatar) to measure number concentrations of PM over a size range of 0.25-32 μm using light scattering based monitoring stations. The fPM emission fluxes were calculated using the Fugitive Dust Model (FDM) in an iterative manner and were fitted to a power function, which expresses the wind velocity dependence. The power factors were estimated as 1.87, 1.65, 2.70 and 2.06 for the four different size classes of particles ≤2.5, 2.5-6, 6-10 and ≤10 μm, respectively. Fitted power function was considered acceptable given that adjusted R2 values varied from 0.13 for the smaller particles and up to 0.69 for the larger ones. These power factors are in the same range of those reported in the literature for similar sources. The outcome of this study is expected to contribute to the improvement of PM emission inventories by focusing on an overlooked but significant pollution source, especially in dry and arid regions, and often located very close to residential areas and sensitive population groups. Further campaigns are recommended to reduce the uncertainty and include more fPM sources (e.g. earthworks) and other types of soil.

Debris flow hazards in plantation forests in New Zealand: what we know and need to know

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Phillips, Chris; Basher, Les; Marden, Michael; Harrison, Duncan; Heaphy, Marie

2015-04-01

In recent years, extensive storm-induced landsliding has mobilised woody residue during or after plantation forest harvesting and caused debris flows that have affected houses, roads and bridges downstream of forests in several parts of New Zealand. In part, this relates to increasing levels of harvesting activity as many plantations originally planted for soil conservation purposes have reached merchantable size but could also be in response to an increasing incidence of high intensity storms affecting parts of New Zealand. In several cases these incidents have featured on national television and in newspaper headlines with members of the public complaining about the consequences of forestry operations on steep erodible hill country. Forestry companies have responded by developing more detailed environmental impact assessment and erosion and sediment control planning approaches, and by assisting with clean-up operations. Similarly regional councils (the regulatory bodies) have looked more closely at the environmental impacts of forest harvesting and some have modified erosion and sediment control guidelines, previously largely applied to urban earthworks, for forestry application. As part of a wider research programme that aims to raise the profitability and improve the sustainability of New Zealand's forestry sector, we collected information from both forestry companies and regional and unitary councils via survey and interviews to determine the size and scope of the issue, how individual forest companies were identifying and managing the risk, and to determine if national threshold conditions or standards could be established. Even with risk management and good management practices in place, it will not be possible to entirely avoid slope failures and debris flows following harvesting in the future. Thus the need to determine a national level of understanding of what can and can't be managed for is important to allow the development of risk management approaches that all parties can agree with. This paper reports preliminary survey results and discusses company-, regional-, and national-level approaches to begin to address how this issue might be approached in the future on steep eroding hill country in New Zealand.

Land, Water and Society in the Maya Lowlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murtha, T.; French, K.; Duffy, C.; Webster, D.

2013-12-01

This paper reports the results of our project investigating the long-term spatial and temporal dynamics of land use management, agricultural decision-making and patterns of resource availability in the tropical lowlands of Central America. Overall, our project combines diachronic environmental simulation with historic settlement pattern survey to address a series of long-standing questions about the coupled natural and human (CNH) landscape history in the Central Maya lowlands (at the UNESCO world heritage site of Tikal in the Maya Biosphere Reserve). The paper describes the preliminary results of our project, including changing patterns of land, water, settlement and political history using climate, soil and hydrologic modeling and time series spatial analysis of population and settlement patterns. The critical period of the study, 1000 BC until the present, begins with dispersed settlements accompanied by widespread deforestation and soil erosion. Population size and density grows rapidly for 800 years, while deforestation and erosion rates decline; however, there is striking evidence of political evolution during this period, including the construction of monumental architecture, hieroglyphic monuments detailing wars and alliances, and the construction of a defensive earthwork feature, signaling political territories and possibly delineating natural resource boundaries. Population decline and steady reforestation followed until more recent migration into the region, which has impacted the biosphere ecology. Building on our previous research regionally and comparative research completed in Belize and Mexico, we are modeling sample periods the 3,000-year landscape history of the region, comparing land and water availability to population distributions and what we know about political history. Simulations are generated using historic climate and land use data, primarily relying on the Erosion Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) and the Penn State Integrated Hydrologic Modeling System (PIHMgis). This study primarily contributes to understanding long-term environmental change, agrarian decision-making, settlement patterns and critical issues facing agrarian communities globally. Specifically, our research provides an enhanced understanding of one of the most compelling landscape narratives of coupled human and natural history, i.e., the rise and fall of the Maya in the lowland tropical forest of Central America. Importantly, we offer a new approach to studying these broad issues, by integrating coupled climate, soil and hydrologic modeling, with more traditional landscape and anthropological research methods. Data model illustrating relationship between deforestation maize production and population history. 100 year sample periods are highlighted.

Integrating Scientists into Teacher Professional Development—Strategies for Success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynds, S. E.; Buhr, S. M.; Smith, L. K.

2010-12-01

Professional development workshops for science teachers can be greatly enhanced by scientist participation. Such workshops may promote a collegial community and mutual understanding between researchers and educators. The CIRES (Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences) Education and Outreach (EO) group at the University of Colorado, Boulder, has over a decade of experience in successfully developing and hosting such events. Scientist participation in these workshops varies widely—from giving formal presentations to working one-on-one with educators in designing a research project. Researchers from CIRES, NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), NSIDC (National Snow and Ice Data Center), and other Colorado agencies and institutions have participated in the workshops. In addition, graduate students in scientific research programs at the University of Colorado are frequently involved. Such workshops can be effective broader impacts components of scientific programs. One example of a long-running successful program was the Earthworks project (1998-2007), a one-week workshop for secondary science teachers from around the country. With the help of practicing geoscientists, participants working in teams designed and conducted a field-based interdisciplinary study. Attendees were so enthusiastic that the ongoing Listserv community (including both scientist and educators) is still active and engaged three years after the last workshop. In a more recent example, since 2009 CIRES EO has been hosting an annual week-long summer workshop as the COSEE (Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence) West—Colorado Collaborative. The COSEE workshops have had a different theme each year. In 2010, the workshop explored the link between Arctic sea ice, the Greenland ice sheet, sea level, and global climate processes. Extensive evaluation efforts have been included in the design of each workshop and the evaluation results are used to improve subsequent workshops. To measure achievement of program goals, feedback surveys, interviews, and workshop observation are employed. Evaluation data have shown consistently throughout the years that both educators and scientists value the time spent with each other at these workshops. Scientists enjoy sharing their topic areas with motivated and energetic educators. Conversely, science teachers appreciate the opportunity to work directly with scientists and to hear about cutting-edge research being done. This paper will review the most successful strategies for including scientists in professional development workshops, from both the teachers’ and the scientists’ perspectives.

Raised fields in the Llanos de Moxos, Bolivia - description and analysis of their morphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, Leonor; Lombardo, Umberto; Veit, Heinz

2014-05-01

The disturbance of Pre Columbian populations on Amazonian ecosystems is being actively debated. The traditional view of amazon being an untouched landscape because of its poor soils and harsh climate has been challenged and the extreme opposite idea of highly modified landscapes with complex societies is growing. Recent research has led to new impulses and issues requesting about the agricultural strategies people developed to survive in this climate. The Llanos de Moxos, situated in the Bolivian Lowlands in south-eastern Amazonia is one important region which was densely altered and where a great variety of earthworks can be found. One of the most impressive earth works are the raised fields, which are earth platforms for cultivation of differing shape and dimension that are elevated above the landscapes natural surface. In contrast to the "terra preta" formation where artefacts and amendments like charcoal and kitchen waste have been clearly identified, raised fields have shown to be artefact poor and studies up till now couldn't find any evidence of additional amendments which could have improved soil quality in the long term. As a result the function and productivity of raised fields is still not well understood and is being actively discussed. Detailed investigations on raised fields located in the indigenous community of Bermeo, in the vicinity of San Ignacio de Moxos provides data showing a novel explanation of the Pre-Columbian management of raised fields, and a chronological sequence of their utilization and abandonment. OSL dating has shown that the raised fields had been in use since as early as 600 AD. Comparison of Geochemistry with a reference profile, away from raised fields, showed that there is no evidence for manure amendments deriving from kitchen waste or animal residues suggesting a rather extensive use of those fields. Complementary the description of intern morphology and laboratory analysis of this raised fields, combined with radiocarbon dating of charcoal, points towards separate periods of management and use, indicating temporarily cultivation similar to shifting cultivation. This finding supports the idea that the construction of raised fields in the llanos de Moxos could have resulted from the need to extend the cultivation ground by draining land which is flooded during the rainy season.

Professional Development in Climate Science Education as a Model for Navigating the Next Generations Science Standards - A High School Science Teacher's Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manning, C.; Buhr, S. M.

2012-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards attempt to move the American K12 education system into the 21st century by focusing on science and engineering practice, crosscutting concepts, and the core ideas of the different disciplines. Putting these standards into practice will challenge a deeply entrenched system and science educators will need significant financial support from state and local governments, professional development from colleges and universities, and the creation of collegial academic networks that will help solve the many problems that will arise. While all of this sounds overwhelming, there are proven strategies and mechanisms already in place. Educators who tackle challenging topics like global climate change are turning to scientists and other like-minded teachers. Many of these teachers have never taken a class in atmospheric science but are expected to know the basics of climate and understand the emerging science as well. Teachers need scientists to continue to reach out and provide rigorous and in-depth professional development opportunities that enable them to answer difficult student questions and deal with community misconceptions about climate science. Examples of such programs include Earthworks, ICEE (Inspiring Climate Education Excellence) and ESSEA (Earth System Science Education Alliance). Projects like CLEAN (Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network) provide excellent resources that teachers can integrate into their lessons. All of these benefit from the umbrella of documents like Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science. Support from the aforementioned networks has encouraged the development of effective approaches for teaching climate science. From the perspective of a Geoscience master teacher and instructional coach, this presentation will demonstrate how scientists, researchers, and science education professionals have created models for professional development that create long-term networks supporting teachers who are willing to change how science is being taught right now. There will be specific examples of clearly written, evidence-based tools that address the general public's lack of critical climate knowledge and help to identify and change students' misconceptions. Specific content areas that continue to be overlooked as "common knowledge" but that need to be addressed in both pre- and in-service teacher instruction, textbooks, and online resources will be identified.

Urban Landslides Induced by the 2004 Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamai, T.; Trandafir, A. C.; Sidle, R. C.

2005-05-01

Landslides triggered by the Chuetsu earthquake occurred in artificial slopes of some new developments in suburban Nagaoka, the largest city in the affected area. The landslides occurred in hilly terrain of the eastern part of Nagaoka between the alluvial plain and Tertiary folded mountains of Yamakoshi. Although the extent of landslides in urban Nagaoka was small compared with landslides on natural slopes (especially near Yamakoshi), they represent an important case study for urban landslide disasters. Slope instabilities in urban residential areas were classified as: A) landslides in steep embankments; B) landslides in gently sloping artificial valley fills; C) re-activation of old landslides; and D) liquefaction in deep artificial valley fills. All these failures occurred in relatively uniform suburban landscapes, which were significantly modified from the original landforms. Recent destructive earthquakes in Japan caused similar types of slope failures in urban regions, suggesting that lessons from past earthquakes were not implemented. The greatest damage due to type-A failures occurred in the 25-yr old Takamachi residential area, where about 70 of 522 homes were judged to be uninhabitable. Before development, this area was an isolated hill (90 m elevation) with an adjacent terrace (60 m elevation) consisting of gravel, sand, and silt of the lower to middle Pleistocene deposits. Development earthworks removed the hill crest and created a wide plateau (70 m elevation); excavated soil was placed on the perimeter as an embankment. During the earthquake, the embankment slope collapsed, including retaining walls, perimeter road, and homes. The most serious damage occurred in five places around the margin of the plateau corresponding to shallow valley fills (5 to 8 m thick). Earthquake response analyses using an equivalent linear model indicated the amplification of seismic waves at the surface of embankment slopes, and the peak earthquake acceleration exceeded 1 G in the case of embankment thicknesses <8 m. The natural frequency at the shoulder of embankment slopes is inversely proportion to fill thickness; less than the predominant frequency of the earthquake (3 Hz). Shallow embankments were unstable compared to deeper embankments because their natural frequency was close to the predominant frequency of the earthquake. Thus, we expect widespread embankment failures in megacities during the next giant earthquake shaking with low predominant frequency originating offshore of the Pacific Ocean.

Correlation-based static correction of 4D seismic data with a demonstration at the Ketzin CO2 storage site, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergmann, P.; Kashubin, A.; Ivandic, M.; Lueth, S.; Juhlin, C.

2013-12-01

Statics are time-shifts that occur in reflection seismic trace data and are generally considered to be mainly due to shallow velocity variations. Since the refraction static correction is most often based on first break picking and subsequent velocity model estimation, it is even today a labor-consuming and error-prone procedure. Time-lapse seismic also faces this issue in a temporal sense, since changes in statics, due to temporally variable near-surface conditions, are known to be first-order contributors to time-lapse noise. Considerable changes in the statics of repeated on-shore seismic surveys can occur due to precipitation-related changes in soil moisture and in the groundwater table, or may be due to man-made earthworks. Production-related or injection-related processes can cause considerable velocity changes, which leave time-shift imprints on time-lapse seismic data that can be very similar to that of near-surface velocity variations. In this context it is crucial to consider that refraction static corrections are in many cases of limited use, as they aim to enhance the stack coherency of the individual time-lapse data sets only. As an alternative, we propose a time-lapse difference (TLD) static correction that is focused on the accommodation of static changes between the time-lapse data sets. This TLD static correction decomposes the static differences that are determined from cross-correlations in a surface-consistent manner. It therefore does not require first break picking and inversion for velocities from repeat data sets. We tested the TLD static correction for a 4D case study from the Ketzin CO2 storage site, Germany. As a reference we used the results that were obtained from a recent processing in which refraction static corrections were performed individually on the time-lapse data sets. Although the TLD static corrections method is considerably less time-consuming, we found that it is providing a stack difference with enhanced S/N. This is particularly demonstrated for a 4D seismic signature that is proven to be due to injected CO2. This Ketzin case study shows further that the pattern of the TLD statics is highly consistent with patterns in the cumulative precipitation data. This observation confirms that near-surface velocity changes are due to changes in the soil-moisture saturation and that an efficient compensation for them can be achieved by the TLD static correction.

Products of steel slags an opportunity to save natural resources.

PubMed

Motz, H; Geiseler, J

2001-01-01

In Germany, and in the most industrial countries, the use of blast furnace and steel slags as an aggregate for civil engineering, for metallurgical use and as fertiliser has a very long tradition. Since the introduction of the basic oxygen steel making furnace (BOF) process and the electric arc furnace (EAF) process the German steel industry started extensive research on the development of fields of application for BOF and EAF slags. These investigations have been mainly performed by Forschungsgemeinschaft Eisenhüttenschlacken e. V. (FEhS), the Research Association for blast furnace and steel slags. Today steel slags are well characterised and long-term experienced materials mainly used as aggregates for road construction (e.g. asphaltic or unbound layers), as armour-stones for hydraulic engineering constructions (e.g. stabilisation of shores), and as fertiliser for agriculture purposes. These multifarious fields of application could only be achieved because the steelworks influence the quality of slags by a careful selection of raw materials and a suitable process route. Furthermore, subsequent procedures like a treatment of the liquid slag, an appropriate heat treatment and a suitable processing have been developed to ensure that the quality of steel slags is always adequate for the end use. Depending on the respective field of application, the suitability of steel slags has to be proven by determining the technical properties, as well as the environmental compatibility. For this reason test methods have been developed to evaluate the technical properties especially the volume stability and the environmental behaviour. To evaluate the volume stability a suitable test (steam test) has been developed and the results from laboratory tests were compared with the behaviour of steel slags under practical conditions, e.g. in a road. To determine the environmental behaviour leaching tests have been developed. In the meanwhile most of these test methods are drafted or already accepted as a CEN standard and are used for a continuous quality control. Usually the suitability of steel slags is stated by fulfilling the requirements of national and/or international standards and regulations. Based on these standards and regulations in Germany in 1998 about 97% of the produced steel slags have been used as aggregates for road construction (e.g. as surface layer, road base and sub base for high trafficked roads), ways, earthworks, and armourstones for hydraulic structures. Consistent to the successful long-term experience not only products of steel slags but also products of blast furnace slags have been eliminated from the European Waste Catalogue and the European Shipment of Waste Regulation of the European Community, as well as from the lists of OECD for transfrontier movements by the decision of the OECD-Council from 21 September, 1995.

Radar Image with Color as Height, Lovea, Cambodia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

This image of Lovea, Cambodia, was acquired by NASA's Airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (AIRSAR). Lovea, the roughly circular feature in the middle-right of the image, rises some 5 meters (16.4 feet) above the surrounding terrain. Lovea is larger than many of the other mound sites with a diameter of greater than 300 meters (984.3 feet). However, it is one of a number highlighted by the radar imagery. The present-day village of Lovea does not occupy all of the elevated area. However, at the center of the mound is an ancient spirit post honoring the legendary founder of the village. The mound is surrounded by earthworks and has vestiges of additional curvilinear features. Today, as in the past, these harnessed water during the rainy season, and conserved it during the long dry months of the year.

The village of Lovea located on the mound was established in pre-Khmer times, probably before 500 A.D. In the lower left portion of the image is a large trapeng and square moat. These are good examples of construction during the historical 9th to 14th Century A.D. Khmer period; construction that honored and protected earlier circular villages. This suggests a cultural and technical continuity between prehistoric circular villages and the immense urban site of Angkor. This connection is one of the significant finds generated by NASA's radar imaging of Angkor. It shows that the city of Angkor was a particularly Khmer construction. The temple forms and water management structures of Angkor were the result of pre-existing Khmer beliefs and methods of water management.

Image dimensions are approximately 6.3 by 4.7 kilometers (3.9 by 2.9 miles). North is at top. Image brightness is from the C-band (5.6 centimeters, or 2.2 inches wavelength) radar backscatter, which is a measure of how much energy the surface reflects back toward the radar. Color is used to represent elevation contours. One cycle of color represents 20 meters (65.6 feet) of elevation change; that is, going from blue to red to yellow to green and back to blue again corresponds to 20 meters (65.6 feet) of elevation change.

AIRSAR flies aboard a NASA DC-8 based at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. In the TOPSAR mode, AIRSAR collects radar interferometry data from two spatially separated antennas (2.6 meters, or 8.5 feet). Information from the two antennas is used to form radar backscatter imagery and to generate highly accurate elevation data. Built, operated and managed by JPL, AIRSAR is part of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise program. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Watching the Creation of Southern California's Largest Reservoir

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The new Diamond Valley Lake Reservoir near the city of Hemet in Riverside County is billed as the largest earthworks construction project in U.S.history. Construction began in 1995 and involved 31 million cubic meters of foundation excavation and 84 million cubic meters of embankment construction. This set of MISR images captures the most recent phase in the reservoir's activation. At the upper left is a natural-color view acquired by the instrument's vertical-viewing (nadir) camera on March 14, 2000 (Terra orbit 1273), shortly after the Metropolitan Water District began filling the reservoir with water from the Colorado River and Northern California. Water appears darker than the surrounding land. The image at the upper right was acquired nearly one year later on March 1, 2001 (Terra orbit 6399), and shows a clear increase in the reservoir's water content. When full, the lake will hold nearly a trillion liters of water.

According to the Metropolitan Water District, the 7 kilometer x 3 kilometer reservoir nearly doubles Southern California's above-groundwater storage capacity. In addition to routine water management, Diamond Valley Lake is designed to provide protection against drought and a six-month emergency supply in the event of earthquake damage to a major aqueduct. In the face of electrical power shortages, it is also expected to reduce dependence on the pumping of water from northern mountains during the high-demand summer months. An unexpected result of site excavation was the uncovering of mastodon and mammoth skeletons along with bones from extinct species not previously thought to have been indigenous to the area, such as the giant long-horned bison and North American lion. A museum and interpretive center is being built to protect these finds.

The lower MISR image, from May 20, 2001 (Terra orbit 7564), is a false-color view combining data from the instrument's 26-degree forward view (displayed as blue) with data from the 26-degree backward view (displayed as yellow). This technique enables bodies of water to standout prominently by taking advantage of the strong change in brightness between the two view angles and the contrasting angular signature of the surrounding land. The blue-yellow separation in the cloud field is due to geometric parallax resulting from the clouds' elevation above the surface terrain.

Each image covers an area measuring approximately 125 kilometers x 95 kilometers. The northwest to southeast trending linear feature is the Elsinore Fault.

MISR was built and is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Office of Earth Science, Washington, DC. The Terra satellite is managed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology.

Metadata Management on the SCEC PetaSHA Project: Helping Users Describe, Discover, Understand, and Use Simulation Data in a Large-Scale Scientific Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okaya, D.; Deelman, E.; Maechling, P.; Wong-Barnum, M.; Jordan, T. H.; Meyers, D.

2007-12-01

Large scientific collaborations, such as the SCEC Petascale Cyberfacility for Physics-based Seismic Hazard Analysis (PetaSHA) Project, involve interactions between many scientists who exchange ideas and research results. These groups must organize, manage, and make accessible their community materials of observational data, derivative (research) results, computational products, and community software. The integration of scientific workflows as a paradigm to solve complex computations provides advantages of efficiency, reliability, repeatability, choices, and ease of use. The underlying resource needed for a scientific workflow to function and create discoverable and exchangeable products is the construction, tracking, and preservation of metadata. In the scientific workflow environment there is a two-tier structure of metadata. Workflow-level metadata and provenance describe operational steps, identity of resources, execution status, and product locations and names. Domain-level metadata essentially define the scientific meaning of data, codes and products. To a large degree the metadata at these two levels are separate. However, between these two levels is a subset of metadata produced at one level but is needed by the other. This crossover metadata suggests that some commonality in metadata handling is needed. SCEC researchers are collaborating with computer scientists at SDSC, the USC Information Sciences Institute, and Carnegie Mellon Univ. in order to perform earthquake science using high-performance computational resources. A primary objective of the "PetaSHA" collaboration is to perform physics-based estimations of strong ground motion associated with real and hypothetical earthquakes located within Southern California. Construction of 3D earth models, earthquake representations, and numerical simulation of seismic waves are key components of these estimations. Scientific workflows are used to orchestrate the sequences of scientific tasks and to access distributed computational facilities such as the NSF TeraGrid. Different types of metadata are produced and captured within the scientific workflows. One workflow within PetaSHA ("Earthworks") performs a linear sequence of tasks with workflow and seismological metadata preserved. Downstream scientific codes ingest these metadata produced by upstream codes. The seismological metadata uses attribute-value pairing in plain text; an identified need is to use more advanced handling methods. Another workflow system within PetaSHA ("Cybershake") involves several complex workflows in order to perform statistical analysis of ground shaking due to thousands of hypothetical but plausible earthquakes. Metadata management has been challenging due to its construction around a number of legacy scientific codes. We describe difficulties arising in the scientific workflow due to the lack of this metadata and suggest corrective steps, which in some cases include the cultural shift of domain science programmers coding for metadata.

An approach to identification and modelling of artificial grounds in urban area from multidisciplinary data (Oviedo, NW Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pando, Luis; Flor-Blanco, Germán; María Díaz-Díaz, Luis; Arias, Daniel

2016-04-01

This contribution describes the investigation of changes on urban relief caused by anthropogenic processes in Oviedo (population 215,000), the capital city of Asturias, formerly a Christian kingdom (719-925 AD) located in the north-western Iberian Peninsula. This city is placed on a Mesozoic-Cenozoic basin above a folded Paleozoic basement. Oviedo's subsurface is formed by carbonate and siliciclastic Cretaceous formations, and the overlying fluvial-lacustrine deposits of Paleogene age; the latter are mainly composed of marls, clays and gypsum layers. The urban core, which extends 15 km2, presents an elevation range between 160 to 330 m above mean sea level and the natural slopes reach up 15o in the built-up area. The research involved at first the collection and review of more than 950 borehole logs, presenting the man-made fills an average thickness of 1.9 m with maximum value of 25 m. Then topographic variations that occurred during the period of greatest urban development were analysed through map algebra. The data used to construct Digital Elevation Models (DEM) were provided by 1:5,000 city maps performed since 1869 to the present, all properly georeferenced. The subtraction operations generated Digital Terrain Models representing ground elevation gains and losses during different periods of time, after setting the necessary control points (elevation remains invariant) and corrections in order to avoid altitude deviations between DEMs. The thicknesses estimated for the man-made fills were compared with borehole data to validate the prediction, obtaining good correlations. The GIS-based methodology was complemented by an inspection of the historical evolution of land uses (i.e., using ancient street maps, aerial images interpretation and documentary references since the thirteenth century), and the analysis of all the surficial geological maps that have been published. Man-made grounds were then classified into categories, mainly: (i) earthworks related to urban development; (ii) ground modified by civil engineering; (iii) ground modified by quarrying activities; (iv) dumping sites. Further modified landscapes were studied using more detailed DEMs (up to 1x1 m cell size) to generate isolines maps indicating excavated and filled areas. This research provided valuable information about the distribution, geometry, volume and origin of the main accumulations of man-made fills and excavated areas. Especially noteworthy was the study of topographic changes caused by fills and excavations related to old quarries (extracting limestone, sand and clay). These quarries, abandoned for hundreds of years, are now hardly recognizable due to the growth of the city but have great historical significance. In fact they supplied building stone for some monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of Asturias that are included in the World Heritage List of Unesco.

The 50th Anniversary of the First International Conference on Permafrost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, J.

2013-12-01

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the First International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP) that was held at Purdue University on 11-15 November 1963. The conference was a historic event in that it brought together for the first time the leading researchers and practitioners from North America and other countries that had diverse interests and activities in the study and applications of perennially frozen ground, cold regions engineering and related laboratory investigations. The 285 registered participants represented engineers, researchers, manufacturers and builders from the USA (231), Canada (42), the USSR (5), Sweden (3) and Argentina, Austria, Great Britain, Japan, Norway, Poland, Switzerland, and West Germany. The conference was organized by the Building Research Advisory Board of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council (NAS-NRC). The carefully edited volume, published in 1966 by the NAS, is considered to be the first multi-national, English-language collection of papers devoted entirely to permafrost topics. The 100 published papers followed closely the actual conference venue and panel discussions: soils and vegetation (9), massive ground ice (10), geomorphology (16), phase equilibrium and transition (8), thermal aspects (8), physico-mechanical properties (7), exploration and site selection (11), sanitary and hydraulic engineering (14), and earthwork and foundations (17). This 1963 Purdue conference essentially broke the 'ice' between East and West permafrost researchers and set the stage for the Second ICOP that was held in 1973 in Yakutsk, Siberia, and represented the first large international conference held in the restricted area of Siberia. All subsequent conferences maintained the interdisciplinary principles set forth at Purdue: two more in the United States (Fairbanks 1983, 2008), two in Canada (Edmonton 1978, Yellowknife 1998), and one in Trondheim, Norway (1988), Beijing, China (1993), and Zurich, Switzerland (2003), one more in Russia (Salekhard 2012). Throughout the 50-year history of the International Conferences on Permafrost, publication of Proceedings has been the major legacy of each conference. Over the course of the 50 years more than 2000 papers in English were published in the ICOP Proceedings with the assistance of many hundreds of international reviewers. Starting in 2003 (8th ICOP), a second form of publication was initiated that involved Extended Abstracts. Following the formation of the International Permafrost Association (IPA) at the 1983 ICOP, subsequent conferences were under the auspices of the IPA. Starting with the 2008 conference, the Permafrost Young Researchers Network (PYRN) participated in conference activities. The IPA remains the lead organization that represents collectively both the international permafrost science and engineering communities. This first Conference, 50 years ago, provided the foundation for the development of an international community of scientists and engineers committed to the advancement of permafrost research and related cold regions design and performance.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jan D. Miller; Terrence Chatwin; Jan Hupka

The two-year Department of Energy (DOE) project ''Treatment of Cyanide Solutions and Slurries Using Air-Sparged Hydrocyclone (ASH) Technology'' (ASH/CN) has been completed. This project was also sponsored by industrial partners, ZPM Inc., Elbow Creek Engineering, Solvay Minerals, EIMCO-Baker Process, Newmont Mining Corporation, Cherokee Chemical Co., Placer Dome Inc., Earthworks Technology, Dawson Laboratories and Kennecott Minerals. Development of a new technology using the air-sparged hydrocyclone (ASH) as a reactor for either cyanide recovery or destruction was the research objective. It was expected that the ASH could potentially replace the conventional stripping tower presently used for HCN stripping and absorption with reducedmore » power costs. The project was carried out in two phases. The first phase included calculation of basic processing parameters for ASH technology, development of the flowsheet, and design/adaptation of the ASH mobile system for hydrogen cyanide (HCN) recovery from cyanide solutions. This was necessary because the ASH was previously used for volatile organics removal from contaminated water. The design and modification of the ASH were performed with the help from ZPM Inc. personnel. Among the modifications, the system was adapted for operation under negative pressure to assure safe operating conditions. The research staff was trained in the safe use of cyanide and in hazardous material regulations. Cyanide chemistry was reviewed resulting in identification of proper chemical dosages for cyanide destruction, after completion of each pilot plant run. The second phase of the research consisted of three field tests that were performed at the Newmont Mining Corporation gold cyanidation plant near Midas, Nevada. The first field test was run between July 26 and August 2, 2002, and the objective was to demonstrate continuous operation of the modified ASH mobile system. ASH units were applied for both stripping and absorption, to recover cyanide, using the acidification-volatilization-reabsorption chemistry. Plant barren cyanide solution was used during the field tests. The original ASH system used for the field tests had been designed and fabricated by ZPM Inc. to remove volatile organic compounds from ground water. The system, even with a number of modifications, could not operate at optimum conditions for cyanide recovery. Reactors and pumps installed in the mobile system only allowed for the treatment of clear solutions, not slurries. Also the original mobile system was limited with respect to Q, the relative air flow rate, and the extent of recovery in a single stage. Due to the lack of automatic controls, the system required constant supervision of the University of Utah (U/U) team. In spite of these difficulties, application of the ASH mobile system was particularly attractive due to compactness of the apparatus and less than 1 second residence time of the aqueous phase in the cyclones. The performance of the ASH system was evaluated by comparison with theoretical predictions.« less

On the integration of Airborne full-waveform laser scanning and optical imagery for Site Detection and Mapping: Monteserico study case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coluzzi, R.; Guariglia, A.; Lacovara, B.; Lasaponara, R.; Masini, N.

2009-04-01

This paper analyses the capability of airborne LiDAR derived data in the recognition of archaeological marks. It also evaluates the benefits to integrate them with aerial photos and very high resolution satellite imagery. The selected test site is Monteserico, a medieval village located on a pastureland hill in the North East of Basilicata (Southern Italy). The site, attested by documentary sources beginning from the 12th century, was discovered by aerial survey in 1996 [1] and investigated in 2005 by using QuickBird imagery [2]. The only architectural evidence is a castle, built on the western top of the hill; whereas on the southern side, earthenware, pottery and crumbling building materials, related to the medieval settlement, could be observed. From a geological point of view, the stratigraphic sequence is composed of Subappennine Clays, Monte Marano sands and Irsina conglomerates. Sporadic herbaceous plants grow over the investigated area. For the purpose of this study, a full-waveform laser scanning with a 240.000 Hz frequency was used. The average point density value of dataset is about 30 points/m2. The final product is a 0.30 m Digital Surface Models (DSMs) accurately modelled. To derive the DSM the point cloud of the ALS was filtered and then classified by applying appropriate algorithms. In this way surface relief and archaeological features were surveyed with great detail. The DSM was compared with other remote sensing data source such as oblique and nadiral aerial photos and QuickBird imagery, acquired in different time. In this way it was possible to evaluate, compare each other and overlay the archaeological features recorded from each data source (aerial, satellite and lidar). Lidar data showed some interesting results. In particular, they allowed for identifying and recording differences in height on the ground produced by surface and shallow archaeological remains (the so-called shadow marks). Most of these features are visible also by the optical dataset, whereas other only by lidar. The pattern of shadow-marks has been integrated by processing the optic imagery (aerial and satellite), which put in evidence other features related to buried deposits of archaeological interest. Another contribution of lidar to the knowledge of the medieval site was the survey of eroded earthworks, that are very small differences in height, related to possible ancient human transformations of the hill. The numerical modelling of DSM has allowed for integrating and managing all the different georeferenced data for the reconstruction of urban fabric of the medieval village. [1] N. MASINI, Note storico-topografiche e fotointerpretazione aerea per la ricostruzione della '"forma urbis" del sito medievale di Monte Serico, Tarsia, 16-17 (1995), pp. 45-64. [2] R. LASAPONARA, N. MASINI, QuickBird-based analysis for the spatial characterization of archaeological sites: case study of the Monte Serico Medioeval village, Geophysical Research Letter, Vol. 32, No. 12 (2005), L12313.

Assembling the Anthropocene: The global significance of anthropogenic sediment flux through the creation of artificial ground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, S.; Ford, J. R.; Waters, C. N.; Cooper, A. H.

2012-12-01

Deliberate, current and historical modification of the landscape and its subsurface by humans creates novel sediments and landforms in the form of artificial ground. The rate and magnitude of artificial ground created through the excavation, transport and deposition of mixtures of rock and soil has varied through time, but it is now significant on a global scale. It is estimated that the annual deliberate anthropogenic movement of rock and soil exceeds that of sediment transfer to the oceans by a factor of three (Douglas & Lawson 2001). In the UK alone, it is estimated that 66 530 M (Million) tonnes (ca. 40 km3) of material has been moved in response to mineral exploitation and processing over ca. 200 years (Price et al. 2011). This compares to an estimated global annual 57 000 M tonnes of material being moved deliberately by humans (Douglas & Lawson 2001). The scale of early mineral workings and land domestication for food production rapidly expanded as human population grew. Subsequent industrialisation, burning of fossil fuels and increased urbanisation in developed countries escalated the demand for diverse natural resources and the scale of land transformation. Mineral extraction and processing make up a significant proportion of the global anthropogenic sediment cycle. Mineral production offers a key indicator of the magnitude and rate of anthropogenic change and its impact on global sediment flux. Wastes from mineral production constitute 'hidden flows' when accounting for anthropogenic sediment flux (Douglas & Lawson 2001) but are often significant. The amount of waste produced during mineral exploitation often exceeds the amount of ore won by up to, and sometimes exceeding, a factor of 30. Using key commodity indicators, including coal and iron ore, distinct trends in the rates and volumes of mineral production are calculated and observed. The volume of production and associated hidden flows of anthropogenic sediments is observed to increase rapidly ca. 1950. This time of acceleration of the human endeavour has been referred to as the 'Great Acceleration' of the Anthropocene (Steffen et al. 2007). When other hidden anthropogenic material flows such as those associated with urbanisation (widespread use of cement and concrete), major earthworks, engineered infrastructure development and waste disposal are considered, the anthropogenic flux will be significantly higher. It is proposed that the rate of change and volume of production of anthropogenic materials in the sedimentary cycle is so significant and novel, that it may be used as a basis on which to characterise the global sedimentary cycle in the Anthropocene. Douglas, I. & Lawson, N. 2001 The Human Dimensions of Geomorphological Work in Britain. Journal of Industrial Ecology 4, 9-33. Price, S. J., Ford, J. R., Cooper, A. H. & Neal, C. 2011 Humans as major geological and geomorphological agents in the Anthropocene: the significance of artificial ground in Great Britain. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 369, 1056-1084. Steffen, W., Crutzen, P. J. & McNeill, J. 2007 The Anthropocene: Are Humans Now Overwhelming the Great Forces of Nature? Ambio 36, 614-621.

Suspended solids and nutrient retention in rural constructed wetlands in cold climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koskiaho, Jari; Siimekselä, Tiina; Puustinen, Markku

2016-04-01

Three constructed wetlands (CWs), two located in southern and one in central Finland, were monitored during 2013-2015. The southern CWs Hovi (0.6 ha wet area) and Rantamo-Seitteli (24 ha wet area) were monitored continuously by s::can nitro::lyser (www.s-can.at) sensors. On average 10 pairs (inflow and outflow) of water samples were annually taken in the two southern CWs and 20 pairs in the northernmost Tarvaala CW (wet area 1.4 ha). In Tarvaala, a portable, continuously measuring Micromac 1000 -phosphate analyzer (www.systea.it) was also tested at the CW outlet in 2015. The CWs differed in their size, dimensioning (CW-to-catchment area ratio) and in the characteristics of their upstream catchments. The Hovi CW has 5.0% CW-to-catchment area ratio and 100% agricultural land use in its clayey catchment. The corresponding percentages were for the Rantamo-Seitteli CW (clayey catchment) 1.3% and 42%, and for the Tarvaala CW (coarse soil type in the catchment) 1.0% and 16%. The average annual total suspended solids (TSS) retentions in Hovi, Rantamo-Seitteli and Tarvaala CWs were 79%, 6% and 50%, respectively. The average annual total phosphorus (TP) retentions were 61% at Hovi, 22% at Rantamo-Seitteli and 23% at Tarvaala. The unexpectedly high TSS and TP retentions at Tarvaala were probably due to the coarse soil type with more readily settling particles than in two other CWs. In Hovi and Rantamo-Seitteli CWs also dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) was measured. The DRP retentions (83% at Hovi and 27% at Rantamo-Seitteli) were higher than those of TP, which was probably due to the high contents of P-binding Al- and Fe-oxides in the soil of these two CWs. In the Hovi CW, vivid biological activity (abundant vegetation, algae and microbes) might also have played a role. The average annual total nitrogen (TN) retentions in Hovi and Rantamo-Seitteli CWs were 66% and 14%, respectively. At Tarvaala, TN retention varied annually so that no net retention over the whole period occurred. The most probable reason behind the occasional negative nitrogen retention was the ditching and earthworks made at the Tarvaala CW. These actions have obviously mobilized nitrogen and increased its concentrations. Micromac 1000 -phosphate analyzer proved to produce reliable (uncertainty <15%) results when PO4-P concentration was >30 μg/l. According to the results of this study, the major factor behind the differences in the retention performance of the CWs was dimensioning. Indeed, the average annual nutrient retentions measured here are close to those predicted by the model equations presented in Finnish CW planning and dimensioning guidelines (Puustinen et al. 2007): TP retention for Hovi 58%, for Rantamo-Seitteli 27% and for Tarvaala 23%. Another factor affecting the CW retention performance was the land-use of the upstream catchment; the more agricultural land there was, the higher were the inflow concentrations, and the higher were also the retentions. On the base of our results, CWs can be recommended as water protection measures in Finnish rural areas. However, generous dimensioning, like in Hovi, often reduces their cost-effectiveness and the willingness of the landowners to build them.

2000 years of sustainable use of watersheds and coral reefs in Pacific Islands: A review for Palau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshiba, Shirley; Besebes, Meked; Soaladaob, Kiblas; Ngiraingas, Madelsar; Isechal, Adelle Lukes; Victor, Steven; Golbuu, Yimnang

2014-05-01

In Palau and everywhere in the world, coastal coral reefs are threatened by sedimentation resulting from land clearing in the watersheds. Palau's largest island of Babeldaob is particularly susceptible to significant erosion due to its steep topography, high rainfall, and highly erodible volcanic soil. Previous studies have shown the damaging impacts of sedimentation on coral reefs around Babeldaob Island. Related studies conducted in Micronesia have also documented that mangroves can trap about 30% of the fine eroded sediment from land. This paper examines the sediment trapping capability of cultivated wetlands, in particular taro (Colocasia esculenta) fields, which are natural wetlands used to grow taro, a main staple crop for the population. A 7-months long field study was undertaken to quantify the sediment accumulation rate for taro fields and to determine their sediment trapping efficiency. The results showed that the taro fields were able to trap on average 90% of sediment, therefore sheltering coastal coral reefs and their fisheries from the negative impacts of terrestrial runoff. Based on the results of this study, we suggest that the combined sediment trapping capacity of taro fields and mangroves helped reduce sedimentation on coral reefs around Babeldaob Island. This enabled human settlement for over 2000 years on a small Pacific Island with the main staple food being taro for starch and reef fish for protein. Even with a population of 30,000 people over Babeldaob Island, the living was sustainable for at least 1000 years, implying that the population was able to survive and prosper with its main food being the starch from taro fields and protein from reef fish. While there was intensive cultivation on land the sustainability of reef fisheries must have required that the reef be sheltered from excessive soil erosion.The structure of the taro field (mesei) initialized by the Palauan ancestors, has been maintained to this day. Their development, probably mostly after about A.D. 900 to 1100, was presumably the culmination of accelerated erosion in the island's interior following extensive clearing of the vegetation on slopes. Sediment analyses, radiocarbon dating, and archaeological investigations indicate substantial inland land disturbance starting around 2400 years ago (Liston and Tuggle, 2006; Liston, 2009). These findings almost certainly signify the use of the interior of Babeldaob Island by this time, including the onset of major earthwork (terrace) construction. Intensive and extensive inland use continued for about another 1200 years. The continuous deposition of inland erosional soils expanded the coastal plains and formed expansive fertile wetlands” (Athens, 2009).Culturally in Palau taro fields were tendered by women (Del Rosario and Esguerra, 2003). In other parts of Micronesia, taro is planted in well drained mixed gardens or ditches (Falanruw, 1980; Englberger et al., 2009). In Palau taro is commonly grown in swampy areas, often man-made, in the lowlands usually just upstream of the mangrove areas. Traditional management of taro cultivation in Palau can be considered a type of intensive agricultural method found in societies that possess a complex social structure that is reflected in traditional Palauan society. Taro cultivation in Palau is an amalgamation of skills and knowledge for both the plant and agricultural system.Palau taro field structure, regulations of water flow and management have persisted for many generations and have proven to an integral part of Palauan life which continues to be seen today. Taro fields are distinguished separately depending on cultivation methods and taro species being planted. To illustrate, an omrekongel is a marsh land in which giant taro (Cyrtosperma merkusii) is planted. A mesei is an irrigated wet land for planting taro (Colocasia esculenta) and dechel is a marsh land where taro and giant taro is cultivated (Palau Society of Historians, 2001). Culturally, Cyrtosperma is treated as a food source for famine where it has high resistance to saltwater and longer plant life (3-5 years); it's a rich source of starch in times of droughts and other natural disaster. Colocasia, on the other hand, is viewed as prestigious source of food in Palau. Whereas Cyrtosperma requires little tending once it has been planted Colocasia is more delicate for its fragility and shorter plant life (8-12 months). Therefore more efforts are spent tending Colocasia than Cyrtosperma (McKnight and Obak, 1960; Bammann and Wey, 1991). Although both are eaten quite often, Colocasia can be found in many aspects of Palauan cultural practices (funerals, first birth ceremonies, transfer of title ceremonies) and used symbolically in chants, dances, proverbs, and stories with moral lessons (Palau Society of Historians, 2008).

Wind-To-Hydrogen Energy Pilot Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ron Rebenitsch; Randall Bush; Allen Boushee

2009-04-24

WIND-TO-HYDROGEN ENERGY PILOT PROJECT: BASIN ELECTRIC POWER COOPERATIVE In an effort to address the hurdles of wind-generated electricity (specifically wind's intermittency and transmission capacity limitations) and support development of electrolysis technology, Basin Electric Power Cooperative (BEPC) conducted a research project involving a wind-to-hydrogen system. Through this effort, BEPC, with the support of the Energy & Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota, evaluated the feasibility of dynamically scheduling wind energy to power an electrolysis-based hydrogen production system. The goal of this project was to research the application of hydrogen production from wind energy, allowing for continued wind energymore » development in remote wind-rich areas and mitigating the necessity for electrical transmission expansion. Prior to expending significant funding on equipment and site development, a feasibility study was performed. The primary objective of the feasibility study was to provide BEPC and The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with sufficient information to make a determination whether or not to proceed with Phase II of the project, which was equipment procurement, installation, and operation. Four modes of operation were considered in the feasibility report to evaluate technical and economic merits. Mode 1 - scaled wind, Mode 2 - scaled wind with off-peak, Mode 3 - full wind, and Mode 4 - full wind with off-peak In summary, the feasibility report, completed on August 11, 2005, found that the proposed hydrogen production system would produce between 8000 and 20,000 kg of hydrogen annually depending on the mode of operation. This estimate was based on actual wind energy production from one of the North Dakota (ND) wind farms of which BEPC is the electrical off-taker. The cost of the hydrogen produced ranged from $20 to $10 per kg (depending on the mode of operation). The economic sensitivity analysis performed as part of the feasibility study showed that several factors can greatly affect, both positively and negatively, the "per kg" cost of hydrogen. After a September 15, 2005, meeting to evaluate the advisability of funding Phase II of the project DOE concurred with BEPC that Phase I results did warrant a "go" recommendation to proceed with Phase II activities. The hydrogen production system was built by Hydrogenics and consisted of several main components: hydrogen production system, gas control panel, hydrogen storage assembly and hydrogen-fueling dispenser The hydrogen production system utilizes a bipolar alkaline electrolyzer nominally capable of producing 30 Nm3/h (2.7 kg/h). The hydrogen is compressed to 6000 psi and delivered to an on-site three-bank cascading storage assembly with 80 kg of storage capacity. Vehicle fueling is made possible through a Hydrogenics-provided gas control panel and dispenser able to fuel vehicles to 5000 psi. A key component of this project was the development of a dynamic scheduling system to control the wind energy's variable output to the electrolyzer cell stacks. The dynamic scheduling system received an output signal from the wind farm, processed this signal based on the operational mode, and dispatched the appropriate signal to the electrolyzer cell stacks. For the study BEPC chose to utilize output from the Wilton wind farm located in central ND. Site design was performed from May 2006 through August 2006. Site construction activities were from August to November 2006 which involved earthwork, infrastructure installation, and concrete slab construction. From April - October 2007, the system components were installed and connected. Beginning in November 2007, the system was operated in a start-up/shakedown mode. Because of numerous issues, the start-up/shakedown period essentially lasted until the end of January 2008, at which time a site acceptance test was performed. Official system operation began on February 14, 2008, and continued through the end of December 2008. Several issues continued to prevent consistent operation, resulting in operation of the system in fits and starts. During the operational period, three ramp tests were performed on the electrolyzer cell stacks to evaluate cell stack degradation, if present. In addition, from December 23 - 30 2008, the hydrogen system was operated using Mode 1 protocol. From February 14, 2008 - December 31, 2008, the system produced a total of just less than 26,000,000 liters (2320 kg), including approximately 3,300,000 liters (295 kg) of hydrogen during Mode 1 operation. Unfortunately, the chronic shutdown issues prevented consistent operation and, therefore, did not allow for any accurate economic analysis as originally intended. With that said, much valuable experience was gained in the form of "lessons learned," and the project served as an extremely valuable platform for educating the public.« less

The Paranal Metamorphosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-12-01

Some years ago, the Paranal mountain was still a remote and inhospitable site, some 12 km from the Pacific Coast in the dry Atacama desert in northern Chile. Few aircraft passengers flying along that coast would notice anything particular about this peak, except perhaps that it was one of the tallest in the steep coastal mountain range. Already in the early 1960's, pioneer astronomers crossed this desolate region in search of suitable sites for future observatories. One of them, Jürgen Stock , did notice the Paranal peak as a possible candidate. However, without any water in this extremely dry area, how could any people, even hardy scientists, ever live up there? He then went on to discover La Silla, where ESO decided to build its first observatory in 1964. ESO presence at Paranal from 1983 In the beginning of the 1980's, when the main construction phase at La Silla was over, ESO launched a thorough search for the best possible site for the next-generation telescope, already then known as the "Very Large Telescope", or VLT. During this campaign, the Paranal mountain was visited by a small search troupe from this organisation, including the ESO Director General (1975 - 1987), Lo Woltjer . The first test measurements indicated a great potential for astronomical observations, both in term of clear nights and low humidity, the latter being particularly important for infrared observations. From 1983, ESO maintained a small site testing station at the top of Paranal. The meteorological conditions were registered around the clock and the atmospheric transparency and stability were recorded each night. At that time, the mountain Vizcachas, a site near ESO's first observatory, La Silla, and some 600 km further south, was also considered a possible site for the VLT. The data from the two sites were therefore carefully compared over a period of several years. Paranal becomes the site for the VLT Following the decision in December 1987 by the ESO Council to embark upon the VLT Project (with Massimo Tarenghi as Project Manager), Paranal was chosen as the site in 1991. In the meantime, the Chilean Government had resolved to donate an area of approx. 700 km 2 around this mountain to ESO, and construction work started the same year. The left photo shows Paranal at this stage. The development of Paranal included much blasting and heavy earthwork; about 350,000 m 3 of rock had to be moved to achieve a flat platform of sufficient size to house the various components of the VLT and, in particular, the spacious VLT Interferometer. The situation, right after this work, is depicted in the middle photo from 1994. An operational observatory The construction at Paranal progressed at high speed. It is hard to believe that just four years later, "First Light" was achieved with the first 8.2-m telescope, ANTU, in May 1998. Then followed KUEYEN (March 1999), MELIPAL (January 2000) and YEPUN (September 2000). The first two telescopes have now been "taken over" by the astronomers and Paranal has become an operational observatory with Roberto Gilmozzi as Director. Large numbers of scientists in the ESO member countries, and even more within international collaborations, are busy producing exciting research results, now increasingly visible in the world's professional journals and some of which are announced in the ESO Press Releases. The other two will soon be equipped with high-quality astronomical instruments; the first will be VIMOS at MELIPAL in the beginning of 2001. Both telescopes will become fully available to the astronomical community in the course of 2001. And now the VLT Interferometer... The next decisive step will happen already in early 2001, when the VLT Interferometer is expected to see "First Fringes", the equivalent of "First Light" for this type of facility. This is when two small "siderostats" on the Paranal platform will track and capture the light from one and the same (bright) star, directing the two beams towards the underground Interferometric Laboratory via a series of intermediate mirrors. Here, the critical technical elements are the "delay lines" in the Interferometric Tunnel, cf. ESO Press Photos 26a-e/00.They have already undergone the first tests with very positive results, so the ESO staff is in a confident mood. Later in 2001, two of the 8.2-m Unit Telescopes will be coupled and interferometric test observations will be made on faint celestial objects. In the next years, the three movable 1.8-m Auxiliary Telescopes will be installed on the Paranal "railroad" and the VLT Interferometer will progressively enter into full operation. From a lonely mountain top to the world's foremost optical/infrared astronomical observatory, Paranal has indeed come a long way! This is the caption to ESO PR Photo 36/00 . It may be reproduced, if credit is given to the European Southern Observatory.