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Informed Streets Pavement Management Solution

Source: Horrocks' Informed Streets Pavement Management Solution Road maintenance is an essential component of city infrastructure. However, deciding what needs to be fixed and when is often a subject of debate. That's where Horrocks' new pavement management system comes it. Using data-driven analysis, it takes some of the guesswork out of the entire process making road maintenance more cost-effective. This will be an exceptionally great tool for cities like Anchorage, Atlanta, Boulder, Chicago, Indianapolis, Little Rock, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Phoenix. Informed Streets for Pavement Management Horrocks’ new pavement management system has been dubbed Informed Streets. This is simply because it helps create road maintenance schedules, allowing our clients to maximize their budgets by applying the right treatment to the right road at the right time. This system assesses existing pavement conditions and uses predictive models to develop unique, data-driven management plans that optimize costs and upkeep. These plans are created through the following four stages: 1. Initial Assessment and Survey Horrocks’ mobile LiDAR unit during initial survey In the initial phase of service, Horrocks’ in-house survey crews complete a thorough survey and pavement assessment of the roadways. This is done using a truck-mounted Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) unit to assess the pavement by collecting one million survey-grade points every second. Our experts then use this data to develop a baseline for a pavement management plan by providing one of two pavement ratings, depending on our client’s needs: the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (PASER) or Pavement Condition Index (PCI). 2. Data Analysis and Planning Once the pavement rating is complete, an online platform is set up for our client, which includes the Informed Streets3D Viewer. Horrocks’ Informed Streets 3D Viewer integrates GIS systems, LiDAR point clouds, and photography in one robust platform that allows for [...]

By kk42|September 28th, 2021|Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix, Little Rock, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Boulder, New York, Anchorage, Indianapolis|0 Comments

International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering ICEGE in February 2023 in Paris

Source: International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering ICEGE in February 2023 in Paris The International Research Conference Aims and Objectives The International Research Conference is a federated organization dedicated to bringing together a significant number of diverse scholarly events for presentation within the conference program. Events will run over a span of time during the conference depending on the number and length of the presentations. With its high quality, it provides an exceptional value for students, academics and industry researchers. International Conference on Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering aims to bring together leading academic scientists, researchers and research scholars to exchange and share their experiences and research results on all aspects of Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering. It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, practitioners and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted in the fields of Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering Call for Contributions Prospective authors are kindly encouraged to contribute to and help shape the conference through submissions of their research abstracts, papers and e-posters. Also, high quality research contributions describing original and unpublished results of conceptual, constructive, empirical, experimental, or theoretical work in all areas of Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering are cordially invited for presentation at the conference. The conference solicits contributions of abstracts, papers and e-posters that address themes and topics of the conference, including figures, tables and references of novel research materials. Guidelines for Authors Please ensure your submission meets the conference's strict guidelines for accepting scholarly papers. Downloadable versions of the check list for Full-Text Papers and Abstract Papers. Please refer to the Paper Submission Guideline, Abstract Submission Guideline and Author Information before submitting your paper. Conference Proceedings All submitted conference papers will be blind peer reviewed by three competent reviewers. The peer-reviewed conference proceedings are indexed in the Open Science Index, Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, Zenedo, OpenAIRE, BASE, WorldCAT, Sherpa/RoMEO, and [...]

By kk42|September 27th, 2021|Conferences, Geotechnical Florida, Geotechnical Nebraska, Geotechnical California, Geotechnical New York, Geotechnical Texas, Earthquakes|0 Comments

NASA grants UArizona $500,000 to research mining lunar resources

Source: NASA grants UArizona $500,000 to research mining lunar resources - Tucson, Arizona - Eminetra TUCSON, Ariz. — The idea of space mining is growing popular. Engineers at the University of Arizona are mapping out a plan to harvest the moon's resources. They’ll do so with a new excavation technique using autonomous robot swarms to mine lunar resources. The research team received a $500,000 two-year grant from NASA to advance space mining methods. “This is a really super exciting grant that is letting us really work in this domain of excavation, site preparation, and resource mining,” said Jekan Thanga, an associate professor for aerospace and mechanical engineering. Thanga developed a system called HEART to help with their research. It is an autonomous robotic system that will train robots to work together and improve over time. “It is also a system that cooperates with humans. So the humans work together with the system to identify new scenarios, identify with unknown scenarios, and then work together to sort of figure out a suitable solution,” said Thanga. A solution, for example, such as mining core from the moon. “To break this rock it takes enough power to light a 100 watt light bulb for about an hour. So if we're going to do the same thing on the moon, we’re going to need more efficient processes,” said Moe Momayez, the interim department head of mining and geological engineering. To mine and drill on the moon, Momayez developed a process that can drill through rock five times faster than any other method. “So water being a scarce commodity on the moon, we may have to modify our technique to use very little water or no water at all,” said Momayez. The team still considers humans a critical part of space exploration, but these robot [...]

By kk42|September 24th, 2021|Geotechnical Arizona, Tucson, Drilling|0 Comments

Monsoon Claims 432 Lives In HP Landslides

Source: Monsoon Claims 432 Lives In HP; Landslides, Accidents Increasing Due To Widespread Rain & Snowfall Monsoon death toll in Himachal Pradesh climbs to 432 which is considered as the highest in last five years while twelve people have died in last 24 hours, according to the Disaster Management Authority. Widespread rains and snowfall at high altitude passes resulting in a series of landslides, disruption of major roads and National Highways threw life completely out of gear in Himachal Pradesh, even as temperature dropped significantly in Shimla—the capital city, and Lahaul-Spiti district. Wintry conditions prevailed all over the state on Thursday as result of the rains and snowfall in Lahaul-Spiti valleys. Thick fog engulfing the hills for the past 24 hours created havoc trouble for the travelers which also resulted in several road accidents. Few of these were fatal, others left many people injured due to skidding of the vehicles and mid-way collusions . (Photo Credit- Sanjay Sood) Superintendent of Police Lahaul Spiti Manav Verma told Outlook that it has been raining incessantly. A travel advisory has been issued for the people asking them to avoid journey during next 24 hours . There has been a road disruption near Nehru Kund on Manali Leh road (National Highway no 3) due to landslides. It has been continuously raining at Baralacha La Pass ( 15,922 feet) affecting the mobility of the vehicles on Manali Leh road . Only those vehicles used for essential supplies to Leh are allowed to move as the pass has been very slippery for normal mobility of the vehicles. Tourists are not allowed to take-up their journeys . “There is two to three cms of snow at the Pass” said SP Manav Verma, adding that Lahaul may experience snow much before the normal timing. The biggest advantage, however, remains Rohtang Tunnel [...]

By kk42|September 24th, 2021|San Jose, San Francisco, Geotechnical New York, New York, Geotechnical Texas, Landslides, Houston, Geotechnical Illinois, Dallas, Chicago, Geotechnical California, Los Angeles|Comments Off

Small earthquake near Battle Creek Tuesday stronger than originally reported

Source: Small earthquake near Battle Creek Tuesday stronger than originally reported | WTVB | 1590 AM · 95.5 FM | The Voice of Branch County CALHOUN COUNTY, MI — A small earthquake that measured 3.8 on the Richter scale took place at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday about 9 miles southeast of Battle Creek, Michigan. Several residents said they heard and felt some rumbles. Originally, it was reported as a 3.6, but often data on the strength of earthquakes is adjusted as new information comes in. Residents around Calhoun County, and some in eastern Kalamazoo County, said they heard two loud booms with the second one louder and longer than the first. There were also reports of rattling windows. Others reported noises that sounded like a washing machine off balance or a loud truck passing by their homes. There were no reports of any damage or injuries. Tuesday’s quake was not as strong as the one in Kalamazoo County on May 2, 2015, which measured 4.2 on the Richter scale. It was centered nine miles south of Galesburg. According to University of Michigan researchers, that was the largest earthquake with a Michigan epicenter since a magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck near Coldwater on August 10, 1947. The 2015 quake confirmed suspicions for decades that a fault line was located in southeastern Kalamazoo County and experts believe it also was connected to the same fault responsible for the 1947 quake. Be sure to read up on the recent seismic activity in China and Haiti.

By kk42|September 24th, 2021|Flint, Dearborn, Livonia, Westland, Geotechnical Michigan, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Sterling Heights, Ann Arbor, Lansing|0 Comments

California Issues Maps of Earthquake Faults to Avoid ‘Potentially Devastating’ Damage to New Buildings

Source: State Issues Maps of Earthquake Faults to Avoid 'Potentially Devastating' Damage to New Buildings - Times of San Diego The Rose Canyon Fault system. Courtesy County News Center Maps released Thursday of earthquake-prone areas are intended to ensure new construction in San Diego does not take place atop dangerous quake faults. Developed by the California Geological Survey, the regulatory Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone maps detail where local governments must require site-specific geologic and engineering studies for proposed developments to ensure this hazard is identified and avoided. Generally, new construction for human occupancy must be set back 50 feet from the active surface trace to avoid faults that may break the surface. “Surface fault rupture is the easiest earthquake-related hazard to avoid because you can see the evidence of where it has occurred,” said Steve Bohlen, acting state geologist and head of CGS. “Surface fault rupture means that one side of a fault is moving either vertically or horizontally in relation to the other side. The deformation that movement causes is potentially devastating to buildings and infrastructure.” Two maps of revised Earthquake Fault Zones have been prepared for the Rose Canyon Fault where it comes onshore in Coronado, traversing the San Diego area to the northwest and going back offshore near La Jolla. Each of the maps covers a roughly 60-square-mile quadrangle of territory. The Alquist-Priolo Act was passed into law following the 1971 magnitude 6.6 San Fernando earthquake, which caused extensive surface ruptures that damaged buildings. Not every large earthquake, though, causes surface fault rupture. For example: the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989 devastated the Bay Area without breaking the surface. However, the 1992 Landers Earthquake in San Bernardino County caused surface ruptures along 50 miles, with displacements ranging from one inch to 20 feet. “Since the [...]

UNF first in Florida to conduct large-scale lab testing on sinkholes

Source: UNF first in Florida to conduct large-scale l | EurekAlert! Jacksonville, Fla. – University of North Florida researchers will be the first in Florida to conduct large-scale laboratory testing of sinkhole mechanics. Dr. Ryan Shamet, civil engineering assistant professor, was recently awarded a Florida Department of Transportation project grant for “Validation and Update of the Sinkhole Index,” a project that will aim to better understand the potential of sinkhole formation prior to any collapse at the surface. This joint project between UNF and University of Central Florida includes $90,259 for UNF and new equipment coming to UNF labs. The new equipment consists of a large-scale soil box that will allow UNF researchers to recreate and monitor the geotechnical and hydraulic mechanics of sinkholes forming in north and central Florida. The researchers at UNF and UCF will collect data from active sinkhole sites throughout the state and then refine and update analysis techniques for varying geologic conditions or regions based on their data. This analysis technique will allow engineers to quantify a location’s relative vulnerability of conditions favorable to sinkhole collapse when raveling conditions are encountered using an investigation test called the Cone Penetration Test (CPT). CPTs are a common subsurface investigation tool used by geotechnical engineers to identify soil layers and measure the strength of the soil within a project location. Through quantifying the raveling phenomenon, local engineers can better discern which mitigation techniques, such as compaction grouting or road closure, should be performed to lower the associated risk of sinkhole collapse.

By kk42|September 24th, 2021|Geotechnical Georgia, Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical Florida, Geotechnical Mississippi, CPT Blog, Cone Penetration, Geotechnical South Carolina, Sinkholes|0 Comments

Dynamic behaviors of wind turbines under wind and earthquake excitations

Source: Dynamic behaviors of wind turbines under wind and earthquake excitations: Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy: Vol 13, No 4 Source: How Do Wind Turbines Respond to Winds, Ground Motion During Earthquakes? - AIP Publishing LLC A new study investigates the combined effect of wind and earthquake forces to assess the dynamic behavior of wind turbines. The demand for renewable energy is nowadays at its peak. Wind power is a great source of clean energy and is harvested via wind farms placed in numerous regions across the world. This has led to some winds farms being established in earthquake-prone regions making it important to assess the combined excitation under wind and earthquake forces. In the US, these wind farms are most commonly seen in Alaska, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The study, recently published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, aims at establishing a numerical model that will integrates both seismic, wind, and operation forces of wind turbines to evaluate the performance of the wind turbines. This is referred to as the "fully coupled model". Such models have been tested before but the research team emphasizes that a solid interpretation of the results is still missing. The authors studied a 5MW wind turbine subjected to a combination of wind load and input ground motion with the latter being retrieved from a list of earthquake records. The study provides some interesting findings. The results from the sophisticated numerical models suggest that the wind that acts as a dynamic load for the wind turbine also exerts a damping effect on the response of the structure. In particular, when shaking is strong, the energy absorbed due to the aerodynamic damping is higher than the actual wind loading generates hence, the [...]

By kk42|September 24th, 2021|Geotechnical Kentucky, Geotechnical Utah, Geotechnical Tennessee, Geotechnical Washington, Geotechnical Illinois, Geotechnical Wyoming, Geotechnical Missouri, Earthquakes, Geotechnical Arkansas, Geotechnical California, Geotechnical Alaska, Geotechnical Idaho, Geotechnical Montana, Geotechnical Nevada, Geotechnical Oregon, Geotechnical South Carolina|0 Comments

Construction Vibrations

Source: Construction Vibrations -NEW (7004IW2022) INSTRUCTOR: Antonios Vytiniotis, Ph.D., P.E Participants will have access to the virtual workshop video archives and materials for 60 days from the start day of the workshop. Virtual Workshop Brief The workshop will cover a variety of issues regarding construction vibrations. It will start by describing the sources of construction vibrations, the propagation of vibrations with a soil and scatter effects. Then it will cover the effects of such vibrations in: 1) structures; 2) human perception; and 3) indirect effects of such vibrations. The workshop will cover examples of construction vibration effects in various structures and will show how conditions in structures can be evaluated to understand whether they are caused by vibrations. The workshop will show how construction vibrations can be monitored effectively by state-of-the-art equipment. Finally, this workshop will show how to analyze the data from monitoring to generate valuable insights about their effects on structures. A greater understanding of construction vibrations will help in mitigation of their damaging effects. Benefits and Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, you will be able to: Explain sources of construction vibrations Explain effects of construction vibrations Explain causation of damage potentially associated with construction vibrations Monitor construction vibrations Mitigate construction vibrations Avoid costly adjacent construction litigation Assessment of Learning Outcomes Achievement of the learning outcomes by attendees will be assessed through online discussion and case studies. A short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions) will also be administered. Who Should Attend Geotechnical Engineers Structural Engineers Civil Design Engineers Owners Construction City Planners Workshop Outline Day 1 Construction Vibration Sources Vibration Propagation and Energy Dissipation Discussion about Literature Data Interactive discussion and quiz about sources, propagation and state of the practice Human Perception of Vibrations Direct Effects of Vibrations Interactive discussion about effects [...]

By kk42|September 23rd, 2021|Geotechnical Kansas, Geotechnical Mississippi, Geotechnical Arizona, Geotechnical Idaho, Geotechnical Massachusetts, Geotechnical New York, Geotechnical Oregon, Geotechnical Ohio, Geotechnical South Carolina, Geotechnical Vermont, Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical Washington, Geotechnical Connecticut, Conferences|0 Comments

UNH receives $1.8 million grant to study road resilience and flooding

Source: UNH receives $1.8 million grant to study road resilience and flooding DURHAM — After a summer of high heat, steady sea level rise and devastating hurricanes like Hurricane Ida, which produced record amounts of rainfall causing destructive and deadly flooding in the Northeast and the Gulf Coast, coastal roads have continued to take a severe beating resulting in endless wear and tear. Because these roadways have become increasingly vulnerable, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has awarded a $1.8 million grant to researchers at the University of New Hampshire to study how and why coastal hazards like excessive flooding are causing roads to crack and crumble and find ways to protect them. “We’re trying to better understand the causal links of not only the extreme events but also the gradual changes in sea level rise that can increase the rate of damage to pavement and trigger failures that require major road reconstruction,” said Jo Sias, professor of civil and environmental engineering. “We’re looking at storm surges and wave action but also factors like the amount of time the pavement is under water.” The focus of the project is to understand the combined hazards of overtopping and subsurface moisture – flooding from above and below the road. UNH researchers – and their partners at the University of South Alabama and the Rockingham Planning Commission - will develop a number of hydrodynamic models that can analyze fluids in motion. They will use new data collected in the field as well as historical information to create high-resolution models to study groundwater and pavement as well as perform an adaptation impact assessment to develop a toolkit to help assess the vulnerability of roadways to flooding hazards. Researchers say that while engineers have investigated these impacts independently, an approach is needed that combines [...]

By kk42|September 23rd, 2021|Nashua, Concord, Derry, Rochester, Salem, Dover, Merrimack, Londonderry, Hudson, Geotechnical New Hampshire, Manchester|0 Comments