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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 [...]

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 Nevada, Geotechnical Oregon, Geotechnical South Carolina, 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|0 Comments

Soil Nail Walls Design and Construction

Source: Soil Nail Walls - Design and Construction -NEW (7003IW2022) INSTRUCTOR: Naresh Samtani, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE, F.ASCE 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 Using a collaborative and interactive learning approach, this virtual workshop will help you understand the design and construction aspects for soil nail walls. You will learn newer design approaches based on the LRFD platform that is the basis for guidelines for soil nail walls by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The workshop will help you assimilate the design and construction aspects through active participation by frequent interactions throughout the workshop and real-time expert feedback. The interactions will facilitate a better understanding of the nuances of the newer design principles which would help you avoid costly design errors in real-world projects. In between the two live sessions, attendees will independently work on an application (e.g., exercises) or a reflection (e.g., reading) assignment. Learning Outcomes Upon completion of this course, you will be able to: Explain the terminology for soil nail walls Explain design of soil nail walls using principles of limit state design Explain the essential elements of construction Recognize construction procedures and influence on wall design and performance Explain the importance and concepts of nail testing Identify necessary characteristics of software tools Explain corrosion considerations Discuss facing (shotcrete) analysis Identify the necessary information on plans and specifications Benefits for Participants Become familiar with the latest limit state design approaches and standards for soil nail walls Avoid common pitfalls and costly errors in analysis and design Be able to categorize and streamline limit state evaluation Recognize the importance of considering construction as part of overall design process Assessment of [...]

By kk42|September 23rd, 2021|Geotechnical Arkansas, Geotechnical Missouri, Geotechnical California, Geotechnical Maryland, Geotechnical Louisiana, Geotechnical Connecticut, Geotechnical Nevada, Geotechnical Florida, Geotechnical New Jersey, Geotechnical Kansas, Geotechnical Rhode Island, Geotechnical North Carolina, Geotechnical South Dakota, Geotechnical West Virginia, Geotechnical Texas, Geotechnical Ohio, Geotechnical USA, Conferences, Geotechnical Illinois, Geotechnical US, Geotechnical Alaska, Geotechnical Arizona, Geotechnical Michigan|Comments Off

WIU Graduates First Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering Students

Source: WIU Graduates First Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering Students Associate Professor of Engineering Blair McDonald and Jeremy May, new alumnus of WIU Civil Engineering MACOMB, IL - - The Civil Engineering and Electrical Engineering programs on Western Illinois University's Quad Cities campus have marked their first graduates. Jeremy May, of Geneseo, IL, received his degree in Civil Engineering, and Dakota Wilson, of East Moline, IL; Jeffrey Latham, of Davenport IA; and Travis Ohlsen, of Moline IL received their degrees in Electrical Engineering in May. In Spring 2019, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) approved new degrees in Electrical Engineering (EE) and Civil Engineering (CE) within the WIU School of Engineering, which began in Fall 2020. Western's Civil Engineering program prepares graduates to work in the structural, geotechnical, transportation and water resources areas of either government (local or federal) or private practice. While May is the first Civil Engineering graduate from this new program, several students have graduated in recent years with a civil engineering emphasis, and all are now working with companies such as Shive-Hattery, Inc., Bruner, Cooper & Zuck, Inc., the US Army Corps of Engineers and Illinois Department of Transportation. Many WIU Engineering graduates have gone on to obtain their professional licensures, which involves a four-year process following graduation. Electrical Engineering develops students' knowledge of rapidly expanding technologies in electricity, electronics and electromagnetism. One of the requirements of an EE degree is to take an additional math course, Linear Algebra, which allows all EE students to automatically obtain a minor in Mathematics. Latham, Ohlsen and Wilson all make up the EE Senior Design Team for an Autonomous Tracked Vehicle. Latham plans to continue his education with the University of Arizona's Engineering-Robotics and Automation graduate program. Ohlsen recently completed his internship with KONE Escalator Supply Unit and began working full [...]

By kk42|September 22nd, 2021|Geotechnical Kansas, Geotechnical USA, Geotechnical US, Geotechnical Indiana, Geotechnical Ohio, Geotechnical Illinois, Geotechnical Michigan, Geotechnical Wisconsin, Geotechnical Minnesota, Geotechnical Iowa|0 Comments

Lake Michigan coastline erosion research brings in new data and diplomacy

Source: Lake Michigan coastline erosion research brings in new data and diplomacy | Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant The town of Beverly Shores includes part of the Indiana Dunes National Park. (Photo credit: David Mark, Pixabay) The record high Lake Michigan water levels in 2020 were even more dramatic if you consider that the lake had near record low levels as recent as 2013. “That’s a lot of pressure on the shoreline,” said Cary Troy, Purdue University civil engineer. “There’s really no precedent in terms of ocean coastlines for what the Great Lakes are going through related to water level fluctuations.” In addition to lake levels, beaches are impacted by large storms and barriers, piers, and other human interventions. Troy is part of a sweeping study funded through Illinois-Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin Sea Grant programs to assess Lake Michigan coastal erosion levels, causes, and management options from physical, social and community perspectives. The two-year project that began in 2020 is led by Troy, Guy Meadows with Michigan Technological University and Chin Wu at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Miles Tryon-Petith, Chin Wu’s civil and environmental engineering Ph.D. student from UW-Madison is working on mounting the real-time camera to record bluff movement in Mequon, Wisc. (Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Sea Grant.) The research will focus on three coastal communities that offer the opportunity for scientists to track and measure erosion on different beach features—the bluffs at Concordia University in Wisconsin, the shoreline of South Haven, Michigan, and the dunes at Beverly Shores in Indiana. Part of the beach in the small town of Beverly Shores is in the Indiana Dunes National Park—there, the research team can learn more about how nature responds to water level changes and storm events. Troy also wants to study coastal sites where people have added structures to the landscape. He’s [...]

By kk42|September 22nd, 2021|Geotechnical Indiana, West Lafayette, Environmental Indiana, Geotechnical Illinois, Geotechnical Michigan, Geotechnical Wisconsin, Madison|Comments Off

Reusable Ionic Liquid from Coal Fly Ash Enables Extraction of Rare Elements

Source: Reusable Ionic Liquid Enables Extraction of Precious Rare-earth Elements from Coal Fly Ash | School of Civil and Environmental Engineering Turnipseed Family Chair and Professor Ching-Hua Huang, left, and Ph.D. candidate Laura Stoy, right, published research outlining a new method for extracting rare-earth elements from coal fly ash. By Melissa Fralick Researchers from Georgia Tech’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering have discovered a way to extract rare-earth elements—essential ingredients for nearly all modern electronics—from the ash left behind at coal-burning power plants using a non-toxic ionic liquid. In a paper published in ACS’s Environmental Science and Technology on June 23, the Georgia Tech researchers showed that by applying an ionic liquid directly to solid coal fly ash, rare-earth elements can be successfully removed in a safe process that creates little waste. The study is co-led by Ching-Hua Huang, a professor of environmental engineering and Ph.D. candidate Laura Stoy. A third co-author, Victoria Diaz, is an undergraduate student who joined the lab as part of Georgia Tech’s Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering/Sciences (S.U.R.E.) program. Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a set of 17 elements that are utilized to make everything from permanent magnets in windmills to LED screens for computers and smart phones. While rare-earth elements aren’t as scarce as their name implies, only a few locations around the globe have deposits large enough to mine directly. Many of these reserves are in politically sensitive locations, resulting in global supply chain tensions. “Right now, China produces over 80 percent of the world’s supply of rare-earth elements, meaning that if something were to happen to disrupt the global supply chain— like a ship getting stuck in the Suez Canal, or a pandemic, or a trade war with China—United States manufacturing might be cut off,” Stoy said. “Our work is one of many efforts to secure a [...]

By kk42|September 22nd, 2021|Drilling Indiana, Drilling Illinois, Drilling Kentucky, Geotechnical Georgia, Geotechnical Pennsylvania, Geotechnical West Virginia, Geotechnical Wyoming, Geotechnical Indiana, Geotechnical Kentucky, Environmental Indiana, Geotechnical Illinois|0 Comments

UD researchers study climate change impacts on soils at military installations

Source: The Ground Underfoot - Civil and Environmental Engineering UD researchers study climate change impacts on soils at military installations We walk over it, drive over it and build on it. Yet, it is probably safe to say, most of us rarely think about the ground beneath our feet. Underneath the grass, concrete, asphalt and other materials in our built environment, however, soil provides structure and stability for what lies above. The United States military wants to understand the role that climate impacts, such as flooding, storm surge or sea level rise, will have on soils at its coastal military bases and facilities, which are critical to national security. Soil conditions can affect the integrity of the ground underpinning buildings, roads, bridges and more. For example, if a soil’s pH were to rise significantly, due to increased salt content-containing ions such as sodium from storm surge, it could create saline conditions that could hamper the ground’s ability to support this necessary infrastructure. Understanding these threats will enable faster and more accurate routing and maneuverability for U.S. forces. The Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) is collaborating with the Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Louisiana State University to understand how vulnerable military installations along coasts may be affected by soil changes due to sea level rise and coastal flooding. DENIN has received $3.79 million in first- and second-year funding from the U.S. Department of Defense to start this work, and is eligible for an additional $3.82 million in continued funding over the following two years. Led by DENIN Director Don Sparks, Unidel S. Hallock du Pont Chair of Soil and Environmental Chemistry in UD’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, the UD effort includes interdisciplinary collaboration with Yan Jin, Edward F. and Elizabeth Goodman Rosenberg Professor [...]

By kk42|September 22nd, 2021|Geotechnical Mississippi, Geotechnical Wyoming, Geotechnical Idaho, Geotechnical Georgia, Geotechnical Oklahoma, Geotechnical Nebraska, Geotechnical Louisiana, Geotechnical Maryland, Geotechnical Oregon, Geotechnical North Carolina, Geotechnical Maine, Geotechnical Pennsylvania, Geotechnical Rhode Island, Geotechnical West Virginia, Geotechnical Indiana, Geotechnical Massachusetts, Geotechnical Wisconsin, Geotechnical South Carolina, Geotechnical USA, Soil Testing, Geotechnical Montana, Geotechnical Minnesota, Geotechnical South Dakota, Geotechnical US, Geotechnical Kentucky, Geotechnical Nevada, Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical Texas, Geotechnical Arizona, Geotechnical Tennessee, Geotechnical New Hampshire, Geotechnical Connecticut, Geotechnical Utah, Geotechnical Arkansas, Geotechnical Ohio, Geotechnical New Jersey, Geotechnical Florida, Geotechnical Vermont, Geotechnical California, Geotechnical Illinois, Geotechnical New Mexico, Geotechnical Iowa, Geotechnical Virginia, Geotechnical Colorado, Geotechnical Michigan, Geotechnical New York, Geotechnical Kansas, Geotechnical Washington, Geotechnical Delaware, Geotechnical Missouri, Geotechnical North Dakota|0 Comments

Parameters Variation Model Customization and Sensitivity Analyses

Source: Parameters Variation: Model Customization and Sensitivity Analyses Parameters Variation Model Customization and Sensitivity Analyses A well-known engineering challenge in the framework of finite element (FE) analysis-based design is the large number of input factors involved in geotechnical computational models. There is always a significant amount of uncertainties associated with the properties of geomaterials, being naturally highly heterogeneous materials. In the context of model calibration and validation, conducting a sensitivity analysis is very important. This can determine the key factors which govern the system and efficiently characterize the geotechnical variability for any considered design problem. Powerful mechanisms for the consideration of parameter variation are also very interesting for speeding up FE model creation and automating results in post-processing. These are also quite useful in reducing model definition for specific types of engineering problems (excavation wall of a specific type under simple ground conditions, simple tunnel shape in uniform rock mass, etc.) to a limited number of parameters that can be inputted in a text file or Microsoft Excel spreadsheet without expert knowledge of the PLAXIS user interface and different modeling techniques and FE know-how. The sensitivity analysis and parameter variation tool in PLAXIS A sensitivity analysis determines how different values of an independent variable affect a particular dependent variable under a given set of assumptions. In other words, sensitivity analyses study how various sources of uncertainty in a mathematical model contribute to the model's overall uncertainty. The Sensitivity Analysis and Parameter Variation tool (see Figure 1) can be used to evaluate the influence of model parameters on calculation results for any particular PLAXIS FE model: The Select Parameters tab sheet will first provide information about all the parameters that can be changed to perform the sensitivity analysis. Available parameters include most model parameters of the data sets for soil and [...]

By kk42|September 21st, 2021|Geotechnical Missouri, Geotechnical North Dakota, Geotechnical Mississippi, Geotechnical Wyoming, Geotechnical Idaho, Geotechnical Georgia, Geotechnical Oklahoma, Geotechnical Nebraska, Geotechnical Louisiana, Geotechnical Maryland, Geotechnical Oregon, Geotechnical North Carolina, Geotechnical Maine, Geotechnical Pennsylvania, Geotechnical Rhode Island, Geotechnical West Virginia, Geotechnical Indiana, Geotechnical Massachusetts, Geotechnical Wisconsin, Geotechnical South Carolina, Geotechnical USA, Geotechnical Kentucky, Geotechnical Montana, Geotechnical Minnesota, Geotechnical South Dakota, Geotechnical US, Geotechnical Tennessee, Geotechnical Nevada, Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical Texas, Geotechnical Arizona, Geotechnical Ohio, Geotechnical New Hampshire, Geotechnical Connecticut, Geotechnical Utah, Geotechnical Arkansas, Geotechnical Illinois, Geotechnical New Jersey, Geotechnical Florida, Geotechnical Vermont, Geotechnical California, Geotechnical New Mexico, Geotechnical Iowa, Geotechnical Virginia, Geotechnical Colorado, Geotechnical Michigan, Geotechnical New York, Geotechnical Kansas, Geotechnical Washington, Geotechnical Delaware|Comments Off

A Climate Change-Induced Disaster in Denali National Park

Source: A Climate Change-Induced Disaster in Denali National Park | Time The Times has recently showcased an article on the current rockslide situation in Denali National Park. The effects of climate change have been dramatic with the current melting of the permafrost. The National Parks Service has recently upped through gravel removal of the Pretty Rocks Landslide in an effort to keep up as the rapidly thawing permafrost picks up pace. Alaska is right now recognized as the country’s fastest-warming state. The landslide hit unprecedented speed 4 weeks ago causing the team to close the back half of the park weeks earlier than anticipated. This only signals bad news as reservations are canceled in the short term and the long term implications are yet unknown. “This is the canary in the coal mine for infrastructure disruption in Alaska,” says the Camp Denali lodge owner Simon Hamm. “If things continue on the path they’re on, it’s not going to just be Pretty Rock—it’s going to be half of the Alaskan highway system.” Rapid deterioration Denali National Park is one of the U.S.’s largest national parks at 6 million acres, and sits about four hours north of Anchorage. While the entrance to the park is certainly beautiful, many people prefer to hop on buses to access the park’s marquee attractions deep down its single 92-mile road: views of Mt. Denali (formerly Mt. McKinley), the highest peak in North America at 20,000 feet; the gleaming Wonder Lake; rolling mountainsides that contain an abundance of wildlife, including grizzly bears, moose, caribou and bighorn sheep. About halfway along the road lies the Pretty Rocks Landslide, a slowly sliding section of earth that acts more like a glacier than a rockfall. Since the 1960s, permafrost deep below the earth’s surface has thawed, causing the soil and [...]

By kk42|September 21st, 2021|Geotechnical Georgia, Geotechnical Oregon, Geotechnical North Carolina, Geotechnical Maine, Tanaina, Geotechnical Maryland, Geotechnical Rhode Island, Geotechnical West Virginia, Geotechnical Massachusetts, Lakes, Geotechnical Pennsylvania, Geotechnical South Carolina, Geotechnical USA, Landslides, Geotechnical Montana, Kalifornsky, Geotechnical Minnesota, Geotechnical South Dakota, Geotechnical US, Geotechnical Alaska, Geotechnical Indiana, Geotechnical Nevada, Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical Texas, Geotechnical Arizona, Anchorage, Geotechnical Kentucky, Geotechnical New Hampshire, Geotechnical Connecticut, Geotechnical Utah, Geotechnical Arkansas, Juneau, Geotechnical Tennessee, Geotechnical New Jersey, Geotechnical Florida, Geotechnical Vermont, Geotechnical California, Fairbanks, Geotechnical Ohio, Geotechnical New Mexico, Geotechnical Iowa, Geotechnical Virginia, Geotechnical Colorado, Badger, Geotechnical Illinois, Geotechnical New York, Geotechnical Kansas, Geotechnical Washington, Geotechnical Delaware, Knik-Fairview, Geotechnical Michigan, Geotechnical North Dakota, Geotechnical Mississippi, Geotechnical Idaho, College, Geotechnical Missouri, Geotechnical Oklahoma, Geotechnical Nebraska, Geotechnical Louisiana, Wasilla|0 Comments

Geotechnical Instrumentation and Monitoring Consumption Market Size to Witness Huge Growth by 2027 | By Top Leading Vendors – Keller, Fugro, Nova Metrix, Geokon, Geocomp, Sisgeo, Cowi – The Daily Chronicle

Source: Geotechnical Instrumentation and Monitoring Consumption Market Size to Witness Huge Growth by 2027 | By Top Leading Vendors – Keller, Fugro, Nova Metrix, Geokon, Geocomp, Sisgeo, Cowi – The Daily Chronicle

By smadi66|September 22nd, 2020|Geotechnical Colorado, Geotechnical Tennessee, Geotechnical New York, Geotechnical Connecticut, Geotechnical Washington, Geotechnical Delaware, Geotechnical Illinois, Geotechnical North Dakota, Geotechnical Florida, Geotechnical Wyoming, Geotechnical Idaho, Geotechnical Michigan, Geotechnical Oklahoma, Geotechnical Mississippi, Geotechnical Louisiana, Geotechnical Missouri, Geotechnical Oregon, Geotechnical Nebraska, Geotechnical Maine, Arlington Heights, Geotechnical Rhode Island, Geotechnical North Carolina, Geotechnical Massachusetts, Geotechnical Georgia, Geotechnical South Carolina, Geotechnical West Virginia, Geotechnical Montana, Geotechnical Maryland, Geotechnical South Dakota, Geotechnical Services, Geotechnical Nevada, Geotechnical Pennsylvania, Geotechnical Texas, Geotechnical Arizona, Geotechnical New Hampshire, Geotechnical Wisconsin, Geotechnical Utah, Geotechnical Arkansas, Geotechnical Indiana, Geotechnical New Jersey, Geotechnical Minnesota, Geotechnical Vermont, Geotechnical California, Geotechnical Kentucky, Geotechnical New Mexico, Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical Virginia|0 Comments