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South Dakota Homeowners Sue County Over Sinkhole Risks

Source: South Dakota Homeowners Sue County Over Sinkhole Risks More than 150 homeowners in a development outside Rapid City, South Dakota, are suing Meade County over risks to their properties after a sinkhole exposed an abandoned gypsum mine. The federal complaint filed Sept. 27 by Hideaway Hills residents in Black Hawk seeks damages to be determined by a jury and other relief “allowed by law or equity.” The sinkhole forced about 40 residents from 15 homes in April 2020. Geotechnical studies show there could be water flowing through the abandoned mine and toward Interstate 90 and there is the potential for future sinkholes, the Rapid City Journal reported. The complaint alleges several violations of the state Constitution. It says the decision to approve the subdivision by the county Planning Commission and the Meade County Commission put homeowners at risk. “Without the decisions to approve the subdivision, issue building permits and certificates of occupancy, the opportunity for harm would not have existed,” the complaint states. Developers allegedly informed the county in 2001 of an underground gypsum mine and discussed taking steps to determine if it was safe to build on. The commission approved the subdivision proposal in 2003. Katelyn Cook, an attorney for the county, said her legal team does not comment on pending litigation. South Dakota isn't the only area that suffers from sinkholes. Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania tend to have the most damage from sinkholes.

By kk42|October 1st, 2021|Geotechnical Pennsylvania, Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical Florida, Geotechnical South Dakota, Geotechnical Texas, Geotechnical Kentucky, Geotechnical Tennessee, Geotechnical Missouri|0 Comments

Mitigating carbon may have unintended consequences

Source: Mitigating carbon may have unintended consequences | Penn State University UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Controlling carbon release into the atmosphere will reduce carbon dioxide and slow global warming, but could there be unintended consequences for human health? Now, thanks to a three-year grant of about $400,000 from the National Science Foundation, researchers at Penn State will investigate potential positives and negatives of decarbonization. "There can be unintended health co-harms from some carbon mitigation strategies," said Wei Peng, assistant professor of international affairs and civil and environmental engineering and principal investigator on the project. "For instance, large-scale bioenergy production may drive up food prices, which leads to nutrition-related health co-harms." Of course, mitigating carbon can also bring health benefits, including a reduction of pollution in the atmosphere. "Tangible human health co-benefits can motivate stronger support for climate policy," said Peng. The researchers aim to improve understanding of what factors determine the size and scope of health outcomes from decarbonization and to identify strategies most likely to yield overall health benefits. Focusing on the U.S., Peng and her team will develop a framework integrating energy, food and health. They will improve health variables in a state-level integrated assessment model and connect it to a fine-resolution, health impact assessment model. They will also develop a large number of scenarios of decarbonization to encompass future uncertainties, technology and markets. This project is the extension of two seed grants from Penn State's Institutes of Energy and the Environment and Institute for Computational and Data Sciences. Vivek Srikrishnan, assistant professor of biological and environmental engineering, Cornell University, is the co-principal investigator (PI) on this project. Peng is also a co-PI on a project looking to model the interactions of climate change, air quality and social inequalities. This five-year, $1.5 million NSF grant, co-led by Mark [...]

By kk42|September 29th, 2021|Geotechnical New York, Geotechnical Oklahoma, Geotechnical Oregon, Geotechnical Texas, Geotechnical Washington, Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical Iowa, Geotechnical Kansas, Geotechnical North Carolina, Geotechnical California|0 Comments

Lancaster County sinkhole raises concern over detours, emergency responder response times

Source: Lancaster County sinkhole raises concern over detours, emergency responder response times | WHP LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — A nearly 20-foot sinkhole on State Route 324 (Marticville Road) between Sprecher Road and West Penn Grant Road in Lancaster County is causing detours for community members and concern over delays for emergency responders. PennDOT implemented a detour Sunday night, originally anticipating work to fill the sinkhole would begin in a month. PennDOT Engineering District 8 Press Officer Dave Thompson exclusively tells CBS 21 News’ Samantha York Thursday the timeline has extended. “We expect this road might be closed into next spring before we can actually start working on it,” Thompson says. “That’s- that’s news to me,” New Danville Fire Company Fire Chief Brad Shenk says. 20% of his 25 active volunteer firefighters live on the opposite side of the sinkhole and respond to emergencies from home in a rural town. He says being delayed for a few minutes can make a big difference when time is of the essence, requesting the sinkhole to be filled sooner. “It’s going to have an adverse effect on our response times to get those members here,” Shenk tells CBS 21’s Samantha York. “We’re a small fire company, we’re counting on everybody to go up at any given time, whoever’s available responds and these guys are going to be delayed by several minutes.” Community members speculate the sinkhole, which reaches from the middle of the road through a drainage ditch and into adjacent property, has something to do with new construction nearby. However, the cause remains undetermined by officials – which is causing the delay in getting it fixed. “We’ve assessed what needs to be done, but we need to get some- an agreement in place with a local property owner that’s property is adjacent to [...]

By kk42|September 29th, 2021|Geotechnical Florida, Geotechnical Texas, Geotechnical Kentucky, Geotechnical Tennessee, Geotechnical Missouri, Geotechnical Pennsylvania, Geotechnical Alabama|0 Comments

Himalayan hydropower ‘clean but risky,’ warn scientists

Source: Himalayan hydropower 'clean but risky,' warn scientists With its steep topography and abundant water resources the Himalayas offer sustainable, low-carbon hydropower for energy-hungry South Asia. But there is a catch—the mountain range falls in one of the world's most seismically active regions. A group of 60 top Indian scientists and environmentalists wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month seeking his intervention in stopping "any more hydroelectric projects in the Himalayas and on the Ganga whether under construction, new or proposed." The letter cites the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's sixth assessment report which says that the Himalayas have been affected by warming. The report warns that "rising temperature and precipitation can increase the occurrence of glacial lake outburst floods and landslides over moraine-dammed lakes" in high mountain Asia. Moraine consists of rocks and soil left behind by moving glaciers. Hydropower, the world's largest source of renewable electric power with1,308 gigawatts of installed capacity in 2019, is expected to play a critical role in decarbonizing power systems, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), an inter-governmental body. Stretching 2,400 kilometers in an arc that includes the world's highest peaks, the Everest in Nepal and K2 in Pakistan, the Himalayas rank high among global hot spots for developing hydropower, though only 20 percent of the estimated 500 gigawatt potential has been tapped so far. But that situation is rapidly changing with hydropower projects mushrooming along the Himalayan arc—which covers territory in Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan—despite proven risks from quakes, landslides and glacial lake outburst floods. The immediate trigger for the appeal to Modi was a decision by India's Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to allow the restarting of seven controversial hydropower projects in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Three of these projects—Tapovan-Vishnugad (520 [...]

By kk42|September 28th, 2021|Geotechnical Oregon, Geotechnical Washington, Geotechnical Tennessee, Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical California, Geotechnical Idaho, Geotechnical Montana, Geotechnical New York|0 Comments

Breakwaters aim to halt ongoing erosion at coastal refuge

Source: Breakwaters aim to halt ongoing erosion at coastal refuge | ASCE Although the new breakwaters were primarily intended to stop erosion, sediment is already building up behind the barriers as a side benefit. (Courtesy of CPRA) A series of breakwaters to protect a coastal wildlife refuge in southwestern Louisiana incorporated an innovative, lightweight design. Despite extremely poor soils and ongoing erosion that kept changing the shoreline throughout the project, the breakwaters are already showing dramatic results. The Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Louisiana, which borders the Gulf of Mexico for 26.5 mi, is disappearing at an increasingly rapid rate. The Gulf of Mexico has shores on Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. When it was created in 1920, the refuge originally encompassed 86,000 acres of biologically diverse coastal wetlands in Cameron and Vermillion Parishes. But over time, ongoing coastal erosion has reduced the refuge to 71,000 acres. Twenty years or so ago, a key 9.2 mi stretch of the refuge was losing about 50 ft of land per year, notes Phillip “Scooter” Trosclair III, a biologist program manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, which manages the refuge. The rate of loss in that region increased to around 70 ft a year, then 100 ft, and then by 2016 surveys indicated that more than 300 ft of land had disappeared in a single year, Trosclair says. People worried that “if we keep getting hit with this pattern, we’re not going to have any land left,” Trosclair recalls. But even as the refuge seemed in greater danger, a solution was already in the works. When erosion losses started to accelerate around 2000, the Rockefeller Refuge Gulf Shoreline Stabilization Project was taking shape. Implemented by the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority and the National Marine Fisheries Service [...]

By kk42|September 28th, 2021|Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical Florida, Geotechnical Mississippi, Geotechnical Louisiana, Geotechnical Texas|0 Comments

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 South Carolina, Sinkholes, Geotechnical Georgia, Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical Florida, Geotechnical Mississippi, CPT Blog, Cone Penetration|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 Idaho, Geotechnical Massachusetts, Geotechnical New York, Geotechnical Oregon, Geotechnical Ohio, Geotechnical South Carolina, Geotechnical Vermont, Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical Washington, Geotechnical Connecticut, Conferences, Geotechnical Kansas, Geotechnical Mississippi, Geotechnical Arizona|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 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, 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|0 Comments

Environmental Regulations Changing China’s Hydropower Stations

Source: China’s Thousands of Small Dams Struggle to Stay Afloat Chen Tai’an poses for a photo atop the Hongsha Hydropower Station dam in Liuyang, Hunan province, 2021. Diao Fanchao for Sixth Tone For decades, rural areas along the Yangtze River depended on small hydropower stations. Now, amid rising ecological costs and safety concerns, the government wants to make them more sustainable. Early in April, continuous rain lashed the central city of Liuyang, Hunan province for days. As the Yangtze River Basin entered its major flood season and its banks swelled, Chen Tai’an stood inside the hydropower plant he partly owns, listening to the rumble of its turbines. He says it’s the best time of the year to generate hydropower since most turbines operate at full capacity. But this year has been different. Chen says his Hongsha Hydropower Station’s annual revenue fell by more than 30,000 yuan ($4,600) as its output was cut by 100,000 kilowatts per hour. The reduced power generation stemmed from new, and more stringent, government guidelines for maintaining “ecological water flow” — the level and quality of water in rivers to sustain the local ecosystem. According to a 2018 government policy mandated for small hydropower stations, Chen couldn’t store water during the dry spell between August and March — meaning river water could no longer be fully stored to generate electricity as in previous years. So he was given until August of last year to install a floodgate on the dam to release one-tenth of the annual runoff into the river, with which he complied. “All that water wasted… such a shame,” says Chen, looking at the river and furrowing his brow. He’s still pondering what the government meant by “ecological water flow.” To him, all river water is a valuable resource, and using turbines to turn it into [...]

By kk42|September 22nd, 2021|Geotechnical California, Geotechnical New York, Geotechnical Oregon, Geotechnical Washington, Uncategorized, Geotechnical Alabama, Geotechnical USA, Geotechnical US|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 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, 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|Comments Off