Search results for "technical"
showing 10 items of 955 documents
Laboratory evaluation of falling-head infiltration for saturated soil hydraulic conductivity determination
2020
Falling-head one-dimensional infiltration procedures, such as the simplified falling-head (SFH) technique, yield estimates of saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, Ks, with parsimonious and rapid experiments. Factors that can influence determination of Ks by the SFH technique were tested in the laboratory on three repacked soils differing by particle diameter ranges (0-2000, 0- 105 and 105-2000 mm, respectively). Using the theoretically calculated depth of ponding on the infiltration surface, D, instead of the measured one had a small impact on the Ks calculations (means differing by a factor of 1.1-1.2, depending on the soil). For the finest soil, Ks decreased by 3.1 times as D increased …
Benchmarking numerical models of brittle thrust wedges
2016
International audience; We report quantitative results from three brittle thrust wedge experiments, comparing numerical resultsdirectly with each other and with corresponding analogue results. We first test whether the participatingcodes reproduce predictions from analytical critical taper theory. Eleven codes pass the stable wedgetest, showing negligible internal deformation and maintaining the initial surface slope upon horizontaltranslation over a frictional interface. Eight codes participated in the unstable wedge test that examinesthe evolution of a wedge by thrust formation from a subcritical state to the critical taper geometry. Thecritical taper is recovered, but the models show two…
Stage–Discharge Relationship for an Upstream Inclined Grid with Transversal Bars
2016
AbstractCheck dams with grids upgrading upstream are often used in mountain rivers, where intense sediment transport and steep slopes occur. In some cases, sloping grids are used in the construction of debris flow breakers. In this paper, the outflow process of an upstream-inclined grid with transversal bars is studied by using the dimensional analysis and the incomplete self-similarity theory. Next, the theoretical analysis shows that a power equation can be used for establishing the stage-discharge equation. The coefficient of the power equation depends on both the slope angle and the void ratio, whereas the exponent depends only on the slope angle. Finally, this deduced stage–discharge r…
Shear zone junctions: Of zippers and freeways
2017
Abstract Ductile shear zones are commonly treated as straight high-strain domains with uniform shear sense and characteristic curved foliation trails, bounded by non-deforming wall rock. Many shear zones, however, are branched, and if movement on such branches is contemporaneous, the resulting shape can be complicated and lead to unusual shear sense arrangement and foliation geometries in the wall rock. For Y-shaped shear zone triple junctions with three joining branches and transport direction at a high angle to the branchline, only eight basic types of junction are thought to be stable and to produce significant displacement. The simplest type, called freeway junctions, have similar shear…
The influence of rock heterogeneity on the scaling properties of simulated and natural stylolites
2009
International audience; Stylolites are among the most prominent deformation patterns in sedimentary rocks that document localized pressure solution. Recent studies revealed that stylolite roughness is characterized by two distinct scaling regimes. The main goal of the present study is to decipher whether this complex scaling behavior of stylolites is caused by the composition of the host-rock, i.e. heterogeneities in the material, or is governed by inherent processes on respective scales, namely the transition from a surface energy to an elastic energy dominated regime, as theoretically predicted. For this purpose we have developed a discrete numerical technique, based on a lattice spring m…
Modelling of stylolite geometries and stress scaling
2012
International audience; In this contribution we present numerical simulations of stylolite growth to decipher the effects of initial rock heterogeneity and stress on their morphology. We show that stylolite growth in a rock with a uniform grain size produces different patterns than stylolite growth in a rock with a bimodal grain size distribution. Strong pinning of large heterogeneities produce stylolite structures that are dominated by pronounced teeth, whereas a uniform grain size leads to spikes and a roughness that shows variable wavelengths. We compare the simulated stylolites with natural examples and show that the model can reproduce the real structures. In addition we show that stro…
Influence of microporosity distribution on the mechanical behavior of oolithic carbonate rocks.
2015
Abstract The mechanical behavior of oolithic carbonate rocks was investigated for selected rocks with two different microstructural attributes: uniform (UP) and rimmed (RP) distribution of microporosity within ooids. These oolithic carbonate rocks are from the Oolithe Blanche formation, a deep saline aquifer in the Paris Basin, and a possible target for CO2 sequestration and geothermal production. Samples of similar physical properties (porosity, grain diameter, cement content) but different microporosity textures were deformed under triaxial configuration, in water saturated conditions, at 28 MPa of confining pressure, 5 MPa of pore pressure and at a temperature of 55 °C. During the experi…
Driving through floodwater: Exploring driver decisions through the lived experience
2019
Abstract More than half of unintentional flood-related drowning deaths in Australia are due to driving through floodwater, despite on-going public campaigns. Currently, there is a knowledge gap in understanding why individuals choose to drive through floodwater and the decisions that may lead to such actions. We propose that a more complete understanding of individuals’ decisions to drive through floodwater needs to be considered in the context of the lived experience. Australian drivers (N = 20) who had intentionally driven through floodwater participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis based in an interpretivist approach. Past experience, indivi…
Comparing methods for computation of run-up heights of landslide-generated tsunami in the Northern Sicily continental margin
2018
The North Sicily continental margin is a very active region located in the Central Mediterranean. Strong seismicity, active tectonics and volcanism, fluid escape, high sediment supply, and widespread mass movements historically have exposed this region to marine geohazards, with a potential for tsunami generation. Morpho-bathymetric analysis revealed that one of the most common mechanisms associated with marine geohazards is due to submarine mass failure processes, genetically linked to the other processes active in this margin. With the aim to assess the risks associated with landslide-generated anomalous waves, we selected two sectors of this margin, Gulf of Palermo to the west and Patti …
Combined Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), Direct-Push Electrical Conductivity (DP-EC) Logging and Coring - A New Methodological Approach in G…
2016
Non-invasive geophysical methods have been increasingly applied in geoarchaeological research commonly showing the need of data calibration based on stratigraphical information deduced from outcrops or sediment cores. In this contribution, a methodological approach combining two-dimensional (2D) electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and stratigraphical data based on coring and, for the first time in geoarchaeological research, direct-push electrical conductivity (DP-EC) logging is presented and discussed. The approach yields high resolution data based on studies of two different types of archives, the Holsterburg site in central Germany located in a fluvio-terrestrial zone and the Corfu C…