Geological Engineering Commons^™

Development Of Uas And Geophysical Techniques For Agriculture And Environmental Site Characterization, Yunyi Guan

Doctoral Dissertations

"Soil properties are critical for agricultural management. Geophysical techniques such as ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic induction have been used to measure soil properties for agricultural applications. However, their measurements are only acquired along select traverses within a field, and the data processing can be time-consuming, the instruments can also be expensive. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are a recent advancement used for precision agriculture. Compared with geophysical data, UAVs have higher resolution and wider coverage and can quickly collect data across the whole field. The operation is also relatively simpler with a more economical acquisition cost. This research investigates …

Lithospheric Drip And Mantle Thermal Upwelling Beneath Central Asia And The Southern Great Plains Of North America: Evidence From Receiver Function Imaging, Yangyang Liao

Doctoral Dissertations

"Investigating the depth of mantle transition zone (MTZ) discontinuities provides insights into mantle dynamics, including regional-scale downwelling of mantle lithosphere (i.e., lithospheric drip) and upwelling of thermal materials (i.e., mantle plume). In our study, we employ receiver functions to image the 410 km (d410) and 660 km (d660) mantle discontinuities and to ascertain thickness of the MTZ beneath Central Asia and the Great Plains in United States. The findings unveil a significantly thickened transition zone, exhibiting an average thickness of 284 km beneath East Sayan. When considered alongside geochemical observations, our results indicate that the descent of the lithosphere is …

Exploring Seismic Anisotropy In The Crust And Mantle Of The Tibetan Plateau And Analyzing Seismic Velocity Variations In Yellowstone, Cong Shen

Doctoral Dissertations

"Seismology is a scientific discipline that utilizes seismic waves to investigate the deep structures within the Earth's interior, which are otherwise inaccessible to direct observation by humans. These seismic waves can be categorized into two types: body waves and surface waves, each with distinct propagation modes and behaviors, carrying valuable information about their travel paths. The first paper concentrates on the analysis and inversion of body waves produced by large seismic events. It employs shear wave splitting and receiver function methods to explore the geodynamic structure of the south-central Tibetan Plateau, near the plate boundary. The investigation covers the depth …

Development Of A Comprehensive Multi-Factored Methodology For Identification Of Landslides In The Buffalo National River Of Arkansas, Abdurraouf Okok

Doctoral Dissertations

"In northern Arkansas's Springfield and Boston Mountain Plateaus, distinctive geomorphological landslide features have shown historical continuity. USGS topographic maps (1:24,000, 7.5-minute series) serve as valuable resources for studying terrain characteristics and hydrological patterns.

This study uses a manual mapping approach with high-resolution LiDAR data and geological maps in a GIS environment. The method identifies historic landslide features by analyzing anomalous topographic contour patterns overlaid on LiDAR-derived hillshade maps, revealing various mass movements along the Buffalo National River. Data from the Office of State Geologist and fieldwork reconnaissance were utilized to map older landslide features with high confidence. Some previously unrecognized …

Paleoecological And Paleoclimatic Reconstructions Based On Holocene Sediment Cores, Lake Izabal, Eastern Guatemala, Erdoo Mongol

Doctoral Dissertations

"The Maya Region in Central America is characterized by pronounced discrepancies in precipitation, resulting in high precipitation gradients that support large-scale differences in vegetation across the region. Several lake deposits and other paleoclimate archives in the region have been studied to reconstruct past climates and palaeoecological conditions. However, actual data from proxy records have not been qualitatively and quantitatively utilized to interpret the behavior of the vegetation in moister areas within the Maya Region, such as the Lake Izabal Basin (LIB). The palynomorphs from two sediment cores in the LIB provided a good opportunity to infer the patterns of past …

Topography Of The 410 And 660 Km Discontinuities Beneath The Tibetan Plateau And Adjacent Areas, Zexin Miao

Doctoral Dissertations

"The Tibetan Plateau represents the ongoing geotectonic aftermath of a continental collision initiated approximately 65 million years ago. Despite numerous seismological studies, controversies remain regarding the structure, evolution, and dynamics of the crust and mantle beneath Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we used teleseismic broadband data to investigate the topography of the mantle transition zone (MTZ) discontinuities. A total of ~655,000 receiver functions from 735 stations was utilized to image the 410 and 660 km discontinuities bordering the MTZ. Combining the observed and velocity corrected results, several areas in the central Tibet exhibit a typical d410 and an anomalously deep …

Identification, Mapping, Analysis, And Dating Of Composite Mega Landslides In The Colorado Plateau, Conor Maris Watkins

Doctoral Dissertations

"This research consists of three articles focusing on landslide complexes within the Grand Canyon region of the Colorado Plateau. This is a vast and remote region of rugged topography. The landslide complexes in this study are greater than 10 million cubic meters in volume. The slides are located within different areas of the region and consist of differing geology but share multiple commonalities. Stratigraphic and structural controls tend to dictate where the slides occur. All of the landslides occur where carbonates and/or sandstones overlie over consolidated shales. The shales are susceptible to creep and strain softening where lateral confinement has …

Design Methods For Pressure Relief Well Systems At Dams And Levees, Andrew Keffer

Doctoral Dissertations

"Flood risk reduction structures such as dams and levees are important systems that provide significant benefits to the nation. Relief wells reduce the substratum water pressures that can compromise them via internal erosion. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) analytical method to design relief well systems by calculating discharge and excess head along an infinite line of wells was developed from the 1930s – 1950s. The research presented here increases our understanding of the method’s history and uses analytical and numerical models to improve current infinite and finite well system design practices. The historical development of this method was …

Groundwater Withdrawal Estimation Using Integrated Remote Sensing Products And Machine Learning, Sayantan Majumdar

Doctoral Dissertations

"The rising demands for water, food, and energy primarily driven by the increasing global population constitute a pressing issue worldwide. Therefore, the water-food-energy nexus plays a substantial role in developing globally applicable sustainable solutions. Recent technological advancements, including the earth observation programs using spaceborne remote sensing platforms, have enabled us to monitor various critical components affecting the globe. Groundwater, which comprises the world's 30% freshwater, is one such key component of the global water resources and supplies nearly half of the global drinking water.

Despite groundwater overdraft in many parts of the world, including the United States (US), there are …

Resistivity Imaging Of Prominent Seepage Pathways In Karst Terrain, Abdullah Hadi Zaid Alhaj

Doctoral Dissertations

"An integrated research approach was conducted to evaluate subsurface karstic conditions in Greene County, southwestern Missouri. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was employed to image anomalously low resistivity zones associated with the presence of seepage pathways that were anthropogenic and/or natural in origin. Techniques including visual inspection (VI), multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW), borehole control (BC), and aerial imagery (AI) were supplementally used to constrain the ERT data interpretations.

This research addressed six objectives. First, the ERT data interpretations were verified in terms of depth to the top of bedrock, fractures/voids, and moisture changes using the MASW, borehole control, and …

Prediction Of Deflection Of Helical Anchors Under Load, Andre Stephen Hawks

Doctoral Dissertations

”As the sophistication of modern structural design methods has improved over time, the ability to accurately predict and model foundation stiffness has become increasingly more important. In complicated structural systems with deep foundations, correct calculation of the distribution of load and serviceability requires proper modeling of axial load-deflection characteristics. To keep pace with advances in structural analysis, there is much need for more practical and scientific work on the load-deflection prediction of deep foundations including Helical Anchors.

The load-settlement mechanism of an axially loaded helical pile is a complex soil-structure interaction problem influenced by helical pile dimensions, installation method, and …

Investigating The Impact Of Rock Bridges On The Mechanical Behavior Of Jointed Rock Mass Using Lattice Spring-Based Synthetic Rock Mass (Ls-Srm) Approach, Mariam Salem Alebayat

Doctoral Dissertations

"Rock bridges were defined as a segment of intact rock that separates from discontinuities. Numerous studies are focused on developing methods to quantify their significance in rock mass strength and deformability behavior. This thesis aimed to enhance understanding of the effect of rock bridges on jointed rock masses in both laboratory and slope scales. For this purpose, the lattice spring base Synthetic Rock Mass (LS-SRM) method was adopted to conduct the numerical models, distinguished in computational efficiency, and simulates the brittle failure and roughness of discontinuities.

A robust approach was developed to optimize the calibration procedure to avoid the complex …

Evaluation Of Excavated Surface Irregularities And Hardness Of Mechanical Excavations And Their Relationship With Excavator Performance, Prosper Evaristus Akansah Ayawah

Doctoral Dissertations

"This research involved lab and numerical excavation of a clastic sedimentary rock (Roubidoux Sandstone) using a long-bladed disc cutter in a Linear Rock Cutting Machine (LCM) with the aim of establishing relationships between the cutting parameters, excavated surface parameters (underbreaks, overbreaks and hardness), and performance parameters (specific energy and cutting rate). Three-dimensional cutting forces were recorded during the linear cutting. A structured laser imaging system was used to image the excavated surfaces for the estimation of the irregularities (ridge volumes (RV) and overbreak volumes (OV)). The excavated surface hardness was measured using the N-type Schmidt hammer. The numerical simulation was …

Gis And Remote Sensing Groundwater Potentiality Investigation Of Gulu District, Uganda Using Synthetic Aperture Radar And Magnetic Geophysics, Rachel Ann Jones

Doctoral Dissertations

“Developing countries have few resources for ground-based hydrological investigations to determine optimal placement of boreholes for community water access. Remote sensing data are available at a variety of resolutions and sense different parameters, and are useful inputs for hydrologic models, but these data are rarely obtainable in developing countries with the parameters or resolutions necessary for hydrologic applications. This research seeks to use and improve existing remote sensing and GIS techniques to identify areas of optimal water supply in locations with limited geologic or hydrologic information, such as Gulu District, Uganda. Fusing different remotely sensed data sets can produce higher …

Use Of Portable Seismic Property Analyzer And Ground Penetrating Radar To Assess Bridge Decks, Samie Ramadan A Hamad

Doctoral Dissertations

The Montauk Bridge deck was assessed based on the portable seismic property analyzer and ground penetrating radar data. Based on the analysis of the portable seismic property analyzer data, it was determined that over 65% of bridge conditions were rated serious to poor condition with an average compressive strength of less than 2500 psi; less than 35% of bridge deck conditions were rated fair to good with an average compressive strength over 2500 psi. Based on ground penetrating radar data, it was determined that 72% of the bridge deck was in serious to poor condition, and only 28% of the …

Geophysical Assessment Of The Lake Chesterfield Site, Missouri, Diya Ali Ahmad Alfuqara

Doctoral Dissertations

"Since construction of the Lake Chesterfield, Missouri in 1986, significant leaks have occurred causing the lake to lose substantive volumes of water. Mitigation efforts, have not solved the problem. Indeed, in June of 2017, the water level in Lake Chesterfield dropped at an alarmingly rapid rate. Prior to authorizing additional mitigation work, the Lake Chesterfield. Home Owners Association (LCHOA) decided to acquire geophysical data across the drained and dry lake bed. These information would help a geotechnical engineering firm determine the most appropriate mitigation plan.

In the summer of 2018, electrical resistivity tomography, multichannel analysis of surface wave, and spontaneous-potential …

Imaging In Karst Terrain Using The Electrical Resistivity Tomography (Ert) And Multi-Channel Analysis Of Surface Waves (Masw) Methods, Hassan Abdullah Alzahrani

Doctoral Dissertations

"Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) methods were used to image the subsurface in karst terrain in the southeast of Missouri. A SuperSting R8 system was used to acquire the ERT profiles; a multi-channel engineering seismograph was used to acquire the MASW data. The latter data were used to constrain and verify the ERT interpreted depth to top-of-rock and soil thickness. The ERT data were used to delineate the soil/rock interface and to identify zones of anomalously high moisture content within the bedrock.

The primary objective of the research was to determine the cause of …

An Integrated Wellbore Stability Study To Mitigate Expensive Wellbore Instability Problems While Drilling Into Zubair Shale/Sand Sequence, Southern Iraq, Ahmed Khudhair Abbas

Doctoral Dissertations

”The Zubair Formation is the most prolific reservoir in Iraq, which is comprised of sandstones interbedded with shale sequences. Due to the weak nature of the shale sequence, the instability of a wellbore is one of the most critical challenges that continuously appears during drilling across this formation. Historically, over 90% of wellbore problems in the Zubair Formation were due to wellbore instability. Problems associated with wellbore instability, such as tight hole, shale caving, stuck logging tools along with subsequent fishing, stuck pipe, and sidetracking result in increasing the non-productive time. This non-productive time has cost an enormous amount of …

Geo-Engineered Induced Seismicity And The Effects On Federal Infrastructure, Merissa L. Zuzulock

Doctoral Dissertations

“The study of human-induced seismicity and the effects on civil engineering systems are not completely understood or often studied. Moreover, existing studies are focused on the cause of the seismicity and not on the potential damage to infrastructure from these seismic events. There are recent studies that are beginning to focus on shallow induced seismic activity and the effects on infrastructure by establishing innovative ways to quantify that damage. These studies that focus on the potential damage neglect to included considerations for small magnitude cluster events. As geo-induced seismic events increase, soil fatigue becomes of greater concern to structures within …

Development Of Tools For Water Management In The Hatra Watershed (Northwestern Iraq) Using Satellite Technologies, Majid S. Mohamod

Doctoral Dissertations

“All around the world the demand for water is increasing, especially in arid and semi-arid regions, including Iraq which subject to continuous desertification that is worsening, more importantly the Jezira region in northwestern Iraq. Thus, it’s crucial to have a better strategy for water management. One of these strategies is to promote groundwater recharge for restoring the aquifer depletion. The successful groundwater recharge is limited by some potential data such as the annual water budge and precipitation measurements. The atomospheric and hydrological observations are limited by sparse population which tends to be less in arid and semi-arid regions. Therefore, an …

Predictive Geohazard Mapping Using Lidar And Satellite Imagery In Missouri And Oklahoma, Usa, Olufeyisayo B. Ososami

Doctoral Dissertations

”Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and satellite imagery have become the most utilized remote sensing technologies for compiling inventories of surficial geologic conditions. Point cloud data obtained from multi-spectral remote sensing methods provide a detailed characterization of the surface features, in particular, the detailed surface manifestations of underlying geologic structures. When combined, point clouds eliminate bias from visual inconsistencies and/or statistical values. This research explores the competence of point clouds derived from LiDAR and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) as a predictive tool in evaluating various geohazards. It combines these data sets with other remote sensing techniques to evaluate the sensitivity …

Geophysical Characteristics Of Nickel And Copper Deposits In Wadi Al Khadra Prospect, Southwestern Of Saudi Arabia, Abdulrahman Ahmed Aljabbab

Doctoral Dissertations

“Three geophysical datasets (self-potential, magnetics, and time - domain electromagnetics) were acquired at Wadi Al Khadra Ni-Cu prospect in southwest Saudi Arabia, and were processed and interpreted for the Saudi Geological Survey. The primary objectives were to map the distribution of metallic mineralization, map structures, verify the integration of the geophysical interpretations and its signatures in conjunction with boreholes information, distinguish the similarities and differences in the integrated interpretation of geophysical data, and design optimal processing and interpretation data parameters. The self-potential tool was used to map the variation in natural surface potential differences to map lateral variations in the …

Assessment And Prediction Of Surface Water Vulnerability From Non-Point Source Pollution In Midwestern Watersheds, Fadhil K. Jabbar

Doctoral Dissertations

"Non-point source pollution is the leading cause of impairment in surface water in the Midwest. In this research, we seek to predict which watersheds are most vulnerable to point source pollution without field sampling using publically available GIS databases. Watersheds with higher vulnerability ratings can then be targeted for water quality monitoring, and funds used to improve watershed health can be distributed with greater efficacy. To better understand and target watershed vulnerability, we used three different approaches. In the first project, 35 sub-watersheds were sampled in the Lower Grand Watershed, which is a highly agricultural watershed in northern Missouri/southern Iowa. …

Development Of Lidar Assisted Terrestrial Radar Interferometry For Rock Deformation Monitoring, Ricardo Javier Romero Ramirez

Doctoral Dissertations

"Rock and soil slope movements cost millions of dollars annually. During the past few decades, engineers have relied on traditional methods to detect slope movements. These tools are valuable for small spatial areas but, may not be adequate or cost effective for large spatial areas. Remote sensing methods such as terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and terrestrial radar interferometry (TRI) provide excellent spatial coverage, and with adequate post-data-processing software, sub-millimetric scale deformation sensitivity can be achieved.

This work will present a comparative experimental study between TLS and TRI. The comparative experimental study will allow us to achieve the two main objectives …

Military Applications Of Geological Engineering, Stephen H. Tupper

Doctoral Dissertations

"This work examines the premise that military engineering and geological engineering are intellectually paired and overlapped in practice to a significant extent. Geological engineering is an established, albeit young, academic discipline that enjoys wide industry and civil demand and is supported by many professional organizations. In contrast, military engineering is an ancient, empirically derived training or "OJT" program with practice-based trade-associations that has narrow government-only utility. The premise is formed by decades-long observation of U. S. Army military engineer officers completing a Master of Science degree in geological engineering as a complement to their practice-based training in military engineering at …

Detection And Elimination Of Rock Face Vegetation From Terrestrial Lidar Data Using The Virtual Articulating Conical Probe Algorithm, Kenneth John Boyko

Doctoral Dissertations

"A common use of terrestrial lidar is to conduct studies involving change detection of natural or engineered surfaces. Change detection involves many technical steps beyond the initial data acquisition: data structuring, registration, and elimination of data artifacts such as parallax errors, near-field obstructions, and vegetation. Of these, vegetation detection and elimination with terrestrial lidar scanning (TLS) presents a completely different set of issues when compared to vegetation elimination from aerial lidar scanning (ALS). With ALS, the ground footprint of the lidar laser beam is very large, and the data acquisition hardware supports multi-return waveforms. Also, the underlying surface topography is …

Using Lidar To Measure Subsurface Movement Of Slow-Moving Landslides And Study The Interaction Between The Soil And Lidar Scanning Targets, Chengxun Lu

Doctoral Dissertations

"Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) technology has been used for predicting and researching geological hazards for two decades. This research focuses on using LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) to measure the slow-moving displacement of both surface and subsurface soil of landslides. Two kinds of computer simulation software, FLAC3D® and PFC3D® were used to simulate the landslide process to compare with the LiDAR scanning results.

The primary contributions from this research are as follows:

1. Several error tests were done to prove that the three-dimensional LiDAR scanner used in this research can precisely obtain the three-dimensional position, the displacement and the rotational …

Thermomechanical Analysis Of Rock Asperity In Fractures Of Enhanced Geothermal Systems, Chao Zeng

Doctoral Dissertations

"Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) offer great potential for dramatically expanding the use of geothermal energy and become a promising supplement for fossil energy. The EGS is to extract heat by creating a subsurface system to which cold water can be added through injection wells. Injected water is heated by contact with rock and returns to the surface through production well. Fracture provides the primary conduit for fluid flow and heat transfer in natural rock. Fracture is propped by fracture roughness with varying heights which is called asperity. The stability of asperity determines fracture aperture and hence imposes substantial effect on …

Gis-Based Spatial Analysis Coupled With Geophysical Imaging To Identify And Evaluate Factors That Control The Formation Of Karst Sinkholes In Southwestern Missouri, Shishay T. Kidanu

Doctoral Dissertations

"Sinkholes are inherent features of the karst terrain underlying much of Greene County, Missouri. These features present hazards and engineering challenges to existing infrastructure unknowingly constructed on a seemingly benign ground surface. The primary objective of this research was to investigate the physical processes chiefly responsible for triggering the seemingly random distribution of sinkholes in the study area. This research employed an integrated approach encompassing regional scale GIS-based spatial analyses and site-specific geophysical data. GIS-based spatial analysis was employed to identify significant physical factors that appeared to influence the formation and distribution of sinkholes. Seven out of the twelve most …

Delineation Of A Coal Combustion Residue Landfill And Underlying Karst Subsurface In Southwest Missouri Using Ert And Masw Surveys, Ruobai Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations

"The safe containment of coal combustion residual (CCR) in landfills was addressed by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency (EPA) CCR rule published in 2015. The new rule affects new and existing U.S. based CCR landfills in terms of implementing safeguard systems for safe disposal and contamination control. Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) data were acquired across and in proximity to a CCR landfill in southwest Missouri, USA, with the intent to identify potential karst features and seepage pathways.

Electrical resistivity tomography data were acquired using an automated 8-channel resistivity meter and multichannel analysis of …