Geological Engineering Commons^™

Green Roof System Integrated Soil Methods, Jude R. Vallon, Ivan L. Guzman

Publications and Research

Large metropolitan areas like NYC are seeking to integrate sustainability into retrofitting buildings for the development of green infrastructure. Among the many environmental issues of urbanization, the UHI (urban heat island) effect and storm water runoff are of particular interest when it comes building structures. Individual buildings can contribute towards mitigating these effects with implementation of vegetative rooftops, i.e. Green Roofs. Commercial buildings are currently receiving government incentives and new constructions are required to include green roof installations. However, if existing buildings are considering the addition of a green roof on an existing roof, they have to factor in the …

Suitability Assessment For Integrated Urban Development In Makkah City Of Saudi Arabia, Mislat Alotaibi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Makkah – the third most populated city in Saudi Arabia with a population of 1,684,408 according to the 2010 demographic survey conducted by the Saudi General Authority for Statistics – is experiencing urban sprawl, which can be defined as an unplanned urban expansion that might degrade the environment and diminish the aesthetic view. This is a persisting problem in Makkah driven by multitude of processes involving the random expansion in its undeveloped land and the removal of its historic mountains surrounding Al-Masjid Al-Haram (the Holy Mosque) in an attempt to push the city limit of urban capacity within its administrative …

Investigating The Accuracy Of One-Dimensional Volcanic Plume Models Using Laboratory Experiments And Field Data, James S. Mcneal, Graham Freedland, L. G. Mastin, Raúl Bayoán Cal, S. A. Solovitz

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

During volcanic eruptions, model predictions of plume height are limited by the accuracy of entrainment coefficients used in many plume models. Typically, two parameters are used, 𝛼 and 𝛽, which relate the entrained air speed to the jet speed in the axial and cross-flow directions, respectively. To improve estimates of these parameters, wind tunnel experiments have been conducted for a range of cross-wind velocities and turbulence conditions. Measurements are compared directly to computations from the 1-D plume model, Plumeria, in the near-field, bending region of the jet. Entrainment coefficients are determined through regression analysis, demonstrating optimal combinations of effective 𝛼 …

The Researching Some Containig Rocks Of Uranium Ores By Method Of The Thermal Analysis, K. Sanakulov, M.A. Kurbanov, U.Z. Sharafutdinov

Gorniy vestnik Uzbekistana

The paper presents the results of comparative laboratorial testings physical and chemical properties ion-change resins: BD-706, BO – 020, BO-008, BD-709S, BD- 710M, А-560, А – 508, MS-2040. There are results present, that resins ВО-008, BD-709S, BD-710M and MS 2040 do not comply with requirements ОSТ 95.291-86. Kinet- ics of sorption uranium from sulphuric acid solution and carbonate solution presented, that resin А-560 has the best indexes.

Application Of Radar And Optical Satelite Imagery Data In Landslide Potential Mapping Of Shesheer Sub-Catchment In Iran, A. Imanian, M. H. Tangestani, A. Asadi

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

One of the serious dangers which threatens human communities especially those who are living in mountainous areas is the occurrence of landslides. Therefore, determination of the areas with potential for landslide events is very important for avoiding establishment of residential areas or industrial facilities. The aim of this study is to provide a landslide potential map in Sheshpeer sub-catchment, Iran, using an integration of remote sensing (RS) techniques and geographical information systems (GIS). Compared with the traditional approaches, these techniques are very fast, inexpensive and trustworthy in landslide mapping. For this purpose, we collected and produced seven data layers using …

Investigation Of Spectral Characteristics Of Carbonate Rocks – A Case Study On Posht Moleh Mount In Iran, A. Imanian, M. H. Tangestani, A. Asadi

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Recent developments in the image processing approaches and the availability of multi and/or hyper spectral remote sensing data with high spectral, spatial and temporal resolutions have made remote sensing technique of great interest in investigations of geological sciences. One of the biggest advantage of the application of remote sensing in geology is recognizing the type of unknown rocks and minerals. In this study, an investigation on spectral features of carbonate rocks (i.e. calcite, dolomite, and dolomitized calcite) were done in terms of main absorptions, the reasons of those absorptions and comparison of these absorption with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) spectral …

Prediction Of Nonlinear Vertical Settlement Of A Pile Group Consisting Of New And Existing Displacement Piles In Clay Strata, Lin Li, Weibing Gong

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Reusing existing displacement piles is economical, timesaving, and environment friendly. This paper presents an analytical approach for predicting the load carrying behavior of pile groups consisting of new and existing displacement piles. The evolutions of the undrained shear strength and shear modulus of clay adjacent to the piles from installation through consolidation to long-term ageing are investigated to determine the load carrying behavior of displacement piles. The nonlinear load-settlement behavior of an individual pile is modelled by load-transfer method, where the exponential function-based load-transfer models integrating the two developed soil parameters are employed to represent the nonlinear behavior at the …

Gis-Based Approach For Sinkhole Occurrence Risk Mitigation In Urban Areas For Historic Wieliczka Salt Mine, Agnieszka Malinowska, Ryszard Hejmanowski

Gorniy vestnik Uzbekistana

The article presents the results of the definition of a new methodology for assessing the risk of flooding a shallow slotted mine, which was carried out on the square above the Wieliczka Salt Mine, which is a world heritage. Vertical stresses are estimated on the basis of the theoretical state of rock mass deformation in the area of test chambers. In addition, the risk for chambers indicated in the zone was calculated based on the theory of arctic pressure. The final stage of the study was spatial analysis, which led to the identification of chambers, potentially subject to the influence …

A New Discrete Wavelength Backscattered Ultraviolet Algorithm For Consistent Volcanic So2 Retrievals From Multiple Satellite Missions, Bradford L. Fisher, Nickolay A. Krotkov, Pawan K. Bhartia, Can Li, Simon Carn, Eric Hughes, Peter J. T. Leonard

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

This paper describes a new discrete wavelength algorithm developed for retrieving volcanic sulfur dioxide (SO₂) vertical column density (VCD) from UV observing satellites. The Multi-Satellite SO₂ algorithm (MS_SO2) simultaneously retrieves column densities of sulfur dioxide, ozone, and Lambertian effective reflectivity (LER) and its spectral dependence. It is used operationally to process measurements from the heritage Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) onboard NASA's Nimbus-7 satellite (N7/TOMS: 1978–1993) and from the current Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) onboard Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR: 2015–ongoing) from the Earth–Sun Lagrange (L1) orbit. Results from MS_SO2 algorithm for several volcanic cases were …

Volcano Monitoring From Space Using High-Cadence Planet Cubesat Images Applied To Fuego Volcano, Guatemala, Anna Aldeghi, Simon Carn, Rudiger Escobar-Wolf, Gianluca Groppelli

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Fuego volcano (Guatemala) is one of the most active and hazardous volcanoes in the world. Its persistent activity generates lava flows, pyroclastic density currents (PDCs), and lahars that threaten the surrounding areas and produce frequent morphological change. Fuego’s eruption deposits are often rapidly eroded or remobilized by heavy rains and its constant activity and inaccessible terrain makes ground-based assessment of recent eruptive deposits very challenging. Earth-orbiting satellites can provide unique observations of volcanoes during eruptive activity, when ground-based techniques may be too hazardous, and also during inter-eruptive phases, but have typically been hindered by relatively low spatial and temporal resolution. …

Analysis Of An Updated Paleointensity Database (Qpi‐Pint) For 65–200 Ma: Implications For The Long‐Term History Of Dipole Moment Through The Mesozoic, E. V. Kulakov, C. J. Sprain, P. V. Doubrovine, A. V. Smirnov, G. A. Paterson, L. Hawkins, L. Fairchild, E. J. Piispa, A. J. Biggin

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The global paleointensity database for 65–200 Ma was analyzed using a modified suite of paleointensity quality criteria (Q_PI) such that the likely reliability of measurements is assessed objectively and as consistently as possible across the diverse data set. This interval was chosen because of dramatic extremes of geomagnetic polarity reversal frequency ranging from greater than 10 reversals per million years in the Jurassic hyperactivity period (155–171 Ma) to effectively zero during the Cretaceous Normal Superchron (CNS; 84–126 Ma). Various attempts to establish a relationship between the strength of Earth's magnetic field and the reversal frequency have been made …

Karst Sinkhole Detecting And Mapping Using Airborne Lidar, Su Zhang, Shirley Baros, Susan Bogus

Publications

The focus of this study is to detect sinkhole hazards using airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. The premise is sinkholes, particularly those close to transportation infrastructure assets, could cause substantial damages to infrastructure assets, and therefore, being able to accurately and rapidly detect them is essential. However, it is expensive, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and unsafe to survey sinkholes using conventional ground observation methods. This research project was focused on developing accurate and rapid airborne LiDAR-based sinkhole detection and mapping methods, and transfer the technologies to transportation engineers for implementation and workforce development. The project team also identified best practices …

Thermal Conduction Simulation Based On Reconstruction Digital Rocks With Respect To Fractures, Haiyuan Yang, Li Zhang, Ronghe Liu, Xianli Wen, Yongfei Yang, Roohollah Askari, Et. Al.

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Effective thermal conductivity (ETC), as a necessary parameter in the thermal properties of rock, is affected by the pore structure and the thermal conduction conditions. To evaluate the effect of fractures and saturated fluids on sandstone’s thermal conductivity, we simulated thermal conduction along three orthogonal (X, Y, and Z) directions under air- and water-saturated conditions on reconstructed digital rocks with different fractures. The results show that the temperature distribution is separated by the fracture. The significant difference between the thermal conductivities of solid and fluid is the primary factor influencing the temperature distribution, and the thermal conduction mainly depends on …

Investigation Of The Toppling Of Rectangular Rigid Blocks Using A Shake Table And Distinct Element Models, Sara Magallon

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Understanding the engineering principles of failure modes in rock formations from seismic activity continues to be a challenging problem for engineers and geologists. The complexity of the geology, geometry, discontinuities, and earthquake ground motions contribute to the difficulty in estimating the stability of rock slopes. In this study, one classic rock slope failure mode is examined: the toppling behavior of a single rigid rectangular block under dynamic loading. An investigation employing experimental and numerical modeling techniques was performed to observe the response of wooden blocks with different aspect (width/height) ratios subjected to loading at the base and compared to established …

Mineralogy And Fluid Inclusion Study Of The Crystal Mountain Fluorite Mine, Ravalli County, Montana, Francis Grondin

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Crystal Mountain Fluorite Mine, known for its vast amounts of massively grown fluorite and rare accessory minerals including fergusonite (YNbO₄) and thortveitite (Sc₂Si₂O₇), is located in the Sapphire Mountains 22 km east of the town of Darby, Montana. This site has been mined previously between the years of 1954 through 1973. The Taber collection of drill core, thin sections, mine maps and miscellaneous reports on Crystal Mountain was recently donated to the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology for future studies. The purpose of the present study has been to use …

Evaluating Volumetric Strain As A Predictor Of Yield And Peak Strength For The Multistage Triaxial Test: A Case Study With Utah Coal Specimens, Emmanuel Orilogi

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Failure envelopes used to characterize the shear strength of geological materials are generally obtained through conventional triaxial testing of multiple specimens and most of the specimens are heterogonous and expensive to obtain. Therefore, the multistage triaxial test was introduced to make use of a single specimen for material strength characterization, compared to the conventional triaxial test that requires at least three specimens. In the multistage triaxial test, the challenge to obtaining meaningful data is identifying when to terminate each loading stage. The goal is to be as close to the peak strength of the material but below the stress threshold …

History And Prospects Of Gamma-Activation Analysis Of Muruntau Mine, Melnikov L.N., Mingboyev X.S., Yermakov K.S.

Gorniy vestnik Uzbekistana

he article describes the history of the development of a new type of analysis of geological samples for gamma-activated gold method. The Central Mining Administration of the Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Combine announces the creation of a gamma-activated analytical laboratory at the Muruntau deposit. The prospect of gamma-activated analysis of gold, silver and rare metals in Uzbekistan and around the world.

The Effect Of Testing Conditions On The Performance Of Lost Circulation Materials: Understandable Sealing Mechanism, Montri Jeennakorn, Mortadha Alsaba, Runar Nygaard, Arild Saasen, Olav Magnar Nes

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Lost circulation materials (LCMs) are added to drilling fluids to mitigate lost circulation (LOC) problems. Designing the fluid requires a good understanding of sealing mechanisms and all the parameters affecting the sealing performance. Laboratory testing apparatus is the key concept for LCM evaluation ensuring successful treatment. The high-pressure test cell containing fracture discs is an effective tool among the broadly designed apparatus. A variety of formulations has been developed from the LCM physical properties. Recently, the testing conditions such as the slot wall angles, and the fracture disc thickness were found to have significant effects on the evaluation results. However, …

An In-Situ Study Of The Aqueous Speciation Of Uranium (Vi) Under Hydrothermal Conditions, Diwash Dhakal

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Rigorous study of the speciation distribution of uranyl-chloride bearing solutions under hydrothermal conditions is important to understand the transport mechanism of uranium underground, which is of uttermost interest to parties studying the geological uranium deposits and those studying the possibilities of geological repositories for spent nuclear waste. I report an in-situ Raman spectroscopic study of the speciation distribution of aqueous uranyl-chloride complexes upto 500°C conducted using a HDAC as the high PT spectroscopic cell. The samples studied contained the species UO₂²⁺, UO₂Cl⁺, UO₂Cl₂⁰ and UO₂Cl₃^{- …}

Emittance Spectroscopy And Broadband Thermal Remote Sensing Applied To Phosphorite And Its Utility In Geoexploration: A Study In The Parts Of Rajasthan, India, Arindam Guha, Yasushi Yamaguchi, Snehamoy Chatterjee, Komai Rani, Kumranchat Vinod Kumar

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

The contrast in the emissivity spectra of phosphorite and associated carbonate rock can be used as a guide to delineate phosphorite within dolomite. The thermal emissivity spectrum of phosphorite is characterized by a strong doublet emissivity feature with their absorption minima at 9 µm and 9.5 µm; whereas, host rock dolomite has relatively subdued emissivity minima at ~9 µm. Using the contrast in the emissivity spectra of phosphorite and dolomite, data obtained by the thermal bands of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) sensor were processed to delineate phosphorite within dolomite. A decorrelation stretched ASTER radiance composite could …

Evidence Of Instability In Previously-Mapped Landslides As Measured Using Gps, Optical, And Sar Data Between 2007 And 2017: A Case Study In The Portuguese Bend Landslide Complex, California, El Hachemi Y. Bouali, Thomas Oommen, Rüdiger Escobar-Wolf

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Velocity dictates the destructive potential of a landslide. A combination of synthetic aperture radar (SAR), optical, and GPS data were used to maximize spatial and temporal coverage to monitor continuously-moving portions of the Portuguese Bend landslide complex on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in Southern California. Forty SAR images from the COSMO-SkyMed satellite, acquired between 19 July 2012 and 27 September 2014, were processed using Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI). Eight optical images from the WorldView-2 satellite, acquired between 20 February 2011 and 16 February 2016, were processed using the Co-registration of Optically Sensed Images and Correlation (COSI-Corr) technique. Displacement measurements were …

Raspberry Pi Cluster For Parallel And Distributed Computing, Ngoc Ha

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Parallel and distributed computing have become an essential part of the ‘Big Data’ processing and analysis, especially for geophysical applications. The main goal of this project was to build a 4-node distributed computing cluster system using the Raspberry Pi single-board computers for educational and research purposes. After assembling together the system, a standard test was performed to check the system functionality. A Monte Carlo simulation to calculate π (pi) was used to demonstrate the advantages and drawbacks of parallelization and distribution of tasks and data within the cluster. Challenges encountered during installation of the software and testing phase, and their …

Resource Estimation And Simulation At West Butte In The Mcdonald Gold Deposit Near Lincoln, Montana, Jonathan Szarkowski

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The McDonald gold deposit is located in Lewis and Clark County near Lincoln, Montana and is divided into two regions: East Butte and West Butte. Approximately 90% of gold mineralization at McDonald is hosted by quartz-adularia-altered lithic tuff. Low-grade, stratabound, disseminated mineralization within permeable volcanic tuff is the dominant style of mineralization at McDonald. Higher-grade mineralization at West Butte is interpreted to be controlled by subvertical, intersecting vein systems that occur along the 9800’ E-W fault. Preliminary gold estimates at West Butte indicated the possibility of a 500 koz gold orebody at an average grade of 7.2 grams per ton …

Geochemistry Of Metals And Nutrients In Fine-Sediment Pore Water In Blacktail And Silver Bow Creeks, Butte, Montana, Robert Radar

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Historical mining in Butte, Montana has impacted surface and groundwater in the area. Although most of the known sources of contaminants of concern have been removed or remediated, metal loading continues to occur in lower Blacktail Creek and upper Silver Bow Creek. Possible sources of metals include upwelling groundwater and interaction between the stream and metal-rich sediment in the stream bed. To assess the importance of fine sediment as a source (or sink) for metals, this investigation used sediment pore water diffusion samplers (“peepers”). Peepers are ideal for capturing cm-scale vertical gradients in pore water chemistry across the sediment-water interface. …

The Geology And Geochemistry Of The Golden Chest Gold Deposit, Murray, Idaho, Alexander Brown

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

The Golden Chest Au-W Mine has been intermittently mined since the 1880’s. Mineralized quartz veins have been deposited into the Upper Prichard Formation of the Proterozoic Belt Supergroup. The Golden Chest is located in the Summit Mining District within the Murray Gold Belt region of the greater Coeur d’Alene (CdA) Mining District. A modern geochemical study of the Golden Chest has never been conducted at the Golden Chest.

This thesis investigates, with the collaboration of New Jersey Mining Company (NJMC), the paragenesis of ore forming minerals, the mineralogy of the deposit and the genesis of the ore forming processes. A …

Development Of A Methodology For The Evalutation Of Uav-Based Photogrammetry: Implementation At An Underground Mine, Rachel Becker

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Autonomous systems in underground mining are increasingly being implemented as tools to collect data in inaccessible areas and improve the safety of mine personnel. There are many areas in the underground mining environment that cannot be accessed by personnel due to the high potential for ground fall and insufficient ground support. By combining unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with technologies such as photogrammetry and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) scanners, 3D point clouds can be created for inaccessible sites. A 3D digital point cloud can provide valuable geotechnical information such as the ability to measure discontinuities, inspect rock conditions, generate accurate …

Synthesis And Spectroscopic Research Coordination Compounds Of Nickel (Ii) And Copper (Ii) With Bases Of Shiff, Z.T. Karimov, S.I. Nurnazarov

Gorniy vestnik Uzbekistana

The Ligand is product of condensation salicyl aldehyde with ortho aminophenol. On the basis of the resulted Ligand, synthesed coordinated compound of Cu(II) and Ni(II). Newly synthesized complexes investigate the structural formula of IR, PR, EPR of the spectroscopic researches.

Seismic Landslide Hazard Mapping For Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Ali Fallah Yeznabad, Sheri E. Molnar, Hesham M. El Naggar

Western Research Forum

The lower Mainland of southwest British Columbia (BC) hosts about 3.5 million people and significant infrastructures of national importance. Southwestern BC has the highest seismic risk in Canada with significant potential to cause earthquake-induced hazards including tsunamis, liquefaction and landslides. A Cascadia mega-thrust (M_W 9) earthquake is predicted to generate $75 billion Canadian dollars in losses. This damage can be resulted from ground shaking or its secondary phenomena like landslides; ground shaking during earthquakes may trigger landslides that can damage or destroy buildings, bury roads and highways and kill and injure people. In Canada, during the past century and …

Assessing Slope Instabilities, Victoria Leffel, Joey Franzino

Purdue Road School

INDOT’s Geotechnical Services Section has recently implemented a slide ArcGIS Collector app to provide a systematic approach to collecting and managing unsafe or failed slopes/embankments needed for decision making. A brief background in Indiana landslide geology will be given, then we will review the process of how to inventory slopes through the Collector app and identify potentially hazardous slopes. The session will end with a discussion of current engineering practices INDOT is using to correct landslides.

Urea Functionalization Of Ultrasound-Treated Biochar: A Feasible Strategy For Enhancing Heavy Metal Adsorption Capacity, Baharak Sajjadi, James William Broome, Wei Yin Chen, Daniell L. Mattern, Nosa O. Egiebor, Nathan Hammer, Cameron L. Smith

Faculty and Student Publications

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. The main objective of a series of our researches is to develop a novel acoustic-based method for activation of biochar. This study investigates the capability of biochar in adsorbing Ni(II) as a hazardous contaminant and aims at enhancing its adsorption capacity by the addition of extra nitrogen and most probably phosphorous and oxygen containing sites using an ultrasono-chemical modification mechanism. To reach this objective, biochar physically modified by low-frequency ultrasound waves (USB) was chemically treated by phosphoric acid (H3PO4) and then functionalized by urea (CO(NH2)2). Cavitation induced by ultrasound waves exfoliates and breaks apart the regular …