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Evolution characteristics and displacement forecasting model of landslides with stair-step sliding surface along the Xiangxi River, three Gorges Reservoir region, China Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-14 Changdong Li; Robert E. Criss; Zhiyong Fu; Jingjing Long; Qinwen Tan
Five large and many small landslides are developed in Jurassic strata along the lower reaches of Xiangxi River, where interbedded weak and hard bedrock layers foster the development of landslides with a “stair-step” sliding surface. The paper investigates the evolution characteristics of these landslides and presents a novel forecasting model for their displacements. The distribution characteristics
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Novel approach to efficient slope reliability analysis in spatially variable soils Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-02 Ze-Zhou Wang; Siang Huat Goh
The random field finite element method (RF-FEM) provides a robust tool for carrying out slope reliability analysis that incorporates the spatial variability of soil properties. However, it has a major drawback of being computationally very time-consuming. To address this common criticism, the current study proposes a novel metamodel-based method for efficient slope reliability analysis in spatially
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Evaluation of the long-term effect of lime treatment on a silty soil embankment after seven years of atmospheric exposure: Mechanical, physicochemical, and microstructural studies Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Geetanjali Das; Andry Razakamanantsoa; Gontran Herrier; Lucile Saussaye; Didier Lesueur; Dimitri Deneele
The long-term effect of lime treatment was evaluated on a 2.5% lime-treated experimental embankment after seven years of atmospheric exposure. The evaluation was done by comparison of (i) the mechanical performance of the field sampled specimens with laboratory cured specimens, and (ii) the physicochemical and microstructural properties of the samples from the lime-treated embankment with specimens
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Progressive geomorphic evolution of reservoir bank in coarse-grained soil in East China – Insights from long-term observations and physical model test Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Feng Ji; Yuchuan Shi; Renjie Li; Huixing Zhou; Dongpo Wang; Jing Zhang
Reservoir bank collapse, as a typical geological hazard, severely affects the geomorphic evolution and safety of residential sites. In this study, a case of Tankeng Reservoir, which is a large reservoir in eastern China is used to analyze a three-dimensional evolution mechanism and deformation characteristics of reservoir bank collapse by years of field investigation, underwater topography measurements
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Landslide mapping using object-based image analysis and open source tools Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-11 Pukar Amatya; Dalia Kirschbaum; Thomas Stanley; Hakan Tanyas
Availability of high-resolution optical imagery and advances in image processing technologies have significantly improved our ability to map landslides. In recent years Object-based image analysis (OBIA) has been gaining in popularity for landslide mapping due to its ability to incorporate spectral, textural, morphological and topographical properties. Many studies have been conducted based on commercial
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Assessment of liquefaction potential in the central Po plain from integrated geomorphological, stratigraphic and geotechnical analysis Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-09 Gianluca Norini; Fulvia S. Aghib; Andrea Di Capua; Johann Facciorusso; Doriano Castaldini; Mauro Marchetti; Angelo Cavallin; Roberta Pini; Cesare Ravazzi; Maria Clara Zuluaga; Barbara Aldighieri; Giulia Furlanetto; Bruno Testa; Roberto de Franco; Grazia Caielli; Gianluca Groppelli; Graziano Boniolo; Adelmo Corsi; Andrea Piccin
Large portions of the highly populated central Po Plain in northern Italy are susceptible to major liquefaction–induced ground failure and resulting damage, as illustrated by the 2012 Mw 5.6–5.8 earthquake sequence. Our work presents a comprehensive geomorphological, stratigraphic and geotechnical dataset from a 1012 km2 study area in the alluvial plain, analysed through the integration of different
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Modeling historical subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal in the Alto Guadalentín aquifer-system (Spain) Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-09 J.A. Fernández-Merodo; P. Ezquerro; D. Manzanal; M. Bejar-Pizarro; R.M. Mateos; C. Guardiola-Albert; J.C. García-Davalillo; J. López-Vinielles; R. Sarro; G. Bru; J. Mulas; R. Aragon; C. Reyes-Carmona; P. Mira; M. Pastor; G. Herrera
The Alto Guadalentín Basin (Spain) is widely recognized as an area of major anthropogenic land subsidence due to groundwater extraction. This paper presents a numerical methodology to quantify the severe subsidence of this basin over history. First, a 3D groundwater model is proposed to reproduce groundwater evolution in the regional Alto Guadalentín aquifer system since 1960, leading to an average
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Laboratory physical modelling of block toppling instability by means of tilt tests Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-09 Ignacio Pérez-Rey; Mauro Muñiz-Menéndez; Javier González; Federico Vagnon; Gabriel Walton; Leandro R. Alejano
In this paper we present a physical modelling approach where the stability of rock blocks against toppling in the field can be estimated using a tilt table, engineered rock models and 3D-printed small-scale versions of a natural rock boulder. To achieve this goal, first, simple geometry rock elements are tilted and results interpreted according to analytical formulations. Then, more complex geometry
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Long-term abrasion of rocks assessed by micro-Deval tests and estimation the abrasion process of rock types based on strength parameters Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-09 Balázs Czinder; Balázs Vásárhelyi; Ákos Török
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Influence of natural coating type on the frictional and abrasion behaviour of siliciclastic-coated sedimentary sand grains Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-23 Sathwik S. Kasyap; Siyue Li; Kostas Senetakis
Sedimentary deposits often display a variety of grains and especially in gap graded materials or soil mixtures, it is expected that the finer particles may develop a coating in the contact region of coarser particles. Development of coatings in the vicinity of the contacts of coarser grains may also be encountered due to increase in depth and pressure which cause breakage of grain asperities forming
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Experiments and analysis on the influence of multiple closed cemented natural fractures on hydraulic fracture propagation in a tight sandstone reservoir Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-22 Jun Zhang; Yuwei Li; Yishan Pan; Xiangyang Wang; Maosen Yan; Xiaodong Shi; Xiaojin Zhou; Huili Li
This work designs an experimental model of tight sandstone with a closed cemented pre-existing fracture network (CCPF) to explore the influence of closed cemented natural fractures on the propagation behavior of hydraulic fracture (HF) in tight sandstone formations. The influence of CCPFs with different directions on the initiation, deflection, and propagation of HF is studied based on tri-axial hydraulic
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Effects of groundwater exploitation and recharge on land subsidence and infrastructure settlement patterns in Shanghai Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-07 Ming-Guang Li; Jin-Jian Chen; Ye-Shuang Xu; Da-Gui Tong; Wei-Wei Cao; Yu-Jin Shi
Land subsidence is a severe geo-hazard in coastal regions and represents a great threat to infrastructure. Based on long-term measurement data, including that for deep compaction from vertical multipoint extensometers, land subsidence and infrastructural settlement from leveling surveys, groundwater levels in multiple confined aquifers, and hydrogeological conditions, this study investigates the effects
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3D sandbox and numerical modeling of coseismic surface rupture induced by oblique-slip faulting and its interaction with embedded shallow foundation Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-07 Chun-Yuan Liu; Chien-Hung Li; Pei-Chen Chan; Chien-Hui Hung; Ming-Lang Lin
A series of downscaled physical sandbox experiments are conducted to observe the evolution of the surface rupture induced by the oblique-slip faulting and estimate its impact on a rigid embedded shallow foundation. High-resolution orthoimages and digital surface model of the experiments are generated through the photogrammetry technique to quantify the ground deformation pattern. The distinct element
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Estimation of inundation areas of post-wildfire debris flows in Southern California USA Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 David Bernard; Emily Trousil; Paul Santi
Prediction of the area of possible inundation is critical for debris-flow hazard management. This is typically done with inundation modeling programs, but many of these models are not specific to predict post-wildfire debris flows, a particularly dangerous subset. For this research, deposition patterns from flows triggered by the 2003 Christmas Day storm in areas burned by the Old and Grand Prix Fires
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Microcracking behavior transition in thermally treated granite under mode I loading Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 Tian Yang Guo; Louis Ngai Yuen Wong; Zhijun Wu
An in-depth understanding of the thermomechanical properties of rocks is fundamentally important in many fields of geotechnical engineering. However, the microcracking mechanisms of thermally-treated granite under mode I loading are very complex. To investigate the effect of thermal treatment on the microcracking behavior, we perform mode I three-point bending tests on a set of pre-notched semi-circular
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3D modeling of the ground deformation along the fault rupture and its impact on engineering structures: Insights from the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, Shigang District, Taiwan Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-06 Ming-Lang Lin; Cheng-Han Lin; Chien-Hung Li; Chun-Yuan Liu; Chien-Hui Hung
The reactivation of the Chelungpu Fault triggered the 1999 Chi-Chi Mw 7.6 earthquake, resulting in substantial ground surface ruptures and severe damage. After the earthquake, the surveys organized by the Central Geology Survey (CGS) of Taiwan and the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE) immediately investigated a variety of cases related to engineering structures damaged
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Simulation of three-dimensional random field conditioning on incomplete site data Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 Zhiyong Yang; Jianye Ching
This paper proposes a novel method for simulating a three-dimensional (3D) random field conditional on site data. It is based on the assumption of separable auto-correlation in the vertical and horizontal directions. This novel method adopts special simulation techniques so that it can handle incomplete site data (e.g., missing data at some depths). Moreover, it can simulate a 3D conditional random
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The spatio-temporal reconstruction of spoil heap landslide movements using anatomical tree growth responses Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2021-01-04 Karel Šilhán
Landslide processes could be dangerous and occur not only under natural conditions but also on anthropogenic slopes of artificially accumulated spoil heaps. Establishing chronology of landslide activity is of crucial importance for landslide hazard assessment. Dendrogeomorphic methods are commonly used approaches for the reconstruction of past activity of landslides on natural slopes, but their application
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Can artesian groundwater and earthquake-induced aquifer leakage exacerbate the manifestation of liquefaction? Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-24 Simon C. Cox; Sjoerd van Ballegooy; Helen K. Rutter; David S. Harte; Caroline Holden; Anton K. Gulley; Virginie Lacrosse; Michael Manga
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Geomechanical characterisation and dynamic numerical modelling of two anthropogenic fill slopes Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-19 Marc-André Brideau; Chris Massey; Jon Carey; Richard Kellett; Elizabeth Abbott; Fraser Monteith; Jan Kupec
In the last 22 years, four large (between approximately 1000 and 5000 m3) flowslides in anthropogenic fill materials have occurred in residential areas of the greater Wellington region, New Zealand. Such failures are relatively rare, given that there are over 1600 mapped fill bodies, formed between the early 1900s and present day within the region. Nonetheless, their performance under strong earthquake
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Failure characteristics of surrounding rocks along the radial direction of underground excavations: An experimental study Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-24 Jianqing Jiang; Xia-Ting Feng; Chengxiang Yang; Guoshao Su
For the in situ surrounding rocks of underground excavations, the radial stress corresponding to the minimum principal stress σ3 varies with increasing distance away from the excavated boundary. To characterize the rock failure along the radial direction of an excavation, true triaxial compression tests with different σ3 values (0.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 MPa) were performed. The characteristic
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Chasing a complete understanding of the failure mechanisms and potential hazards of the slow moving Liangshuijing landslide Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-17 Ye Li; Stefano Utili; David Milledge; Lixia Chen; Kunlong Yin
Landslides in the vicinity of reservoirs are prone to generate deadly waves as in the infamous Vajont case. There are more than 3800 landslides in the Three Gorges Reservoir area through detailed geological investigations, which constitutes a serious tsunami threat to the population and properties nearby. The Liangshuijing landslide, a very large creeping landslide located in the region and characterized
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An artificial neural network model to predict debris-flow volumes caused by extreme rainfall in the central region of South Korea Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-19 Deuk-Hwan Lee; Enok Cheon; Hwan-Hui Lim; Shin-Kyu Choi; Yun-Tae Kim; Seung-Rae Lee
In South Korea, the risk of debris-flow is relatively high due to the country's vast mountainous topographical features and intense continuous rainfall during the summer. Debris-flows can result in the loss of human life and severe property damage, which can be made worse due to the poor spatiotemporal predictability of such hazards. Therefore, it is essential to research the preemptive prediction
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Bentonite rock interaction experiment: A hydro-structural-mechanical approach Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-26 Åsa Fransson; Giulio Viola
Deformation zones and fractures are of major importance to engineering and to the characterisation of the mechanical- and hydraulic behaviour of rock. In this paper we demonstrate how structural mapping can provide key information on fracture sets and their properties, and how it can be used to investigate conformity between different working scales. This is shown by the detailed structural mapping
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Assessment of landslide susceptibility mapping based on Bayesian hyperparameter optimization: A comparison between logistic regression and random forest Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Deliang Sun; Jiahui Xu; Haijia Wen; Danzhou Wang
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Imaging the structure of the Sun Pyramid (Teotihuacán, Mexico) from passive seismic methods Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-13 José Piña-Flores; Martín Cárdenas-Soto; Alejandro Sarabia-González; Antonio García-Jerez; César A. Sierra-Álvarez; Mario A. Sáenz-Castillo; Francisco Luzón; Francisco J. Sánchez-Sesma
The Sun Pyramid in Teotihuacán, Mexico, belongs to the cultural heritage of Mexico and the world. Built nearly a millennium ago, the Pyramid is poorly known in terms of its mechanical properties. In order to assess these properties, we measured and studied the ambient seismic noise which has become a popular tool to explore non-invasively geological and human-made structures. This research is aimed
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Shaking table testing of two single piles of different stiffnesses subjected to liquefaction-induced lateral spreading Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-11 Jiunn-Shyang Chiou; Tzu-Jui Huang; Ching-Lin Chen; Chia-Han Chen
Lateral spreading is the main cause of pile foundation damage in liquefaction-prone areas during earthquakes. A soil profile in which a non-liquefied soil is on top of a liquefied soil is a critical design scenario. To investigate the influence of lateral spreading on pile responses in this type of soil profile, a shaking table test was performed on two single piles in the ground with a 2° slope. Considering
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Updated understanding of the deformation characteristics of the Checkerboard Creek rock slope through GB-InSAR monitoring Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-17 A. Woods; R. Macciotta; M.T. Hendry; T. Stewart; J. Marsh
Ground-based, interferometric, synthetic aperture radar (GB-InSAR) has been successfully implemented for the monitoring and assessment of both natural and man-made slopes. Its advantages include high-frequency data acquisition and high spatial density, providing maps of displacement. The implementation of this tool for civil projects in remote areas and under severe weather conditions present several
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A review of the methods to incorporate the geological and geotechnical characteristics of rock masses in blastability assessments for selective blast design Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-15 Ebrahim F. Salmi; Ewan J. Sellers
Rock fragmentation by blasting is still among the most challenging of problems in geomechanical engineering. The intent of this work is not to develop a new overall blast fragmentation model as the existing models, like Swebrec (KCO), the Fragmentation-Energy Fan, or the Distribution-Free models, have proven successful. The aim of the study is, however, to review the approaches that have been developed
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Insights and perspectives into the limit equilibrium method from 2D and 3D analyses Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-16 Bekir Salih Firincioglu; Murat Ercanoglu
Stability analyses of slopes have been a hot topic for several decades and numerous methodologies have been introduced since the beginning of these analyses. One of these methodologies is the limit equilibrium theory, and it has been applied in different forms to various cases for almost a hundred years. Although numerous investigations and works have been carried out on this methodology, there are
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Evolution of permeability and microscopic pore structure of sandstone and its weakening mechanism under coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical environment subjected to real-time high temperature Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-07 Tao Meng; Xue Yongbing; Jiwei Ma; Yang Yue; Wen Liu; Jing Zhang; Li Erbing
Thermal damage mechanisms and the characteristics of performance deterioration of a repository host rock is critical for evaluating the potential of an underground coal gasification project. Previously, many studies have primarily focused on the microstructural evolution of various rock types after high-temperature treatment only. However, relatively little is known regarding the coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical
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Experimental investigation on mechanical behavior and particle crushing of calcareous sand retrieved from South China Sea Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-11-30 Yang Wu; Neng Li; Xinzhi Wang; Jie Cui; Yulong Chen; Yihang Wu; Haruyuki Yamamoto
Calcareous sand containing weak particles originated from the deposition of skeletal residue of marine organisms is susceptible to significant particle crushing under compression and shearing. The breakage of grains results in excessive deformation and foundation failure. This study focuses on the mechanical properties and particle crushing of calcareous sand retrieved from Nansha Island, South China
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A new autoregressive moving average modeling of H/V spectral ratios to estimate the ground resonance frequency Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-09 Arantza Ugalde; Juan José Egozcue; César R. Ranero
We propose a new method to estimate the horizontal-to-vertical (H/V) spectral ratio using microtremor measurements. The technique is based on modeling the H/V transfer function by means of an AutoRegressive Moving Average (ARMA) filter. As compared with the conventional, Fourier-based spectra processing routines, this method is efficient in extracting the fundamental resonant frequency with a higher
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Shear behavior and microstructural variation in loess from the Yan'an area, China Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-11 Jingjing Nan; Jianbing Peng; Fengji Zhu; Penghui Ma; Ru Liu; Yanqiu Leng; Zhenjiang Meng
The shear behavior of loess is closely related to its microstructural variation. Their relationship is of great significance to better understand the loess landslide mechanism. Consolidated-undrained triaxial tests were performed on natural loess from Yan'an, China, with various initial water contents under different confining pressures to investigate the shear behavior. Scanning electron microscopy
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Rapid episodic erosion of a cohesionless landslide dam: Insights from loss to scour of Yangjia Gully check dams and from flume experiments Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-13 Yan Li; Wei Hu; Janusz Wasowski; Yangshuai Zheng; Mauri McSaveney
An underestimation of local scouring in loose cohesionless landslide deposits may cause rapid and episodic failure of a hazard mitigation structure. A rock avalanche triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake generated an abundance of erosion-sensitive sediment in Yangjia Gully, resulting in several debris flows. Twelve concrete pile check dams were constructed along the gully to mitigate debris flow
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Landslide displacement prediction using kinematics-based random forests method: A case study in Jinping Reservoir Area, China Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-17 Xinli Hu; Shuangshuang Wu; Guangcheng Zhang; Chuncan He; Chang Liu; Zhongxu Liu; Xuyuan Guo; Han Zhang
Empirical and numerical methods are widely used in the landslide and slope forecasting fields. The combination of the two methods for prediction is rare. This study proposes a displacement prediction method based on the Verhulst inverse function (VIF) and the random forest (RF) algorithm. The VIF model is applied to describe the kinematic behavior of landslides and slopes based on the three-stage creep
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Saturated permeability properties and mechanism of remolded loess in osmotic solutions with different pH: A case study from the Loess Plateau of China Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-17 Panpan Xu; Qiying Zhang; Hui Qian; Faxuan Yang; Le Zheng
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Probabilistic risk assessment of landslide-induced surges considering the spatial variability of soils Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-17 Dian-Qing Li; Ya-Nan Ding; Xiao-Song Tang; Yong Liu
Quantitative risk assessment of landslide-induced surges is often a prerequisite for formulating rational strategies to reduce the disaster severity degree of surrounding residents and infrastructures facilities. In this study, soils are simulated by a random field and the random finite element method is utilized to obtain several relevant parameters (e.g., volume of slide mass, slide velocity, inclination
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Development of water sensitivity index of loess from its mechanical properties Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-11-24 Yanqiu Leng; Jianbing Peng; Shuo Wang; Feng Lu
Loess is a typical soil with the characteristic of water sensitivity, and in the study of water-induced geological disasters of loess distribution areas worldwide, special attention must be paid to the influence of this sensitivity. Hence, quantitative study of the water sensitivity of loess has been a basic scientific issue of wide concern. In this study, the water sensitivity characteristics of loess
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Constructing rainfall thresholds for debris flow initiation based on critical discharge and S-hydrograph Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-10 Yajun Li; Xingmin Meng; Peng Guo; Tom Dijkstra; Yan Zhao; Guan Chen; Dongxia Yue
Debris flows caused by channel bed erosion present major hazards affecting life, livelihoods, and the built environment in mountainous regions. An efficient way to decrease hazard impact is through reliable hazard forecasts and appropriate early-warning strategies. Rainfall thresholds are fundamental in achieving reliable hazard forecasts. However, a lack of rainfall records often impedes the empirical
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Probabilistic rainfall thresholds for debris flows occurred after the Wenchuan earthquake using a Bayesian technique Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-11 Zhuoyan Jiang; Xuanmei Fan; Srikrishnan Siva Subramanian; Fan Yang; Ran Tang; Qiang Xu; Runqiu Huang
Empirically derived rainfall thresholds of debris flows are used for regional-scale early warning. However, triggering rainfall intensities of post-seismic debris flows evolve with time, causing high false alarms since thresholds estimated by conventional methods ignore the uncertainty of non-triggering rainfall events. Based on 172 triggering rainfalls and 2396 non-triggering rainfalls from 2008 to
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Predicting rock failure with the critical slowing down theory Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-10 Zhenghu Zhang; Yingchun Li; Lihua Hu; Chun’an Tang; Hongchun Zheng
Early warning signals of critical transitions in rock before its sudden failure are key for forecasting geological disasters in rock engineering. Here we examined the critical slowing down characteristics of acoustic emission (AE) and precursory signals preceding catastrophic rock failure. We conducted laboratory experiments on different types of rock specimens subjected to tension and compression
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Unsteady overflow behavior of polydisperse granular flows against closed type barrier Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-10 Bei Zhang; Yu Huang
The overflow behavior of polydisperse granular flows against closed type barrier is a crucial yet poorly understood aspect of multiple-barrier design. We use a robust numerical model based on the three-dimensional discrete element method (DEM) to simulate polydisperse granular flows and identify fundamental mechanisms. The morphology of the dead zone behind the upstream barrier significantly influences
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Preliminary assessment of biosolids in covers with capillary barrier effects Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-13 Christopher Hey; Paul Simms
The cost of sourcing material for cover material is often a barrier to implementation of multilayer covers to reclaim mined waste or other disturbed land. This study investigated the use of municipal biosolids blended with stabilizing materials as a low-permeability material in covers with capillary barrier effects (CCBEs) for reactive mine tailings. A blended biosolids referred to as Custom Reclamation
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Effects of rock block content and confining pressure on dynamic characteristics of soil-rock mixtures Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-11 Shengnian Wang; Yin Zhu; Wei Ma; Zhihua Wang; Guoyu Li
Soil-rock mixture (S-RM) is a complex geo-material characterized by competent rock inclusions floating in a weaker soil matrix structure. The mechanical performances of it are significantly controlled by the interaction and properties of rock blocks and the external environment. In this study, experiments on S-RM were conducted through a large-scale triaxial apparatus for investigating the effects
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An experimental investigation on stress-induced cracking mechanisms of a volcanic rock Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-11-30 Rui Kong; Ergün Tuncay; Reşat Ulusay; Xiwei Zhang; Xia-Ting Feng
In underground excavations, different failure features can be induced by complex geological stresses. Therefore, many researchers have investigated rock behaviour and failure mechanisms under high-stress conditions. This study investigated the different failure characteristics to determine the stress-induced cracking mechanisms. Accordingly, a series of tests were performed on a volcanic rock (rhyodacite)
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An advanced grain-based model to characterize mechanical behaviors of crystalline rocks with different weathering degrees Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-06 Xiaolin Huang; Shengwen Qi; Bowen Zheng; Ning Liang; Lihui Li; Lei Xue; Songfeng Guo; Xiang Sun; Daping Tai
Laboratory tests revealed that by enhancing the weathering degree, a transition of pre-peak stress-strain mechanical responses of crystalline rocks under unconfined compression from approximate linearity to nonlinearity was evident, as was the weakening of macro-mechanical properties. However, thus far, very few numerical studies have been conducted to quantitatively characterize the strong-to-weak
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Site characterization of reclaimed lands based on seismic cone penetration test Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Hao Wang; Shifan Wu; Xiaohui Qi; Jian Chu
Seismic cone penetration test (SCPTu) has been used for the determination of seismic velocities and the corresponding stiffness parameters of intact soils. In this study, SCPTu tests are carried out at three reclaimed land sites in Singapore for characterizing the reclaimed fill and the underlying marine clay. New methods for interpreting the downhole-type shear wave velocity, Vs, are adopted. The
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Soil liquefaction potential evaluation – An update of the HBF method focusing on research and practice in Taiwan Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-11-27 Jin-Hung Hwang; Sara Khoshnevisan; C. Hsein Juang; Chih-Chieh Lu
This paper presents an update of the Hyperbolic Function (HBF) method to evaluate the liquefaction potential of sandy soils. The HBF method was created after the 1999 Chi-Chi, Taiwan Earthquake (Mw = 7.6) using the database of case histories developed based on field observations and in situ and laboratory tests in areas affected by the 1999 event. The updated HBF method reported herein reflects the
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Microseismic monitoring illuminates phases of slope failure in soft soils Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-05 G. Yfantis; S. Pytharouli; R.J. Lunn; H.E.M. Carvajal
The role of microseismic monitoring in rock slope stability has been long established: large microseismic events associated with rock failure can be detected by seismometers, even at distances of a few kilometres from the source. This is a favourable characteristic for the monitoring of mountainous areas prone to failure. We show that microseismic monitoring, using short-period arrays and a sufficiently
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Dynamic damping ratio of mudded intercalations with small and medium strain during cyclic dynamic loading Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Yaguang Qin; Xiao Xu; Changbin Yan; Lei Wen; Zhuo Wang; Zhouquan Luo
Identifying the dynamic damping ratio attenuation behaviour of mudded intercalations with small and medium strain is valuable. This work aimed at exploring a correction model to describe the relationship between the dynamic damping ratio and small and medium dynamic strain. The impacts factors included (i) dynamic strain, (ii) confining pressure, (iii) water content, (iv) clay content, and (v) frequency
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Landslide susceptibility index based on the integration of logistic regression and weights of evidence: A case study in Popayan, Colombia Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-13 Paul Goyes-Peñafiel; Alejandra Hernandez-Rojas
In this paper, we present a suitable integration of discrete and continuous data in a unique methodology based on systematically collected landslide inventory data. Eleven landslide conditioning factors were analyzed and used, where eight correspond to DEM–derived variables, and three to thematic polygon–type variables (shallow geology, geomorphology and soil land–use). Principal Component Analysis
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Influence of mechanical layering and natural fractures on undercutting and rapid headward erosion (recession) at Canyon Lake spillway, Texas, U.S.A Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-11-04 Nathaniel S. Ledbetter Ferrill; David A. Ferrill
This study investigates the role of mechanical layering and fractures on flood-related erosional undercutting and resulting rapid spillway recession. In the summer of 2002, 86 cm of rain fell in an 8-day period across the Guadalupe River drainage basin in central Texas, causing Canyon Lake reservoir to completely fill and overtop the emergency spillway for the first time. The resulting flood incised
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Estimation of the compression behavior of sandy clay considering sand fraction effect based on equivalent void ratio concept Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-11-30 X.S. Shi; Yufeng Gao; Jianwen Ding
Sandy soils produced from offshore engineering and dredging activities usually possess a fine fraction beyond the “transitional fine content”. The soils have a wide range initial water content and sand fraction. Previous models based on mixture theory is not straightforward, and the effect of initial water content is not explicitly incorporated. To this end, a novel compression model is formulated
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Effects of thermal cycles on microstructural and functional properties of nano treated clayey soil Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-01 Shervin Ahmadi; Hasan Ghasemzadeh; Foad Changizi
Thermal cycles can remarkably alter the geological and resistance properties of soil beneath structures. This research examined the effect of simultaneous use of glass fiber and nano-SiO2 on strength properties of low plasticity clay (CL) under various thermal cycles. The contents of glass fiber and nano-SiO2 were chosen 1.5%, 2.5%, 3.5% and 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5% of the soil dry weight, respectively. The
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Shallow mixing and column performances of lime, fly ash and gypsum on the stabilization of swelling soils Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-11-30 Derya Toksöz Hozatlıoğlu; Işık Yılmaz
Swelling soils are problematic in terms of geotechnics, and they require mitigation actions in preliminary works. The most commonly used method to mitigate the damage caused by swelling soils is to stabilize the soil with chemical additives by using shallow mixing or column techniques. It is important to determine the most suitable additive material and the most appropriate technique when stabilizing
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From probabilistic back analyses to probabilistic run-out predictions of landslides: A case study of Heifangtai terrace, Gansu Province, China Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-04 Xiaoping Sun; Peng Zeng; Tianbin Li; Sheng Wang; Rafael Jimenez; Xianda Feng; Qiang Xu
The input parameters of dynamic numerical models for landslide run-out distance simulations cannot be measured accurately, which results in significant uncertainties in the predictions obtained using these models. To address this issue, a novel framework combining probabilistic back analyses and probabilistic predictions of landslide run-out distance is developed in this study, with the aim of ensuring
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Screening-level analyses for the evaluation of the seismic performance of a zoned earth dam Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-08 Giovanni Biondi; Ernesto Cascone; Domenico Aliberti; Sebastiano Rampello
Many existing earth dams have been designed and built worldwide before the establishment of a seismic code, so that it is of relevant interest to evaluate their seismic performance and post-seismic operational conditions. This requires an accurate geotechnical characterisation of the dam and foundation soils, a proper definition of the seismic scenarios at the site of the dam, the use of simplified
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Stochastic approach to study the site response in presence of shear wave velocity inversion: Application to seismic microzonation studies in Italy Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-11-11 S. Fabozzi; S. Catalano; G. Falcone; G. Naso; A. Pagliaroli; E. Peronace; A. Porchia; G. Romagnoli; M. Moscatelli
One of the most important controlling parameters of the seismic site response in terms of earthquake ground motions modification is the shear wave velocity (Vs) profile of the subsoil, that generally increases with depth because of geological age, cementation and overburden stress. There exist, however, geological settings where the velocity profile is characterized by inversions, when a stiffer layer
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Laboratory analyses of Kaolinite stabilized by vinyl polymers with different monomer types Eng. Geol. (IF 4.779) Pub Date : 2020-12-07 Hasan Ghasemzadeh; Aida Mehrpajouh; Malihe Pishvaei
The geotechnical behavior of a mixture of kaolinite and vinyl polymers with different monomer types was investigated using a series of laboratory tests. Three polymers were selected for chemical treating including synthesized poly(styrene-co-butyl acrylate) and poly(methyl methacrylate–co-butyl acrylate), and one commercial polyvinyl acetate. All these polymers were chosen to have a similar glass transition
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