Numerical models for 2D free boundary analysis of groundwater in slopes stabilized by drain trenches

AbstractA numerical model for 2D free boundary analysis of groundwater in slopes stabilized by drain trenches has been developed. It consists of a front-tracking method (based on an original way of adapting the space derivatives), very effective in saving calculation time respect to classical fix-grid methods. The method analyses the trenches effect inside slopes in which the soils above the water table are partially saturated, for which a boundary can be recognized between the saturated domain (water table) and the unsaturated one (above the water table). In this case pore pressure lowering, due to trenches, can be analyzed considering the progressively reduction of the saturated domain. This approach efficiently solves the problem of fixing hydraulic boundary conditions on the sides of the trenches. Results have been compared with those obtained by a fix-grid method, observing difference less than 0.14%. Applying the method, the capability of drain trenches to control the effect of heavy rainfalls has been investigated, calculating (during the transient process of water table lowering) limit values of water recharge for which water table keeps on constant

Limiting Impervious Surface Cover and Protecting Water Resources through Better Site Design and Planning

The Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC) provided two forms of technical assistance to coastal communities to raise awareness and understanding of how to limit impervious surface cover, mitigate impacts of development, and protect water resources. The first phase of this project involved the organization of a workshop entitled “Improving Site Planning and Site Design for Sustainable Development”, held October 4, 2004 in Durham, New Hampshire. The workshop was offered to local decision makers and municipal employees in the forty two coastal communities and featured speakers from state agencies, local government, and the private sector.For the second phase of this project, the RPC worked with Planning Boards in three coastal communities in New Hampshire - North Hampton, Greenland, and East Kingston, to review existing land use regulations and development review procedures. RPC staff used information from the Center for Watershed Protection to complete these reviews. Reports were prepared for the three communities which include recommendations for changes to local land use regulations to limit impervious surface and protect water resources

Structural Landslide Mitigation Technique

Landslide occurs in most part of the world. It exists in underwater or on land. The effects of one of this Mother Nature can be disastrous and claiming many lives and not to mention the cost for the infrastructure that are destroyed. These phenomena can be either happens at the non-earthquake area and vice versa. Most contribution to this situation is the excessive pore water pressure and climate change. Pore water pressure can make the soil interaction become weak hence reducing the shear strength of the soil. Once it weak, only matters of time the landslide would occur. Climate change can affect the landslide area by rain, snow, or heat. In many areas, landslides have different type and shape. Ranging from the material, it carried until to the suitable mitigation. Mitigation can be consists of structure. drainage or internal slope reinforcement application depending on the area. Some area of landslides might have two or more mitigation option depending on the area, cost, and the purpose of the prevention. Some of the mitigation structures are use to provide facility in certain cases. Applicability on the specific type of landslides is based on the literature review made by the author from various kinds of cases from different kind of journals that are related to the author research topic. Later. the various mitigation is then compiled with its respective landslide failure. The compilations are then used as a reference for the future mitigation measures so that effective measures and prevention can be carried out. As for the recommendation, the author suggests that more detailed study on this topic should be done to make it more effective and useful in the future for the landslide mitigation option. For the conclusion, the author manages to compile and tabulate different type of landslides into its respective mitigation

Investigation on lateral saturated soil hydraulic conductivity evaluated at different spatial scales in a Mediterranean hillslope

Lateral saturated hydraulic conductivity, Ks,l, is the soil property that mostly governs subsurface flow in shallow soils of steep hills. Hence, Ks,l characterizing is crucial for understanding and modelling the hydrological processes at the hillslope and catchment scales. Although several methods have been developed so far to measure Ks,l, reliable determinations of this property is challenging due to anisotropy and scaling effects of spatio-temporally variable soil heterogeneities on Ks,l measuring. The thesis investigates the changes of Ks,l estimations as a function of soil volume sampled with a given measurement technique based on drainage experiments carried out by a drain, large volume monoliths and on small soil cubes, representative for hillslope, plot and point spatial scales, respectively. The observed discrepancies between the considered scales were mainly attributed to macropore flow and the difficulty in adequately embodying the macropore network on smaller sampled soil volumes. However, at the plot-scale, the sampled volume was sufficient to effectively represent the large-scale hydrological effects of the macropore network. This suggests that performing drainage experiments at this scale is a promising method for routinely characterizing lateral conductivities over large spatial scales. Overall, the thesis provided useful information for the hydrological characterization of soils in semiarid Mediterranean regions, where water management and conservation are critical

Highway Runoff Manual

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Artvin - Şavşat ayrımı Meydancık il yolu KM: 12+200 de meydana gelen heyelanın incelenmesi.

The purpose of this study is to determine the most suitable remediation techniques via engineering geological assessment of the landslide that occurred during the construction of Artvin-Şavşat Junction - Meydancık Provincial Road at Km: 12+200 in an active landslide area. For this purpose, the geotechnical parameters of the mobilized geological material which is colluvium along the sliding surface were determined by back analyses of the landslide at three geological sections. The landslide were then modeled along the most representative section of the study area by considering the landslide mechanism, the parameters determined from the geotechnical investigations, the size of the landslide and the location of the slip circle. In addition, pseudostatic stability analyses were performed comprising the earthquake potential of the site. The most suitable slope remediation technique was determined to be a combination of surface and subsurface conditions. A static analysis of the landslide shall also be performed through utilizing finite element analyses. The static analyses were compared with the inclinometer readings in the field to verify the direction of the movement. Consequently, shear strength parameters were specified as c = 0 kPa and f = 10° for the landslide material and pre-stressed anchoring and rock buttressing were considered as a remediation method.M.S. - Master of Scienc

A Case Study of a Large Unstable Mass Stabilization: “El Portalet” Pass at the Central Spanish Pyrenees

This case study presents the engineering approach conducted for stabilizing a landslide that occurred at “El Portalet” Pass in the Central Spanish Pyrenees activated due to the construction of a parking lot. Unlike common slope stabilization cases, measures projected here were aimed at slowing and controlling the landslide, and not completely stopping the movement. This decision was taken due to the slow movement of the landslide and the large unstable mass involved. The degree of success of the stabilization measures was assessed by stability analyses and data obtained from different geotechnical investigations and satellite survey techniques such as GB-SAR and DinSAR conducted by different authors in the area under study. The water table was found to be a critical factor in the landslide’s stability, and the tendency of the unstable slope for null movement (total stability) was related to the water table lowering process, which needs more than 10 years to occur due to regional and climatic issues. Results showed a good performance of the stabilization measures to control the landslide, demonstrating the effectiveness of the approach followed, and which became an example of a good response to the classical engineering duality cost–safety

Recovering the Moca River: An Exploration through Sustainable Strategies for Developing Countries

Natural watercourses are being negatively affected by growing urbanization in different cities of the world. Within these circumstances the concept of river restoration has gained relevance, becoming a worldwide priority in water management. In developing countries, river restoration plans, conditioned by social and economic limitations, are mainly focused on a single approach, typically relying on short-term, low technology strategies. In the long term, these strategies tend to fail because they usually avoid integral solutions that address the interconnected factors contributing to river degradation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop a framework of river restoration planning for developing countries that sustains the health of the river, the welfare of the ecosystem and the safety of the community. This framework develops three strategies with potential techniques to address the impacts of water pollution, flooding risk, and informal settlement in river ecosystems. Techniques responding to each of these strategies were described under a matrix that expresses their suitability with respect to a set of attributes or criteria selected for analysis. an explanatory case study approach in the Moca River, Dominican Republic, was used to apply the three strategies