Prediction of axial capacity of piles driven in non-cohesive soils based on neural networks approach

This paper presents an application of two advanced approaches, Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Princi­pal Component Analysis (PCA) in predicting the axial pile capacity. The combination of these two approaches allowed the development of an ANN model that provides more accurate axial capacity predictions. The model makes use of Back-Propagation Multi-Layer Perceptron (BPMLP) with Bayesian Regularization (BR), and it is established through the incorporation of approximately 415 data sets obtained from data published in the literature for a wide range of un-cemented soils and pile configurations. The compiled database includes, respectively 247 and 168 loading tests on large-and low-displacement driven piles. The contributions of the soil above and below pile toe to the pile base resistance are pre-evaluated using separate finite element (FE) analyses. The assessment of the predictive performance of the new method against a number of traditional SPT-based approaches indicates that the developed model has attractive capabili­ties and advantages that render it a promising tool. To facilitate its use, the developed model is translated into simple design equations based on statistical approaches

Unpublished Mediterranean and Black Sea records of marine alien, cryptogenic, and neonative species

To enrich spatio-temporal information on the distribution of alien, cryptogenic, and neonative species in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, a collective effort by 173 marine scientists was made to provide unpublished records and make them open access to the scientific community. Through this effort, we collected and harmonized a dataset of 12,649 records. It includes 247 taxa, of which 217 are Animalia, 25 Plantae and 5 Chromista, from 23 countries surrounding the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Chordata was the most abundant taxonomic group, followed by Arthropoda, Mollusca, and Annelida. In terms of species records, Siganus luridus, Siganus rivulatus, Saurida lessepsianus, Pterois miles, Upeneus moluccensis, Charybdis (Archias) longicollis, and Caulerpa cylindracea were the most numerous. The temporal distribution of the records ranges from 1973 to 2022, with 44% of the records in 2020–2021. Lethrinus borbonicus is reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, while Pomatoschistus quagga, Caulerpa cylindracea, Grateloupia turuturu, and Misophria pallida are first records for the Black Sea; Kapraunia schneideri is recorded for the second time in the Mediterranean and for the first time in Israel; Prionospio depauperata and Pseudonereis anomala are reported for the first time from the Sea of Marmara. Many first country records are also included, namely: Amathia verticillata (Montenegro), Ampithoe valida (Italy), Antithamnion amphigeneum (Greece), Clavelina oblonga (Tunisia and Slovenia), Dendostrea cf. folium (Syria), Epinephelus fasciatus (Tunisia), Ganonema farinosum (Montenegro), Macrorhynchia philippina (Tunisia), Marenzelleria neglecta (Romania), Paratapes textilis (Tunisia), and Botrylloides diegensis (Tunisia).peer-reviewe

Étude de la performance sismique des maisons-types d'habitations unifamiliales pour l'Est du Canada

Ce travail est la création d'un cours de niveau collégial en sciences de l'environnement, adapté pour les étudiants des sciences humaines. Les sciences humaines sont généralement écartées du domaine des sciences de l'environnement. Ce projet de cours vise à fournir une base scientifique suffisante afin de permettre à l'étudiant de comprendre les problèmes environnementaux qui l'entourent. Il est purement théorique, n'ayant pas été soumis à une évaluation expérimentale. Un aperçu du contenu théorique et de l'approche pédagogique forment le corps de ce travail. Le contenu illustre l'objectif principal du cours soit : de comprendre les différents mécanismes chimiques, biologiques et physiques associés à ces problèmes. Il est général et complet et laisse place aux travaux de recherche qu'exécuteront les étudiants. L'approche pédagogique suggérée facilite l'intégration d'étudiants de tous les secteurs académiques en préconisant la discussion et le travail d'équipe (multidisciplinaire. Le plan de cours qui serait remis à l'étudiant est fournis en annexe ainsi que les tableaux et figures utilisés pour illustrer le contenu théorique

Triaxial Simple Shear test: TxSS

This paper presents a combined triaxial simple shear (TxSS) apparatus developed by the Research Institute of Hydro-Québec (IREQ) in collaboration with the soil dynamics and geotechnical engineering group of the Université de Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada). The TxSS system consists of a simple shear apparatus incorporated in a triaxial cell for the measurements of monotonic and dynamic characteristics of soil samples. A general description as well as some applications and advantages of the TxSS systems over the traditional apparatus are presented. The key application of the TxSS is the evaluation of liquefaction potential of soil under regular or irregular excitations. Test results in terms of monotonic and dynamic characteristics obtained using the TxSS device on different cohesive and cohesionless soil samples are presented to illustrate its capabilities. They are successfully compared to those obtained using reliable design charts available in the literature, conventional apparatus and to those from rigorous numerical analyses.</jats:p

Triaxial Simple Shear test: TxSS

This paper presents a combined triaxial simple shear (TxSS) apparatus developed by the Research Institute of Hydro-Québec (IREQ) in collaboration with the soil dynamics and geotechnical engineering group of the Université de Sherbrooke (Québec, Canada). The TxSS system consists of a simple shear apparatus incorporated in a triaxial cell for the measurements of monotonic and dynamic characteristics of soil samples. A general description as well as some applications and advantages of the TxSS systems over the traditional apparatus are presented. The key application of the TxSS is the evaluation of liquefaction potential of soil under regular or irregular excitations. Test results in terms of monotonic and dynamic characteristics obtained using the TxSS device on different cohesive and cohesionless soil samples are presented to illustrate its capabilities. They are successfully compared to those obtained using reliable design charts available in the literature, conventional apparatus and to those from rigorous numerical analyses