Observational Method for the Design of a New Ground Improvement Concept Adapted to a Large-Scale Fast-Track Project

In 2007, the King of Saudi Arabia launched a large scale development program for the construction of a complete university campus on an existing lagoon. The fast-track project was to be completed within a period of 24 months leaving no time for the usual preliminary investigation and design phase. The 5,600,000 m2 site was selected north of Jeddah and a proper soil inves-tigation could not be completed ahead of the start of construction due to difficult site access and challenging existing soft soil condition. In addition to that, because the structural design or even the master plan had not been finalized, the design of the foundation system (loads, footing location...) was going to be completed concurrent with the construction itself. A new con-cept of foundation support, based on ground improvement, adapted to all potential ground conditions and allowing structures to be randomly located had to be designed and built in record time. The further challenge was to establish the soil parameters and improvement methods. To fit into the extremely tight schedule of the job, the observational method ended up being the best way to define reliable and tested parameters for the ground improvement design and selection to adapt to constantly changing conditions. Late changes in the type of structures combined with difficult site working conditions presented the team with challenges that lead to an innovative use of an optimized combination of Dynamic Compaction, Dynamic Replacement, High Energy Dynamic Replacement and Dynamic Surcharging to meet both the schedule deadlines and the improvement cri-teria

Periodic Distribution of Planar Defects in Colloidal Photonic Crystals

4 pagesInternational audienc

Asbestos Related Disorders

An updated summary of current understanding of asbestos related disorders is presented, along with a review of the history of the disorders, and the mineralogy, biological tissue burden, pathogenesis, pathology and clinical aspects of the asbestos related disorders, with particular emphasis on important information for the clinician

Building planar defects into colloidal crystals using particles of different chemical nature

We have fabricated three-dimensional (3D) colloidal crystals containing a two-dimensional (2D) defect made of particles of different nature and of different size. The presence of the extrinsic defect led to an impurity mode within the photonic stop band, which was observed as a pass band in the near-infrared (NIR) spectra. We also built a heterostructure containing a planar defect made of particles of different nature but of the same size than those forming the host opal. A pass band was also observed, due to the difference between the refractive indexes of the guest and host colloi

Multicomponent macroporous materials with a controlled architecture

We describe the elaboration of organized macroporous electrode surfaces with a complex composition using the hard sphere template procedure. In a first approach, different metals are subsequently generated in the template leading finally to a multicomponent porous material showing interesting electrochemical features combining the redox properties of the different metals. In a complementary second approach, alternating porous and compact metal layers are formed, with the compact layer being introduced on purpose as a defect layer allowing the controlled destruction of the sandwich-type architecture using a chemical or electrochemical trigger

Efficient in vitro myogenic reprogramming of human primary mesenchymal stem cells and endothelial cells by Myf5

International audienc

Acoustic Vibrations of Core–Shell Nanospheres: Probing the Mechanical Contact at the Metal–Dielectric Interface

The acoustic vibrations of metal−dielectric core−shell nanoparticles (Ag@SiO2 and Au@SiO2) are investigated using ultrafast pump−probe spectroscopy. The experimental results are in good agreement with calculations of the period of the breathing vibration of the core−shell particles. The transition from one overtone of the breathing mode to the next one as the size of the silica shell increases is observed for slightly thinner SiO2 shells than previously reported. Our results confirm that this optical technique permits the determination of the quality of the mechanical contact at the metal dielectric interface. This is of major importance for many applications, in particular because it modifiessignificantly the thermal conductivity at the nanoscale. Moreover, we observed that for two different synthesis routes, poor contact core−shell samples could sneak in among good sample series based on the same metallic core particles. This confirms the suitability of this all optical and noninvasive technique to obtain information hardly reachable by other means such as electron microscopy or absorption spectroscopy.Diagnostic d'Infections par spectroscopie Raman Amplifiée par Nanoparticule

L'Estuaire (76)

Éditorial -- De la « terre à l'orignal » à la « terre du chien ». Rimouski : histoire et étymologie d'un toponyme autochtone (partie 1) -- Mémoires et récits d'un « vendeux de cretons » : le parcours de Jacques Hugues dans l'Est (18e-20e siècles) -- L'exploitation forestière et l'occupation du territoire dans le discours cinématographique de l'abbé Jean-Philippe Cyr -- L'occupation historique de l'Île d'Anticosti (1680-1895) -- Une mère en pleurs -- Vieux écrits : Les seigneuries du Bas-Saint-Laurent et de la Gaspésie -- Des livres à lire -- Recension