Utilização de bender elements na determinação do módulo de distorção

Este trabalho apresenta a utilização de bender elements na determinação do módulo de distorção de uma areia. A amostra foi preparada para um determinado índice de vazios e ensaiada à compressão isotrópica até 400 kPa. Baseada na medição e interpretação de velocidades de ondas sísmicas, a técnica dos bender elements foi utilizada para a determinação do módulo de distorção no âmbito das muito pequenas deformações. Para melhorar a consistência dos resultados, foram utilizadas em simultâneo análises no domínio do tempo e da frequência na determinação do módulo de distorção. São feitas recomendações relativas à redução da subjetividade na determinação da velocidade de propagação das ondas sísmicas. A relação do módulo de distorção com a tensão normal média efetiva é avaliada e comparada com expressões empíricas.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), projeto de investigação WaveSoil (PTDC/ECM/122751/2010) do projeto FCOMOP-01-0124-FEDER-02036

Small strain stiffness of a sand by means of bender elements and accelerometers: measuring principles and applications

Ao longo dos anos têm-se assistido ao desenvolvimento de novas técnicas para a determinação da rigidez dos solos em laboratório, baseadas na determinação direta da velocidade de propagação de ondas sísmicas. Neste contexto, este trabalho apresenta a medição e interpretação de velocidades de ondas sísmicas em ensaios realizados numa areia através do uso combinado de bender elements e acelerómetros. A interpretação das medições do tempo de propagação e da aceleração foi realizada no domínio do tempo e no domínio da frequência. No final, são tecidas considerações relativas aos valores de rigidez obtidos e a uma potencial expansão do setup apresentado para aplicações a uma vasta gama de geomateriais.In the last decades, the development of new laboratory techniques to assess soil stiffness throughout the use of seismic wave-based techniques, have received significant attention. In this context, this paper presents measurements and interpretation of seismic wave velocities from tests performed on a sand and based on the combined use of bender elements with accelerometers. The interpretation of the travel time measurements were performed using time and frequency-domain methods. Finally, considerations concerning stiffness results and an enlarged application of the presented setup to a wide range of geomaterials are made.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), projeto de investigação WaveSoil (PTDC/ECM/122751/2010) do projeto FCOMOP-01-0124-FEDER-02036

Assessment of shear modulus by different seismic wave-based techniques

Using combined setup of bender elements and accelerometers, tests were conducted on Coimbra sand specimens in order to measure and interpret seismic wave velocities to assess initial shear modulus. For these tests both time and frequency domain analyses were performed. Resonant column tests were also performed on the same sand to validate the results obtained with the bender elements and accelerometers setup. As is well known, in the last decades the development of new laboratory techniques to assess soil stiffness through the use of seismic wave-based techniques, has received significant attention due to its simplicity and versatility of the equipment setup. One of these techniques is the bender elements test which have been one of the most widely used, although some limitations concerning its usage. In this context, the combined use of bender elements with other seismic wave-based testing techniques, such as accelerometers or the resonant column, is quite important to compare and validate the testing techniques. Given its miniature size, the installation of accelerometers on the side of the sample is considered feasible without significant disturbance on the other measuring techniques. The resonant column is a widely used and accurate testing technique due to its reliability and repeatability. Finally, the results of this combined tests allow a critical discussion on the advantages and limitations of the use of bender elements and accelerometers, in contrast with the resonant-column for the assessment of the shear modulus in sand.This work was developed with the financial support provided by FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) under the research project WaveSoil - PTDC/ECM/122751/2010 from FCOMOP-01-0124-FEDER-020365 project

Avaliação do comportamento mecânico de um solo reforçado com fibras em carregamento estático e cíclico, de muito pequenas a grandes deformações

A utilização de fibras como solução de reforço de solos é reconhecida actualmente como uma técnica eficaz na melhoria das características de resistência e rigidez. Ao longo dos anos, os estudos realizados permitiram compreender a relação solo/fibras na melhoria do comportamento mecânico para gamas de deformação próximas da rotura. Porém, tem sido dispensada pouca atenção no que diz respeito à avaliação do comportamento mecânico e à determinação da rigidez no âmbito das muito pequenas deformações. Assim, este estudo visa identificar a influência de diferentes percentagens de fibras, bem como do uso de malhas de fibras orientadas, na resposta mecânica de um solo reforçado com fibras, numa gama variada de deformações. Para o efeito, foram realizados ensaios de compressão uniaxial e cíclica num solo residual granítico reforçado com fibras, com medições da velocidade das ondas sísmicas com recurso a bender elements e acelerómetros. Foi ainda realizado um estudo comparativo entre o uso de fibras orientadas aleatoriamente e em malha quadrada entre 0⁰ e 90⁰.The use of fibres for soil reinforcement is currently recognised as an effective technique in the improvement of the strength and stiffness properties of soils. Along the years, several studies have focused on the soil/fiber ratio for the improvement of the mechanical behavior of the soil for large strains, near failure. However, little attention has been given to the assessment of the mechanical behaviour and stiffness of the reinforced soil at very small strains. This paper aims to address this issue, by investigating the influence of different fiber percentages, as well as the use of oriented fiber meshes on the mechanical response of the reinforced soil for a wide range of strains. For this purpose, uniaxial static and cyclic compression tests were performed on a granitic residual soil, reinforced with fibers, together with measurements of seismic wave velocities by means of bender elements and accelerometers. A comparative study was also performed between randomly oriented fibers and square 0º to 90º oriented fiber meshes.Os autores gostariam de agradecer o apoio dado pela Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) através do projeto de investigação WaveSoil (PTDC/ECM/122751/2010) do projeto FCOMOP-01-0124-FEDER020365 no âmbito da qual este trabalho foi desenvolvido

Measurements and interpretation of small strain siffness of a sand

Este trabalho apresenta a medição e interpretação de velocidades de ondas sísmicas em ensaios realizados numa areia através do uso combinado de bender elements (BE) e acelerómetros (AC). A amostra foi preparada para um determinado índice de vazios e ensaiada em ensaio monotónico de compressão isotrópica até 400 kPa. A técnica dos BE foi utilizada com vista à determinação do módulo de distorção (G0) no âmbito das muito pequenas deformações. Para melhorar a consistência das medições, dois AC foram utilizados em conjunto com os BE. Na determinação de G0 foram utilizados, simultaneamente, análises no domínio dos tempos e das frequências. São apresentadas considerações relativas aos diferentes valores de G0obtidos nas distintas análises. A relação de G0 com a tensão normal média efetiva é avaliada para a areia de estudo e comparada com expressões empíricas.This paper presents measurement and interpretation of seismic wave velocities from tests conducted on a sand, based on the combined use of bender elements (BE) with accelerometers (AC). The specimen was prepared at certain initial void ratio and monotonic-isotropically compressed up to 400 kPa. The BE technique was used to determine the sand shear modulus (G0) at very small strains. In order to increase the reliability of the measurements, two AC were jointly used with BE. The G0 stiffness was determined using time and frequency-domain methods. The systematic differences observed between the G0 values, calculated using the different methods are discussed. The relationship between G0 and the effective mean normal stress was evaluated for the studied sand and compared with empirical expressions.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), projeto WaveSoil (PTDC/ECM/122751/ 2010), FCOMOP-01-0124-FEDER-02036

Measurement of shear modulus using bender elements and resonant-column

In recent times, new demands in geotechnical engineering, mainly in transportation geotechnics, require the use of advanced characterization techniques in order to accurately assess soil stiffness parameters. From this perspective, seismic wave-based techniques have received significant attention, since these allow performing the same basic measurement in the laboratory and field. With an enormous potential, bender elements are currently one of the most popular techniques used to measure reference soil properties in the very small strain range, namely the shear modulus. Bench and triaxial tests conducted on a wide range of geomaterials already demonstrated the applicability of this technique. However, the combined use of bender elements with other testing techniques, as the resonant column, is quite important in order to compare and validate some of the procedures used. In this context, bench bender elements tests were carried out on stiff sandy silt/silty sand specimens and the interpretation of seismic wave velocities was performed using time domain methods under a variety of excitations. Resonant column tests were also conducted on the same material to validate the obtained results with the bench bender elements setup. A critical discussion is made on the advantages and limitations of bender elements usage in contrast with the resonant-column for the assessment of the shear modulus, as well as some insights regarding damping. Additional tests were carried out in two distinct BE setups, one of which installed in the resonant column device, as well as ultrasonic measurements, with the purpose of validating the BE procedure and results interpretation. From this research, it was possible to compare and analyze the results obtained with the three different bender element setups and derive recommendations towards achieving reliable measurements.This work was developed with the financial support provided by FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology) under the research project WaveSoil - PTDC/ECM/122751/2010 from FCOMOP-01-0124-FEDER-020365 project

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost