Datasets and results of the research [Discontinuity spacing analysis in rock masses using 3D point clouds]

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SMR analysis using 3DPC datasets

Datasets and results of the paper: Characterization of rock slopes through slope mass rating using 3D point clouds, Riquelme et al 2016, IJRMMS.

Characterization of rock slopes through slope mass rating using 3D point clouds

Rock mass classification systems are widely used tools for assessing the stability of rock slopes. Their calculation requires the prior quantification of several parameters during conventional fieldwork campaigns, such as the orientation of the discontinuity sets, the main properties of the existing discontinuities and the geo-mechanical characterization of the intact rock mass, which can be time-consuming and an often risky task. Conversely, the use of relatively new remote sensing data for modelling the rock mass surface by means of 3D point clouds is changing the current investigation strategies in different rock slope engineering applications. In this paper, the main practical issues affecting the application of Slope Mass Rating (SMR) for the characterization of rock slopes from 3D point clouds are reviewed, using three case studies from an end-user point of view. To this end, the SMR adjustment factors, which were calculated from different sources of information and processes, using the different softwares, are compared with those calculated using conventional fieldwork data. In the presented analysis, special attention is paid to the differences between the SMR indexes derived from the 3D point cloud and conventional field work approaches, the main factors that determine the quality of the data and some recognized practical issues. Finally, the reliability of Slope Mass Rating for the characterization of rocky slopes is highlighted.

Proposal of a New Parameter for the Weathering Characterization of Carbonate Flysch-Like Rock Masses: The Potential Degradation Index (PDI)

The susceptibility of clay bearing rocks to weathering (erosion and/or differential degradation) is known to influence the stability of heterogeneous slopes. However, not all of these rocks show the same behaviour, as there are considerable differences in the speed and type of weathering observed. As such, it is very important to establish relationships between behaviour quantified in a laboratory environment with that observed in the field. The slake durability test is the laboratory test most commonly used to evaluate the relationship between slaking behaviour and rock durability. However, it has a number of disadvantages; it does not account for changes in shape and size in fragments retained in the 2 mm sieve, nor does its most commonly used index (Id2) accurately reflect weathering behaviour observed in the field. The main aim of this paper is to propose a simple methodology for characterizing the weathering behaviour of carbonate lithologies that outcrop in heterogeneous rock masses (such as Flysch slopes), for use by practitioners. To this end, the Potential Degradation Index (PDI) is proposed. This is calculated using the fragment size distribution curves taken from material retained in the drum after each cycle of the slake durability test. The number of slaking cycles has also been increased to five. Through laboratory testing of 117 samples of carbonate rocks, extracted from strata in selected slopes, 6 different rock types were established based on their slaking behaviour, and corresponding to the different weathering behaviours observed in the field.

New methodology for describing the equilibrium beach profile applied to the Valencia's beaches

Mathematical models used for the understanding of coastal seabed morphology play a key role in beach nourishment projects. These projects have become the fundamental strategy for coastal maintenance during the last few years. Accordingly, the accuracy of these models is vital to optimize the costs of coastal regeneration projects. Planning of such interventions requires methodologies that do not generate uncertainties in their interpretation. A study and comparison of mathematical simulation models of the coastline is carried out in this paper, as well as elements that are part of the model that are a source of uncertainty. The equilibrium profile (EP) and the offshore limit corresponding to the depth of closure (DoC) have been analyzed taking into account different timescale ranges. The results have thus been compared using data sets from three different periods which are identified as present, past and future. Accuracy in data collection for the beach profiles and the definition of the median grain size calculation using collected samples are the two main factors that have been taken into account in this paper. These data can generate high uncertainties and can produce a lack of accuracy in nourishment projects. Together they can generate excessive costs due to possible excess or shortage of sand used for the nourishment. The main goal of this paper is the development of a new methodology to increase the accuracy of the existing equilibrium beach profile models, providing an improvement to the inputs used in such models and in the fitting of the formulae used to obtain seabed shape. This new methodology has been applied and tested on Valencia's beaches.

A simple method to predict elastic settlements in foundations resting on two soils of differing deformability

This paper shows the analysis results obtained from more than 200 finite element method (FEM) models used to calculate the settlement of a foundation resting on two soils of differing deformability. The analysis considers such different parameters as the foundation geometry, the percentage of each soil in contact with the foundation base and the ratio of the soils’ elastic moduli. From the described analysis, it is concluded that the maximum settlement of the foundation, calculated by assuming that the foundation is completely resting on the most deformable soil, can be correlated with the settlement calculated by FEM models through a correction coefficient named “settlement reduction factor” (α). As a consequence, a novel expression is proposed for calculating the real settlement of a foundation resting on two soils of different deformability with maximum errors lower than 1.57%, as demonstrated by the statistical analysis carried out. A guide for the application of the proposed simple method is also explained in the paper. Finally, the proposed methodology has been validated using settlement data from an instrumented foundation, indicating that this is a simple, reliable and quick method which allows the computation of the maximum elastic settlement of a raft foundation, evaluates its suitability and optimises its selection process.

Highly Conductive Carbon Fiber Reinforced Concrete for Icing Prevention and Curing

This paper aims to study the feasibility of highly conductive carbon fiber reinforced concrete (CFRC) as a self-heating material for ice formation prevention and curing in pavements. Tests were carried out in lab ambient conditions at different fixed voltages and then introduced in a freezer at −15 °C. The specimens inside the freezer were exposed to different fixed voltages when reaching +5 °C for prevention of icing and when reaching the temperature inside the freezer, i.e., −15 °C, for curing of icing. Results show that this concrete could act as a heating element in pavements with risk of ice formation, consuming a reasonable amount of energy for both anti-icing (prevention) and deicing (curing), which could turn into an environmentally friendly and cost-effective deicing method.

Subsidence damage assessment of a Gothic church using differential interferometry and field data

The Santas Justa and Rufina Gothic church (fourteenth century) has suffered several physical, mechanical, chemical, and biochemical types of pathologies along its history: rock alveolization, efflorescence, biological activity, and capillary ascent of groundwater. However, during the last two decades, a new phenomenon has seriously affected the church: ground subsidence caused by aquifer overexploitation. Subsidence is a process that affects the whole Vega Baja of the Segura River basin and consists of gradual sinking in the ground surface caused by soil consolidation due to a pore pressure decrease. This phenomenon has been studied by differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry techniques, which illustrate settlements up to 100 mm for the 1993–2009 period for the whole Orihuela city. Although no differential synthetic aperture radar interferometry information is available for the church due to the loss of interferometric coherence, the spatial analysis of nearby deformation combined with fieldwork has advanced the current understanding on the mechanisms that affect the Santas Justa and Rufina church. These results show the potential interest and the limitations of using this remote sensing technique as a complementary tool for the forensic analysis of building structures.

Imaging Land Subsidence Induced by Groundwater Extraction in Beijing (China) Using Satellite Radar Interferometry

Beijing is one of the most water-stressed cities in the world. Due to over-exploitation of groundwater, the Beijing region has been suffering from land subsidence since 1935. In this study, the Small Baseline InSAR technique has been employed to process Envisat ASAR images acquired between 2003 and 2010 and TerraSAR-X stripmap images collected from 2010 to 2011 to investigate land subsidence in the Beijing region. The maximum subsidence is seen in the eastern part of Beijing with a rate greater than 100 mm/year. Comparisons between InSAR and GPS derived subsidence rates show an RMS difference of 2.94 mm/year with a mean of 2.41 ± 1.84 mm/year. In addition, a high correlation was observed between InSAR subsidence rate maps derived from two different datasets (i.e., Envisat and TerraSAR-X). These demonstrate once again that InSAR is a powerful tool for monitoring land subsidence. InSAR derived subsidence rate maps have allowed for a comprehensive spatio-temporal analysis to identify the main triggering factors of land subsidence. Some interesting relationships in terms of land subsidence were found with groundwater level, active faults, accumulated soft soil thickness and different aquifer types. Furthermore, a relationship with the distances to pumping wells was also recognized in this work.

Beach nourishment impact on Posidonia oceanica: Case study of Poniente Beach (Benidorm, Spain)

The importance of nourishment processes on the beaches of Mediterranean Sea has been increasing since the end of the 20th century due to its socio-economical awareness (tourismboost) and environmental implications (possible impact on Posidonia oceanica meadows and important processes of dredging and earth movements). However, in many cases, and especially in eastern Spain, relevant actions have been made which had caused that, after 20 years, the beaches in which these works were carried out will be in a similar situation with the original one. The present study analyzed the Poniente Beach (Benidorm, Spain), a beach where the nourishment works of 1991 have caused the disappearance of the Posidonia oceanica meadows and a regression process that will lead to the disappearance of the beach in a few years. To this end, data from bathymetry, georeferenced orthophotos, grain size analysis and swell study have been obtained and analyzed, understanding the importance of the works done to be consistent with the environment in which they were developed, and providing a work process which can ensure the existence of the nourished beach starting from the maintenance of Posidonia oceanica meadows.

Construcción, reconstrucción y consolidación del desaparecido Grupo Escolar “Francisco Giner de los Ríos” de Alicante (España)

La demolición del Grupo Escolar “Francisco Giner de los Ríos” supuso una pérdida incuestionable para la ciudad de Alicante (España), desapareciendo uno de los más relevantes ejemplos racionalistas, símbolo de modernidad y del desarrollo que en materia de enseñanza significó en la ciudad el “Plan de Construcción de Escuelas y Ordenación Escolar” de 1931. Con el fin de contribuir a subsanar el vacío documental que antecedió su demolición, el presente artículo muestra los resultados del estudio de las fases determinantes de la historia del edificio: proyecto (1933), construcción (1934-1935), reconstrucción y consolidación (1943-1944). Se concluyen las causas que originaron la ruina del inmueble, el alcance y magnitud de los daños y las avanzadas técnicas empleadas en su recuperación, prestando especial interés a las intervenciones de cimentación y consolidación del terreno, pilotajes e inyecciones de cemento, prácticas de relevancia internacional en el periodo de posguerra en España y Segunda Guerra Mundial.

La vivienda tradicional excavada: las casas-cueva de Crevillente. Análisis tipológico y medidas de calidad del aire

La arquitectura subterránea ha dado cobijo y protegido al hombre desde muchos siglos atrás, evolucionando tipológicamente y perdurando con el paso del tiempo hasta la actualidad. La presente necesidad de incidir en propuestas bioclimáticas de bajo coste hace indispensable el estudio de esta arquitectura más primitiva puesto que, además de formar parte de la vivencia colectiva del habitar humano, es un referente en cuanto al aprovechamiento de los condicionantes naturales mediante propuestas sencillas que se benefician de la inercia térmica del terreno. El objetivo de la presente tesis doctoral es identificar, analizar y poner de manifiesto la evolución tipológica de la vivienda excavada a nivel mundial y su adaptación, en cada caso, a la geografía regional tanto como solución arquitectónica individual como sistema de agrupación urbanístico. Investigación que se concreta en el estudio pormenorizado de los asentamientos de casas-cueva existentes hoy en día en el municipio de Crevillente en Alicante (España) mostrando, en primer lugar, la benevolencia de la solución subterránea como espacio habitable mediante un análisis del origen, la condiciones históricas y las tipologías de estas viviendas excavadas; y, en segundo lugar, mostrando la problemática derivada de la influencia del terreno donde se asientan mediante un estudio sobre las condiciones de calidad ambiental de los espacios excavados en relación al gas radiactivo radón.

DIANA: análisis del discurso para la comprensión del conocimiento

DIANA es un proyecto coordinado en el que participan el grupo de Ingeniería del Lenguaje Natural y Reconocimiento de Formas (ELiRF) de la Universitat Politècnica de València y el grupo Centre de Llenguatge i Computació (CLiC) de la Universitat de Barcelona. Se trata de un proyecto del programa de I+D (TIN2012-38603) financiado por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Paolo Rosso coordina el proyecto DIANA y lidera el subproyecto DIANA-Applications y M. Antònia Martí lidera el subproyecto DIANA-Constructions.

Formalización algebraica del método de arriba hacia abajo de diseño tecnológico

La literatura sobre ingeniería del software contiene numerosas propuestas para sistematizar las operaciones de diseño y ayudar en la toma de decisiones relacionadas con las soluciones a los problemas. Este artículo propone un marco conceptual para justificar la técnica de arriba hacia abajo que se sigue en el diseño tecnológico. El punto de partida es el enunciado de un problema en su versión de conjetura inicial, esto es, una hipótesis, y consta de una fase inicial que es esencialmente del ámbito del problema, y una segunda fase que es esencialmente del dominio de la solución. La fase del dominio del problema aborda una técnica para expresar el enunciado del problema con formato de una definición correcta y exacta, contextualizada en un dominio de referencia que es un modelo del problema y basada en una estructura sintáctica preestablecida. Esta fase produce una especificación formal del problema con formato de una expresión lógica o matemática que refiere el problema a un modelo y que denota, desde un enfoque externo al problema, los objetivos que se persigue que la solución satisfaga. La fase del dominio de la solución obtiene una especificación estructural de una solución al problema, que consiste en un árbol descriptor de la jerarquía de los módulos que componen la estructura y un grafo de las relaciones entre módulos, es decir, de la organización de los módulos. El fundamento del proceso de tomar decisiones de arriba hacia abajo consiste en clasificar las acciones que conforman el método de diseño y en establecer una ordenación entre las clases de acciones encontradas. Se propone un caso de estudio sencillo para poner de relieve el alcance de esta propuesta.

Integrating the development of data mining and data warehouses via model-driven engineering

Data mining is one of the most important analysis techniques to automatically extract knowledge from large amount of data. Nowadays, data mining is based on low-level specifications of the employed techniques typically bounded to a specific analysis platform. Therefore, data mining lacks a modelling architecture that allows analysts to consider it as a truly software-engineering process. Bearing in mind this situation, we propose a model-driven approach which is based on (i) a conceptual modelling framework for data mining, and (ii) a set of model transformations to automatically generate both the data under analysis (that is deployed via data-warehousing technology) and the analysis models for data mining (tailored to a specific platform). Thus, analysts can concentrate on understanding the analysis problem via conceptual data-mining models instead of wasting efforts on low-level programming tasks related to the underlying-platform technical details. These time consuming tasks are now entrusted to the model-transformations scaffolding. The feasibility of our approach is shown by means of a hypothetical data-mining scenario where a time series analysis is required.