Point vibration measurements for the detection of shallow-buried objects

A major UK initiative, entitled 'Mapping the Underworld', is seeking to address the serious social, environmental and economic consequences arising from an inability to locate accurately and comprehensively the buried utility service infrastructure without resorting to extensive excavations. Mapping the Underworld aims to develop and prove the efficacy of a multi-sensor device for accurate remote buried utility service detection, location and, where possible, identification. One of the technologies to be incorporated in the device is low-frequency vibro-acoustics, and application of this technique for detecting buried infrastructure is currently being investigated. Here, the potential for making a number of simple point vibration measurements in order to detect shallow-buried objects, in particular plastic pipes, is explored. Point measurements can be made relatively quickly without the need for arrays of surface sensors, which can be expensive, time-consuming to deploy, and sometimes impractical in congested areas. At low frequencies, the ground behaves as a simple single-degree-of-freedom (mass-spring) system with a well-defined resonance, the frequency of which will depend on the density and elastic properties of the soil locally. This resonance will be altered by the presence of a buried object whose properties differ from the surrounding soil. It is this behavior which can be exploited in order to detect the presence of a buried object, provided it is buried at a sufficiently shallow depth. The theoretical background is described and preliminary measurements are made both on a dedicated buried pipe rig and on the ground over a domestic waste pipe. Preliminary findings suggest that, for shallow-buried pipes, a measurement of this kind could be a quick and useful adjunct to more conventional methods of buried pipe detection. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design of biogas pipeline - Energy and sanitation

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Composition and quantification of the anthropogenic and natural fractions of wastes collected from the stormwater drainage system for discussions about the waste management and people behavior

A study was made of the composition of wastes collected from the pipes of the stormwater drainage system of Sorocaba, SP, Brazil (600 thousand inhabitants). A total of 10 samples weighing at least 100 kg each were sorted into 19 items to determine the fraction that can be considered natural (earth/sand, stones, organic matter, and water, the latter determined after oven-drying the samples) and the anthropogenic fraction (the remaining 15 items, especially construction and demolition wastes and packaging). Soil/sand was found to be the main item collected (52.5 % dry weight), followed by the water soaked into the waste (24.3 %), which meant that all the other wastes were saturated in mud, whose contents varied from 6.4 % (glass) to 87.2 % (metalized plastics packaging). In general, 83 % of the collected wastes can be classified as natural, but the remaining 17 % represent 2,000 kg of the most varied types of wastes discarded improperly every day on the streets of the city. This is an alarming amount of wastes that may clog parts of the drainage systems, causing troubles for all the population (like flooding) and must be strongly considered in municipal solid wastes management and in environmental education programs. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

The dynamic behaviour of a buried water pipe and its effect on leak location using acoustic methods

Leakage in buried pipes is one of the main concerns for water companies due to the scarcity of potable water sources. Older metallic pipelines have been replaced by plastic pipes in such systems, which makes it more difficult to locate leaks using acoustics and vibration. This is mainly because of the high attenuation of leak signals caused by the damping in the pipe wall. To investigate acoustic methods in leak location in controlled conditions, a bespoke test rig was constructed in the UK. In this paper, data from this test-rig is used to discuss some issues that arise when using two contemporary correlators. Of particular interest, is the way in which a resonance in the system can have a profound effect on the estimate of the position of the leak depending on the way in which the leak noise signals are processed. © (2013) Trans Tech Publications.

Estudo da formação de domínios em bicamadas lipídicas induzidos por peptídeos antimicrobianos

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Medição de vazão em tubos de pequeno diâmetro utilizando orifícios integrais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A influência do esgoto doméstico como fluido de saturação no colapso de um solo arenoso

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Reologia de vinhos tintos secos produzidos no Sul do Brasil

Pós-graduação em Engenharia e Ciência de Alimentos - IBILCE

Avaliação de tubos de concreto reforçados com fibras de aço segundo a NBR 8890

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Civil - FEIS

Análise numérica da convecção natural em dispositivos solar integrados coletor-tanque

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Geologia e mineralogia de pegmatito mineralizado em estanho e metais associados (Nb, Ta, Zn, Cu, Pb), Mina Bom Futuro, Rondônia

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Otimização de um ciclo Brayton irreversível com regeneração, inter-resfriamento e reaquecimento

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação hidráulica e de resistência a tração de dois modelos de mangueiras gotejadoras

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Irrigação e Drenagem) - FCA

Estudo das propriedades mecânicas de aços microligados produzidos por laminação controlada seguida de resfriamento acelerado para tubos API/DNV usado no projeto pré-sal

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Influência do aporte de calor e da velocidade de soldagem na tenacidade da solda HF-ERW

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)