SLIP4EX- a program for routine slope stability analysis to include the effects of vegetation, reinforcement and hydrological changes

SLIP4EX is a straightforward computer program developed in connection with the EU funded ECOSLOPES project for routine stability analysis and the assessment of the contribution of vegetation to slope stability. The slope section is drawn up and dimensions and parameters are fed in to the Microsoft Excel based program for stability calculations and comparisons of Factors of Safety using different methods of analysis (Bishop, Janbu, Fellenius, Simple, Greenwood). The background and assumptions involved in the derivation of each of the methods is briefly described. The simplicity of the program enables the user to understand the nature of the analysis, explore the parameter assumptions made and compare the different methods of analysis. Soil reinforcement by geosynthetic layers or anchors, and vegetation effects of enhanced cohesion, changed water pressures, mass of vegetation, wind forces and root reinforcement forces are readily included in the analysis. The program is freely available on request from the author

Hydraulic and mechanical properties of glacial sediments beneath Unteraargletscher, Switzerland: implications for glacier basal motion

The force on a ‘ploughmeter’ and subglacial water pressure have been measured in the same borehole at Unteraargletscher, Switzerland, in order to investigate ice–sediment coupling and the motion at the base of a soft-bedded glacier. A strong inverse correlation of the recorded pressure and force fluctuations, in conjunction with a significant time lag between the two signals, suggests that pore-water pressures directly affect the strength of the subglacial sediment. The lag is interpreted to reflect the time required for the water-pressure wave to propagate through the pores of the sediment to the depth of the ploughmeter. Analysis of the propagation velocity of this pressure wave yielded an estimate of the hydraulic diffusivity, a key parameter necessary to characterize transient pore-water flow. Furthermore, the inferred inverse relationship between pore-water pressure and sediment strength implies that Coulomb-plastic deformation is an appropriate rheological model for the sediment underlying Unteraargletscher. However, the sediment strength as derived from the ploughmeter data was found to be one order of magnitude smaller than that calculated for a Coulomb-frictional material using the water-pressure measurements. This significant discrepancy might result from pore-water pressures in excess of hydrostatic down-glacier from the ploughmeter. As the ploughmeter is dragged through the sediment, sediment is compressed. If the rate of this compression is large relative to the rate at which pore water can drain away, excess pore-water pressures will develop that have the potential to weaken the sediment. The same process could lead to highly fluid sediment down-glacier from clasts that protrude into the glacier sole and thus would otherwise provide the roughness to couple the glacier to its bed (Iverson, 1999). Rapidly sliding glaciers overlying sediments might therefore move predominantly by ‘ploughing’, which tends to focus basal motion near the glacier sole rather than at depth in the bed

Observational Method for More Reliable Settlement Prediction for Reclamation on the Holocene Marine Clay Deposit in Jakarta Bay

Construction of the 276 and 312 ha reclamation on the Holocene marine clay deposit in Jakarta Bay is on-going. Settlement has been measured during the construction in order to satisfy the requirement of residual settlement. This paper briefly discusses limitation of accuracy of settlement prediction based on purely parameters derived from laboratory and in situ testing, in particular the Holocene marine clay. A reliable ‘observational’ method which makes full use of the monitoring data is described and estimates reliable residual settlement. More accurate settlement method is then also briefly described taken into account complex loading history. Finally, the factors, which are source of inaccurate settlement predictions and its implications, are included in the discussion

Trace fossils in the Cretaceous-Eocene flysch of the Sinop-Boyabat Basin, Central Pontides, Turkey

Sixty six ichnotaxa have been recognized in Barremian-Lutetian deep-marine deposits of the Sinop- Boyabat Basin, north-central Turkey, which evolved from a backarc rift into a retroarc foreland, with two episodes of major shallowing. The blackish-grey shales of the Çađlayan Fm (Barremian-Cenomanian) contain low- diversity traces fossils of mobile sediment feeders influenced by low oxygenation. One of the oldest occurrences of Scolicia indicates early adaptation to burrowing in organic-rich mud. The "normal" flysch of the Coniacian- Campanian Yemişliçay Fm bears a low-diversity Nereites ichnofacies influenced by volcanic activity. The Maastrichtian-Late Palaeocene carbonate flysch of the Akveren Fm contains a Nereites ichnofacies of moderate diversity, which is impoverished in the uppermost part, where tempestites indicate marked shallowing. The overlying variegated muddy flysch of the Atbaşý Fm (latest Palaeocene-earliest Eocene) bears an impoverished Nereites ichnofacies, which is attributed to oligotrophy and reduced preservation potential. The sand-rich silici-clastic flysch of the Kusuri Fm (Early-Middle Eocene) bears a high-diversity Nereites ichnofacies, except for the topmost part, where tempestites and littoral bioclastic limestone reflect rapid shallowing due to the tectonic closure of the basin. The turbiditic channel-fill and proximal lobe facies show a reduced trace-fossil diversity, but abundant Ophiomorpha , which is typical of the Ophiomorpha rudis sub-ichnofacies of the Nereites ichnofacies. The high abundance of Ophiomorpha in the Kusuri Fm and its low abundance in the Akveren Fm are related to plant detritus supply. The Kusuri turbiditic system was fed by a large delta, supplying rich plant detritus, whereas the Akveren system was fed by a carbonate ramp that supplied little or no such material. The extension of the Nereites ichnofacies into the tempestite-bearing neritic deposits at the top of both the Akveren and Kusuri formations indicates the capacity of the deep-water ichnofauna to survive in a rapidly-shoaling restricted basin. Only the topmost shoreface sandstones of the Akveren Fm show sporadic Ophiomorpha ? nodosa, a typical shallow-marine trace fossil

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An overview of the evolution of infrared spectroscopy applied to bacterial typing

The sustained emergence of new declared bacterial species makes typing a continuous challenge for microbiologists. Molecular biology techniques have a very significant role in the context of bacterial typing, but they are often very laborious, time consuming and eventually fail when dealing with very closely related species. Spectroscopic-based techniques appear in some situations as a viable alternative to molecular methods with advantages in terms of analysis time and cost. Infrared and mass spectrometry are among the most exploited techniques in this context: particularly, infrared spectroscopy emerged as a very promising method with multiple reported successful applications. This article presents a systematic review on infrared spectroscopy applications for bacterial typing, highlighting fundamental aspects of infrared spectroscopy, a detailed literature review (covering different taxonomic levels and bacterial species), advantages and limitations of the technique over molecular biology methods and a comparison with other competing spectroscopic techniques such as MALDI-TOF MS, Raman and intrinsic fluorescence. Infrared spectroscopy possesses a high potential for bacterial typing at distinct taxonomic levels and worthy of further developments and systematization. The development of databases appears fundamental towards the establishment of infrared spectroscopy as a viable method for bacterial typing.FCT -Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(PT2020 UID/QUI/50006/2013)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Root reinforcement of soils under compression

It is well recognized that roots reinforce soils and that the distribution of roots within vegetated hillslopes strongly influences the spatial distribution of soil strength. Previous studies have focussed on the contribution of root reinforcement under conditions of tension or shear. However, no systematic investigation into the contribution of root reinforcement to soils experiencing compression, such as the passive Earth forces at the toe of a landslide, is found in the literature. An empirical-analytical model (CoRoS) for the quantification of root reinforcement in soils under compression is presented and tested against experimental data. The CoRoS model describes the force-displacement behavior of compressed, rooted soils and can be used to provide a framework for improving slope stability calculations. Laboratory results showed that the presence of 10 roots with diameters ranging from 6 to 28 mm in a rectangular soil profile 0.72 m by 0.25 m increased the compressive strength of the soil by about 40% (2.5 kN) at a displacement of 0.05 m, while the apparent stiffness of the rooted soil was 38% higher than for root-free soil. The CoRoS model yields good agreement with experimentally determined values of maximum reinforcement force and compression force as a function of displacement. These results indicate that root reinforcement under compression has a major influence on the mechanical behavior of soil and that the force-displacement behavior of roots should be included in analysis of the compressive regimes that commonly are present in the toe of landslides