Civil Engineering Operations Research Articles

An evaluation of ground-cooling systems in a saturated subarctic peatland

The Canadian subarctic is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth. Permafrost thaw driven by climate change is linked to rapid landscape transition and is threatening northern infrastructure. Ground cooling systems are used in application-oriented projects largely pertaining to civil engineering operations and have been investigated in mineral-based soils with many successful outcomes. However, in near-saturated and peat-dominated environments they remain largely unexplored. The increasing rates of climate change and concomitant landscape evolution coupled with increasing economic activity in the North affirm the growing need for the advancement of ground cooling technologies in saturated peat-based soils. This study compared the performance of three ground cooling systems in saturated peat overlying thawing permafrost at the Scotty Creek Research Station in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The systems included a single-phase active thermosiphon combined with a snow reduction cone (advanced thermosiphon; ATS), a single-phase passive thermosiphon (simple thermosiphon; STS), and two stand-alone snow reduction cones. Performance was assessed based on subsurface temperature profiles (ranging 2017–2022), physical frost table measurements, and estimates of net annual and seasonal heat transfer. Each system displayed distinct ground cooling capabilities, successfully creating, and maintaining frozen ground. The ATS stood out with the highest net annual heat transfer rate, though it requires energy sources for actively circulating the coolant. The STS exhibited slightly lower effectiveness but demonstrated greater resilience to component failure. The snow reduction cone confirmed the significance of snow in ground insulation and augmented the performance of the thermosiphon system, enhancing its overall efficiency. It is anticipated that this study will foster the development of liquid-filled thermosyphons in the domain of cooling technologies, with a particular focus on their application in saturated peat and other similar environments. Moreover, these findings hold significant promise in offering valuable support for climate change adaptation strategies for local communities.

The Complexity of Virtual Reality Technology in the Simulation and Modeling of Civil Mathematical Models

Abstract Because civil engineering structures include stressed structural members and unstressed non-structural members, it isn’t easy to obtain the true parameters of the model when modeling. The article uses a virtual reality fuzzy random modeling to establish a steel bearing force model in civil engineering operations. We determined the relevant bearing capacity parameters based on the corrosion of steel bars in civil engineering. The research found that the numerical simulation method determined in this paper has grasped the essence of stress rate, concrete material properties, and dynamic load effect to a considerable extent.

Sensation transfer for immersive exoskeleton motor training: Implications of haptics and viewpoints

Exoskeletons are promising physical augmentation tools that have shown potential to transform civil engineering operations, but the training is inherently challenging due to the diverse exoskeleton designs, functions, and guidelines across different occupational sectors. Traditional hands-on exoskeleton training is time-consuming and resource-extensive, while virtual training, such as video demonstrations, is ineffective for motor skill learning needed for the exoskeleton. It is unknown if an enhanced virtual environment can facilitate motor skill gaining for exoskeleton training. This paper proposes a haptic-based sensation transfer approach that migrates the egocentric motor experience of an expert exoskeleton user to another novice user, via a passive haptic system in virtual reality. The result of a human-subjects experiment (n = 30) showed that the proposed haptic-based sensation transfer approach significantly improved the motor learning rate in exoskeleton training, and validated the effectiveness of virtual training for even motor-intensive tasks. The proposed haptic-based sensation transfer approach can enrich the embodied motor learning experience and thus can benefit broader applications of motor training at work. It is worth exploring optimal haptic configurations in the future, to enhance embodiment whilst avoiding potential over-reliance on feedback.

Feasibility study on joint tomography of refraction and reflection seismic waves for geotechnical purposes: a preliminary result

Many developing regions are subject to infrastructure magnification thus green-sustainable infrastructure has always been a relevant concern for most regulators and engineers. In order to support better urban planning, civil engineering operations, and environmental studies, an ample supply of information regarding the neighbouring environment is a must. This includes the information from the Earth’s subsurface, particularly the mechanical properties of soil and rock, on which the planning or action is executed. Complementarily, geophysical measurements utilizing the active seismic method can effectively provide an accurate approximation of the properties. This method includes generating seismic waves using the non-invasive artificial seismic source which then be collected on the Earth’s surface by a number of detectors called geophones. The recorded seismic waves bring information about the medium through which they propagate. They can provide the mechanical properties of the medium after applying some sequences of data interpretation techniques. Conventionally, this is done using only one type of seismic wave, either the refracted or reflected waves. In this study, we build a new procedure incorporating these two types of seismic waves to refine the inferred model. The result shows a promising improvement of the P-wave velocity model in terms of its resolution.

Experimental study on mechanical properties of the steel friction pads used in a rotational friction damper

The optimal friction interface offered by friction pads should have stable frictional energy consumption performance, be easily fabricated, and satisfy the structure durability requirements imposed by use in civil engineering operations. In this paper, firstly, to assess the friction performance of the friction pads, a new clamping set-up equipped with a high-strength bolt was proposed for use as a friction-damping device. Then an experimental study was conducted with the clamping set-up on six different types of friction pad specimens. The main parameters are the mechanical properties, the friction interface area, the superficial treatment method applied to the steel friction pads, and the loading protocol. The experimental results indicate that: the load–displacement hysteresis curves are stable and exhibit no degradation in behaviour throughout the test, suggesting that the energy absorption performance of the friction damper is significant; the friction damper exhibit significant initial stiffness, showing that the rotational friction damper can provide stiffness for frame structures before rotation; the coefficient of friction of the friction pads is found to be influenced by the mechanical properties; in addition, the load–displacement hysteresis curve in the second loading stage is more stable than that in the first loading stage.

Intuitive robot teleoperation for civil engineering operations with virtual reality and deep learning scene reconstruction

Robotic teleoperation, i.e., manipulating remote robotic systems at a distance, has gained its popularity in various industrial applications, including construction operations. The key to a successful teleoperation robot system is the delicate design of the human-robot interface that helps strengthen the human operator’s situational awareness. Traditional human-robot interface for robotic teleoperation is usually based on imagery data (e.g., video streaming), causing the limited field of view (FOV) and increased cognitive burden for processing additional spatial information. As a result, 3D scene reconstruction methods based on point cloud models captured by scanning technologies (e.g., depth camera and LiDAR) have been explored to provide immersive and intuitive feedback to the human operator. Despite the added benefits of applying reconstructed 3D scenes in telerobotic systems, challenges still present. Most 3D reconstruction methods utilize raw point cloud data due to the difficulty of real-time model rendering. The significant size of point cloud data makes the processing and transfer between robots and human operators difficult and slow. In addition, most reconstructed point cloud models do not contain physical properties such as weight and colliders. A more enriched control mechanism based on physics engine simulations is impossible. This paper presents an intelligent robot teleoperation interface that collects, processes, transfers, and reconstructs the immersive scene model of the workspace in Virtual Reality (VR) and enables intuitive robot controls accordingly. The proposed system, Telerobotic Operation based on Auto-reconstructed Remote Scene (TOARS), utilizes a deep learning algorithm to automatically detect objects in the captured scene, along with their physical properties, based on the point cloud data. The processed information is then transferred to the game engine where rendered virtual objects replace the original point cloud models in the VR environment. TOARS is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of 3D scene reconstruction and situational awareness of human operators in robotic teleoperation.

Prediction of blast-induced ground vibration using empirical models and artificial neural network (Bakhtiari Dam access tunnel, as a case study)

Blasting operation is among the most common methods of rock excavation in the civil engineering and mining operations. Ground vibration is the most unfavorable effect of blasting operation such that failure to accurately control this problem causes damage to adjacent structures. In this regard, geotechnical engineers face the challenge of accurately predicting blast-induced ground vibrations. Geographical location of Bakhtiari Dam (located in the southwest of Iran) is needed to construct an access road to its nearest city through the rough topography. To establish the access road in the plan, blasting operation methods have been used. In this study, blast-induced ground vibrations in the study area are evaluated using five common functional forms of the empirical model and their corrected regression coefficient for the area. Then, the ground vibrations generated in the study area were predicted by designing an artificial neural network model. For this purpose, the maximum charge per delay, the distance between the blast point and monitoring stations, and the ground vibration values were surveyed for 80 blast events, and their necessary parameters were determined. A total of 64 datasets were used to obtain the coefficients of the empirical models and to create the artificial neural network model. In addition, 16 datasets were used to estimate the performance and accuracy of each model. To measure the accuracy of the constructed models, some statistical parameters were also used. The results show that in the study area, the artificial neural network model presents the most accurate and appropriate model for predicting blast-induced ground vibrations. The neural network proposed in this research is suggested for areas with geological features resembling those of the present study.

A new methodology to estimate the powder factor of explosives considering the different lithologies of volcanic lands: A case study from the island of Tenerife, Spain

Many populations live on small islands where there are no naturally occurring rivers and lakes. Therefore, they need to look for underground water sources that involves the use of complex, expensive civil engineering operations which normally use explosives. An adequate prediction of the amount of explosive and performance of blasts is essential for a proper drilling plan. In the present work, a new methodology is proposed to estimate the consumption of explosives with respect to each type of rock drilled, based on a regression model that relates the geomechanical characteristics of the rocks with the progress made with each blast. The model is obtained using real data from the drilling of 85.70 m in a water tunnel with a cross section of 4 m2 on a volcanic island. The blast used gelatin-based explosives based on nitroglycol, placed according to the drilling and blasting pattern for tunnels (structure to capture groundwater). The extracted rocks were mechanically characterized (density, porosity and point load strength index) and correlated with the powder factor. A methodology based on a regression model was constructed with this information that allows predictions of the powder factor, number of blasts and the amount of explosive needed as a function of the geomechanical properties of the tested rocks. The blasting progress had a non-linear relationship with the geomechanical parameters of the different lithotypes. The data show that advance is strongly non-linearly correlated with the porosity and the point load strength index of the rock. The regression model will be useful in the design of tunnel construction projects, as it can provide a better estimation of duration and costs of civil works than those used at present.

Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) approach to blast-induced ground vibration prediction

ABSTRACTModelling and prediction of blast-induced ground vibration is a significant aspect of mining and civil engineering operations, as ground vibration has dire consequences on both the environment, mine production and successful implementation of engineering projects. This study proposes the Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) as a novel alternative technique to model and predict blast-induced ground vibration. The MARS approach was compared with three artificial neural network methods and four conventional ground vibration predictors. The statistical analyses revealed that the MARS produced the best performance and can successfully be used for the prediction of blast-induced ground vibration.

Teses e dissertações brasileiras sobre BIM: uma análise do período de 2013 a 2018

Este trabalho identifica e analisa teses e dissertações disponíveis no Catálogo de teses e dissertações da CAPES que foram defendidas no Brasil entre 2013 e 2018 e tratam da Modelagem da Informação da Construção ou Building Information Modelling (BIM). Objetiva apresentar um panorama sobre os principais temas abordados nestas pesquisas, assim como identificar onde foram realizadas. Ainda, é feito um recorte sobre aqueles trabalhos que discutem questões sobre o ensino de BIM buscando contribuir com a implantação desta modelagem nos cursos relacionados com a Arquitetura, Engenharia, Construção e Operação de edificações (AECO). A Análise de Conteúdo foi o método de pesquisa qualitativa adotado para realizar tanto a seleção quanto a análise dos trabalhos. Dentre os resultados obtidos, destaca-se que: (a) já existem trabalhos sobre BIM nas diversas fases do ciclo de vida da edificação, mas a maioria deles trata da etapa de projetação; (b) 78,3% das pesquisas encontradas foram produzidas no eixo sul-sudeste do país e em instituições de ensino sediadas nas capitais e grandes cidades, indicando a necessidade de interiorização e difusão do BIM em outras regiões; (c) existe uma diversidade de temas já pesquisados relacionados com o BIM que encaminham questões sobre a modelagem e podem auxiliar na sua adoção tanto em instituições de ensino quanto no mercado de trabalho. Finalmente, este artigo contribui para adoção desta modelagem no país, na medida em que sistematiza informações já disponíveis, auxiliando tanto aqueles que buscam se capacitar quanto aqueles que promovem formações ou pretendem trabalhar com BIM.

Experimental Investigation on the Effects of Microwave Treatment on Basalt Heating, Mechanical Strength, and Fragmentation

Microwave energy can be used to assist mechanical rock breakage for civil and mining engineering operations. To assess the industrial applicability of this technology, microwave heating of basalt specimens in a multi-mode cavity (a microwave chamber) at different power levels was followed by conventional mechanical strength and fragmentation effect tests in the laboratory. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to determine the mineral composition and distribution of the basalt, to aid interpretation of crack propagation patterns and the associated strength reduction mechanism. These analyses demonstrated that cracks mainly occurred around olivine grains, primarily as intergranular cracks between olivine and plagioclase grains and intragranular cracks within olivine grains. Strength reduction during microwave fracturing of basalt is driven by heat from enstatite (a microwave-sensitive mineral) and volumetric expansion of olivine (a thermally expansive mineral). Uniaxial compressive, Brazilian tensile, and point load strengths all decreased with increasing microwave irradiation time at rates that were positively related to the power level. For a given power level, mechanical strength reduction can be estimated from linear relationships with irradiation time. On the other hand, a power function best described burst time (the irradiation time at which the specimen burst into fragments) vs. power level (for a given specimen size) and burst time vs. specimen size (for a given power level) relationships. Microwave-induced hard rock fracturing can be an integral part of new methods for rock breakage and tunnel excavation.

Rheological Behaviour in a Clayey Soils

Soils are the basis for production of the overwhelming majority of food, natural filers and wood. Most civil engineering operations are founded in the soil. Soil consists of three phases, that is, solids, water and air. It is important to understand the nature of the soil and the rheological properties. Site investigations for structures are focused on the mechanical properties of the subsoil at foundation levels and the corrosiveness of the groundwater. The type of foundation needed for a major structure is directly related to the strength of the underlying soils. Detailed site exploration may be required even at the preliminary design stage. The analytical data offer some values on particle size distribution, compaction, compression, consistence, lower and upper plastic limit, shrinkage limit, resistance to penetration, shearing strength, deformation resistance, and conventional pressure. The paper also presents some analytical data obtained in an experimental field, situated on a similar type of soil, relative to the draft requirement for plowing and the influence of the degree compaction on the level of agricultural production. The type of external force applied, time dependency and number of ploughings, scarifying’s or settlings and rolling’s can change properties down to deeper depths. The survey of soil indexes established for the foundation indicated a normal consolidation, the building plot, a plastic-viscous consistence and a great plasticity. The consequences of soil deformation and agricultural production are minimum in the variant with a double scarifying at 80 cm depth. The main rheological characteristics in the clayey soil from the area of locality Sânnicolau are: clay content varies between 39.8 to 45.9%, lower plastic limit 22.2-23.5%, upper plastic limit 48.9-55.0%, plastic limit 25.4-34.6%, void ratio (e) 0.85-1.00%, resistance to penetration 10-18kg/cm−2, consistency index 0.98-1.14, activity index 0.64-0.75%, shrinkage limit 22.7-15.4, deformation module 12.9-17.2 dan/cm−2, shrinkage-swelling index 0.78-1.01%.

Banish Waste from Civil Engineering Operations Applying Lean Thinking

The paper uses Lean Thinking frame work together with survey data derived on waste Data indicates that civil engineering operations in general and construction in particular are the most waste intensive operations comparing other sectors Lean principles were first applied to manufacturing sectors where direct waste generation by weight is the least Therefore objective of this paper is to answer the diversified problems related to different type of waste and impact on economy of the specific sector Original concept of such waste measured in tons may not cover the essence of waste in totality because it only describes visible waste During past studies researchers argued that anything more than minimum materials equipment manpower time required for the product or service would amount to waste Inclusion of vast scope of civil engineering operations in this exploratory review to banish waste may apparently appear odd However we researchers aim to examine the truth in the claim on lean thinking as the single most powerful tool available for creating value while eliminating waste in any organization in any industry and in any country

On the electromagnetic response of a resistive cylinder buried in a conductive host

The frequency-domain electromagnetic response of a confined conductor buried in a resistive host has received much attention, particularly in the context of mineral exploration. In contrast, the problem of the electromagnetic response of a confined resistor buried in a conductive host has been less thoroughly studied. However, resistive targets are important in geotechnical and hydrologic studies, archaeological prospecting, and, more recently, offshore hydrocarbon exploration. I analytically address the problem of the electromagnetic response of a completely resistive cylindrical cavity buried in a conductive host in the presence of a simplified 2D electric dipole source. In contrast to the confined conductor, which channels and induces current systems, the confined resistor deflects current and produces additional eddy current systems in the conductive host. I apply this theory to model the response of a grounded electric dipole-dipole system operating over a range of frequencies from 0 Hz to 10 kHz, in the presence of a horizontal 5-m radius insulating cylinder located 1-m beneath the surface of a uniform earth. This represents a common hazard encountered during mining and civil engineering operations. Results show that such an insulating cavity increases the recorded electric field amplitude and phase delay at all transmitted frequencies. These observations suggest that a broadband electromagnetic prospecting system may provide additional information about the location and extent of a void, over and above a standard dipole-dipole resistivity survey. When the host skin depth is much larger than all other length scales, the response can be approximated by an equivalent single dipole unless the cylinder’s radius is much larger than its distance from the transmitter. This result provids a useful rule of thumb to determine the acceptable range over which a resistive target can be modeled by a distribution of dipoles.

Discussion of ‘Destructuring and disaggregationof Mercia Mudstone during full-face tunnelling’ byJ H Atkinson, P G Fookes, B F Miglio & G S Pettifer Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrology , Vol. 36, 293–303

Graham West writes: Messrs Atkinson, Fookes, Miglio and Pettifer are to be congratulated on their paper which addresses an important geotechnical problem, namely the breakdown of aggregations in the Mercia Mudstone and the effect this has on the physical properties of the material and the consequences for civil engineering operations. The work described parallels investigations of the Keuper Marl (as the Mercia Mudstone was then called) made during the 1960 s in which I was involved, and the purpose of this Discussion is to compare and contrast the findings of these two pieces of work. The earlier work was concerned with highway construction and the present work is concerned with tunnellingbut there are many points of common interest. The Discussion focuses on three main topics: (1) the breakdown of coarse aggregations, (2) the stability of fine aggregations, and (3) the clay mineralogy. During the 1960 s much of the new motorway construction in southern Britain took place over the outcrop of the Mercia Mudstone (Dumbleton & West 1966a). Generally, the material encountered was a weak mudstone, but it was found that after excavation, transport, spreading and compaction on site it broke down to the condition of a clay. Because of this the then Road Research Laboratory carried out an investigation of the mineralogy and physical properties of the material. The conditions of working of the Mercia Mudstone by a tunnel boring machine in a tunnel site are probably more aggressive than by earthmoving plant on a motorway site. Atkinson et al. found that coarse aggregations of the Mercia Mudstone broke down readily under the mechanical action of the cutting head of the full-face tunnel boring machine, this effect being exacerbated where inflow of groundwater took place causing the mudstone to be reduced to a plastic clay, a sticky clay or a slurry …

Estimation of Dozer Production and Costs

Effective planning of dozer operations plays a very important role in determining their productivity. Since these units have a wide application in surface mining and civil engineering operations, there is a need for the tool for obtaining precise estimates of dozer production and costs. A research project was undertaken at The Pennsylvania State University to develop a software package to assist a wide range of professionals in quick and consistent evaluation of either new equipment purchasing options or the production and costs related to operating the owned equipment. This paper presents an overview of the structure and code capabilities of the software for dozer production and costs estimation.

Automated construction in Japan

Over the last 20 years the concept of automating construction and civil engineering operations has become a reality within Japan, resulting in improvements in site safety, efficiency and productivity. Examples renewed in this paper include concrete finishing, material handling, earthworks and integrated construction automation systems. However, the paper concludes that construction environments need to be much more structured and controlled before construction robots can really start to take over.

Automated construction in Japan

Over the last 20 years the concept of automating construction and civil engineering operations has become a reality within Japan, resulting in improvements in site safety, efficiency and productivity. Examples renewed in this paper include concrete finishing, material handling, earthworks and integrated construction automation systems. However, the paper concludes that construction environments need to be much more structured and controlled before construction robots can really start to take over.

The activity concept applied to shales: consequences for oil, tunnelling and civil engineering operations

The concept of activity is commonly applied to shales to explain their behaviour when contacted with various fluids (oil and water based). The paper will review this concept and the physical mechanisms affecting the measurements of activity. From this, it will be concluded that the low activity values reported in the literature are due to capillary effects that happen in partially desaturated shales. A review of evidences from oil, tunnelling and civil engineering will be reported and reinterpret as being the consequences of capillary forces. More specifically it will show that: I. the so-called strengthening of the shale drilled with oil based muds cannot occur under downhole conditions; II. the different swelling pressures measured around tunnels and in the laboratory are completely explainable considering core dehydration; III. the consequences of partial saturation are most representative in the world of civil engineering when it comes to the problem of heave of the earch surface after serious periods of drought.

The activity concept applied to shales: Consequences for oil, tunnelling and civil engineering operations

A series of hydraulic-fracture experiments using a downhole tiltmeter array, called an inclinometer array, was conducted at the Department of Energy (DOE)/Gas Research Institute (GRI) Multi-Site facility in Colorado. The inclinometer array was used to measure the deformation of the reservoir rock in response to hydraulic fracture opening and confirm microseismically measured results. In addition, the inclinometer array was found to be a useful tool for accurately measuring closure stress, measuring residual widths of both propped and unpropped fractures, estimating proppant distribution, and evaluating values of in situ moduli.