Engineering Surveys Research Articles

Authentic information on the natural-technogenic geological environment as a factor of reducing environmental risks

Formulation of the problem. An important component of environmental safety is the state of protection of the natural and man-made geological environment (ESGE) from the influence of dangerous natural and technogenic geological processes.At present, there are 327 cities in Ukraine that need protection from certain dangerous geological processes (groundwater underflooding, landslide displacement, subsidence of base soils, etc.). [1-4] One consequence of this is the deformations and accidents of housing and utility buildings and industrial structures. Obviously, engineering and technical security of housing, along with other parameters of life safety is the basic human need.The safety of construction, reconstruction, operation of structures, territories protection from hazardous natural and man-caused processes, assessment of the impact of construction and reconstruction facilities on the environment, risk assessment should be based on complete and reliable data on the state and dynamics of ESGE, which is the subject of engineering research [ 14]. At the same time, there is a group of factors systematically adversely affecting the receipt of reliable information in this area.This article is devoted to a detailed consideration of this problem.History of the research of the problem. Problems of engineering geology and hydrogeology of urban areas, changes in the geological environment under the influence of human activity are revealed in the works of F. Kotlova, V. Krutova, V. Osipova, E. Yakovlev and others. A significant specificity of the research of the natural and man-made environment (engineering and technical surveys) is indicated by P. Konovalov, V. Ulitsky, M. Solodukhin, G. Strizhelchik, etc. Problems of engineering research and protection of historical buildings in the construction of new and reconstruction of the existing buildings remain relevant even now, especially for such large cities as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, etc.The purpose of the article is to substantiate the need for a reliable assessment of the state and dynamics of changes in the natural and technical geological environment. Classification of existing factors systematically adversely affecting the receipt of reliable information and determining ways to solve the problem is aimed at reducing geotechnical and environmental risks.All large cities in Ukraine need protection from the manifestation of certain dangerous geological processes (underflooding by underground waters, landslide displacement, subsidence of base soils, etc.). The safety of construction and operation of facilities, assessment of the level of environmental hazard should be based on reliable information on the state and dynamics of the natural and man-made geological environment. To determine the severity of the environmental situation, the degree of deviation of an object or environment from a certain norm is usually used. It is important to know how far the object approached the level of destruction of its structure. The criterion for assessment can be the resource of the stability of the geological environment, determined by the permissible impact impulses (water inflow, application of static and dynamic loads, temperature effects, etc.).Today in Ukraine there is a group of factors systematically adversely affecting the receipt of reliable information on the conditions of construction sites. This can lead to plant accidents or to significant unnecessary security costs, up to and including the abandonment of construction. These factors include:1. Construction in all free areas with complex engineering and geological conditions in the central parts of cities, with maximum use of underground space;2. Increasing the weight of reconstruction of existing buildings in the total volume of construction. It should be kept in mind that engineering surveys for reconstruction, having specific features, make them more complex than surveys for new construction sites;3. A complex of administrative, economic and social factors associated with the systems of attestation of specialists, quality control, work in a market economy, etc.To create objective conditions that reduce the degree of geotechnical and environmental risks, it is necessary to implement a set of measures at the state level.

The Application of Anisotropy of Soil Properties in the Probabilistic Analysis of Landslides Activity

In practice, in the performance of engineering and geological surveys anisotropy of soil strength is often considered not fully.One of the main problems in modeling the stability of rock landslide is an objective consideration of the influence of the parameters of cracks and other surface section on the calculation results. On the one hand, the study of fracture is always a certain measurement error, on the other, that the strength against cracking, in many cases, will determine the stability of the rock mass. It appears that the most promising approach is the simulation of fracture using the anisotropy of soil strength calculations of rock landslides.The article considers the influence of the anisotropy of the strength of the slope of the array of soil on the results of quantitative assessment of the overall stability of the slope. Strength criteria are considered grounds for taking account of anisotropy, the limitations of existing approaches to quantify the stability of slopes, describes the principles of probabilistic analysis in the analysis of the anisotropy of the strength properties of the soil. The possibility of obtaining estimates of probability of landslide deformation, which can then be used in geological risk analysis.

STATE HOUSING AND CAUSES DEFORMATION OF BUILDINGS IN THE CITY OF NOVOSIBIRSK

The analysis of the existing housing stock of various construction periods and the degree of wear of structural elements of buildings is given. It is noted that in Novosibirsk, a significant increase in housing stock began in 1921. There is a gradual decrease in the total area in the houses of the old building. The number of buildings, whose wear exceeds 65, is increasing. The number of emergency houses and houses requiring major overhaul or reconstruction is growing. The article discusses the feasibility of creating a cadastre of buildings by types of defects for planning the extension of the life cycle when they are eliminated. The main failures of the foundations and foundations, caused by the influence of the human factor, leading to deformation of buildings, are revealed. These include: - poor engineering and geological surveys; - errors in the design of foundations and foundations; - non-qualitative execution of works during erection of the zero cycle; - violation of operation technology. Detailed errors are revealed that lead to deformation of buildings.

Formation of the Cost Parameters of Engineering Survey for Construction of the Energy Efficient Buildings

This article considers the questions of cost parameter system formation to determine the cost of the prospecting works on the example of engineering-technical examination of intelligent buildings. Certain surveys enroll specific features for intelligent buildings. The scheme of the cost formation for the works and the necessary input data was considered. There were given recommendations on formation of prices for certain types of works in order to determine the cost of the work more precisely. The author gives the suggestions on the composition and calculation of additional coefficients that take into account the conditions of work and change their value.

ASSESSING THE INTENSITY OF LITHODYNAMIC PROCESSES IN THE SEAWAY NAVIGATION CANAL OF THE SABETTA PORT

This paper presents an estimation of the intensity of lithodynamic processes, and calculation results of sediment accumulation for the seaway navigation canal of the Sabetta port (the Yamal Peninsula), on the basis of data of complex engineering surveys carried out in the field seasons in 2011–2013. The sediment accumulation in the canal is assessed using data of the methods of seismic stratigraphy, sedimentation traps, and using data of the newly proposed method of artificial canals. The authors calculate the volume of sediments carried into the canal due to exaration. The intensity of lithodynamic processes is estimated as high or very high in the north of the canal, and as medium or high in its central and southern parts.

An Effective Approach for Rock Mass Discontinuity Extraction Based on Terrestrial LiDAR Scanning 3D Point Clouds

This paper presents an effective approach for rock mass discontinuity extraction based on the terrestrial LiDAR scanning 3-D point clouds. First, a Quadtree-Octree index method that retained the adjacency relationship of rock point clouds was proposed to organize point cloud data in a high-efficiency manner. Second, the normal vector (NV) calculation was directly conducted by the local triangulated irregular networks together with eight neighborhood areas. Third, a double-clustering strategy was developed based on the Quadtree-Octree index and NV calculation discussed in Step one and two. The first clustering was conducted in the point cloud matrix at each station, whereas the second clustering among multiple stations. Fourth, an extended random sample consensus algorithm was designed with two separate checks (distance and angle) to detect whether the compliance with certain constraints occurred between rock point clouds and fitting planes. The proposed method were evaluated by a real field data set in China and a public data set from Rockbench. The feasibility of the proposed method were verified by these two data sets, which indicated a promising perspective for the field engineering survey.

Pre-project geoecological studies for clearing of the Tikhomandritsa riverbed (Tver Region, Russia)

Pre-project geoecological studies were carried out in autumn 2015 along the entire length of the Tikhomandritsa river, in Navolok lake waters near the river source and Udomlya lake near its mouth, as well as on the territory adjacent to the river, as part of the Comprehensive Engineering Surveys. The aim of the studies was to obtain initial data to assess the current ambient conditions of the study area, as well as to develop the project of cleaning the upper stretch of the Tikhomandritsa riverbed and spillway structure construction. Water, bottom sediments and soil contamination levels were identified. It is found that the water quality in the studied water bodies belongs to the contaminated category. Bottom sediments at the upper stretch of the river up to a distance of 2.5 km from its source are pure and can be used in agriculture without restrictions. Bottom sediments samples taken at a distance of 5.5 km from the river source and its mouth contain dangerous level of coliform bacteria. Basing on the territory survey a tree and shurberry felling plan was drawn up and the volume of works of the river purification was determined. The project implementation will help to increase the river flow in dry water years, increase its self-cleaning velocity and environmental improvement of the area. In addition, the increase of water flow into Udomlya lake will provide Kalinin NPP with additional water resources for its process water supply. The conceptual scheme of this study is largely applicable for the basins of other small rivers.

Классификация результатов инженерно-гидрометеорологических изысканий в части русловых процессов

According to the author the profile of maximum possible erosion is considered as the results of engineering and hydrometeorological surveys in part of channel processes in modern normative documents. The article presents the classification of results to sediment processes: selecting target set of profiles of maximum erosion, maximum erosion profile in a given target, part of the profile, erosion in the plan, the demonstration of safety of erosion or lack of erosion.

An integrated geophysical approach for investigating hydro-geological characteristics of a debris landslide in the Wenchuan earthquake area

Debris landslides are one of the most widely distributed types of landslides in the Wenchuan earthquake area. The hydro-geological structure characteristics are the fundamental basis for stability evaluation, performing protection and administration of a landslide. The rock and soil mass of a debris landslide was highly non-uniform and preferential seepage paths were normally developed in it. Therefore, in situ identification of the underground water seepage system became particularly important. Recently, investigations on the seepage paths of underground water in debris landslides were restricted to indoor model testing and site observation, which were far from meeting the actual demand for landslide prevention and mitigation. To locate the seepage paths, we conducted survey work on a debris landslide seated in the Xishan Village, Li County, Sichuan Province, China, by combing four different geophysical methods. They were multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), ground penetrating radar (GPR) and microtremor survey method (MSM). The geophysical interpretation was verified with field engineering surveys and monitoring data. The results suggested that a dendritic pipe-network seepage system usually developed in debris landslides. Varisized infiltration pipes showed the characteristics of inhomogeneity and concentration of the seepage. This work highlighted that geophysical parameters (shear wave velocity Vs, dielectric constant ε and resistivity value ρ) could provide reliable qualitative and quantitative information about the colluvial layer, bedrock interface, potential sliding surface and underground water seepage system of a landslide. The optimum combination of geophysical methods was suitable to survey the hydro-geological characteristics of debris landslides in the Wenchuan earthquake area.

Flood Risk in Szeged before River Engineering Works: A Historical Reconstruction

Abstract Szeged situated at the confluence of the Tisza and the Maros Rivers has been exposed to significant flood risk for centuries due to its low elevation and its location on the low floodplain level. After the Ottoman (Turkish) occupation of Hungary (ended in 1686), secondary sources often reported that the town was affected by devastating floods which entered the area from north, and a great part of the town or its whole area was inundated. Natural and artificial infill reduced the flood risk to some extent after the town had been founded, but in the 19th century flood risk was mitigated by river engineering and the reconstruction of the town. The town relief was raised by a huge amount of sediment, which makes it difficult to determine the elevation of the original relief as well as the exact flood risk of the study area. However, some engineering surveys originating from the 19th century contain hundreds of levelling data in a dense control point network making possible to model the relief of the whole town preceding its reconstruction and ground infill. Based on these data, we prepared a relief model which was compared with the known data of the 1772 flood peak, from which we deduced that 60% of the town must have been inundated before it was filled up. As there could have been 50-100 cm thick natural or artificial ground infill since the 11th century, the original natural relief can be gained by deducting these data. Based on this deduction, the extent of inundation centuries ago could reach 85%, which means almost total flooding.

120 years of education for mine surveyors in South Africa: A framework for the mine survey profession

The first formalised training for Mining Engineers and Mine Surveyors offered in South Africa was introduced in 1895 at the Kimberley school of Mines. This means that the education of Mining engineers and Mine Surveyors in South Africa has continued uninterrupted for 120 years. History indicates that the University of Witwatersrand, University of Pretoria and the University of Johannesburg has a common origin in the Kimberly School of Mines. The Institute of Mine Surveyors of South Africa (IMSSA) celebrated its 90th Annual General Meeting during September 2012. Mine Surveying is a well-established but little known profession in South Africa. The profession has seen a number of changes brought about by war, political changes and changes in the mining industry during this period. This paper provides a short history of the development of the three institutions involved with undergraduate teaching in the field of mining engineering and Mine Surveying. The paper continues to outline the progression of education models in the field of mine surveying since the establishment of the original School of Mines to the current date. The paper concludes by discussing how the legacy of these education models can be transformed into a set of qualifications that will benefit all those who choose to pursue Mine Surveying as a profession.

Alteration of water-resistance properties of overburden under influence of sulfuric acid

Integrated development of Volkov copper–iron–vanadium deposit is impossible without heap leaching of copper from old oxidized and complex ore stock pile. The current condition of the stock pile imposes risks of pollution on the Laya River water and on the topmost aquifer groundwater. The natural protection barrier between the groundwater and the old oxidized and mixed ore stock pile is rather good. Permeability of the upper layer of the stock pile, determined by the standard procedure in accordance with the construction norms and regulations, is classified with ambiguousness. For final decision-making after geological engineering survey, permeability characteristics of the upper layer were analyzed using different−concentration sulfuric acid solutions to simulate heap leaching conditions.

The Current State of Foundations and Bed Soil of the Fortress Walls and Towers of the Moscow Kremlin

Results are presented of systematizing materials on foundations and bed soil of the part of the Moscow Kremlin from the Troitskaya tower to the Spasskaya tower, based on a study of historical and modern test pits, as well as boreholes drilled through the Kremlin walls, and historical and modern geological engineering and geophysical surveys. The current state is examined of Kremlin walls and towers, their foundations, and bed soil. Recommendations are presented for restoration work and operation of structures of the Kremlin citadel.

Laser Scanning in Engineering Surveying: Methods of Measurement and Modeling of Structures

Abstract The study is devoted to the uses of laser scanning in the field of engineering surveying. It is currently one of the main trends of research which is developed at the Department of Engineering Surveying and Civil Engineering at the Faculty of Mining Surveying and Environmental Engineering of AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow. They mainly relate to the issues associated with tower and shell structures, infrastructure of rail routes, or development of digital elevation models for a wide range of applications. These issues often require the use of a variety of scanning techniques (stationary, mobile), but the differences also regard the planning of measurement stations and methods of merging point clouds. Significant differences appear during the analysis of point clouds, especially when modeling objects. Analysis of the selected parameters is already possible basing on ad hoc measurements carried out on a point cloud. However, only the construction of three-dimensional models provides complete information about the shape of structures, allows to perform the analysis in any place and reduces the amount of the stored data. Some structures can be modeled in the form of simple axes, sections, or solids, for others it becomes necessary to create sophisticated models of surfaces, depicting local deformations. The examples selected for the study allow to assess the scope of measurement and office work for a variety of uses related to the issue set forth in the title of this study. Additionally, the latest, forward-looking technology was presented - laser scanning performed from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones). Currently, it is basically in the prototype phase, but it might be expected to make a significant progress in numerous applications in the field of engineering surveying.

Research and Development Work Carried out by the Chair of Engineering Geodesy and Measurement and Control Systems, Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography WUT – Thematic Scope and Achievements

Abstract Geodetic engineering surveys are an important part of the works carried out by the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography, Warsaw University of Technology. These works concern measurement techniques as well as advanced result analysis methods applied in precise industrial surveys and in processes controlling object’s behaviour over time. The thematic scope of research realised by Chair of Engineering Geodesy and Control-Measuring Systems shows that article related to geodetic engineering measurements and geodetic monitoring is carried out with high intensity, resulting in technological advancement and implementation of new or improved measurement solutions and methods of measurement result development.

Adaptation of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS) into Turkish

Problem Statement: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has recently become a remarkable research topic, especially in developed countries as a result of the skilled workforce required in the fields of the STEM. Considering that professional tendencies are revealed at early ages, determining students’ interest in STEM careers is important for Turkey’s workforce. The question, How can Turkish middle school students’ interest in STEM careers be determined? constitutes the problem statement of this study. Purpose of the Study: The aim of this study is to adapt the STEM Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS), which is a type of 5-point-Likert scale, into Turkish. The survey consists of 44 questions, and includes science, technology, mathematics, and engineering sub-dimensions. Method: Items were independently translated into Turkish by the authors after necessary permissions were received. Afterwards, the authors reached a consensus about the Turkish meanings of each items. The items were reviewed and edited by English and Turkish field experts to ensure validity. The survey was administered to 1,033 middle school students (grades 5-8). The data were analyzed by the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) in the AMOS program. The reliability of the scale, as well as its sub

Erodibility of permafrost exposures in the coasts of Eastern Chukotka

Coastal retreat caused by coastal erosion decreases the territory of Russia by 50 km2 annually. Erosion of the Arctic coasts composed by fine-grained permafrost turns coastlines into badlands dozens of meters wide and is harmful to the coastal infrastructure. Regional-level variations in the coastal retreat rate in the Arctic tend to follow the climate change dynamics and its consequences, mainly the shrinkage of the perennial sea ice area. This study considers the lower level local-scale variability linked to permafrost features, lithology, and morphology of the coasts in the remote region on the western shore of the Bering Sea within Lorino settlement (Chukotka, Russia). The coastal dynamics was tracked by means of geodesy and remote sensing in 2012–14, and the archival engineering survey data available since 1967. We have derived the erodibility of sediments from the conventional soil properties measured by engineers, and linked the coastal retreat rates to erodibility of the sediments, so that it could be extrapolated to other coastal areas of Eastern Chukotka with similar sediment structure.

An investigation into the Accuracy of Distance Measurements to an object with the Pulse (Non-Prism) Total Station

In order to achieve the results that meet the specifications of a given project, like engineering surveys (e. g., Surveying of Buildings) , the knowledge of the reliability and accuracy of the surveying equipment is inevitable. The reflectorless total stations are used nowadays for several applications in civil engineering work due to their highly accurate , easy and fast measurements in an automated measuring process. The present paper investigates the accuracy and limits for prismless instrument Total Station especially in relation to observations with large (horizontal and/or vertical) angle of incidence to the reflecting surface , its colours and types, and beam divergence of the measuring signal. This study has been carried out with various surveying field tests by prism and prismless modes, using the pulse (non-prism) TOPCON GPT-2006 Total Station to evaluate the limitations and accuracy of this instrument in surveying the buildings (distance measurements).
 The current study has confirmed that while observations at right angles to an object ( building) are generally well within manufacturer specifications (σ=±10 mm), observations to surfaces of a building from a position that is not at right angles to the surface of the building ( signal beam) can introduce errors.
 Also , this study suggests that the angle of incidence of the measuring signal to the building points ( external and internal corners and wall surface points) has a large influence on the accuracy of that measurement. It is recommended to use horizontal angle of incidence for measuring the detail survey points between (-36 to + 36) degrees from the normal. Also, in case of measurements to a vertical surface, the maximum measured vertical angles of incidence was about forty degrees when using prismatic observations and fifty degrees for reflector less measurements. Some surveying techniques and recommendations are suggested to overcome these problems. Moreover, a good understanding of the non-prism instrument is required to get the required accuracy of the project. When using other total station equipment, the results of the current study can be used as a general guide only. The results of the current practical field experiments, computations and analysis of these tests using various calculations and least squares theory and computer programs (Excel and AutoCAD 2010) are also presented in digital and/or graphical forms.

Identity, Critical Agency, and Engineering: An Affective Model for Predicting Engineering as a Career Choice

AbstractBackgroundPrior to college, many students have no experience with engineering, but some ultimately choose an engineering career. Women choose engineering at lower rates than men. This article uses critical engineering agency (CEA) to understand first‐year students' attitudes and self‐beliefs to predict the choice of an engineering career.Purpose/HypothesisWe investigated how first‐year students' math and physics identities and students' beliefs about the ability of science to improve the world predict choice of engineering as a career and whether these beliefs differ by gender.Design/MethodThe data were from the Sustainability and Gender in Engineering survey distributed during fall 2011 (N = 6,772). Structural equation modeling was used to understand first‐year students' affective beliefs for predicting engineering career choice.ResultsMath and physics identities are important for predicting engineering choice at the beginning of college. Recognition from others and interest in a subject are positive predictors of physics and math identities. Students' performance/competence beliefs alone are negative predictors of engineering career choice but are mediated by interest and recognition from others. Student identities and agency beliefs are significant predictors of engineering career choice, explaining 20% of the variance. We also found gender differences in students' math and physics identities and agency beliefs.ConclusionsThis article emphasizes the importance of students' recognition beliefs and the importance of agency beliefs for women in predicting engineering career choice.

Therapeutic Potential of Human-Derived Endothelial Colony-Forming Cells in Animal Models.

Tissue regeneration requires proper vascularization. In vivo studies identified that the endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs), a subtype of endothelial progenitor cells that can be isolated from umbilical cord or peripheral blood, represent a promising cell source for therapeutic neovascularization. ECFCs not only are able to initiate and facilitate neovascularization in diseased tissue but also can, by acting in a paracrine manner, contribute to the creation of favorable conditions for efficient and appropriate differentiation of tissue-resident stem or progenitor cells. This review outlines the progress in the field of in vivo regenerative and tissue engineering studies and surveys why, when, and how ECFCs can be used for tissue regeneration. Reviewed literature that regard human-derived ECFCs in xenogeneic animal models implicates that ECFCs should be considered as an endothelial cell source of preference for induction of neovascularization. Their neovascularization and regenerative potential is augmented in combination with other types of stem or progenitor cells. Biocompatible scaffolds prevascularized with ECFCs interconnect faster and better with the host vasculature. The physical incorporation of ECFCs in newly formed blood vessels grants prolonged release of trophic factors of interest, which also makes ECFCs an interesting cell source candidate for gene therapy and delivery of bioactive compounds in targeted area. ECFCs possess all biological features to be considered as a cell source of preference for tissue engineering and repair of blood supply. Investigation of regenerative potential of ECFCs in autologous settings in large animal models before clinical application is the next step to clearly outline the most efficient strategy for using ECFCs as treatment.