Excavation Material Research Articles

Modelling of fine soils railway embankments behaviour under real cyclic loads

Before the development of regulations, standards and guides for infrastructure building, embankments were generally constructed, by reusing and compacting the excavation materials. Therefore, a large part of existing railway embankments, over the world, is composed of fine compacted soils such as clay or marl. However, the current international trend of the railway undertakings and transport contractors is within the intensification of traffic, and the increase of train’s load and speed. Therefore, infrastructure managers are always called upon to evaluate the bearing capacity of existing infrastructures and define the necessary reinforcement solutions. In this perspective, a better awareness and knowledge of the behaviour of fine soils railway embankments is required to define optimal and efficient reinforcement solutions. In that matter, the article will feature the results of finite elements modelling of instrumented railway embankments that were constructed in Morocco in 1920, with marl compacted soil. The model is based on real applied loads and hydraulic conditions monitored for the last three years, which allow to simulate the hydro-mechanical behaviour of the embankment for this period. The article will be also comparing real monitored deformations recorded by the inclinometers equipping the embankments, with the output of the model using different models and adjustments.

Впускное захоронение монгольского времени из комплекса Пазырык (по материалам раскопок С.С. Сорокина в 1967 г.)

The article presents the publication of inlet burial of horse dated by Mongolian time, which was excavated by S.S. Sorokin at the Pazyryk complex in 1967. Based on the archival materials, the museum collection from the State Hermitage and publications, a general description of the “ritual” mound №21 is presented. It is established that this object is located in the southern part of the famous burial ground, not far from “royal” burial mound №5 of the Scythian-Saka time. Under the central part of the embankment at a shallow depth was the inlet burial of a horse oriented in a western direction. Iron teeth with ringed psalia were found in the teeth of the animal. Analysis of excavation materials of the inlet grave allowed us to justify the dating of the object and to present the possibilities of its interpretation. The existing extensive analogies, along with the consideration of general trends in the development of horse equipment, give grounds to conclude that the complex under consideration belongs to the Mongolian time and can be dated within the 13th – 14th centuries AD. The information obtained about the burial rite widens the existing understanding of the traditions of the Altai population during the developed Middle Ages. In particular, the received materials confirm the existence in Altai in the Mongolian time of the tradition of creating “separate” burials of horses, during the construction of which special ritual actions could have been carried out.

Fastening application in concrete using recycled tunnel excavation material

The demand for construction materials at tunnel construction sites is naturally very high. Thus, tunnel excavation material is increasingly used as a substitute for conventional mineral aggregates. Excavation material is not a standard product in terms of geometric, physical, and chemical properties of the rock as its quality is changes during tunnel driving depending on the geology and excavation method. By using this material as aggregate for concrete, the concrete obtains its characteristic properties. Certain concrete properties do not only influence the construction material itself but also fasten the elements that are assembled to the structural concrete. In this case, experimental validation of the usability of this special concrete for postinstalled anchorages and the effectiveness of different fastening systems are required. Therefore, investigations using various postinstalled anchor systems in different inner shell concrete types made of recycled aggregate (in this context, Bündner schist from the Brenner Base Tunnel) were performed in this study to obtain an assessment of the applicability of these systems in concrete with aggregate made of tunnel excavation material.

Vegetation establishment on ‘Green Walls’: Integrating shotcrete walls from road construction into the landscape

The establishment of a sustainable vegetation layer on shotcrete walls subjected to road environment represents enormous challenges. High inclination of almost 90°, the exposed position of the walls near streets as well as lack of soil and water supply pose major limiting conditions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of an innovative greening technology for vertical structures in terms of vegetation development on varying plant substrates and geotextiles.The field experiment included testing three plant substrates on basis of nearby rocky excavation material (‘Innsbrucker Quarzphyllit’, ‘Bündnerschiefer’ and ‘Zentralgneis’) combined with compost. Additionally, five geotextiles (geogrid (3x4 mm), geogrid (9x10 mm), coir net, coir mat, geo mat) were applied for assessment. All test combinations were evaluated regarding vegetation cover, species composition, and biomass production from 2015 to 2016. Analyses of chemical properties were conducted for all plant substrates.Results showed highest vegetation cover ratio on ‘Bündnerschiefer’ and ‘Innsbrucker Quarzphyllit’, which can be explained by the favorable mineral composition (nutrient storage capacity) and chemical properties of compost (lower values of electrical conductivity and C/N ratio).In conclusion, the use of ‘Green Walls’ filled with ‘Bündnerschiefer’ or ‘Innsbrucker Quarzphyllit’ plant substrate in combination with netlike geotextiles like geogrid or coir net proved best. They are promising in terms of establishing an optimal vegetation cover on vertical structures and are well suited for integrating shotcrete walls into the landscape. The use of local excavation material for greening purposes thus can be confirmed. Though, the use of high-quality compost is crucial.

Ancient Rus Building at Vypovziv Hill-fort

 Published are the materials of recent excavations at Vypovziv hill-fort where five dwellings and a series of economic objects were studied. Dwellings can be divided into building horizons because they are situated quite compactly, overlap each other, and were rebuilt in the same foundation pits, which means they were built in different times. The 10th century early building up includes two houses (structures 9 and 10) which were cut through by two more houses (structures 7 and 8). There are conflagration traces in the early dwellings synchronous to the traces of destruction at the hill-fort’s defensive structures. It is important to note that the structure 7 had two periods of existence: the first as a 10th century house and the second as a husbandry building for swamp ore stock storage. The same situation is in the structure 11. The second stage of building up (structures 7, 8, and 11) is also finishes with a local conflagration which is evidenced by six houses studied at posad. The second stage includes husbandry buildings 7 and 11 with accumulations of swamp ore concretions. Swamp ore was stored in them for further iron smelting in metallurgical furnaces which remains were discovered in 2011 in the hill-fort’s western part. These structures and layers of metallurgic slag overlap the layers of the second conflagration at the hill-fort. This fact evidences that an industrial space existed here in the second half of the 10th century after a local conflagration. Recent research elucidates the system and chronology of the hill-fort’s building up which can be compared with the building up situation at the hill-fort’s posad. The new information will allow to better understand the ethnic, social, and historic situation in the Desna River region.

Round dwellings of the saka epoch

Based on the excavation materials from the settlement Tuyetas studied by the author on the territory of Karaganda Region, the characteristics of such a type of Saka dwellings as round houses are considered. According to archaeological research, on the territory of Kazakhstan rounded frame dwellings, along with rectangular, were commonly widespread in the Bronze Age. The frame house with round plan is known from the materials of Saka time Zhetysu (settlement Butakty-1). On the settlement Tuyetas on the excavated area of 408 square meters the remains of foundations of round houses and two annexes were revealed. The author suggests that it was the house of the yurt-shaped form with a powerful stone base with a minimum width of 1 m and a wooden top. The construction with the overall diameter of about 13 m had several rooms, extensive grounds which were also made of stone. One round room with a diameter of about 33,5 m was in the centre. Wooden poles on the frame walls of the room at the same time supported the upper structure of the house. Houses of round plan were opened at the Saka settlement Sarybuyrat, located near the settlement of Tuyetas. This type of construction is recorded in a number of other not yet studied settlements in Central Kazakhstan. The study of Saka settlements in Central Kazakhstan is at the initial stage. The source base should be broadened for a comprehensive analysis of many aspects, including features and types of dwellings.

Cocina cave revisited: Bayesian radiocarbon chronology for the last hunter-gatherers and first farmers in Eastern Iberia

Recent excavations and radiocarbon work conducted at Cocina Cave (Valencia region, Eastern Iberia) provide new insights into the transition from foraging to farming in the eastern Iberian Peninsula between 8000 and 7300 cal yrs. BP. Cocina cave was discovered in 1940 and excavated by L. Pericot from 1941 to 1945. J. Fortea continued excavations in the 70s. Despite early international recognition and great promise of significance, the materials recovered from these excavations have only been partially analyzed and published. A new project started in 2012 is focused on these cave deposits with the main goal of understanding the occupation sequence during the neolithization process in the Western Mediterranean. The project includes a complete analysis of cultural material and biological remains of the previous excavations and integrates a 3D reconstruction of the stratigraphy and spatial analysis of the recorded artifact distributions. The results presented in this paper highlight the chronological position of materials deposited by the last hunter-gatherers and first farmers in Cocina cave based on data from the 1941 and 1945 trenches.

Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project, UK: circular economy in the built environment

The Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project in Essex, UK, is transforming 670 ha of farmland back to coastal marshland. A total of 98% of excavated material from the Crossrail project in London has been recycled and reused, with almost half being shipped to Wallasea Island – more than 3 Mt. Up to six ships arrived daily at Wallasea, unloading 8000 t of excavated material. A total of 2400 shiploads of material were delivered, removing the requirement for 150 000 haulage lorry movements from London's roads. The recycled excavation material has been used to raise land levels at Wallasea by ∼1·5 m to create Europe's largest wetland nature reserve. The project includes an innovative flood defence system incorporating new seawalls to protect vulnerable coastal areas from flooding. Partnering with nature conservation charity RSPB was a key part of Crossrail's sustainability policy. The project provides an excellent example of the circular economy in the built environment, where construction materials have been reused in a high-value conservation project providing benefits for both people and wildlife.

Microclimatic conditions of ‘Green Walls’, a new restoration technique for steep slopes based on a steel grid construction

The greening of shotcrete walls represents a major challenge due to the extreme environmental conditions for plants and its technical implementation aiming to establish a sustainable vegetation layer. The objective of the study was to assess the performance of an innovative ‘Green Wall’ system (double-layered, integrated irrigation, filled with excavation material, application on vertical inclination) with respect to its microclimatic characteristics.The measurement campaign was conducted from June 2015 to September 2016 in Plon (Steinach am Brenner, Tyrol, Austria). Microclimatic parameters (air temperature, air humidity, short-wave radiation, substrate temperature and wall surface temperature) were investigated by sensors installed in different layers of the greenery system, as well as in a control area (bare concrete wall).Results indicated a pronounced insulation effect of the ‘Green Wall’ system during summer and wintertime. Analyses in July 2015 (30% vegetation cover) and July 2016 (100% vegetation cover) indicated that reductions of temperature fluctuations were predominately attributable to the substrate layers of the greenery system and less to the vegetation cover. Furthermore, reductions of albedo (reflectivity) and heat stress were achieved.In conclusion, the ‘Green Wall’ system is a promising technique with positive effects regarding temperature and radiation as well as human thermal sensation and therefore recommendable for use also in urban areas. In rural areas it helps to optimize landscape aesthetics, as even vertical slopes can be greened.

ЕТНОС ЯК КУЛЬТУРНО-ГЕОГРАФІЧНЕ ЯВИЩЕ

Biosphere and ethnic unity is the main factor of life existence on the Earth. Life process of any nation should harmonize with general evolutionary biosphere development. Otherwise it will be thrown away over the board by centrifugal force. Ethnic interaction with natural environment is noticed mainly on the village level and encloses not only industrial but spiritual sphere. The mentality of the Ukrainian ethnos has been forming on the base of countryside affection. Loss of this affection is an equivalent to the loss of identity of native population that has lived on the territory of modern Ukraine from the immemorial times. The diversity and resilience of natural ecosystems (picturesque nature) determine their performance and viability of the social system entities providing efficiency of labor and intellectual potential of people. Ultimately, all this provokes an energy charge, passionarity (by L.N. Gumilev), strength of national character. On the cultural position, we note that since Tripoli culture (Aratta), Russ (Kyiv) state, Hetmanshyny, Ukrainian land receives and stores still positive information (materials of archaeological excavations chronicle evidence, etc.) of people who vitally concerned about the social organization of the state, care for its unity, greatness and power among the people and countries of the Ecumene during that times. Since then our land has been infected with passion to create a state, the idea of fighting for independence and Ukrainian unity. The strength of feeling of homeland, highly emotional relationship to your native land, your native home, all that is known and is area of interest of the local geography. It has an important place in system of human values. If the fate of the Earth is the lot of human than environment starts flourishing, otherwise there will be loss of control over the natural environment and the disappearance of nation (ethnicity), as evidenced by numerous examples from the long history of entire nations and even civilizations. The strength of the Earth in its spiritual energy. Black arable of an autumn field, as a prototype of our bitter past, gives nutritious juice to spring’s green shoots. Spirit of the land is in black bread, which we consume, in breast milk, in the character of a young child, in the wisdom and will of the new generation of Ukraine!

Fishery in the eneolithic forest-steppe of the Volga Region (on excavation materials of Lebyazhinka VI settlement in 2013-2014 years)

The following paper contains information about fishers weapons and fish bones founded in Lebyazhinka VI eneolitic settlement in the forrest-steppe region of the Volga river. We analyse materials of the second half of the IV millennium BC. The filling of pits represents dwellings with the inner edge, stone and bone tools, animal bones of turtles, birds and fish. The importance of this studiing is in the possibility of a complex view. The purpose of this article is to analyze the fish catching, hunting and fish bones. Hunting tools are represented by bone harpoons with one, two or many teeth, arranged on one side. There are two types of fishbone hooks: whole and composite. We determined the typological features of catching tools, and moreover we determined quantitative, species, age and size characteristics of fish. The main fishes were pike and catfish, then luce, pike, perch, roach, sturgeon, sterlet. The fish sizes are medium and large, the age is about 8-10 years. We have an opinion of the way of fishing including hooks, harpoons, nets and stakes. The research will be completed with new materials.

Underground Potential for Urban Sustainability: Mapping Resources and Their Interactions with the Deep City Method

In the process of urban growth, the underground is often only addressed once all surface alternatives have been exhausted. Experience shows that this can lead to unforeseen conflicts (e.g., subsidence, groundwater pollution) and to lost opportunities (e.g., combined geothermal systems and building foundations or recycling of excavation materials). One challenge is how the underground potentials are assessed by urban actors; data collection, analysis and visualization for the different resources are often conducted in separate disciplinary corners and administrative divisions. This paper presents a mapping method developed within the Deep City project at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) and its application to San Antonio, Texas. San Antonio is interesting in its lack of major underground infrastructure and its few means and political support for short-term underground development. We will specifically look at the production of a series of interaction maps, an original mapping strategy that is complementary to the resource potential maps we have produced in prior work. After situating this research within larger theoretical and philosophical questions, we will show how mapping the combined potentiality of underground resources can serve as a compass for future interdisciplinary discussions that address the urban underground as a source of opportunity, rather than as an afterthought.

Новые объекты гончарно-ремесленного производства на памятнике Суворовская I (по материалам раскопок 2012 г.)

Новые объекты гончарно-ремесленного производства на памятнике Суворовская I (по материалам раскопок 2012 г.)

Woodwork from Ancient Rus Chernihiv (Materials of Excavations on the Territory of Chernihiv Dytynets in 2006)

The article deals with the analysis of woodwork found in one of the structures on the territory of Chernihiv dytynets in 2006. The stratigraphic data allow the authors to interpret the structure as a recessed part (basement) of a large building. It can be dated within the 13th century. Wooden objects found in the filling of the building included a chiseled dish, fragments of other chiseled and carved vessels, two hollowed containers, the bottom of the cooperage vessel, fragmented products made of bark, a spoon, and the remains of a loom. Some details of construction of the building were also found. Besides the usual visual examination, wooden artifacts were studied to determine the feedstock for every kind of product. Diagnosis of timber was conducted based on the specifics of its microstructure. The investigated set of wooden utensils from Chernihiv is traditional for Ancient Rus material culture. Among the findings are the products of home crafts (remains of loom and hollowed containers) and professional artisans (chiseled, carved and cooperage products) are both presented. They were made of local wood species, such as: pine (Pinus sylvestris), oak (Quercus sp.), maple (Acer sp.), lime (Tilia sp.), poplar/aspen (Populus sp.), and willow (Salicaceae). When using different species of wood, their properties and their conformity to products with different functions were taken into account

New data on age of the Pleistocene fauna from the Trlica locality (Montenegro, Central Balkans) and its correlation with other faunas of Europe

New data specifying the age of the fauna from the Trlica locality near Pljevlja (Montenegro, Central Balkans) derived from material of excavations in 2010–2014 are discussed with the biostratigraphic analysis of two defined faunal levels TRL11–10 and TRL6–5 and its correlation with other faunas of Europe. It is shown that the fauna from the lower faunal level (TRL11–10) is correlative with the second half of the Early Pleistocene (Late Villafranchian, Zone MNQ 18, while the fauna from the upper faunal level existed in the post-Villafranchian time and its age is estimated to be the early Middle Pleistocene (MIS 19), not older.

How thermal conductivity of excavation materials affects the behavior of underground power cables

The necessity of dissipating properly the heat generated by underground power cables, due to the Joule effect, during the exertion phases is very important because the thermal stress in the insulating materials enveloping the cables must be avoided. This is why it is so important to investigate how the thermal resistivity of the soil surrounding the conductor affects the heat dissipation. Design engineers can make an estimation of this value through the IEC 287, a standard providing a simplified formula for this type of calculation (though it underestimates the problem since it does not take into consideration how complex the underground cable laying is). Thanks to the reproduction scale in the laboratory of an experimental apparatus, a 2D FEM model was validated for the investigation of those heat exchange problems affecting underground cables. This paper is the sequel of a previous article (about the influence of the geometrical parameter of the excavated area), written by the very same authors of this article, and it examines the influence of the thermal conductivity characterizing the different materials surrounding the cable and how it provides a dimensionless coefficient to correct the IEC formula.

Roman settlement pattern and LCP modelling in ancient North-Eastern Pannonia (Hungary)

Roman times are known as an epoch when man subdued nature all over the \textit{orbis terrarum}, however all humans were and are still bound by certain environmental conditions, therefore in settling a special dichotomy can be observed. In my present study I am analysing the Roman settlement patterns of the North-Eastern part of Pannonia by evaluating field-walking material and results of excavations. The classification of the sites is mainly based on building material and pottery collected on the field. After examining the structure of settlements with the assistance of GIS technologies, I assess how the least cost paths calculated from the relief of terrain influenced settling.

Накладки сложносоставных луков из могильника Сростки-I (материалы раскопок 2012–2014 и 2016 гг.)

Накладки сложносоставных луков из могильника Сростки-I (материалы раскопок 2012–2014 и 2016 гг.)

Characteristics of selected concrete with tunnel excavation material

Infrastructure tunnels are an important element in transportation. In the process of tunnel driving, a large amount of excavating material accumulates. Strategies to reuse this material have been growing in popularity during recent years as a result of economic and environmental considerations. It is therefore necessary to reassess the material management concept and identify possibilities to recycle the excavated rock material at the same time. The aim of the current paper is to investigate the mechanically relevant parameters of concrete using various tunnel excavation materials as aggregates and different cement types (e.g. composite cements) by experimental testing. Thereby, basic material parameters of freshly mixed as well as hardened concrete and fracture relevant quantities of hardened concrete are determined. Moreover, the properties of plain concrete and fibre reinforced concrete with aggregates of tunnel excavation material are compared with each other.

Critérios de engenharia para classificação de materiais de escavação em valas

No Brasil, em obras de abastecimento de água e esgoto, a classificação dos materiais das escavações realizadas se dá em função da dificuldade que estes oferecem ao desmonte, como materiais de 1ª, 2ª e 3ª categorias, não havendo critérios de engenharia bem definidos para tal classificação. Este trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar uma proposta para classificação de materiais de escavação com base em critérios de engenharia definidos a partir de resultados de sondagens de simples reconhecimento (sondagens a trado, SPT e rotativa). Para aplicação de tal proposta, foi considerado um estudo de caso, que consistiu na classificação de materiais no Município de Coreaú, Estado do Ceará, na qual havia um conflito referente à quantificação dos materiais obtidos na escavação. Os resultados mostraram que os critérios propostos permitiram a classificação satisfatória dos materiais em função de ensaios geotécnicos correntes.