Ground Slope Research Articles

AI-driven universal lower-limb exoskeleton system for community ambulation.

Exoskeletons offer promising solutions for improving human mobility, but a key challenge is ensuring the controller adapts to changing walking conditions. We present an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven universal exoskeleton system that dynamically switches assistance types between walking modes, modulates assistance levels corresponding to the ground slope, and delivers assistance timely based on the current gait phase in real-time. During treadmill validation, AI-based assistance reduced metabolic cost by 6.5% compared to 3.5% for conventional assistance. We expanded testing the controller in real-world walking, where AI-based assistance showed effective modulation and higher user preference compared to conventional assistance. Leveraging the AI-based approach and a comprehensive dataset, the controller achieved superior performance in environment- and user-state estimations. This approach does not require a separate mode classifier and operates on a user-independent basis, enabling immediate deployment across diverse conditions. This study highlights the potential of AI-driven exoskeletons in facilitating human locomotion in real-world ambulation.

Analysis and Design of a Multistorey Building on Sloped and Flat Grounds (Stilt + Ground + 4)

This project focuses on the planning, static analysis, and structural design of a (Stilt + Ground + 4) residential building, located on both sloping and flat ground, using ETABS software. The primary goal is to study the impact of ground conditions on the structural behavior and design considerations of the building. The project incorporates planning principles to create a functional and efficient layout, ensuring compliance with Indian Standard codes for beams, columns, slabs, and other structural elements. Key aspects such as load distribution, stability, reinforcement detailing, and member sizing are thoroughly examined to ensure the building's safety and adherence to IS guidelines. A comparative analysis between sloping and flat ground conditions highlights the differences in design parameters, such as member forces, moments, and reinforcement requirements, with particular attention to the unique challenges posed by sloping ground. The findings of the study aim to offer insights into cost- effective and optimized design strategies that cater to different site conditions. By exploring these variations, the study contributes to the development of advanced modeling techniques for structural analysis and design. It also emphasizes the importance of adaptable strategies to ensure safe, resilient, and efficient residential buildings, regardless of topography. This research enhances the understanding of how varying ground conditions influence the design process and promotes the development of residential structures that are both safe and cost-efficient across diverse terrains. Keywords: Residential Building Design, Sloping Ground, Flat Ground, ETABS, Static Analysis, Structural Components, Indian Standards, Comparative Study, Planning Principles, Reinforcement Detailing.

A Localized GIS-Based Multi Decision Criteria Approach in Determining Suitable Sites for Community Toilet Facilities in BASECO Compound, Manila City

Abstract. Access to sanitation remains a major concern in the Philippines due to the increasing population and growing demand for basic needs. This study addresses poor sanitary conditions in slum areas, specifically in BaSECo Compound, Manila, where informal settlers rely on shared toilets. Utilizing GIS and MCDA, the study identifies areas suitable for community toilet facility (CTF) development. The Modified Huff Three-Step Floating Catchment Area (MH3SFCA) method quantified spatial accessibility to existing toilets. The SPAI map shows low accessibility in blocks 15 and New Site, with Gawad Kalinga, Habitat, and Old Site (N) having none. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) prioritized six criteria, with accessibility being the most significant (33.18%), followed by proximity to water supply (31.76%), communal septic tanks (14.53%), land use (8.2%), flood-prone areas (7.44%), and ground slope (4.89%). The final suitability map identified 14.12% of the 0.6 sq. km. area as highly suitable, including Block 15, Gawad Kalinga, Habitat, and Old Site (N). Ground truth verification visited five candidate sites, which were tested for improved SPAI maps. The inclusion of facilities in Block 15, GK 2, OSN, and H improved accessibility in northern BaSECo. Significant service area improvements for each CTF were observed using Voronoi polygons. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of integrating GIS and MCDA methods for CTF site selection.

A Spatial Decision-Support System for Wind Farm Site Selection in Djibouti

The escalating energy demand in Djibouti requires the investigation of renewable energy sources, with wind energy emerging as a promising solution. To ensure the long-term efficiency and sustainability of wind energy projects, it is imperative to determine suitable sites for wind farm construction. When selecting a suitable site for a wind farm, there are multiple criteria to consider, such as wind velocity, ground slope, and distance to urban areas. Nevertheless, the current body of the literature reveals that no previous research has been conducted to explore an approach which involves multiple criteria to determine suitable sites for wind farms in Djibouti, as opposed to solely considering wind energy potential. This study proposes a spatial decision-support system to address the research gap in the selection of wind farm sites. Seven criteria are simultaneously evaluated in this system, including wind velocity, changes in wind direction, ground slope, distance to urban areas, distance to road network, distance to energy transmission networks, and land use. The CRITIC (Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation) method is used to objectively calculate the weights of the criteria. According to the results of performing the CRITIC method, wind velocity and distance to energy transmission networks were determined to be the most important criteria, while ground slope and land use were determined to be the least important criteria in comparison to others. A final suitability map showing the possible locations of wind farms in Djibouti was generated by considering the said criteria and their respective weights. The final suitability map reveals that the most suitable sites for the development of wind farms in Djibouti are located in the northeastern area between Obock and Khor-Angor, the southeastern area encompassing Lakes Ghoubet and Bara, and the southwestern area stretching from Lake Abbe to the Hanlé region. Using the proposed spatial decision-support system, decision makers would be empowered to make strategic and well-informed decisions when selecting the most suitable site for a wind farm in Djibouti.

Optimal placement of shear wall in multistorey buildings on sloping ground

Abstract High-rise buildings most frequently use shear wall systems as one of their lateral load-resisting techniques. The great plane stiffness and strength of shear walls allow them to withstand significant horizontal loads and gravity stresses, making them particularly valuable in many structural engineering applications. The main objective of this research project is to identify the optimal position for shear walls in multistorey buildings with sloping terrain. A ten-story RCC building located in a zone IV seismically active location and slopes. An earthquake load is calculated using the comparable static technique with IS 1893 (PART–I):2016. The software utilized for these assessments was STAAD Pro V8i. An extensive investigation was carried out to examine several factors, including average displacement, period, story shear, story drift, reinforcement reduction, and G+10 story building on sloping terrain. Including shear walls has become indispensable in multistorey buildings to effectively withstand lateral forces. A comparison between the bare frame structure and the shear wall applied structure is shown.

Comparing Airborne and Along-Sidewall Ground-Based Measurements to Retrieve Thermal and PM10 Concentration Profiles in Two Alpine Valleys

Abstract The paper aims at investigating the effectiveness of estimating vertical profiles of air temperature and PM10 concentrations in Alpine valleys through ground stations positioned at different altitudes on one valley sidewall (i.e., pseudovertical profiles). Two case studies in the Italian Alps are investigated: Chiese Valley in Trentino Province and Camonica Valley in the Lombardy region. Vertical profiles of temperature and PM10 concentrations were derived from airborne measurements at the center of the two valleys by means of low-cost sensors installed on a drone during summer 2019 and a tethered balloon during winter 2020. At the same time, five stations, equipped with the same kind of low-cost sensors, simultaneously monitored the same variables on one mountain slope. Comparisons between pseudoprofiles and airborne soundings revealed that ground stations well approximated temperature and PM10 soundings during the night and early morning, while temperatures along the slopes were higher than in the center of the valley during daytime, due to solar radiative heating, with larger differences in summer than in winter. On the contrary, some episodes with PM10 concentrations slightly higher in the valley center than on the slope were recorded, due to transport events and upslope winds. Nonetheless, the pseudoprofiles based on slope ground measurements faithfully reproduced the vertical gradients of both air temperature and PM10 if compared to those assessed from the soundings performed at the center of the two valleys. Results show that pseudovertical profiles can be a reliable and inexpensive method for continuous monitoring of vertical air temperature and PM10 distribution in mountain valleys. Significance Statement The purpose of this study is to understand whether ground-based measurements of air temperature and particulate matter on mountain slopes can be used as suitable surrogates of vertical atmospheric soundings with tethered balloons or drones in mountain environment. This is important because balloon and drone soundings are expensive and regulative constrained. The knowledge of the vertical distribution of air temperature is crucial to predict the distribution of air pollutants in valleys, namely, the particulate matter emitted by wood burning. Our results showed that ground-based measurements on mountain slopes made with low-cost sensors can satisfactorily reproduce vertical gradients of air temperature and distribution of particulate matter in a reliable and inexpensive way.

Seismic performance of reinforced concrete building frames on sloping ground retrofitted with steel and reinforced concrete jacketing

Seismic performance of reinforced concrete building frames on sloping ground retrofitted with steel and reinforced concrete jacketing

Ankle tendon electrical stimulation to enhance sensation of walking on a slope in walking-in-place

This study aimed to develop an effective VR locomotion technique for walking through virtual environments with sloped ground. Thus, this paper presents a novel method for inducing the sensation of walking on a slope in walking-in-place (WIP) using ankle tendon electrical stimulation (TES), which induces the body tilt sensation. We conducted two experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. In Experiment 1, we evaluated the sensation of ascending and descending slopes induced by the proposed method in a setup where electricity flows when the feet are grounded by comparing it to the sensation on a real slope. Experiment 1 demonstrated a marginally significant effect of electrical stimulation on the sensation of ascending or descending slopes. We attributed this to the short duration of ankle TES and the influence of the user’s interpretation of the ankle TES. Based on the findings, Experiment 2 was conducted in a setup where ankle TES was constantly applied. The results indicated that participants who focused on the subjective body tilt sensation elicited by TES and those unaware of the TES effect experienced an ascending sensation with an anterior ankle TES and a descending sensation with a posterior ankle TES. Conversely, those who focused on the tactile or force sensation induced by ankle TES experienced the opposite effect. Based on this finding, we have constructed an implementation guide for a WIP system that incorporates ankle TES to present the desired sensation of ascending or descending slopes in virtual environments.

Experimental Study on Horizontal Resistance Parameter of Gravelly Soil Considering Slope Gradient Factor

Horizontal resistance can be significantly different for gravelly soil slope sites with different gradients. The impact of slope gradient on the horizontal resistance of soil based on a three-dimensional physical simulation test has been investigated, and the displacement of the pile top and soil pressure for four piles under various gradients (slope gradient 0–45°) was analyzed. The research reveals that ① The soil resistance exhibits a linear increase stage, non-linear steep increase stage, and gradually stabilizing stage with the increase in load. ② The ultimate soil resistance is significantly affected by depth and displacement, and hyperbolic variation characteristics related to the displacement stage. It has a slope weakening effect, and the steeper the slope gradient, the lower the ultimate soil resistance of the pile sides, which effect is negligible when the depth exceeds 0.6–0.7 times that of the pile buried depth. ③ Based on the characteristics of horizontal ultimate resistance-displacement-depth variation in soil, a gradient factor, which is only related to the slope gradient, was used to describe the impact of gradient on the soil resistance modulus (kini) and ultimate resistance (pu). kini is reduced close to the ground surface and gradually increases with depth until it becomes equal to the value of level ground. The ratio between pu in slope ground and level ground was determined for slope angles. The above horizontal resistance parameters were expressed as a function based on the test data to calculate the lateral ultimate bearing capacity of gravelly soil considering the slope gradient factor. The research results developed the theory of foundation design for building structures, promoting the reliability evaluation of pile soil systems towards a more scientific and rigorous direction.

An integrated GIS-MCDM framework for zoning, ranking and sensitivity analysis of municipal landfill sites

ABSTRACT This study introduces a comprehensive Geographic Information System – Multi Criteria Decision-Making (GIS-MCDM) framework to identify and evaluate potential municipal landfill sites in Nashik, India. The approach integrates topographic, geomorphological, environmental, and infrastructure criteria to create thematic raster layers representing suitability for landfill development. Criteria include ground slope, elevation, land use, proximity to water bodies, land value, and infrastructure proximity. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was employed to determine the relative weights of these criteria, facilitating the computation of the Landfill Suitability Index (LSI) and the creation of a suitability map. The analysis classified the 480 sq. km study area into five categories, with 6.79% of the area deemed “Very High” suitability. The TOPSIS method ranked 16 potential sites within high-suitability regions, identifying L10 near Adagaon as the most optimal site. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of site rankings under various weight adjustments, providing robust tool for evidence-based landfill site selection.

Mining industry development, enforcement intensity of security policy and intra-city development disparity

China, the world's largest developing country, is rich in mineral resources, albeit unevenly distributed geographically. Some cities with a surplus of mineral resources may form path dependence on these natural resource industries, leading to imbalanced urban development and widening development disparities within cities. However, in the event of safety incidents in the mining industry, local governments are compelled to regulate the excessive development of the mining sector and enhance the enforcement intensity of safety production policies. This study, based on the measurement of the Gini coefficient using nighttime light data for 281 prefecture-level cities in China, manually compiled the locations and death tolls of mining industry production safety incidents from 2001 to 2020, established an empirical analysis framework based on the instrumental variable two-stage least squares method. The research findings indicate: (1) Since the beginning of the 21st century, China's mining industry has experienced significant growth propelled by market-oriented reforms. However, it has also played a notable role in widening development disparities within cities. Robust results were obtained through instrumental variable estimation using the standard deviation of urban ground slope as a geographical indicator. (2) The occurrence of safety incidents in the mining industry will immediately escalate the enforcement intensity of regional safety policies, creating a significant inhibitory impact on alleviating the widening development disparities within cities caused by the expansion of the mining industry. In the case of larger safety incidents with a death toll of 3 or more, this impact will become even more pronounced. (3) Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the outlined mechanism is prominently present in the middle area, where the mining industry is relatively developed. In contrast, there is no significant correlation between the occurrence of safety accidents and the escalation of safety policy implementation intensity in the economically developed eastern region and the western region with lower levels of infrastructure development. However, in cities with a higher proportion of the mining industry, the aforementioned relationships remain stable. (4) Once a mining accident involving fatalities occurs in a prefecture-level city, local governments generally strengthen the enforcement of safety policies, comprehensively eliminate hidden dangers in production safety. This shift leads to a reversal in the impact of the mining industry on the development disparity within the city, changing from an expansion to a reduction effect. Moreover, this reduction effect persists for five years. In the case of a serious safety production incident resulting in 10 or more deaths, the impact of increased implementation of safety policies also extends for a prolonged period of five years. This article makes a clear marginal contribution to enrich the study on the effects of China's mining industry safety policies.

Detection of archaeological structure on the slope ground using geophysical methods: The case of the Castle of Canossa

Canossa Castle is located in the municipality of Canossa 18 km South of Reggio Emilia (North Italy). It was constructed in 940 by Adalberto Atto, son of Sigifredo of Lucca. Lombard chieftains needed this strategic hill to defend their lands against intrusions of other barbarian tribes. Subsequent improvements made the stronghold one of the best-defended castles in the country. Canossa Castle became particularly famous as a site of reconciliation between King Henry IV and Roman Pope Gregory VII during the Investiture Controversy in 1077.To redevelop the area and create an easy tourist route, the Superintendence of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the Metropolitan City of Bologna and the Provinces of Modena, Reggio Emilia and Ferrara planned excavations in the area close to the Castle. To get precise information on where to carry out excavations geophysical surveys were undertaken in the spring of 2021. The castle stands on a rock with a steep slope and dense vegetation and this makes it very difficult to carry out geophysical prospecting. This guided the choice of geophysical methodologies to be used. For this reason, electrical resistivity tomography was used along the steep slope, while in the narrow flatter area, the ground penetrating radar methodology was used. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the chosen geophysical methodologies.

Seismic Performance of Reinforced Concrete Frames on Sloped Ground Using Non-Linear Static Pushover Analysis

Nepal, renowned for its majestic Himalayan Ranges, is also highly vulnerable to seismic activity. Buildings on hill slopes often endure more significant damage during earthquakes than those on flat terrain. Traditional seismic analyses of buildings typically employ linear-static and dynamic methods, which might not fully represent the building's behavior under actual seismic conditions. This research addresses this gap by assessing the seismic performance of buildings on hill slopes using non-linear static analysis techniques. Specifically, the study evaluates the seismic response of 5-story buildings with stepback and stepback-setback configurations on slopes of 15°, 30°, and 45°. This evaluation is conducted through non-linear static analysis, also known as Pushover Analysis, using ETABSv20 software. Key performance metrics analyzed include the building's period, topstorey displacement, and base shear. The findings reveal that buildings with stepbacksetback configurations demonstrate superior seismic performance on the sloping ground compared to those with stepback configurations. This study underscores the importance of employing non-linear analysis methods to better understand and improve seismic resilience in hilly terrains.

Evaluating the impact of V-shaped columns on the dynamic behavior of RC buildings on sloped ground

Evaluating the impact of V-shaped columns on the dynamic behavior of RC buildings on sloped ground

Experimental study on the diffusion and burning characteristics of continuous liquid fuel spillage on sloped ground in open space

When liquid fuel spills on sloped ground and an ignition source is nearby, it could lead to a continuous spill fire. To investigate the diffusion and burning characteristics of continuous liquid fuel spillage on sloped ground in open space, a series of experiments were conducted, considering different discharge rates (60–140 ml/min) and ground slopes (2°, 4°, 6°, 8°). Characteristic parameters were measured, including fuel diffusion rate, flame temperature, and burning rate. A model for the diffusion velocity was established. Results indicate that under non-ignited conditions, the diffusion velocity of the liquid fuel gradually decreases with time, eventually converging toward an asymptotic velocity. Under ignited conditions, the burning process of the spill fire in open space could be categorized into three distinct stages. Moreover, compared to our former study on tunnel spill fires, the mass burning rate per unit area of the spill fires in open space is obviously lower than that of spill fires in confined space in the range of experimental conditions in this study. This is mainly because the flame of a spill fire in open space is not constrained by a ceiling, which prevents the formation of a ceiling flame extension phenomenon. In contrast, the tunnel spill fire could form a ceiling flame expansion. This will intensify the radiation heat flux from the flame to the liquid fuel, thereby increasing the mass burning rate per unit area. This work is expected to provide a reference for predicting the diffusion process of a spill fire in open space.

Mechanical and hydraulic characteristics of unvegetated or vegetated loess soils amended with xanthan gum

With the development of western and central China, the increasing construction of transportation infrastructures (e.g., roads, railways, etc.) has been producing a large number of man-made slopes in loess regions. Biopolymer as an eco-friendly stabilizing material, has a great potential to amend soils for the purpose of ground improvement and slope stabilization, with its application in vegetated soils particularly at the initial growing stage to support vegetation growth as well as offer reinforcement to unprotected soils being reported recently. In the current study, the contribution of xanthan gum (XG) to both mechanical and hydraulic behaviors of the unvegetated and vegetated loess soils subjected to climatic wetting–drying cycles under the impacts of degree of compaction and biopolymer content are explored, whilst the effectiveness of the two XG-based soil reinforcing methods (with and without vegetation) are compared. Results indicate that XG treatment improved the water-retention capacity of loess soils to an extent that even the degradation of water retention upon initial wetting–drying cycles could be mitigated particularly at higher degrees of compaction. The strengthened shear resistance of loess soils was observed, mainly attributed to the increased soil cohesion, whilst the friction angle remained almost constant. The unvegetated loess soils basically had an increased cohesion proportional to the XG content up to 1.00% of the dry soil mass, whilst the vegetated soils had the highest soil cohesion at a fixed XG content of 0.50% which corresponded to the mostly promoted vegetation growth. Although a dense soil structure inhibited the seed germination and growth of sprouts and roots, it contributed to the overall shear strength of the vegetated soils similar to its effect on the unvegetated soils. XG amendment outperformed planting vegetation at enhancing soil shear strength at a degree of compaction of 95% (comparable to those adopted for design of highway subgrade), whilst providing XG in combination with vegetation was able to result in a more sizable strength increment over the summation of gains in strength by utilizing XG and vegetation separately, suggesting the considerable potential of XG in assisting vegetated soils for ecological slope stabilization. The results obtained from the current research support the broader usage of biopolymers (either used alone or in combination with vegetation) as reliable geotechnical engineering materials in practical implementations.

How urban form impacts flooding

Urbanization and climate change are contributing to severe flooding globally, damaging infrastructure, disrupting economies, and undermining human well-being. Approaches to make cities more resilient to floods are emerging, notably with the design of flood-resilient structures, but relatively little is known about the role of urban form and its complexity in the concentration of flooding. We leverage statistical mechanics to reduce the complexity of urban flooding and develop a mean-flow theory that relates flood hazards to urban form characterized by the ground slope, urban porosity, and the Mermin order parameter which measures symmetry in building arrangements. The mean-flow theory presents a dimensionless flood depth that scales linearly with the urban porosity and the order parameter, with different scaling for disordered square- and hexagon-like forms. A universal scaling is obtained by introducing an effective mean chord length representative of the unobstructed downslope travel distance for flood water, yielding an analytical model for neighborhood-scale flood hazards globally. The proposed mean-flow theory is applied to probe city-to-city variations in flood hazards, and shows promising results linking recorded flood losses to urban form and observed rainfall extremes.

Golf shot performance analysis: the effects of ground slope on weight transfer and shot characteristics

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to examine the elite golf players’ centre of force (COF) displacements and golf shot performance during golf shots on three different ground inclinations. Twenty elite golf players were asked to hit golf shots on flat surface, 10° uphill and 10° ball above feet using their six irons. COF displacements (TekScan MatScan® force platform) and golf shot performance (TrackMan® golf radar system) were analysed. In this study, golf players’ weight transfer was similar in each shot (p > 0.05), except higher A-P sway during the ball above feet golf shots (p < 0.05). Reduced control of balance during shots from ball above feet resulted in shorter shot length than flat surface, even if the angles of attacks were similar (p < 0.05). In addition, increased COF distance during flat ground and ball above feet golf shots improved clubhead speed and shot length (p < 0.05). These results show that ball above feet slope condition, rather than uphill, alters postural control and golf swing characteristics. In order to improve the performance of these shots, it is recommended to add balance training and weight transfer techniques in A-P direction to the training programmes.

Seismic Performance of the Building Resting on Sloping Ground with Shear Wall

Seismic Performance of the Building Resting on Sloping Ground with Shear Wall

Behaviour of sheet pile wall on sloping ground for strip footing as surcharge with coir geotextile reinforced backfill soil

Behaviour of sheet pile wall on sloping ground for strip footing as surcharge with coir geotextile reinforced backfill soil