Analysis and Design of Retaining Wall having Reinforced Cohesive Frictional Backfill

The case of a rigid wall with inclined back face retaining reinforced cohesive-frictional backfill subjected to uniformly distributed surcharge load has been analyzed using limit equilibrium approach. The analysis considers the stability of an element of the failure wedge, which is assumed to develop in the reinforced earth mass adjoining the back face of wall. The non-dimensional charts have been developed for computing the lateral earth pressure on wall and the height of its point of application above the base of wall. The theoretical findings have been verified by model tests on a rigid wall retaining a dry cohesive-frictional soil reinforced by geogrid strips. Experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. A design example has been included to illustrate the design procedure.     

Rainfall-induced landslide susceptibility zonation of Puerto Rico

Landslides are a major geologic hazard with estimated tens of deaths and $1–2 billion in economic losses per year in the US alone. The island of Puerto Rico experiences one or two large events per year, often triggered in steeply sloped areas by prolonged and heavy rainfall. Identifying areas susceptible to landslides thus has great potential value for Puerto Rico and would allow better management of its territory. Landslide susceptibility zonation (LSZ) procedures identify areas prone to failure based on the characteristics of past events. LSZs are here developed based on two widely applied methodologies: bivariate frequency ratio (FR method) and logistic regression (LR method). With these methodologies, the correlations among eight possible landslide-inducing factors over the island have been investigated in detail. Both methodologies indicate aspect, slope, elevation, geological discontinuities, and geology as highly significant landslide-inducing factors, together with land-cover for the FR method and distance from road for the LR method. The LR method is grounded in rigorous statistical testing and model building but did not improve results over the simpler FR method. Accordingly, the FR method has been selected to generate a landslide susceptibility map for Puerto Rico. The landslide susceptibility predictions were tested against previous landslide analyses and other landslide inventories. This independent evaluation demonstrated that the two methods are consistent with landslide susceptibility zonation from those earlier studies and showed this analysis to have resulted in a robust and verifiable landslide susceptibility zonation map for the whole island of Puerto Rico.     

Palynomorph stratigraphy,palynofacies and organic geochemistry assessments for hydrocarbon generation of Ratawi Formation,Iraq

Seventy-two core and cutting samples of the Ratawi Formation from selected wells of central and southern Iraq in Mesopotamian Foredeep Basin are analysed for their sedimentary organic matters. Dinoflagellates, spores and pollen are extracted by palynological techniques from these rocks. Accordingly, Hauterivian and late Valanginian ages are suggested for their span of depositional time. These palynomorphs with other organic matter constituents, such as foraminifer’s linings, bacteria and fungi, are used to delineate three palynofacies types that explain organic matter accumulation sites and their ability to generate hydrocarbons. Palaeoenvironments of these sites were mainly suboxic to anoxic with deposition of inshore and neritic marine environments especially for palynofacies type 2. Total organic matters of up to 1.75 total organic carbon (TOC) wt.% and early mature stage of up to 3.7 TAI based on the brown colour of the spore species Cyathidites australis and Gleichenidites senonicus with mottled interconnected amorphous organic matter are used for hydrocarbon generation assessment from this formation. On the other hand, these rock samples are processed with Rock-Eval pyrolysis. Outcomes and data calculations of these analyses are plotted on diagrams of kerogen types and hydrocarbon potential. Theses organic matter have reached the mature stage of up to T _max?=?438 °C, hydrogen index of up to 600 mg hydrocarbons for each gram of TOC wt.% and mainly low TOC (0.50–1.55). Accordingly, this formation could generate fair quantities of hydrocarbons in Baghdad oil field and Basrah oil fields. Organic matters of this formation in the fields of Euphrates subzone extends from Hilla to Nasiriyah cities have not reached mature stage and hence not generated hydrocarbons from the Ratawi Formation. Software 1D PetroMod basin modelling of the Ratawi Formation has confirmed this approach of hydrocarbon generation with 100 % transformations of the intended organic matters to generate hydrocarbons to oil are performed in especially oil fields of East Baghdad, West Qurna and Majnoon while oil fields Ratawi and Subba had performed 80–95 % transformation to oil and hence end oil generation had charged partly the Tertiary traps that formed during the Alpine Orogeny. Oil fields of Nasiriyah and Kifle had performed least transformation ratio of about 10–20 % transformation to oil, and hence, most of the present oil in this field is migrated from eastern side of the Mesopotamian Foredeep Basin that hold higher maturation level.     

Thermohaline structure of an inverse estuary--The Gulf of Kachchh: measurements and model simulations

The Gulf of Kachchh (GoK) is situated in the northeastern Arabian Sea. The presence of several industries along its coastal belt makes GoK a highly sensitive coastal ecosystem. In the present study, an attempt is made for the first time to study GoK thermohaline structure and its variability, based on field measurements and model simulations. Though GoK is considered as a well-mixed system, the study reveals that only the central Gulf is well mixed. Vertical gradients in temperature and salinity fields are noticed in the eastern Gulf, where a cold and high saline tongue is observed in the subsurface layers. Salinity indicates the characteristic feature of an inverse estuary with low values (37.20 psu) near the mouth and high values (>40.0 psu) near the head of the Gulf. The model simulated temperature and salinity fields exhibit semidiurnal oscillations similar to that of field observations. Model results show cold, high saline waters advecting from the east during ebb forming a transition zone, which oscillates with tides. A high salinity tongue is seen in the bottom layer, indicating a westward flowing bottom current. The transient zone acts as an dynamic barrier, and plays a vital role in the pollutant transport.