Design of a sensitive air quality monitoring network using an integrated optimization approach

A new method is developed to design a multi-objective and multi-pollutant sensitive air quality monitoring network (AQMN) for an industrial district. A dispersion model is employed to estimate the ground level concentration of the air pollutants emitted from different emission sources. The primary objective of AQMN is providing the maximum information about the pollutant with respect to (1) maximum coverage area, (2) maximum detection of violations over ambient air standards and (3) sensitivity of monitoring stations to emission sources. Ant Colony Optimization algorithm (ACO) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) are adopted as the optimization tools to identify the optimal configuration of the monitoring network. The comparison between the results of ACO and GA shows that the performance of both algorithms is acceptable in finding the optimal configuration of AQMN. The application of the method to a network of existing refinery stacks indicates that three stations are suitable to cover the study area. The sensitivity of the three optimal station locations to emission sources is investigated and a database including the sensitivity of stations to each source is created.     

Numerical investigation of hydraulic characteristics and prediction of cavitation number in Shahid Madani Dam's Spillway

The prediction of the probability of cavitation occurrence to prevent serious damages in the spillways is the major concern for hydraulic engineers. In this research, the three-dimensional model of Shahid Madani Dam’s spillway was simulated with the Flow 3D software and by the comparison of numerical model results with the experi-mental data, the probability of occurrence of the cavitation phenomenon has been investigated. The flow parameters including pressure, velocity, and water depth were calculated for three different flow rates of 495 m3/s, 705 m3/s and 2 205 m3/s respectively. The Renormalization Group (RNG) turbulence model was used to simulate current turbulence. Comparison of simulation results for pressure, velocity and water depth with the results of the experimental model with two statistical indices Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and Coefficient of Determination (R2) showed that the numerical simulation results are in good consistency with experimental model. However, simulation results indicated that at any flow rates with a return period of 1 000 years, probable maximum flood and designed flow rates, the cavitation number is not lower than the critical cavitation number; Therefore, it is predicted that the cavitation phenomenon in Shahid Madani Dam’s spillway will not happen.     

Developing the Rule of Thumb for Evaluating Penetration Rate of TBM,Using Binary Classification

Geotechnical and Geological Engineering - Using the tunnel boring machine (TBM) in tunneling projects contributes significantly to increased efficiency and reducing the time of project...     

Utilization of Silica Fume to Maximize the Filler and Pozzolanic Effects of Stabilized Soil with Cement

Silica fume is identified as a pozzolan and supplementary cementitious material that can utilize to improve the mechanical properties of stabilized soil with cement. Silica fume wherein mixes with cemented soil in a proper dosage, it is susceptible to induce pozzolanic effect in cemented soil due to its fineness and high content of SiO₂ and Al₂O₃. The pozzolanic effect is vital to ensure ongoing strength of stabilized soil with cement. Up to now, stabilization of clay with cement and silica fume is not completely explored. This paper investigates: (i) the capability of utilizing the silica fume as a supplementary material for cement to maximize the filler and pozzolanic effects of compacted and stabilized soil (ii) the mechanical properties of compacted and stabilized clay with various proportions of cement and silica fume. For this purpose, a total of 120 untreated and stabilized soil admixtures were prepared by replacing ordinary Portland cement with silica fume. The influence of partial replacement of cement with silica fume on the bearing capacity, shear and compressive strength of compacted and stabilized soil was investigated. To achieve such aims, the stabilized soil specimens were examined in laboratory under direct shear, unconfined compression and California bearing ratio tests. Based on the findings of this paper the 28-day UCS of the stabilized soil with 2% partial substitution of cement with silica fume is almost 3.5-fold greater than that of the untreated. It was found that the optimum mix design for the stabilized soil is 6% cement and 2% silica fume. In conclusion, a notable discovery is that the partial substitution of cement with 2% silica fume in the optimum mix design significantly refined the pore spaces as a result of pozzolanic activity and filler effect of silica fume.     

Land-cover classification and analysis of change using machine-learning classifiers and multi-temporal remote sensing imagery

Frequent human activity and rapid urbanization have led to an assortment of environmental issues. Monitoring land-cover change is critical to efficient environmental management and urban planning. The current study had two objectives. The first was to compare pixel-based random forest (RF) and decision tree (DT) classifier methods and a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm both in pixel-based and object-based approaches for classification of land-cover in a heterogeneous landscape for 2010. The second was to examine spatio-temporal land-cover change over the last two decades (1990–2010) using Landsat data. This study found that the object-based SVM classifier is the most accurate with an overall classification accuracy of 93.54% and a kappa value of 0.88. A post-classification change detection algorithm was used to determine the trend of change between land-cover classes. The most significant change from 1990 to 2010 was caused by the expansion of built-up areas. In addition to the net changes, the rate of annual change for each phenomenon was calculated to obtain a better understanding of the process of change. Between 1990 and 2010, an average of 4.53% of lands turned to the built-up annually and there was an annual decrease of about 0.81% in natural land. If the current trend of change continues, regardless of the actions of sustainable development, drastic declines in natural areas will ensue. The results of this study can be a valuable baseline for land-cover managers in the region to better understand the current situation and adopt appropriate strategies for management of land-cover.