Applicability of CPT-based methods in predicting toe bearing capacities of driven piles in sand

This paper presents a study on applicability of predicting toe bearing capacities from cone penetration test (CPT) for PHC (pretensioned spun high-strength concrete) driven piles into deep sandy deposits in the Nakdong River deltaic area west of Busan City in South Korea. Using toe bearing capacities obtained from pile driving analyzer (PDA) tests as reference values, which were reliably calibrated by on-site O-cell tests, the applicability of the CPT-based methods was evaluated using a statistical rank index (RI). A total of 82 piezocone penetration test soundings and 190 PDA test piles were used for reliability analysis in this study. Three correction steps were applied to obtain reliable PDA and CPT data sets before ranking is carried out. The RI index is combined from four criteria: (1) the best-fit line, (2) the arithmetic mean and standard deviation, (3) the cumulative probabilities, and (4) the log-normal and histogram distributions. Based on these criteria the performance of some SPT-based methods in the literature is evaluated.     

Sublethal toxicity of orchard stormwater runoff in Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) larvae

The sublethal effects of stormwater runoff from sections of a plum orchard treated with esfenvalerate or diazinon were evaluated in 7-day-old Sacramento splittail (Pogonichthys macrolepidotus) larvae. Fish were exposed to eight runoff samples using the USEPA standard static renewal method for 96 h acute toxicity testing, then transferred to clean water for three-month to assess the survival, growth, histopathological abnormalities, and heat stress proteins (hsp). No significant mortality was observed at 96 h in exposed fish. At one week, histopathological abnormalities included severe glycogen depletion, cytoplasmic protein droplets, vacuolar degeneration, and cell necroses in liver of all exposure groups. Pyknotic nerve cells were seen in brain of one exposure group. Significantly higher cumulative mortality, lower condition factor, and elevated hsp60 and hsp70 levels (p < 0.05) were occurred in several exposure groups. No histopathological abnormalities were observed after three months in any exposure group. This study confirms that standard acute toxicity tests have underestimated the toxicity of stormwater runoff, and although splittail larvae survived the 96 h exposure, they exhibited reduced survival and growth and showed signs of cellular stress even after a three month recovery period.     

Binding of thorium(IV) to carboxylate, phosphate and sulfate functional groups from marine exopolymeric substances (EPS)

Th(IV) isotopes are important proxies in oceanographic investigations, and are used as tracers of particle dynamics and particulate organic matter (POC) fluxes out of the euphotic zone through the use of ²³⁴Th/POC ratios. These approaches rely on empirically determined and variable POC to ²³⁴Th ratios, which might be controlled, in parts, by the abundance of exopolymeric substances (EPS). EPS contain acidic polysaccharides (APS) and are excreted by both phytoplankton and bacteria. To this end, radiotracer experiments with EPS from microbial cultures were conducted to determine the binding environment of ²³⁴Th(IV)-binding ligands in colloids and suspended particles in marine systems. In these experiments, the ²³⁴Th distribution during isoelectric focusing (IEF) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was related to the functional group composition of EPS and of colloidal organic matter (COM) isolated from the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) using cross-flow ultrafiltration. EPS was extracted from phytoplankton (Emiliania huxleyi and Synechococcus elongatus) and bacteria (Sagittula stellata and Roseobacter gallaeciensis) cultures by repeated alcohol precipitation. Phosphate and sulfate concentrations were determined using ion chromatography (IC). IEF profiles indicated that 49% to 65% of the ²³⁴Th-labeled EPS from plankton and bacteria as well as COM samples from the GOM was found concentrated below pH of 4, near an isoelectric point, pH_IEP, of about 2. The carboxylic acid maxima for extracted EPS and COM samples appeared close to the pH_IEF of ²³⁴Th(IV). The phosphate maximum appeared at the same pH_IEF as ²³⁴Th(IV) for EPS from R. gallaeciensis and S. elongatus. The sulfate maximum was found at the same pH_IEF as ²³⁴Th(IV) for EPS from S. elongatus and COM. The molecular weight (MW) of the strongly Th(IV)-binding ligand varied from 1 to 14 kDa, depending on the species, but was about 10 kDa in COM. Thus, depending on the species of plankton or bacteria, the MW and specific functional group composition of the strongly ²³⁴Th(IV)-binding amphiphilic biomolecule can vary. Therefore, different acidic functional groups can, at times, contribute to the binding of Th(IV) to the EPS chelating ligand, which can also have different MWs. This implies that the binding environment for Th(IV), which is present at total concentrations at least a million times lower than the acid functional groups, consists of strong polydentate chelate complexes in clustered structures of carboxylate, sulfates and/or phosphates. The combination of strongly chelating groups and amphiphilicity gives this biomolecule the unique properties of a “sticky” ligand.     

Primary production in the Kuroshio current surrounding Taiwan

Primary production in the Kuroshio current flowing around Taiwan Island was measured by using the radiocarbon method. High values of the daily primary production were found in both the aquacultural area at the western coast and the polluted area with raw rubbish heaps at the Keelung-Patoutzu coast. In the upwelling region of southeastern coast, low values of the primary production were observed. In the eastern coast, the rate of photosynthesis for an unit amount of chlorophylla under the saturated light was in the range of 1.2±0.2 mg C/mg chlorophylla/hr. Some discussions are made on the observed results.     

Sedimentation in the floodplains of the Mekong Delta,Vietnam. Part I: suspended sediment dynamics

Suspended sediment is the primary source for a sustainable agro‐ecosystem in the Mekong Delta by providing nutrient input for the subsequent cropping season. In addition, the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) plays an important role in the erosion and deposition processes in the Delta; that is, it influences the morphologic development and may counteract the deltaic subsidence and sea level rise. Despite this importance, little is known about the dynamics of suspended sediment in the floodplains of the Mekong Delta. In particular, quantitative analyses are lacking mainly because of data scarcity with respect to the inundation processes in the floodplains. In 2008, therefore, a comprehensive in situ system to monitor the dynamics of suspended sediment in a study area located in the Plain of Reeds was established, aiming at the characterization and quantification of suspended sediment dynamics in the deeply inundated parts of the Vietnamese part of the Mekong Delta. The monitoring system was equipped with seven water quality–monitoring stations. They have a robust design and autonomous power supply suitable for operation on inundated floodplains, enabling the collection of reliable data over a long period of time with a high temporal resolution. The data analysis shows that the general seasonal dynamics of suspended sediment transport in the Delta is controlled by two main mechanisms: the flood wave of the Mekong River and the tidal backwater influences from the coast. In the channel network, SSC decreases exponentially with distance from the Mekong River. The anthropogenic influence on SSC could also be identified for two periods: at the start of the floodplain inundation and at the end of the flood period, when subsequent paddy rice crops are prepared. Based on the results, we recommend an operation scheme for the sluice gates, which intends to distribute the sediment and thus the nutrients equally over the floodplain. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Flood simulation using the gauge‐adjusted radar rainfall and physics‐based distributed hydrologic model

This paper reports the results of an investigation into flood simulation by areal rainfall estimated from the combination of gauged and radar rainfalls and a rainfall–runoff model on the Anseong‐cheon basin in the southern part of Korea. The spatial and temporal characteristics and behaviour of rainfall are analysed using various approaches combining radar and rain gauges: (1) using kriging of the rain gauge alone; (2) using radar data alone; (3) using mean field bias (MFB) of both radar and rain gauges; and (4) using conditional merging technique (CM) of both radar and rain gauges. To evaluate these methods, statistics and hyetograph for rain gauges and radar rainfalls were compared using hourly radar rainfall data from the Imjin‐river, Gangwha, rainfall radar site, Korea. Then, in order to evaluate the performance of flood estimates using different rainfall estimation methods, rainfall–runoff simulation was conducted using the physics‐based distributed hydrologic model, Vflo^?. The flood runoff hydrograph was used to compare the calculated hydrographs with the observed one. Results show that the rainfall field estimated by CM methods improved flood estimates, because it optimally combines rainfall fields representing actual spatial and temporal characteristics of rainfall. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Unsupervised fuzzy neural network structural active pulse controller

Applying active control systems to civil engineering structures subjected to dynamic loading has received increasing interest. This study proposes an active pulse control model, termed unsupervised fuzzy neural network structural active pulse controller (UFN‐SAP controller), for controlling civil engineering structures under dynamic loading. The proposed controller combines an unsupervised neural network classification (UNC) model, an unsupervised fuzzy neural network (UFN) reasoning model, and an active pulse control strategy. The UFN‐SAP controller minimizes structural cumulative responses during earthquakes by applying active pulse control forces determined via the UFN model based on the clusters, classified through the UNC model, with their corresponding control forces. Herein, we assume that the effect of the pulses on structure is delayed until just before the next sampling time so that the control force can be calculated in time, and applied. The UFN‐SAP controller also averts the difficulty of obtaining system parameters for a real structure for the algorithm to allow active structural control. Illustrative examples reveal significant reductions in cumulative structural responses, proving the feasibility of applying the adaptive unsupervised neural network with the fuzzy classification approach to control civil engineering structures under dynamic loading. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.