Soil–structure interaction effects observed in the in situ forced vibration and pushover tests of school buildings in Taiwan and their modeling considering the foundation flexibility

In the conventional structural seismic analysis, the rigid base model is usually adopted without considering the flexibility of the ground, leading to inaccurate estimation of the vibration characteristics and the seismic response of the structure. In 2007, several in situ tests were conducted by the National Center for Research on Earthquake Engineering (NCREE) on the school buildings in the Guanmiao Elementary School in Tainan, Taiwan. For the study of soil–structure interaction (SSI) effects, the forced vibration test (FVT) was performed, and the deformation of the foundation system was measured during the pushover test. In this paper, the results of these in situ tests are presented and discussed, and the finite element models of the school buildings were generated for the simulation of the FVT and for the pushover analysis in order to investigate the difference between the rigid base model and the flexible base model. Results show that the mechanical properties of the structure and the foundation could be demonstrated in these in situ tests. Additionally, the introduction of the flexibility of the foundation has a considerable influence on the results of structural analysis. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Incorporating the LCIA concept into fuzzy risk assessment as a tool for environmental impact assessment

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a procedural tool for environmental management that identifies, predicts, evaluates and mitigates the environmental impact of development proposals. In the process of EIA, EIA reports, prepared by developers, are expected to delineate the environmental impact, but in practice they usually determine whether the amounts or concentrations of pollutants comply with the relevant standards. Actually, many analytical tools can improve the analysis of environmental impact in EIA reports, such as life cycle assessment (LCA) and environmental risk assessment (ERA). Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) is one of steps in LCA that takes account of the causal relationships between environmental hazards and damage. Incorporating the concept of LCIA into an ERA as an integrated tool for the preparation of EIA reports extends the focus of the reports from the regulatory compliance of the environmental impact, to determine the significance of the environmental impact. Sometimes, when using integrated tools, it is necessary to consider fuzzy situations, because of a lack of sufficient information; therefore, so ERA should be generalized to a fuzzy risk assessment (FRA). Therefore, this paper proposes the integration of a LCIA and a FRA as an assessment tool for the preparation of EIA reports, whereby the LCIA clearly identifies the causal linkage for hazard–pathway–receptor–damage and then better explain the significance of the impact; furthermore, a FRA copes with fuzzy and probabilistic situations in the assessment of pollution severity and the estimation of exposure probability. Finally, the use of the proposed methodology is demonstrated in a case study of the expansion plan for the world’s largest plastics processing factory.     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polychlorinated biphenyls in sediments of southwest Taiwan: regional characteristics and potential sources

Very little information is available on the contamination of coastal sediments of Taiwan by PBDEs and PCBs. In this study, we determined the concentrations of 19 PBDE and 209 PCB congeners in 57 surface sediment samples to identify the possible sources of PBDEs and PCBs. The total PBDE and PCB concentrations ranged from below detection limit to 7.73 ng/g and 0.88-7.13 ng/g, respectively; these values are within the ranges observed for most coastal sediments worldwide. The PBDE congeners were dominated by BDE-209 (50.7-99.7%), with minor contributions from penta- and octa-BDEs. The signatures of PCB congeners suggested that PCB residues in Kaohsiung coast may be the legacy of past use or the result of ongoing inputs from the maintenance, repair and salvage of old ships. Principal component analysis of the congener-specific composition of PBDEs and PCBs revealed distinct regional patterns that are related to the use of commercial products.     

Mathesia darderi (Astre) (Bivalvia, Hippuritoidea, Monopleuridae): Morphological, biogeographical and ecological changes in the Mediterranean domain during the late Barremian-Albian

Mathesia darderi, a slender cylindrical monopleurid genus, formerly documented from the late Aptian-Albian of Spain, France, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt and Turkey, has been discovered in the upper Barremian and the lower Aptian of Bulgaria and Spain. Notwithstanding some morphological changes, Barremian-lower Aptian forms and those of the upper Aptian-Albian possess the same myocardinal organisation and the same microstructural attributes. The inner shell margin of the right valve displays scalloped, festooned, tubular and vermiform microstructures. The most prominent evolutionary trait of M. darderi is the increase in body size through time. A statistical analysis of size distributions show that populations of the late Barremian-early Aptian, and the late Aptian, and those of the early to middle Albian, are significantly different; a pattern which has a biostratigraphic potential. Ecological changes through time are expressed by a displacement of communities from the central/distal part, to the proximal part of carbonate platforms. M. darderi is present locally in the upper Barremian-lower Aptian, and has its major spreading over the European and Arabo-African margins of the Mediterranean Tethys during the Clansayesian-lower to middle Albian. The disappearance of the species at the Middle-Upper Albian boundary, correlates with a critical, spatial reduction of carbonate platforms.     

Chemical and structural relations of epitaxial xenotime and zircon substratum in sedimentary and hydrothermal environments: a TEM study

Xenotime overgrowths on detrital zircon in siliciclastic sediments have been reported in numerous studies. However, in natural samples, solid solution of zircon and xenotime is limited to near-end-member compositions. In order to characterize the interface region between both minerals and to draw inferences on the growth mechanisms of authigenic xenotime, we studied xenotime overgrowths on detrital zircon grains from two Phanerozoic sandstone samples with contrasting post-depositional histories. In one sample, the small (≤10 μm), pyramidal xenotime overgrowths are of diagenetic origin and grew without major discontinuity on the detrital zircon grain. The second sample shows up to >50-μm-wide, porous and inclusion-rich, hydrothermal xenotime overgrowths on detrital zircon, whereas the transition zone between both minerals is accompanied by large pore volume. Chemical compositions of the xenotime precipitates from the two samples differ particularly in Y, REE, Th and Sc concentrations, whereas high MREE availability in the diagenetic sample and the presence of Sc in the hydrothermal sample, respectively, appear to have promoted xenotime growth. Transmission electron microscopy on electron-transparent foils cut from the interface region shows that both the diagenetic xenotime and the hydrothermal xenotime are crystalline and grew in optical and crystallographic continuity to their detrital zircon substrata. Only a narrow transition zone (≤90 nm—diagenetic sample, 200–300 nm—hydrothermal sample) between zircon and xenotime is in part made up of nanometre-scale crystalline domains that are slightly distorted and may have formed from dissolution–re-precipitation processes at the zircon rim along with precipitation from the respective fluid.     

Palaeomagnetic investigation of Cenozoic volcanic rocks bordering the North Anatolian Fault Zone,Reşadiye and Koyulhisar Districts,central-east Anatolia,Turkey

A palaeomagnetic study is reported from the lavas of Eocene, Miocene and Pliocene age cropping out immediately to the north of the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) in the Re?adiye–Mesudiye region of central-eastern Anatolia. Rock magnetic investigations identify a high percentage of multi-domained magnetite as the dominant ferromagnet in these rocks and this probably accounts for a relatively poor response to alternating field and thermal demagnetisation. Thirty of 37 units yielded acceptable groupings of characteristic magnetisation directions. An earlier study indicated small anticlockwise crustal block rotation in this region since Upper Cretaceous times (D/I?=?347/50°), and our study indicates that this was overtaken by clockwise rotation in Eocene times (D/I?=?40/47°), although sample size control from the Palaeogene is poor. Results from later Miocene (D/I?=?2/62°) and Pliocene (D/I?=?0/53°) volcanic rocks indicate that no significant tectonic rotation has occurred in the north of the NAFZ in Neogene times. This contrasts with rotations in the weaker crust comprising the Anatolian collage south of the NAFZ, where differential and sometimes large anticlockwise rotations occurred during the latter part of the Neogene.     

Variability of East Asian Winter Monsoon in Quaternary Climatic Extremes in North China

In order to examine high-frequency variations of East Asian winter monsoon in Quaternary climatic extremes, two typical loess–paleosol sequences in the Chinese Loess Plateau were investigated. Sandy layers in the loess deposits, the “Upper sand” and “Lower sand” (layers L9 and L15, respectively), which represent a high-resolution record of paleomonsoon changes, have been sampled at intervals of 5–6 cm from sections at Luochuan and Xifeng. The grain size and magnetic susceptibility was measured for all samples. The grain-size results (a proxy of winter monsoon strength) indicate that the winter monsoon strength fluctuated on a millennial timescale during cold climatic extremes, with climatic events of a few hundred to a few thousand years. However, the winter monsoon was relatively stable during warm periods. The magnetic susceptibility signal (a proxy of summer monsoon intensity) is practically constant over the same period. This is tentatively explained by the assumption that the summer monsoon intensity was too low to be recorded in the magnetic susceptibility signal. The intensified winter monsoon events show periodicities in a range of 1000 to 2770 yr, with a dominant cycle of approximately 1450 yr. The detection of this oscillation in older glacial stages strongly suggests that it may be a pervasive cycle of the cold climatic phases of the Quaternary. Millennial-scale variations of the winter monsoon may be caused by instability of the westerly jet, which is determined by temperature differences between the polar and the equatorial regions.     

地质聚合物技术的发展近况

概要介绍了一种无机聚合物———地质聚合物。首先对地质聚合物材料的制备过程作了介绍。根据原料的不同,地质聚合物材料的制备可以有两种途径:一种是以偏高岭石为基础原料,一种是以粉煤灰为主要原料。通常以硅酸钠水溶液作为单体硅源,氢氧化钠溶液作为碱激发剂以提高原料的溶出性。对某些在常温和低于100 ℃下制备的独石材料作了介绍。对煅烧高岭石,叶蜡石,粉煤灰和钢渣的溶出特性作了阐述。应用SEM EDX,对以粉煤灰为原料的地质聚合物材料的化学组成作了分析。最后对地质聚合物材料的经济性以及在环境保护等领域的应用前景,特别是在减少二氧化碳排放与废弃物处理方面的意义作了介绍。     

Trace Metal Solid State Speciation in Aerosols of the Northern Levantine Basin,East Mediterranean

An established three stage sequential leach scheme was applied to a series of selected high volume aerosol samples (n = 35) collected from the Turkish Eastern Mediterranean coastline (Erdemli). Samples were selected according to their air mass back trajectory history to reflect the contrasting mixtures of aerosol material present in the Eastern Mediterranean marine aerosol. Two populations were adopted, those samples which were classed as “anthropogenic” and those which were “Saharan” dominated aerosol populations. Applying the three stage leach it was possible to define the proportion for each of the considered metals (Al, Fe, Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn and Mn) present in the (a) “exchangeable” (b) “carbonate / oxide” and (c) “refractory” phases, representing novel solid state aerosol speciation data for this marine system. Clear trends were established, conforming with data from previous studies with mainly crustal derived metals (Al and Fe) being present in the refractory phases (Al > 88%; Fe > 84%) and those influenced by anthropogenic sources being dominating in the exchangeable phase, although for these metals the variability was comparatively high (12–64%; 19–85%; 40–100% for Zn, Pb and Cd, respectively). For the majority, greater exchangeable fractions were present the lower the crustal source contribution to the aerosol population, whereas the “refractory” fraction exhibited contrasting behaviour. This was illustrated by the novel application of the mixing diagram, presenting each of the three speciation stages against the corresponding percent anthropogenic contribution to each collected sample. Zn, Pb and Cd all illustrated progressive decrease in the percent exchangeable with increasing crustal contribution to the aerosol population. The percent exchangeable was discussed in terms of its use to represent the upper limit of the bioavailable fraction of metal associated with the aerosol, post deposition. The mixing diagram approach enabled the prediction of the residual fractions for Cd, Pb and Zn (41 ± 4%; 62 ± 4% and 82 ± 5%, respectively,) in Saharan end-member material.     

Development of a geotechnical and geophysical database for seismic zonation of the Ankara Basin,Turkey

The Kocaeli earthquake (M _w = 7.4) of 17 August 1999 occurred in the Eastern Marmara Region of Turkey along the North Anadolu Fault and resulted in a very serious loss of life and property. One of the most important geotechnical issues of this event was the permanent ground deformations because of both liquefaction and faulting. These deformations occurred particularly along the southern shores of ?zmit Bay and Sapanca Lake between the cities of Yalova and Adapazar? in the west and east, respectively. In this study, three sites founded on delta fans, namely De?irmendere Nose, Yeniköy tea garden at Seymen on the coast of ?zmit Bay, and Vak?f Hotel site on the coast of Sapanca Lake were selected as typical cases. The main causes of the ground deformations at these sites were then investigated. Geotechnical characterization of the ground, derivation of displacement vectors from the pre- and post-earthquake aerial photographs, liquefaction assessments based on field performance data, and analyses carried out using the sliding body method have been fundamental in this study. The displacement vectors determined from photogrammetric evaluations conducted at De?irmendere and Seymen showed a combined movement of faulting and liquefaction. But except the movements in the close vicinity of shorelines, the dominant factor in this movement was faulting. The results obtained from the analyses suggested that the ground failure at De?irmendere was a submarine landslide mainly because of earthquake shaking rather than liquefaction. On the other hand, the ground failures at the Yeniköy tea garden on the coast of Seymen and the hotel area in Sapanca town resulted from liquefaction-induced lateral spreading. It was also obtained that the ground deformations estimated from the sliding body method were quite close to those measured by aerial photogrammetry technique.