Biosorption Kinetics and Isotherm Studies of Cd(II) by Dried Enteromorpha compressa Macroalgae Cells from Aqueous Solutions

For the first time ever, Enteromorpha compressa macroalgae (ECM), which is commonly found in Turkey, has been used as biosorbent by us. This study aims to investigate the biosorption of Cd²⁺ from aqueous solutions in a batch system by using an alga of ECM in different concentrations, pH levels, agitation rates (90–150 rpm), and contact periods. The maximum biosorption capacity of the ECM was found to be 9.50 mg/g at pH 6, Cd²⁺ initial concentration of 10 mg/L and agitation rate 150 rpm. Cadmium removal efficiency was about 95%. The experimental isotherm data were analyzed using the Langmuir and Freundlich equations. Isotherm parameters for both equations were determined and discussed. The stated biosorption mechanism is explained by the Freundlich isotherm (r² = 0.998) theory. Two simplified kinetic models including a pseudo‐first‐ and second‐order equation were selected to follow the biosorption process. Kinetic parameters; rate constants, equilibrium adsorption capacities and related correlation coefficients, for each kinetic model were calculated and discussed. It was shown that the biosorption of cadmium onto ECM could be described by the pseudo‐second‐order equation (r² > 0.99).     

Retrofit of non-seismically designed beam-column joints by post-tensioned superelastic shape memory alloy bars

A series of tests on three full-scale substandard exterior beam-column joints were performed to investigate the efficiency of the proposed retrofit configuration, which is the use of externally applied post-tensioned shape memory alloy (SMA) bars. A major group of structural deficiencies resulting from lack of shear reinforcement in the joint, use of low strength concrete and plain round bars were taken into account in the construction of test specimens. While the reference specimen represents the as-built subassembly, the other two were retrofitted by the post-tensioned SMA and steel bars to compare the contribution of superelastic and conventional material on the response. The specimens were exposed to quasi-static cyclic loading up to 8% drift ratio to simulate an intensive level of seismic hazard. The reference specimen underwent a brittle shear failure as excessive cracks mostly concentrated in the joint panel while there was almost no damage in the rest of the RC components. A joint failure with enhanced response quantities was observed in the specimen retrofitted by post-tensioned steel bars. The specimen incorporating the retrofit solution via post-tensioned SMA bars was capable of performing an adequate performance and promoting minimization of the damage in the joint panel, which results in more ductile behavior. The hysteretic response of the SMA retrofitted specimen was validated with a refined numerical model in ATENA Science software. Experimentally observed response was also verified by an analytical model based on fracture mechanics considering the nonlinear behavior of plain concrete under tension. Due to inherent uncertainties in material constitutive laws, the analytical model was evolved to a stochastic level to propose a more advanced model for estimating the capacity of the reference and retrofitted joint. It is found that the experimental results were within the prominent range of Probability Density Functions (i.e. mean ± 1 SD) of the estimated joint tensile stress especially for the shear damaged specimens.     

Mechanical properties of lime-treated clay reinforced with different types of randomly distributed fibers

In this paper, a comparative experimental study was carried out to evaluate the effect of inclusion of different fiber types on strength of lime-stabilized clay. In this scope, a series of unconfined compressive strength tests were carried out on specimens including basalt and polypropylene fiber compacted under Standard Proctor effort (i.e., 35% by weight of soil). The effects of curing period (1, 7, 28, and 90 days), fiber type (basalt and polypropylene), fiber content (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1%), fiber length (6, 12, and 19 mm), and lime content (0 and 9%) on strength properties were investigated. The results revealed that both basalt and polypropylene fibers increased the strength without inclusion of lime. For specimens including lime, strength of polypropylene fiber-reinforced specimens was remarkably higher than that reinforced with basalt fiber for lime-stabilized clay. However, greatest strength improvement was obtained by use of 0.75% basalt fiber of 19 mm length with 9% lime content after 90-day curing. Additionally, results of strength tests on specimens including 3 and 6% lime and 12-mm basalt fiber after 1, 7, 28, and 90-day curing were presented. It is evident that the use of 6-mm basalt fiber and 12-mm polypropylene fiber were the best options; however, efficiency of fiber inclusion is subject to change by varying lime contents. It was also observed that the secant modulus was increased by use of lime; however, strength of the correlations among secant modulus and unconfined compressive strength values was decreased by increasing amount of lime for specimens including both basalt and polypropylene fibers.     

New lessons for technology policy and climate change: investment for innovation

The direction of UK energy policy requires a renewed impetus if the goal of climate change stabilization is to be met. Cost is not the main issue: a transformation to a low-carbon energy system may be no more expensive than meeting future energy demands with fossil fuels. Institutional barriers are preventing the large-scale adoption of the necessary technologies. New institutions to promote low-carbon technologies have not yet led to investment on the necessary scale. Further changes to the operation of the UK electricity markets to create a ‘level playing field’ for small-scale and intermittent generation are necessary. UK policy can contribute to international agreements following on from the Kyoto Accord, which also need to address the institutional barriers to energy technology development and transfer.     

Automatic Building Extraction from Image and LiDAR Data with Active Contour Segmentation

Automatic building extraction is an important topic for many applications such as urban planning, disaster management, 3D building modeling and updating GIS databases. Its approaches mainly depend on two data sources: light detection and ranging (LiDAR) point cloud and aerial imagery both of which have advantages and disadvantages of their own. In this study, in order to benefit from the advantages of each data sources, LiDAR and image data combined together. And then, the building boundaries were extracted with the automated active contour algorithm implemented in MATLAB. Active contour algorithm uses initial contour positions to segment an object in the image. Initial contour positions were detected without user interaction by a series of image enhancements, band ratio and morphological operations. Four test areas with varying building and background levels of detail were selected from ISPRS’s benchmark Vaihingen and Istanbul datasets. Vegetation and shadows were removed from all the datasets by band ratio to improve segmentation quality. Subsequently, LiDAR point cloud data was converted to raster format and added to the aerial imagery as an extra band. Resulting merged image and initial contour positions were given to the active contour algorithm to extract building boundaries. In order to compare the contribution of LiDAR to the proposed method, the boundaries of the buildings were extracted from the input image before and after adding LiDAR data to the image as a layer. Finally extracted building boundaries were smoothed by the Awrangjeb (Int J Remote Sen 37(3): 551–579.  https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2015.1131868, 2016) boundary regularization algorithm. Correctness (Corr), completeness (Comp) and accuracy (Q) metrics were used to assess accuracy of segmented building boundaries by comparing extracted building boundaries with manually digitized building boundaries. Proposed approach shows the promising results with over 93% correctness, 92% completeness and 89% quality.     

Studies on the effect of burden width on blast-induced vibration in open-pit mines

This study concerns the correlation between burden and blast-induced vibrations in open-pit mines. For this purpose, two different mines were studied. In these mines, the vibrations caused by explosions at burdens having widths ranging from 3 to 14 m were measured from various distances. From the results, it was found for these cases that burden width has a significant impact on vibrations. Consequently, it was proven that vibrations decrease as burden increases.     

Plan‐form evolution of ancient meandering rivers reconstructed from longitudinal outcrop sections

The mode of channel‐bend transformation (i.e. expansion, translation, rotation or a combination thereof) has a direct bearing on the dimensions, shape, bedding architecture and connectivity of point‐bar sandstone bodies within a fluvial meander belt, but is generally difficult to recognize in vertical outcrops. This study demonstrates how the bend transformation mode and relative rate of channel‐floor aggradation can be deciphered from longitudinal outcrop sections aligned parallel to the meander‐belt axis, as a crucial methodological aid to the reconstruction of ancient fluvial systems and the development of outcrop analogue models for fluvial petroleum reservoirs. The study focuses on single‐storey and multi‐storey fluvial meander‐belt sandstone bodies in the Palaeogene piggyback Boyabat Basin of north‐central Turkey. The sandstone bodies are several hundred metres wide, 5 to 40 m thick and encased in muddy floodplain deposits. The individual channel‐belt storeys are 5 to 9 m thick and their transverse sections show lateral‐accretion bed packages representing point bars. Point bars in longitudinal sections are recognizable as broad mounds whose parts with downstream‐inclined, subhorizontal and upstream‐inclined bedding represent, respectively, the bar downstream, central and upstream parts. The inter‐bar channel thalweg is recognizable as the transition zone between adjacent point‐bar bedsets with opposing dip directions into or out of the outcrop section. The diverging or converging adjacent thalweg trajectories, or a trajectory migrating in up‐valley direction, indicate point‐bar broadening and hence channel‐bend expansion. A concurrent down‐valley migration of adjacent trajectories indicates channel‐bend translation. Bend rotation is recognizable from the replacement of a depositional riffle by an erosional pool zone or vice versa along the thalweg trajectory. The steepness of the thalweg trajectory reflects the relative rate of channel‐floor aggradation. This study discusses further how the late‐stage foreland tectonics, with its alternating pulses of uplift and subsidence and a progressive narrowing of the basin, has forced aggradation of fluvial channels and caused vertical stacking of meander belts.