Heavy metal pollution and soil magnetic susceptibility in urban soil of Beni Mellal City (Morocco)

The assessment of anthropogenic impact in the urban environment can be evaluated according to heavy metal contents of soils such as Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd and Fe. These elements have more affinity to establish metallic bond with ferrous material leading to enhancement of soil magnetic susceptibility. The objective of this study was to undertake joint magnetic and geochemical investigations of road-side urban soil materials to address the environmental pollution of Beni Mellal city that has been subjected to environmental stress, due to population overpressure and related urbanization. Twenty three soils magnetic susceptibility profiles were made along 5 km peripheral national road (N8) in Beni Mellal. The magnetic survey reported here for the first time on this City’s topsoils tries to establish the link between magnetic properties and the content of heavy metals. High magnetic susceptibility values and high contents of heavy metals were found near the paved edge of the road and within the place reserved as large engine park. Magnetic extracts of highly polluted areas and unpolluted soil (olive plantation) were analyzed by SEM coupled with RDX in order to discriminate anthropogenic magnetic spherules and pedo-lithogenic magnetite-like minerals. Magnetic mineralogy determined by Mössbauer spectroscopy suggests the presence of hematite, magnetite and goethite in highly polluted areas. The iron oxides and especially goethite are efficient in incorporating and/or adsorbing foreign ions.     

Integration of remote sensing data with the field and laboratory investigation for lithological mapping of granitic phases: Kadabora pluton, Eastern Desert, Egypt

In the current study, an integration of Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), field, and laboratory data have been used for lithological mapping of different granitic phases in the Kadabora area, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Application of enhancement techniques, including a new proposed band ratio combination (ratio 5/3, 3/1, 7/5 in RGB, respectively) and supervised classification images are used in discriminating different granitic phases in the Kadabora pluton from each other and from their environs. The data have been proved with the help of field and geochemical investigations. The results revealed that: (1) the Kadabora granitic pluton could be distinguished into three phases that recognized by field and laboratory investigation including granodiorite (phase I), monzogranite (phase II), and syeno-alkali feldspar granite (phase III). These phases are arranged according to their relative ages while the country rocks include ophiolitic mélange and metagabbro–diorite complex. It is also confirmed that the granitic pluton is invaded by dyke swarms which is trending in N–S direction. Geochemically, results show that the granodiorite is calc-alkaline, I-type and formed under subduction tectonic regime. Monzogranite falls within the alkaline and highly fractionated calc-alkaline granites, whereas syeno-alkali feldspar granite extends into proper alkaline granitoids field. Monzogranite and syeno-alkali feldspar granite belong to the A₂-subtype granite. This A₂-subtype granite was probably formed in an extensional regime, subsequent to subduction which can lead to tensional break-up of the crust (i.e., post-collisional, post-orogenic granites). The monzogranite and the syeno-alkali feldspar granite were probably formed by partial melting of relatively anhydrous lower crust source and/or tonalite to granodiorite is viable alternative to the granulite source.     

Experimental investigation of limestone of the Faiyah Range area,United Arab Emirates

The paper presents results of a laboratory experimental program performed on limestone rock samples, using both physical and mechanical methods. The studied rocks (Simsima Formation, Upper Cretaceous) can be classified as highly ferruginous and highly fossilliferous limestone. The lower part of the Simsima Formation contains common fauna such as Orbittoids, rhodolithic and rudists, whereas the upper part of the limestone is interbedded with conglomerates. Detailed geological, petrographic in addition to physical and mechanical tests were carried out on some representative samples from the Faiyah area, aiming at getting a better understanding of the important properties of these rocks. It is shown that the uniaxial unconfined compressive stress is the controlling factor of classification of the Faiyah limestone.     

Monazite chemistry: evidence for a prehistoric journey

The chemistry of monazite from the black sand deposits of northern Sinai beach suggests that pegmatites and granites of the Eastern Desert of Egypt are the most likely source rocks. The floods associated with the pluvial periods prevailed in Egypt during the Pleistocene were able to erode the source rocks and liberate heavy minerals including monazite. The mineral grains were moved through several wadis and tributaries to the River Nile. At the confluence sites, these heavy minerals were mixed with the Ethiopian and central African heavy mineral assemblages. The grains continued to move together downriver until being deposited in their current locations.     

Biodegradation of municipal refuse and chicken manure in a winter-wheat ecosystem in Saudi Arabia

Addition and incorporation of organic fertilizers is known to improve the properties of agricultural soils. Therefore, during 22 weeks of field incubation we studied the biodegradation (measured by static absorption of CO₂) of two organic manures viz. municipal refuse and chicken manure incorporated into sandy soils, under sprinker irrigation, at the rates of 0, 16·5, 33·0, 49·5 and 66·0, and 0, 4·1, 8·25, 16·5, and 33·0 tonnes/ha, respectively.The results obtained indicated that the cumulative amount of CO₂ respired was linearly correlated with the rate of organic material applied (p < 0.001). Statistical analysis of the data obtained showed that both the intercept (rate of decomposition) and the slope (rate of reaction with time) increased with increasing rate of application of organic manure. The magnitude of increment was highest at the application rates of 33·0 and 8·25 tonnes/ha for municipal refuse and chicken manure, respectively. The rate of increment, generally, declined thereafter thus indicating that these two rates are the optimum levels of incorporation of the appropriate organic manures under the conditions of this study.The maximum organic-carbon mineralized, accounting for 10·5 and approximately 50%, was obtained at the optimum rates for municipal refuse and chicken manure, respectively. Both simple and multiple regression equations describing the relationship between soil temperature and soil-moisture content each separately and in combination, as independent variables, and the cumulative rate of CO₂ production were computed. A substantially strong relationship with soil temperature but inconsistent and contradicting results with soil moisture were obtained. Inclusion of soil temperature and moisture in a single model as an independent variable in relation to cumulative CO₂ as a dependent variable improved the soil moisture-CO₂ production relationship.     

Experimental and Numerical Study of Strip Footing Supported on Stabilized Sand Slope

The paper presents the results of laboratory model tests and theoretical analysis on the behavior of a strip footing supported on sheet pile wall-stabilized sandy slope and loaded vertically to failure. The parameters varied in the study include the height, stiffness and location of the sheet pile wall, the location of the footing relative to the slope crest and the relative density of sand. Two-dimensional plane strain finite element analyses was used to analyze a prototype strip footing on sandy slope with same conditions. The results indicate that the inclusion of sheet pile wall has significant effect in improving the response of the strip footing and the slope itself. The theoretical results confirm the experimental results of the model footing tests and show reasonable agreement. Based on the numerical and experimental results, critical values of the sheet pile wall parameters for maximum stabilizing effect are established.     

Influence of liquid bridges on the mechanical behaviour of polydisperse granular materials

We investigate a polydisperse granular material in which the particle interactions are governed by a capillary force law. The cohesion force for a grain‐pair with unequal diameters is expressed as an explicit function of the inter‐particle distance and the volume of the liquid bridge. This analytical relation is validated by experiments on a reference material. Then, it is completed by a rupture criterion and cast in the form of a force law that accounts for solid contact, capillary force and rupture characteristics of a grain‐pair. Finally, in order to evaluate the influence of capillary cohesion on the macroscopic behaviour, radial and axial compression tests on cylindrical assemblies of wet particles are simulated using a 3D distinct element method. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Responses of Ras El Bar seafloor characteristics to the protective engineering structures, Nile delta, Egypt

Bathymetry of the seafloor in the area in front of Ras El Bar coast, the characters of the seafloor sediments and the effects of protective structures on seafloor bathymetry were examined. Seafloor depths in front of Ras El Bar seawall ranged between 2 and 4 m. These depths, coupled with wave climate, result in waves breaking directly onto the wall and exerting high, dynamic pressures on the area at the structure’s toe. The sandy seafloor in front of the wall has been scoured. Sea water has undermined the wall causing removal of sediment, destabilization of its slope and the whole face of the wall has slipped. Toe protection in the form of a rocky apron is required to prevent such damage. West of the seawall, the constructed breakwater system has affected the bathymetry of the seafloor in the area. Shoaling and submerged spits have been formed in the shadow of each breakwater unit. The gaps between the breakwater units have attained deep depths and steep slopes. Scours and steep slopes adjacent to the head of the breakwater units have been recorded. Seaward of the breakwater system, deeper depths and gentle slopes characterize the seafloor. Offshore–onshore current and sediment movements toward the northeast is inferred from the configuration of the bottom contour lines.     

Reliability‐based control algorithms for nonlinear hysteretic systems based on enhanced stochastic averaging of energy envelope

Current reliability‐based control techniques have been successfully applied to linear systems; however, incorporation of stochastic nonlinear behavior of systems in such control designs remains a challenge. This paper presents two reliability‐based control algorithms that minimize failure probabilities of nonlinear hysteretic systems subjected to stochastic excitations. The proposed methods include constrained reliability‐based control (CRC) and unconstrained reliability‐based control (URC) algorithms. Accurate probabilistic estimates of nonlinear system responses to stochastic excitations are derived analytically using enhanced stochastic averaging of energy envelope proposed previously by the authors. Convolving these demand estimates with capacity models yields the reliability of nonlinear systems in the control design process. The CRC design employs the first‐level and second‐level optimizations sequentially where the first‐level optimization solves the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation and the second‐level optimization searches for optimal objective function parameters to minimize the probability of failure. In the URC design, a single optimization minimizes the probability of failure by directly searching for the optimal control gain. Application of the proposed control algorithms to a building on nonlinear foundation has shown noticeable improvements in system performance under various stochastic excitations. The URC design appears to be the most optimal method as it reduced the probability of slight damage to 8.7%, compared with 11.6% and 19.2% for the case of CRC and a stochastic linear quadratic regulator, respectively. Under the Kobe ground motion, the normalized peak drift displacement with respect to stochastic linear quadratic regulator is reduced to 0.78 and 0.81 for the URC and CRC cases, respectively, at comparable control force levels. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Three-dimensional nonlinear analysis for seismic soil–pile-structure interaction

A three-dimensional method of analysis is presented for the seismic response of structures constructed on pile foundations. An analysis is formulated in the time domain and the effects of material nonlinearity of soil on the seismic response are investigated. A subsystem model consisting of a structure subsystem and a pile-foundation subsystem is used. Seismic response of the system is found using a successive-coupling incremental solution scheme. Both subsystems are assumed to be coupled at each time step. Material nonlinearity is accounted for by incorporating an advanced plasticity-based soil model, HiSS, in the finite element formulation. Both single piles and pile groups are considered and the effects of kinematic and inertial interaction on seismic response are investigated while considering harmonic and transient excitations. It is seen that nonlinearity significantly affects seismic response of pile foundations as well as that of structures. Effects of nonlinearity on response are dependent on the frequency of excitation with nonlinearity causing an increase in response at low frequencies of excitation.