Pull-out behaviour of wood bolt fully grouted by PS-F slurry in rammed earth heritages

This article presents a laboratory and field investigation of pull-out resistance of wood bolts in rammed earth heritages. The laboratory testing involved axial tensile tests of four grout specimens prepared in specially designed moulds using PS-F (Potassium Silicate solution-Fly ash) slurry to investigate the performance of anchors. The field testing involved pull-out tests of three wood anchors installed in rammed earth heritages by gravity grouting. Experiments reveal that the failure mode is the pull-out of bolt from grout and average skin friction resistance of bolt–grout interface is approximately 0.34MPa. Load–displacement curves and elastic–residual displacement derived from cyclic loading indicate such anchor system has strong ductility with small elastic deformation and large residual deformation. Bond collapse firstly occurs at the loaded end and then propagates towards the full bonded length. Bond stress distribution is not uniform along the bonded length. Maximum bond stress distributes at the range from 0.3 m to 0.4 m. Emergence of compressive strain in the interface reveals such anchor system enjoys the advantages of both tensile and compressive anchor types, which significantly differs from results from other regular bolts. The research conclusion makes scientific senses to traditional material and craft in rammed earth heritages.     

Ancient charcoal as a natural archive for paleofire regime and vegetation change in the Mayumbe,Democratic Republic of the Congo

Charcoal was sampled in four soil profiles at the Mayumbe forest boundary (DRC). Five fire events were recorded and 44 charcoal types were identified. One stratified profile yielded charcoal assemblages around 530 cal yr BP and > 43.5 cal ka BP in age. The oldest assemblage precedes the period of recorded anthropogenic burning, illustrating occasional long-term absence of fire but also natural wildfire occurrences within tropical rainforest. No other charcoal assemblages older than 2500 cal yr BP were recorded, perhaps due to bioturbation and colluvial reworking. The recorded paleofires were possibly associated with short-lived climate anomalies. Progressively dry climatic conditions since ca. 4000 cal yr BP onward did not promote paleofire occurrence until increasing seasonality affected vegetation at the end of the third millennium BP, as illustrated by a fire occurring in mature rainforest that persisted until around 2050 cal yr BP. During a drought episode coinciding with the ‘Medieval Climate Anomaly’, mature rainforest was locally replaced by woodland savanna. Charcoal remains from pioneer forest indicate that fire hampered forest regeneration after climatic drought episodes. The presence of pottery shards and oil-palm endocarps associated with two relatively recent paleofires suggests that the effects of climate variability were amplified by human activities.     

顺逆铣加工刷柄曲面的若干特性分析

刷柄侧曲面是典型的曲线形外型表面，其加工方式有顺铣和逆铣两种方法．本文分析了两种铣削方法分别对铣削过程中的切削力，工件表面不平度等几个重要参数的影响，提出了木制品曲面加工中顺铣较逆铣具有消耗动力小，刀具耐用度高，工件不易破裂，加工表面平整等几个突出优点．     

Stream nitrate levels in a small catchment in south west England over a period of 35 years (1970–2005)

This study considers a 35‐year record of streamwater nitrate concentration in a small agricultural catchment in south west England (Slapton Wood). The study revisits earlier work to assess whether upward trends have been maintained and how the controls upon streamwater concentration have been altered. The study has shown that (1) the catchment has reached a new position of equilibrium and increases in nitrate concentration have lessened; (2) the occurrence of severe drought in the record means that records of less than a decade are misleading and only long‐term records can illustrate changes of state; (3) the change of state observed in the catchment is illustrated in the switching of long‐term memory effects from a negative to a positive annual memory and (4) several significant long‐term impulsivity relationships with rainfall that become insignificant over the course of the study period. The study shows the importance of long‐term records in understanding changes in state in catchments and understanding the time constants of a range of driving processes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distribution and dynamics of large woody debris and organic matter in a low-energy meandering stream

This field-based study, using a combination of bed sediment sampling and large woody debris (LWD) tracking, explores the storage of organic matter and mobility of LWD in Poplar Creek, a low-energy meandering river that contains a diverse arrangement of large woody debris (LWD). This research addresses the following questions: 1) Does LWD influence the spatial pattern of the storage of benthic organic matter in meander bends? 2) How mobile is the LWD in low-gradient meandering systems? 3) Do characteristics of LWD such as length/bankfull channel width ratio, affect movement? Based on detailed sampling of sediment and LWD monitoring, this study provides a detailed representation of the influence of LWD on the storage of benthic organic matter in meander bends, as well as a detailed documentation of the mobility of LWD in the study reach. This study has demonstrated that: 1) LWD strongly influences patterns of storage of benthic organic matter in low-gradient meander bends; 2) removal of LWD from meander bends in low-gradient systems can substantially reduce the storage of benthic organic matter; and 3) the LWD within the study reach at Poplar Creek is highly mobile. The high mobility of LWD, observed in this study, contrasts with the rates observed in high-gradient systems and suggests that LWD-influenced patterns of storage of organic matter are temporally variable and that storage of benthic organic matter occurs in pulses, interspersed with transport, that are keyed to the mobility of LWD. Although LWD may exert an equally significant control over patterns of storage of organic matter in high- and low-gradient systems, the differences in the mobility rates of LWD suggest a fundamental difference in the dynamics of LWD-mediated organic matter between low- and high-gradient systems.     

Packed‐Column of Granular Activated Carbons for Removal of Chemical Oxygen Demand from Industrial Wastewater

In the present study, chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal by packed‐columns of activated carbon (AC) derived from two different materials (coal activated carbon, CAC and wood activated carbon, WAC) is reported as part of an on‐site wastewater treatment system for handling small volumes of wastewater generated at wood‐floor industries for which there are no proper on‐site treatment options available in the market. The performance of the sorbents, the effect of bed depth (0.19 and 0.57 m) and volumetric load (0.10 and 0.24 m h^?1) on the breakthrough curve of sorption systems were studied. The results indicated the feasibility of using both ACs to treat these wastewaters. At the bed depth (0.57 m), volumetric load (0.24 m h^?1), and 30% breakthrough, CAC and WAC showed treatment capacity of 40.5 L kg^?1 in 250 h and 23.8 L kg^?1 in 63 h, respectively. This indicated that CAC requires longer retention times to reach a performance similar to WAC. The experimental data was fit into the bed depth‐service time model showing that under the same conditions, CAC had higher maximum sorption capacity (N₀) than WAC. Moreover, thermal regeneration at 500°C temperature could be a cost‐effective procedure since the reuse of spent AC through such regeneration process for further treatment could still achieve 90% of the initial sorption capacity, reducing then costs for the use of new sorbents and also the need for waste disposal.     

The use of woods-run chips in filter socks to control erosion and sedimentation during petroleum development in the Appalachian Basin

Filter socks frequently are used for erosion and sediment perimeter control during oil and gas development activities in the Appalachian Basin of the United States. Regulations specify the use of composted wood material for sock construction. This specification, as opposed to non-composted or fresh wood chips (woods-run), has created inefficiencies during well site construction. Rather than use fresh wood chips created during site construction, composted chips must be procured and used as filter sock media for erosion and sedimentation mitigation. If woods-run chips could be used as filter sock media instead of composted chips, there could be a significant reduction in energy/capital costs, truck traffic, and disposal costs. The primary objective of this research project was to compare the effectiveness of woods-run material versus traditionally composted wood chips in controlling sediment transport as well as other chemical and physical parameters in a laboratory setting. No significant differences in pH (5.96 versus 6.02) or conductivity (0.029 dS/m versus 0.035 dS/m) were found in sediment laden water filtered through woods-run versus composted chips, respectively. However, chip particle sizes were outside the allowable limits for composted sock media, and moisture content also was outside the specified limits for woods-run chips. Nitrate (NO₃) concentrations were significantly higher in woods-run, while phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) concentrations were greater in composted chips; however none of the N,P, or K concentrations were above the regulatory requirements. Finally, no difference in the filtering efficiency or time was found between woods-run and composted material. The laboratory results indicate that current regulations allowing the use of woods-run chips in all but the highest quality watersheds is justified.     

Distribution of thallium and accompanying metals in tree rings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from a smelter-affected area

Distribution of Tl, Zn, Cd, Pb, K, Ca, Mg and Mn and Pb isotopic composition in tree rings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from an area affected by primary Zn smelting (Olkusz, southern Poland) were investigated. Elevated concentrations of Tl (up to 0.8 mg kg⁻¹) in pine trees imply that conifers tend to accumulate this metal to some extent. A generally positive relationship between soil and tree-ring Tl levels was identified. The Tl patterns in stem wood did not correspond to changes in Tl deposition; the lateral translocation of Tl in the sapwood and its accumulation at the sapwood-heartwood boundary (i.e., in the inner sapwood) is suggested. It is probable that the specific behavior of Tl in trees results from its biogeochemical analogy with K. In contrast, tree-ring patterns of Zn and Cd significantly correlated with their deposition; nevertheless, a partial shift of these metals towards the stem center cannot be excluded. The isotopic composition of Pb (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ~ 1.172–1.184) in trees and underlying soils revealed the predominant influence of smelter emissions (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ~ 1.17) on Pb contamination. Analysis of main nutrients (Ca, Mg and Mn) in wood reflected environmental changes related to acid deposition.