An investigation of engineering and environmental concerns relating to proposed highway construction in a karst terrane

The proposed realignment of a portion of US Highway 58 near Gibson Station, Lee County, Virginia, indicated significant potential impacts to Young-Fugate Cave, a listed Significant Cave. Field inspection of the site in November 1991, revealed fill for the northbound lane would extend in excess of 100 m into the Fugate blind valley and to within 40 m of the Fugate insurgence. Questions were raised about the risks involved in placing a soil fill across an active blind valley and the extent of the geotechnical investigation. The plans-contained no provisions to direct runoff of road salt or leaks and spills from accessing the Fugate insurgence and thereby endangering two species of troglobitic aquatic crustaceans and a unique troglobitic beetle known to inhabit the cave. Concerns about the distances between the roadbed and cave passages prompted a resurvey of the 1.63-km-long cave. Survey teams encountered groundwater pollution problems in the cave. While exiting the cave, two team members lagging behind another surveyor had to press against the cave walls to avoid a shower of raw sewage. Neither the lead surveyor or the team following, separated by minutes, witnessed the event. On the second field day, survey teams were driven from the cave by petroleum fumes at a second location. Subsequent surface investigations revealed a homeowner complaint of petroleum fumes in their basement and a leaking underground storage tank (LUST) site at an active service station. Tank replacement has resolved the gasoline fume complaint. The sewage inputs to the cave have yet to be located or resolved. Based on the available data at the time this paper was submitted for the Sinkhole Conference, there appeared to be on the order of 10 m between the ceiling of the stream passage and the proposed roadbed; however, unsurveyed cave passages were known to cross over the stream passage in the area where the proposed highway would cross the cave. The Virginia Cave Board is negotiating modifications to this construction proposal based on the engineering and environmental problems at this site.     

Land cover change along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway and Railway from 1981 to 2001

Based on the NOAA AVHRR-NDVI monthly data from 1981 to 2001, the spatial distribution and dynamic change of land cover along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway and Railway were studied. The results of the analytical data indicate that the NDVI values in July, August and September are rather high during a year, and a linear trend by calculating NDVI of each pixel computed based on the average values of NDVI in July, August and September were obtained. The results are as follows: 1) Land cover of the study area by NDVI displays high at two sides of the area and low in the center, and agriculture area > alpine meadow > alpine grassland > desert grassland. 2) In the study area, the amount of pixels with high increase, slight increase, no change, slight decrease and high decrease account for 0.29%, 14.86%, 67.61%, 16.7% and 0.57% of the whole area, respectively. The increase of land cover pixels is mainly in the agriculture and alpine meadow and the decrease pixels mainly in the alpine grassland, desert grassland and hungriness. Grassland and hungriness contribute to the decrease mostly and artificial land and meadow contribute to the increase mostly. 3) In the area where human beings live, the changing trend is obvious, such as the valleys of Lhasa River and Huangshui River and area along the Yellow River; in the high altitude area with fewer people living, the changing trend is relatively low, like the area of Hoh Xil. 4) Human being’s behaviors are a key factor followed by the climate changes affecting land cover.     

宝天高速公路沿线保护生态环境总经济价值评估

条件价值评估法是当前国际上流行的衡量环境物品非利用经济价值的唯一方法。通过调查居民针对不同环境状况变化的支付意愿,从而定量确定环境状况变化带来的经济效益和损失。针对宝天高速公路修建过程中沿线保护生态环境的问题,用支付卡的方法设计了320份调查问卷,调查了沿线居民对保护宝天高速公路沿线生态环境的支付意愿(WTP)。结果表明:在宝天高速公路修路过程中采取各种技术措施,使沿线的生态环境尽可能保持原样,沿线总共有84.33%的居民家庭有支付意愿,有支付意愿家庭的平均支付意愿为每年每户62.17元,将这一结果推广到面上,得到保护宝天高速公路沿线生态环境的总经济价值为:5781 756元。     

西藏中尼公路(K4770+500～K4771+200段)卡如滑坡研究

中尼公路是联结西藏与内地,西藏与尼泊尔的重要交通要道。自通车以来,K4770 500~K4771 200段一直受到滑坡的影响,威胁着交通及行人安全。论文通过系统分析,阐述了滑坡形成的机理。并通过数值模拟和计算,为滑坡的稳定性进行了分析和计算,为滑坡的治理提供了理论依据。     

帕隆藏布江特大型泥石流的成灾模式及防治对策——以扎木镇-古乡段为例

文章通过对雅鲁藏布江的Ⅰ级支流—帕隆藏布江扎木镇-古乡段辫状水系地貌的研究,认为其与两岸支谷发育的泥石流群有关。通过对位于该河段下游的古乡沟和上游的地质弄巴泥石流特征的重点剖析,发现了特大型泥石流发育的2个重要特征,即支谷上游冰蚀围谷中赋存大量巨厚古今冰碛物和支谷中游峡谷段大型崩塌滑坡坝溃决。提出了特大型泥石流的成灾模式,并以该成灾模式解释了2000年易贡巨型滑坡堵江事件。最后,提出了基于上述成灾模式的帕隆藏布江流域特大型泥石流灾害防治的原则和方法。     

天山公路沟谷型泥石流动力学研究

泥石流是天山公路沿线发育最典型的地质灾害,是道路路基、路面、桥涵结构强烈的毁损动力。为了掌握泥石流运动变化规律,正确设置公路泥石流防治结构,提高防治结构防治公路泥石流病害的可靠性,作者开展了泥石流动力学研究。将泥石流体视为均匀介质,基于动量定理,建立了沟槽内泥石流体对沟槽土埂法向冲击力计算方法;基于土质力学、摩擦静力学原理建立了土埂稳定效应计算方法;创建了沟谷泥石流流通沟槽发生改道运动的判断标准。研究成果为合理设置公路泥石流防治结构提供了理论依据、增强了工程结构防治泥石流地质灾害的可靠性,进而提高了道路运输的安全性。     

滇藏公路类乌齐-俄洛桥段地质灾害危险性评估及分区

滇藏公路类乌齐-俄洛桥段地质灾害发生频繁,长期以来一直严重影响了该段公路的正常通行。经实地调查研究发现,沿线存在崩塌、滑坡和泥石流等7类地质灾害,共有各类灾害点48处。为使该段公路改建工程的顺利进行,减少地质灾害对改建后公路的危害,文章结合地质环境条件和灾害特征等对全段地质灾害进行了危险性现状评估和预测评估,运用灾损率法和风险性区划法将评估区划分为7个区,并对这7个区进行了地质灾害危险性综合评估、建设场地适宜性和防治工程重要性分级。经综合评估发现,地质灾害危险性大的地区主要分布在地质条件差的高山峡谷地带,危险性小的地区主要分布在地质条件好的宽谷和山岭地带。最后提出了目前青藏高原地区公路地质灾害危险性评估中存在的问题。     

对新公路勘测规范应用的几点体会

新的公路勘测规范已于2007年7月1日正式实施,在实施过程中,笔者根据自己在工作中使用的切身体会,想谈谈自己对某些规范条文的理解以及采用的相应措施,希望对同行有所帮助和借鉴。     

塔克拉玛干沙漠高大复合纵向沙垄区路面沙害情势的变化特征

为了探讨机械防护体系人工防护工作停止后,公路路面沙害的形成和发育过程,分别于2003年和2007年对塔中地区一段井场路的路面沙害进行了实地测量和卫片室内量测,研究发现在塔克拉玛干沙漠公路复合型纵向沙垄区段,公路芦苇机械防沙体系极度衰竭后,路面沙害情势变化呈现一定的规律性:(1)2003年-2007年四年间公路沙害发展迅速,路面沙害程度进一步加重.路面沙害路段长度以年均2%的比例增加,沙害路段数也快速增加;路面沙害面积以每年平均10%的面积比例快速发展;沙丘前移压埋类型发展速度明显高于积沙类型.(2)沙垄区路面沙害发生频率和路面沙害程度的发展速率要远高于垄间区,在沙垄区次级地貌单元中,垄顶>背风坡>迎风坡;各地貌部位的沙丘前移压埋类型发展速率高于积沙类型.(3)路风夹角在83°～89°之间的路段沙害演化速率最大,其他小夹角沙害演化规律不明显;路面沙害强度的发展速率与路风夹角的关系不明显.     

塔里木沙漠公路风沙危害评估指标体系

本文通过对塔里木沙漠公路沿线风沙危害环境的综合分析,提出了沙漠公路风沙危害程度的评估指标和评估方法,并对不同程度公路沙害的空间分布特征作了概括。