Modelling hydrological performance of a bauxite residue profile for deposition management of a storage facility
- Shaygan, Mandana, Usher, Brent, Baumgartl, Thomas
- Authors: Shaygan, Mandana , Usher, Brent , Baumgartl, Thomas
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 12, no. 7 (2020), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Accurate scheduling of bauxite residue (red mud) deposition time is required in order to prevent the risk of storage facility failure. This study was conducted to precisely determine the hydraulic parameters of bauxite residue and investigate the capability of HYDRUS to accurately estimate the residue moisture profile and the timing for its deposition. The hydraulic properties of the bauxite residue profile were determined by solving an inverse problem. A one-dimensional hydrological model (HYDRUS-1D) was validated using a 300 mm long column filled with bauxite residue and exposed to a dynamic lower boundary condition. After numerical validation, the model was used to simulate the moisture profile of bauxite residue under the climatic conditions of an alumina refinery site in Queensland, Australia, as well as other scenarios (i.e., high (300 mm) and small (1.7 mm) rainfall events of the site). This study showed that the HYDRUS model can be used as a predictive tool to precisely estimate the moisture profile of the bauxite residue and that the timing for the re-deposition of the bauxite residue can be estimated by understanding the moisture profile and desired shear strength of the residue. This study revealed that the examined bauxite residue approaches field capacity (water potential-10 kPa) after three days from a low rainfall event (<1.7 mm) and after eight days from an intense rainfall event (300 mm) at the time of disposal. This suggests that the bauxite residue can be deposited every four days after low rainfall events (as low as 1.7 mm) and every nine days after high rainfall events (as high as 300 mm) at the time of deposition, if bauxite residue experiences an initial drying period following deposition. © 2020 by the authors.
- Authors: Shaygan, Mandana , Usher, Brent , Baumgartl, Thomas
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 12, no. 7 (2020), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Accurate scheduling of bauxite residue (red mud) deposition time is required in order to prevent the risk of storage facility failure. This study was conducted to precisely determine the hydraulic parameters of bauxite residue and investigate the capability of HYDRUS to accurately estimate the residue moisture profile and the timing for its deposition. The hydraulic properties of the bauxite residue profile were determined by solving an inverse problem. A one-dimensional hydrological model (HYDRUS-1D) was validated using a 300 mm long column filled with bauxite residue and exposed to a dynamic lower boundary condition. After numerical validation, the model was used to simulate the moisture profile of bauxite residue under the climatic conditions of an alumina refinery site in Queensland, Australia, as well as other scenarios (i.e., high (300 mm) and small (1.7 mm) rainfall events of the site). This study showed that the HYDRUS model can be used as a predictive tool to precisely estimate the moisture profile of the bauxite residue and that the timing for the re-deposition of the bauxite residue can be estimated by understanding the moisture profile and desired shear strength of the residue. This study revealed that the examined bauxite residue approaches field capacity (water potential-10 kPa) after three days from a low rainfall event (<1.7 mm) and after eight days from an intense rainfall event (300 mm) at the time of disposal. This suggests that the bauxite residue can be deposited every four days after low rainfall events (as low as 1.7 mm) and every nine days after high rainfall events (as high as 300 mm) at the time of deposition, if bauxite residue experiences an initial drying period following deposition. © 2020 by the authors.
Palaeoenvironmental change in tropical Australasia over the last 30,000 years - a synthesis by the OZ-INTIMATE group
- Reeves, Jessica, Bostock, Helen, Ayliffe, Linda, Barrows, Timothy, De Deckker, Patrick, Devriendt, Laurent, Dunbar, Gavin, Drysdale, Russell, Fitzsimmons, Kathryn, Gagan, Michael, Griffiths, Michael, Haberle, Simon, Jansen, John, Krause, Claire, Lewis, Stephen, McGregor, Helen, Mooney, Scott, Moss, Patrick, Nanson, Gerald, Purcell, Anthony, van der Kaars, Sander
- Authors: Reeves, Jessica , Bostock, Helen , Ayliffe, Linda , Barrows, Timothy , De Deckker, Patrick , Devriendt, Laurent , Dunbar, Gavin , Drysdale, Russell , Fitzsimmons, Kathryn , Gagan, Michael , Griffiths, Michael , Haberle, Simon , Jansen, John , Krause, Claire , Lewis, Stephen , McGregor, Helen , Mooney, Scott , Moss, Patrick , Nanson, Gerald , Purcell, Anthony , van der Kaars, Sander
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Quaternary Science Reviews Vol. 74, no. (2013), p. 97-114
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The tropics are the major source of heat and moisture for the Australasian region. Determining the tropics' response over time to changes in climate forcing mechanisms, such as summer insolation, and the effects of relative sea level on exposed continental shelves during the Last Glacial period, is an ongoing process of re-evaluation. We present a synthesis of climate proxy data from tropical Australasia spanning the last 30,000 years that incorporates deep sea core, coral, speleothem, pollen, charcoal and terrestrial sedimentary records.Today, seasonal variability is governed largely by the annual migration of the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ), influencing this region most strongly during the austral summer. However, the position of the ITCZ has varied through time. Towards the end of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, conditions were far wetter throughout the region, becoming drier first in the south. Universally cooler land and sea-surface temperature (SST) were characteristic of the Last Glacial Maximum, with drier conditions than previously, although episodic wet periods are noted in the fluvial records of northern Australia. The deglacial period saw warming first in the Coral Sea and then the Indonesian seas, with a pause in this trend around the time of the Antarctic Cold Reversal (c. 14.5ka), coincident with the flooding of the Sunda Shelf. Wetter conditions occurred first in Indonesia around 17ka and northern Australia after 14ka. The early Holocene saw a peak in marine SST to the northwest and northeast of Australia. Modern vegetation was first established on Indonesia, then progressively south and eastward to NE Australia. Flores and the Atherton Tablelands show a dry period around 11.6ka, steadily becoming wetter through the early Holocene. The mid-late Holocene was punctuated by millennial-scale variability, associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation; this is evident in the marine, coral, speleothem and pollen records of the region. © 2012.
- Description: 4 Earth Sciences
- Description: 21 History And Archaelogy
- Description: 2003011213
- Authors: Reeves, Jessica , Bostock, Helen , Ayliffe, Linda , Barrows, Timothy , De Deckker, Patrick , Devriendt, Laurent , Dunbar, Gavin , Drysdale, Russell , Fitzsimmons, Kathryn , Gagan, Michael , Griffiths, Michael , Haberle, Simon , Jansen, John , Krause, Claire , Lewis, Stephen , McGregor, Helen , Mooney, Scott , Moss, Patrick , Nanson, Gerald , Purcell, Anthony , van der Kaars, Sander
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Quaternary Science Reviews Vol. 74, no. (2013), p. 97-114
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The tropics are the major source of heat and moisture for the Australasian region. Determining the tropics' response over time to changes in climate forcing mechanisms, such as summer insolation, and the effects of relative sea level on exposed continental shelves during the Last Glacial period, is an ongoing process of re-evaluation. We present a synthesis of climate proxy data from tropical Australasia spanning the last 30,000 years that incorporates deep sea core, coral, speleothem, pollen, charcoal and terrestrial sedimentary records.Today, seasonal variability is governed largely by the annual migration of the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ), influencing this region most strongly during the austral summer. However, the position of the ITCZ has varied through time. Towards the end of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, conditions were far wetter throughout the region, becoming drier first in the south. Universally cooler land and sea-surface temperature (SST) were characteristic of the Last Glacial Maximum, with drier conditions than previously, although episodic wet periods are noted in the fluvial records of northern Australia. The deglacial period saw warming first in the Coral Sea and then the Indonesian seas, with a pause in this trend around the time of the Antarctic Cold Reversal (c. 14.5ka), coincident with the flooding of the Sunda Shelf. Wetter conditions occurred first in Indonesia around 17ka and northern Australia after 14ka. The early Holocene saw a peak in marine SST to the northwest and northeast of Australia. Modern vegetation was first established on Indonesia, then progressively south and eastward to NE Australia. Flores and the Atherton Tablelands show a dry period around 11.6ka, steadily becoming wetter through the early Holocene. The mid-late Holocene was punctuated by millennial-scale variability, associated with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation; this is evident in the marine, coral, speleothem and pollen records of the region. © 2012.
- Description: 4 Earth Sciences
- Description: 21 History And Archaelogy
- Description: 2003011213
Numerical modelling of desiccation cracking
- Amarasiri, Aruna, Kodikara, Jayantha, Costa, Susanga
- Authors: Amarasiri, Aruna , Kodikara, Jayantha , Costa, Susanga
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal for Numerical and Analytical Methods in Geomechanics Vol. 35, no. 1 (2011), p. 82-96
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The ability to model and predict the formation of desiccation cracks is potentially beneficial in many applications such as clay liner design, earth dam construction, and crop science, etc. However, most studies have focused on statistical analysis of crack patterns and qualitative study of contributing factors to crack development rather than prediction. Because it is exceedingly difficult to capture the nonlinear processes during desiccation in analytical modelling, most such models handle crack formation without considering variation of material properties with time, and are unattractive to use in realistic modelling. The data obtained from laboratory experiments on clay soil desiccating in moulds were used as a basis to develop a more refined model of desiccation cracking. In this study, the properties, such as matric suction, stiffness and tensile strength of soil, and base adhesion, could be expressed approximately as functions of moisture content. The initial conditions and the development of suction due to desiccation and the varying material properties were inputted to UDEC, a distinct element code, using its internal programming language FISH. The model was able to capture some essential physical aspects of crack evolution in soil contained in moulds with varying lengths, heights, and materials of construction. Extension of this methodology is potentially beneficial not only for modelling desiccation cracking in clay, but also in other systems with evolving material properties such as concrete structures and road pavements.
- Yan, Ping-yu, Wang, Li-jun, Li, Dong, Adhikari, Benu, Mao, Zhihuai
- Authors: Yan, Ping-yu , Wang, Li-jun , Li, Dong , Adhikari, Benu , Mao, Zhihuai
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Agricultural Engineering Journal Vol. 25, no. 1 (2016), p. 38-42
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The effect of moisture content on the thermal properties of rice embryos was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A long grain hybrid rice variety (Jinyou 974) grown in Hunan Province of China was selected in this investigation. The temperature scanning tests were carried out from 20°C to 180°C at different heating rates from 2°C/min to 20°C/min. Consistently higher values of glass transition temperature (Tg) were measured when higher heating rates were used during DSC measurements at every set of moisture contents. The Tg values decreased from (65.28±0.38)°C to (31.08±0.26)°C with increase in moisture content from (10.7±0.3)% to (22.0±0.7)% (w/w). The analysis of variance and the regression analysis showed that both the linear function and Gordon Taylor model can adequately represent the variation of Tg with moisture content (R2 > 0.96).
- Filipović, Vilim, Defterdarović, Jasmina, Krevh, Vedran, Filipović, Lana, Ondrašek, Gabrijel, Kranjčec, Filip, Magdić, Ivan, Rubinić, Vedran, Stipičević, Sanja, Mustać, Ivan, Bubalo Kovačić, Marina, He, Hailong, Haghverdi, Amir, Gerke, Horst
- Authors: Filipović, Vilim , Defterdarović, Jasmina , Krevh, Vedran , Filipović, Lana , Ondrašek, Gabrijel , Kranjčec, Filip , Magdić, Ivan , Rubinić, Vedran , Stipičević, Sanja , Mustać, Ivan , Bubalo Kovačić, Marina , He, Hailong , Haghverdi, Amir , Gerke, Horst
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Agronomy (Basel) Vol. 12, no. 1 (2021), p. 33
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Erosion has been reported as one of the top degradation processes that negatively affect agricultural soils. The study objective was to identify hydropedological factors controlling soil water dynamics in erosion-affected hillslope vineyard soils. The hydropedological study was conducted at identically-managed Jastrebarsko (location I), and Jazbina (II) and (III) sites with Stagnosol soils. Soil Hydraulic Properties (SHP) were estimated on intact soil cores using Evaporation and WP4C methodssoil hydraulic functions were fitted using HYPROP-FIT software. For Apg and Bg/Btg horizons, uni- and bimodal soil hydraulic models could be well fitted to data although, the bimodal model performed better in particular cases where data indicated non-uniform pore size distribution. With these SHP estimations, a one-year (2020) water flow scenario was simulated using HYDRUS-1D to compare water balance results obtained with uni- and bimodal hydraulic functions. Simulation results revealed relatively similar flux distribution at each hillslope position between the water balance components infiltration, surface runoff, and drainage. However, at the bottom profile at Jastrebarsko, bimodality of the hydraulic functions led to increased drainage. Soil water storage was reduced, and the vertical movement increased due to modified soil water retention curve shapes. Adequate parameterization of SHP is required to capture the hydropedological response of heterogenous erosion-affected soil systems.
Modeling water flow and phosphorus sorption in a soil amended with sewage sludge and olive pomace as compost or biochar
- Filipović, Vilim, Černe, Marko, Šimůnek, Jiří, Filipović, Lana, Romić, Marija, Ondrašek, Gabrijel, Bogunović, Igor, Mustać, Ivan, Krevh, Vedran, Ferenčević, Anja, Robinson, David, Palčić, Igor, Pasković, Igor, Goreta Ban, Smiljana, Užila, Zoran, Ban, Dean
- Authors: Filipović, Vilim , Černe, Marko , Šimůnek, Jiří , Filipović, Lana , Romić, Marija , Ondrašek, Gabrijel , Bogunović, Igor , Mustać, Ivan , Krevh, Vedran , Ferenčević, Anja , Robinson, David , Palčić, Igor , Pasković, Igor , Goreta Ban, Smiljana , Užila, Zoran , Ban, Dean
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Agronomy (Basel) Vol. 10, no. 8 (2020), p. 1163
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Organic amendments are often reported to improve soil properties, promote plant growth, and improve crop yield. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the biochar and compost produced from sewage sludge and olive pomace on soil hydraulic properties, water flow, and P transport (i.e., sorption) using numerical modeling (HYDRUS-1D) applied to two soil types (Terra Rosa and Rendzina). Evaporation and leaching experiments on soil cores and repacked soil columns were performed to determine the soil water retention, hydraulic conductivity, P leaching potential, and P sorption capacity of these mixtures. In the majority of treatments, the soil water retention showed a small increase compared to the control soil. A reliable fit with the modified van Genuchten model was found, which was also confirmed by water flow modeling of leaching experiments (R2 0.99). The results showed a high P sorption in all the treatments (Kd 21.24 to 53.68 cm3 g−1), and a high model reliability when the inverse modeling procedure was used (R2 0.93–0.99). Overall, adding sewage sludge or olive pomace as compost or biochar improved the Terra Rosa and Rendzina water retention and did not increase the P mobility in these soils, proving to be a sustainable source of carbon and P-rich materials.
- Authors: Filipović, Vilim , Černe, Marko , Šimůnek, Jiří , Filipović, Lana , Romić, Marija , Ondrašek, Gabrijel , Bogunović, Igor , Mustać, Ivan , Krevh, Vedran , Ferenčević, Anja , Robinson, David , Palčić, Igor , Pasković, Igor , Goreta Ban, Smiljana , Užila, Zoran , Ban, Dean
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Agronomy (Basel) Vol. 10, no. 8 (2020), p. 1163
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Organic amendments are often reported to improve soil properties, promote plant growth, and improve crop yield. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the biochar and compost produced from sewage sludge and olive pomace on soil hydraulic properties, water flow, and P transport (i.e., sorption) using numerical modeling (HYDRUS-1D) applied to two soil types (Terra Rosa and Rendzina). Evaporation and leaching experiments on soil cores and repacked soil columns were performed to determine the soil water retention, hydraulic conductivity, P leaching potential, and P sorption capacity of these mixtures. In the majority of treatments, the soil water retention showed a small increase compared to the control soil. A reliable fit with the modified van Genuchten model was found, which was also confirmed by water flow modeling of leaching experiments (R2 0.99). The results showed a high P sorption in all the treatments (Kd 21.24 to 53.68 cm3 g−1), and a high model reliability when the inverse modeling procedure was used (R2 0.93–0.99). Overall, adding sewage sludge or olive pomace as compost or biochar improved the Terra Rosa and Rendzina water retention and did not increase the P mobility in these soils, proving to be a sustainable source of carbon and P-rich materials.
Determination of soil hydraulic parameters and evaluation of water dynamics and nitrate leaching in the unsaturated layered zone: A modeling case study in Central Croatia
- Defterdarović, Jasmina, Filipović, Lana, Kranjčec, Filip, Ondrašek, Gabrijel, Kikić, Diana, Novosel, Alen, Mustać, Ivan, Krevh, Vedran, Magdić, Ivan, Rubinić, Vedran, Bogunović, Igor, Dugan, Ivan, Čopec, Krešimir, He, Hailong, Filipović, Vilim
- Authors: Defterdarović, Jasmina , Filipović, Lana , Kranjčec, Filip , Ondrašek, Gabrijel , Kikić, Diana , Novosel, Alen , Mustać, Ivan , Krevh, Vedran , Magdić, Ivan , Rubinić, Vedran , Bogunović, Igor , Dugan, Ivan , Čopec, Krešimir , He, Hailong , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2021
- Type: Journal article
- Relation: Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 12 (2021), p. 6688
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Nitrate leaching through soil layers to groundwater may cause significant degradation of natural resources. The aims of this study were: (i) to estimate soil hydraulic properties (SHPs) of the similar soil type with same management on various locations (ii) to determine annual water dynamics and (iii) to estimate the impact of subsoil horizon properties on nitrate leaching. The final goal was to compare the influence of different SHPs and layering on water dynamics and nitrate leaching. The study was conducted in central Croatia (Zagreb), at four locations on Calcaric Phaeozem, Calcaric Regosol, and Calcaric Fluvic Phaeozem soil types. Soil hydraulic parameters were estimated using the HYPROP system and HYPROP-FIT software. Water dynamics and nitrate leaching were evaluated using HYDRUS 2D/3D during a period of 365 days. The amount of water in the soil under saturated conditions varied from 0.422 to 0.535 cm3 cm−3 while the hydraulic conductivity varied from 3 cm day−1 to 990.9 cm day−1. Even though all locations have the same land use and climatic conditions with similar physical properties, hydraulic parameters varied substantially. The amount and velocity of transported nitrate (HYDRUS 2D/3D) were affected by reduced hydraulic conductivity of the subsoil as nitrates are primarily transported via advective flux. Despite the large differences in SHPs of the topsoil layers, the deeper soil layers, having similar SHPs, imposed a buffering effect preventing faster nitrate downward transport. This contributed to a very similar distribution of nitrates through the soil profile at the end of simulation period. This case study indicated the importance of carefully selecting relevant parameters in multilayered soil systems when evaluating groundwater pollution risk.
- Authors: Defterdarović, Jasmina , Filipović, Lana , Kranjčec, Filip , Ondrašek, Gabrijel , Kikić, Diana , Novosel, Alen , Mustać, Ivan , Krevh, Vedran , Magdić, Ivan , Rubinić, Vedran , Bogunović, Igor , Dugan, Ivan , Čopec, Krešimir , He, Hailong , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2021
- Type: Journal article
- Relation: Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 12 (2021), p. 6688
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Nitrate leaching through soil layers to groundwater may cause significant degradation of natural resources. The aims of this study were: (i) to estimate soil hydraulic properties (SHPs) of the similar soil type with same management on various locations (ii) to determine annual water dynamics and (iii) to estimate the impact of subsoil horizon properties on nitrate leaching. The final goal was to compare the influence of different SHPs and layering on water dynamics and nitrate leaching. The study was conducted in central Croatia (Zagreb), at four locations on Calcaric Phaeozem, Calcaric Regosol, and Calcaric Fluvic Phaeozem soil types. Soil hydraulic parameters were estimated using the HYPROP system and HYPROP-FIT software. Water dynamics and nitrate leaching were evaluated using HYDRUS 2D/3D during a period of 365 days. The amount of water in the soil under saturated conditions varied from 0.422 to 0.535 cm3 cm−3 while the hydraulic conductivity varied from 3 cm day−1 to 990.9 cm day−1. Even though all locations have the same land use and climatic conditions with similar physical properties, hydraulic parameters varied substantially. The amount and velocity of transported nitrate (HYDRUS 2D/3D) were affected by reduced hydraulic conductivity of the subsoil as nitrates are primarily transported via advective flux. Despite the large differences in SHPs of the topsoil layers, the deeper soil layers, having similar SHPs, imposed a buffering effect preventing faster nitrate downward transport. This contributed to a very similar distribution of nitrates through the soil profile at the end of simulation period. This case study indicated the importance of carefully selecting relevant parameters in multilayered soil systems when evaluating groundwater pollution risk.
Characterisation of the deformation behaviour of unbound granular materials using repeated load triaxial testing
- Authors: Zhalehjoo, Negin
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Unbound Granular Materials (UGMs) are used in the base/subbase layers of flexible pavements for the majority of roads around the world. The deterioration of pavements increases with the increase of traffic loadings. To ensure the long-term performance and serviceability of pavement structures through a realistic design, the precise evaluation and comprehensive characterisation of the resilient and permanent deformation behaviour of pavement materials are essential. The present PhD study aims to investigate the characterisation of the resilient and permanent deformation behaviour of four road base UGMs sourced from quarries in Victoria, Australia, using Repeated Load Triaxial (RLT) testing. The triaxial system used in this study is instrumented with four axial deformation measurement transducers to achieve highly precise measurements and to evaluate the effect of instrumentation on the resilient modulus of UGMs. The resilient Poisson’s ratio of the studied UGMs is also determined using a radial Hall-Effect transducer. Moreover, a series of permanent deformation tests is performed to precisely characterise the axial and radial permanent deformation behaviour of UGMs and investigate the factors that may significantly influence the accumulated axial and radial permanent deformations. Finally, three permanent deformation models incorporated with a time-hardening procedure are employed to predict the magnitude of permanent strain for multiple stress levels of the RLT test. The predictions using the employed models are then compared against the measured values to evaluate the suitability of the models and to identify the model that best predicts the strain accumulation behaviour of the tested UGMs. While this study focuses on the resilient and permanent deformation behaviour of four Victorian UGMs under repeated loading, the knowledge generated from this comprehensive investigation will contribute towards the global development of more reliable methods for evaluating the long-term performance of pavement structures and minimising road maintenance and repair costs.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Zhalehjoo, Negin
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: Unbound Granular Materials (UGMs) are used in the base/subbase layers of flexible pavements for the majority of roads around the world. The deterioration of pavements increases with the increase of traffic loadings. To ensure the long-term performance and serviceability of pavement structures through a realistic design, the precise evaluation and comprehensive characterisation of the resilient and permanent deformation behaviour of pavement materials are essential. The present PhD study aims to investigate the characterisation of the resilient and permanent deformation behaviour of four road base UGMs sourced from quarries in Victoria, Australia, using Repeated Load Triaxial (RLT) testing. The triaxial system used in this study is instrumented with four axial deformation measurement transducers to achieve highly precise measurements and to evaluate the effect of instrumentation on the resilient modulus of UGMs. The resilient Poisson’s ratio of the studied UGMs is also determined using a radial Hall-Effect transducer. Moreover, a series of permanent deformation tests is performed to precisely characterise the axial and radial permanent deformation behaviour of UGMs and investigate the factors that may significantly influence the accumulated axial and radial permanent deformations. Finally, three permanent deformation models incorporated with a time-hardening procedure are employed to predict the magnitude of permanent strain for multiple stress levels of the RLT test. The predictions using the employed models are then compared against the measured values to evaluate the suitability of the models and to identify the model that best predicts the strain accumulation behaviour of the tested UGMs. While this study focuses on the resilient and permanent deformation behaviour of four Victorian UGMs under repeated loading, the knowledge generated from this comprehensive investigation will contribute towards the global development of more reliable methods for evaluating the long-term performance of pavement structures and minimising road maintenance and repair costs.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Global environmental changes impact soil hydraulic functions through biophysical feedbacks
- Robinson, David, Hopmans, Jan, Filipovic, Vilim, van der Ploeg, Martine, Lebron, Inma, Jones, Scott, Reinsch, Sabine, Jarvis, Nick, Tuller, Markus
- Authors: Robinson, David , Hopmans, Jan , Filipovic, Vilim , van der Ploeg, Martine , Lebron, Inma , Jones, Scott , Reinsch, Sabine , Jarvis, Nick , Tuller, Markus
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Global Change Biology Vol. 25, no. 6 (2019), p. 1895-1904
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Although only representing 0.05% of global freshwater, or 0.001% of all global water, soil water supports all terrestrial biological life. Soil moisture behaviour in most models is constrained by hydraulic parameters that do not change. Here we argue that biological feedbacks from plants, macro-fauna and the microbiome influence soil structure, and thus the soil hydraulic parameters and the soil water content signals we observe. Incorporating biological feedbacks into soil hydrological models is therefore important for understanding environmental change and its impacts on ecosystems. We anticipate that environmental change will accelerate and modify soil hydraulic function. Increasingly, we understand the vital role that soil moisture exerts on the carbon cycle and other environmental threats such as heatwaves, droughts and floods, wildfires, regional precipitation patterns, disease regulation and infrastructure stability, in addition to agricultural production. Biological feedbacks may result in changes to soil hydraulic function that could be irreversible, resulting in alternative stable states (ASS) of soil moisture. To explore this, we need models that consider all the major feedbacks between soil properties and soil-plant-faunal-microbial-atmospheric processes, which is something we currently do not have. Therefore, a new direction is required to incorporate a dynamic description of soil structure and hydraulic property evolution into soil-plant-atmosphere, or land surface, models that consider feedbacks from land use and climate drivers of change, so as to better model ecosystem dynamics.
- Braunack, Michael, Adhikari, Raju, Freischmidt, George, Johnston, Priscilla, Casey, Philip S., Wang, Yusong, Bristow, Keith, Filipović, Lana, Filipović, Vilim
- Authors: Braunack, Michael , Adhikari, Raju , Freischmidt, George , Johnston, Priscilla , Casey, Philip S. , Wang, Yusong , Bristow, Keith , Filipović, Lana , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Agronomy (Basel) Vol. 10, no. 4 (2020), p. 584
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Preformed biodegradable and next generation sprayable biodegradable polymer membrane (SBPM) formulations, which biodegrade to non-harmful products (water, carbon dioxide and microbial biomass), have been introduced as an alternative to plastic mulch films in order to mitigate plastic pollution of the environment. In this preliminary field study on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), a novel SBPM technology was compared to preformed slotted oxo-degradable plastic (ODP) mulch film and no mulch control (CON) in terms of yield, crop water productivity (CWP), and soil temperature. The first results showed higher CWP and crop yield, and increased soil water content under the SBPM cover. This study indicates that SBPM technology could perform at similar level as ODP or comparable films under field conditions and, at the same time, provide environmentally sustainable agricultural cropping practices. Additionally, the fully treated, non-replicated SBPM plot had a wetter soil profile throughout the entire crop season. This innovative technology has shown a high potential even at this early stage of development, indicating that advances in formulation and further testing can lead to significant improvements and thus increased use in crop production systems.
Rheology of alkali-activated blended binder mixtures
- Tekle, Biruk, Hertwig, Ludwig, Holschemacher, Klaus
- Authors: Tekle, Biruk , Hertwig, Ludwig , Holschemacher, Klaus
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Materials Vol. 14, no. 18 (2021), p. 5405
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Alkali-activated cement (AAC) is an alternative cement that has been increasingly studied over the past decades mainly because of its environmental benefits. However, most studies are on heat-cured AACs and are focused on mechanical properties. There is a lack of research on the fresh properties of ambient-cured AAC systems. This study investigates the rheological properties of ambient-temperature-cured alkali-activated blended binder mixtures activated with sodium silicate and sodium hydroxide solutions. The influence of binder amount, alkaline solid to binder ratio (AS/B), sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide solids ratio (SS/SH), and total water content to total solid (from the binding materials) ratio (TW/TS) on the rheological properties are investigated. The effect of borax as an admixture and silica fume as a replacement for fly ash is also investigated. The results showed that both the yield stress and plastic viscosity are mainly affected by the binder content and TW/TS ratio decreasing with the increase of each parameter. The yield stress increased with the increase of the SS/SH ratio. Borax significantly reduced the yield stress, while silica fume’s effect was dependent on its dosage.
- Tekle, Biruk, Holschemacher, Klaus, Löber, Philipp, Heiden, Björn
- Authors: Tekle, Biruk , Holschemacher, Klaus , Löber, Philipp , Heiden, Björn
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Buildings (Basel) Vol. 11, no. 2 (2021), p. 52
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Concrete is the most commonly used construction material because of its various advantages, such as versatility, familiarity, strength, and durability, and it will continue to be in demand far into the future. However, with today’s sensitivity to environmental protection, this material faces unprecedented challenges because of its high greenhouse gas emissions, mainly during cement production. This paper investigates one of the promising cement replacement materials, alkali-activated cement (AAC) concrete. Being produced mainly from byproduct materials and having a comparable structural performance to conventional concrete, AAC concrete can transform the construction industry. Mechanical properties such as compressive and flexural strength and the relationship between them are studied. Different source materials such as fly ash (FA), ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS), silica fume (SF), and Metakaolin (MK) are used. The effect of the source materials and the activator solutions on the concrete performance is studied. Furthermore, the freeze-thaw resistance of the concrete is studied. The study results showed that the behavior of AAC depends highly on the source material combinations and type used. The effect of the alkaline solution is also dependent on the source material used. Mixes with higher GGBS content showed the highest strength, while mixes with MK showed the highest flexural strength. The freeze-thaw test results showed that proper design of AAC concrete with lower water content is critical to achieving a good resistance.
Effect of slope position on soil properties and soil moisture regime of Stagnosol in the vineyard
- Magdić, Ivan, Safner, Toni, Rubinić, Vedran, Rutić, Filip, Husnjak, Stjepan, Filipović, Vilim
- Authors: Magdić, Ivan , Safner, Toni , Rubinić, Vedran , Rutić, Filip , Husnjak, Stjepan , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics Vol. 70, no. 1 (2022), p. 62-73
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Hillslope hydrology in agricultural landscapes is complex due to a variety of hydropedological processes and field management possibilities. The aim was to test if there are any differences in soil properties and water regime along the hillslope and to compare vineyard rows (vine) with inter-rows (grass) area for those properties. The study determined that there are significant differences in the contents of soil particle fractions, pH, and humus content along the slope ( < 0.0001), with lower confidence level in bulk density < 0.05). Differences between row and inter-row space were significant for the pH, humus, and silt content, but for sand and clay content, and bulk density differences were not determined. The study determined differences in soil water content among five slope positions ( < 0.0001), and between row and inter-row vineyard space (all with < 0.05). Where in the upper slope positions (e. g., P1) soil water content was higher than on lower slope positions. Higher soil water content was observed at higher slope positions, associated with clay content. However, it can be concluded that the retention of moisture on the slope is more influenced by local-scale soil properties (primarily soil texture) and variability of the crop (row/inter-row) than the position on the slope.
- Authors: Magdić, Ivan , Safner, Toni , Rubinić, Vedran , Rutić, Filip , Husnjak, Stjepan , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics Vol. 70, no. 1 (2022), p. 62-73
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Hillslope hydrology in agricultural landscapes is complex due to a variety of hydropedological processes and field management possibilities. The aim was to test if there are any differences in soil properties and water regime along the hillslope and to compare vineyard rows (vine) with inter-rows (grass) area for those properties. The study determined that there are significant differences in the contents of soil particle fractions, pH, and humus content along the slope ( < 0.0001), with lower confidence level in bulk density < 0.05). Differences between row and inter-row space were significant for the pH, humus, and silt content, but for sand and clay content, and bulk density differences were not determined. The study determined differences in soil water content among five slope positions ( < 0.0001), and between row and inter-row vineyard space (all with < 0.05). Where in the upper slope positions (e. g., P1) soil water content was higher than on lower slope positions. Higher soil water content was observed at higher slope positions, associated with clay content. However, it can be concluded that the retention of moisture on the slope is more influenced by local-scale soil properties (primarily soil texture) and variability of the crop (row/inter-row) than the position on the slope.
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