GeoBioSciences GeoTechnologies and GeoEngineering

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Publications

Evaluation of the potential use of water treatment sludge (WTS) as a waterproofing material for waste containment earthworks

Publication . Marchiori, Leonardo; Studart, André; Morais, Maria Vitoria; Albuquerque, António; Cavaleiro, Victor

Industrial wastes’ incorrect disposal can cause groundwater and soils contamination. In this aspect, the water treatment sludge (WTS) appears as a potential residue to be valorized within soils in order to enhance wastes’ stabilization while mitigating its environmental impacts. Therefore, geotechnical and chemical evaluations were conducted for assessing WTS’s potential as a waterproofing agent for earth works, considering their impacts on the properties of the analyzed clayey soil for assessing possible soil’ reinforcement through a further investigation. Found results on the WTS characterization have shown a high percentage of fines, which contributes for the reduction of the soil’s plasticity. In addition, its chemical composition is compatible with pozzolanic characteristics while being possible to associate the analyzed WTS with materials already used in earth works. These results indicate a solid beginning for a complete characterization of the WTS and its stabilization within soils as they indicate possible reinforcement of clayey soils and use for liners application, which have yet to be confirmed by in-depth investigations around resistance and permeability properties.

2021-12-20Book part

Open access

GIS-based inventory for safeguarding and promoting Portuguese glazed tiles cultural heritage

Publication . Santos, Bertha; Gonçalves, Jorge H. G.; Almeida, Pedro G.; Martins-Nepomuceno, Ana M. T.

Innovative, non-invasive, digital, and cost-effective instruments for systematic inventory, monitoring and promotion are a valuable resource for managing tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Due to its powerful and effective inventory and analysis potential, which allows supporting central and local entities responsible for cultural heritage management, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have proven to be an appropriate information technology for developing these kinds of instruments. Given the above, this work aims to introduce a GIS-based instrument to support inventorying, safeguarding, tourism, and cultural promotion of the traditional Portuguese glazed tile (‘azulejo’, in Portuguese) to raise general awareness of the importance of this unique Portuguese heritage. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no other instrument available with inventory and safeguarding management functions that is accessible and affordable, developed to be used at a municipal level and that contributes to the enrichment of the cultural and tourist information. Information from 70 tile works located in the Portuguese city of Covilhã was used to test the proposed GIS tool, resulting in a georeferenced alphanumeric, graphical, image and drawing inventory and in three pedestrian routes for touristic and cultural heritage promotion. The results were validated by both the research team and the municipality of Covilhã, foreseeing its expansion and daily use in the management of the heritage of the traditional Portuguese glazed tile. The proposed instrument can be replicated in other locations and easily implemented and managed by municipalities or institutions dealing with the protection of cultural heritage.

2023-06-20Journal article

Open access

Mechanical and hydraulic long-term behavior for an experimental compacted liner embankment

Publication . Marchiori, Leonardo Perelló; Cavaleiro, Victor Manuel Pissarra

Mechanical and hydraulic performance, as compaction, consolidation, and permeability, play an important role in the design and construction of earthworks. A bad dimensioning of this magnitude can lead to major disasters, making structures unfeasible, losing resources and even lives. This work looks to correlate quick tests of soil mechanics with parameters that are difficult to obtain - in situ and laboratory tests -, either because of lack of resources or the access in some unexplored areas. An experimental embankment located in Penalobo, Guarda (Portugal) was chosen to perform in situ tests and sampling for laboratorial tests. The tests for geotechnical characterization – specific gravity, Atterberg limits, particle size distribution, Normal Proctor compaction, soil density gauge, and gamma densimeter -, mechanical behavior – free expansibility, one-dimensional oedometric consolidation, consolidated undrained triaxial shearing, plate load test, dynamic penetration lightweight, and heavyweight, and cone penetration test -, chemical composition – x-ray diffractures, fluorescence, scanning energy microscopic images, cation exchange capacity, and pH -, and hydraulic conductivity through falling head permeameter permitted to correlate several parameters. Results characterize the soil as a typical granitic soil, a well-graded sand without plasticity classified as A-1-b according to AASHTO, specific gravity of 2.55, with optimal compaction following w = 14.0% and ?d = 1.86 g/cm3 . Mainly composed by quartz, kaolinite, and muscovite, along with high amounts of SiO2 and Al2O3, besides lower percentages of NaO2 and Fe2O3, also showed pH = 6.0 and cation exchange capacity = 17.0 meq/100g. The soil has high free expansibility, although low oedometric compressibility when compacted, effective internal friction angle is around 35º and has no cohesion. Several rounds of tests were made for this evaluation, and since the site is studied for over ten years, another analysis on behalf of long-term behavior of the structure was carried out. Long-term behavior analysis and parameters correlations were developed around compaction characteristics within Normal Proctor, soil density gauge and gammadensimeter results; direct and indirect hydraulic conductivity through oedometer and permeameter laboratorial tests; drilling tests relationship among dynamic penetration lightweight, and heavyweight, standard penetration test, and cone penetration tests; in addition to laboratorial oedometer and in-situ plate load test analysis the consolidation of the embankment liner.

2022-12-13Master thesis

Open access