Interconnecting tunnel for the Ameriaa pumping station of the greater cairo wastewater project

The construction of a 5-m internal-diameter tunnel was a part of the contract between the Cairo Wastewater Organization and Christiani Misr Concrete Joint Venture to connect the distribution chamber and the tunnel pumping station. This tunnel was to be constructed through saturated soil (the ground water table is in the range of 21 m aboven the invert level of the tunnel). By using the freezing technique it was possible to construct the tunnel in free air. To achieve the condition of stabilised freezing of the saturated ground between the distribution chamber and the pumping station, a series of horizontal pipes were installed from the inside face of the distribution chamber through the distribution chamber wall, passed through the saturated ground and touched the outside surface of the tunnel pumping station wall. The chilled brine was circulated through these pipes to freeze the water in the ground around them. During construction of the tunnel, a localized failure of the ice wall occured for unknown reasons, resulting in a flow of water and sand into the pumping station and the distribution chamber. To stabilise the condition, the two caissons were flooded to balance the water pressure outside and inside the caissons. To reinstate the frozen ground around the tunnel, a supplementary vertical freeze system was installed. Following the reinstatement of the frozen ground, water was pumped out from the two caissons and the tunel work resumed.     

Modelling air pollution for epidemiologic research--part II: predicting temporal variation through land use regression

Over recent years land use regression (LUR) has become a frequently used method in air pollution exposure studies, as it can model intra-urban variation in pollutant concentrations at a fine spatial scale. However, very few studies have used the LUR methodology to also model the temporal variation in air pollution exposure. The aim of this study is to estimate annual mean NO₂ and PM₁₀ concentrations from 1996 to 2008 for Greater Manchester using land use regression models. The results from these models will be used in the Manchester Asthma and Allergy Study (MAAS) birth cohort to determine health effects of air pollution exposure.The Greater Manchester LUR model for 2005 was recalibrated using interpolated and adjusted NO₂ and PM₁₀ concentrations as dependent variables for 1996-2008. In addition, temporally resolved variables were available for traffic intensity and PM₁₀ emissions. To validate the resulting LUR models, they were applied to the locations of automatic monitoring stations and the estimated concentrations were compared against measured concentrations.The 2005 LUR models were successfully recalibrated, providing individual models for each year from 1996 to 2008. When applied to the monitoring stations the mean prediction error (MPE) for NO₂ concentrations for all stations and years was -0.8 μg/m³ and the root mean squared error (RMSE) was 6.7 μg/m³. For PM₁₀ concentrations the MPE was 0.8 μg/m³ and the RMSE was 3.4 μg/m³.These results indicate that it is possible to model temporal variation in air pollution through LUR with relatively small prediction errors. It is likely that most previous LUR studies did not include temporal variation, because they were based on short term monitoring campaigns and did not have historic pollution data. The advantage of this study is that it uses data from an air dispersion model, which provided concentrations for 2005 and 2010, and therefore allowed extrapolation over a longer time period.     

Intrastate differences in residential water demand

To date, the results of studies which attempted to estimate residential water demand models have varied, but the source of these variations is not evident because the studies have applied different methodologies and data bases to different regions. The purpose of this paper is to develop models of residential water demand for watershed regions and test the null hypothesis that a single model is adequate to explain variations for all of the individual regions. Primary data collected from questionnaires and utility company records is used in a regression analysis to estimate a generalized water demand model for the state as well as one for each of the subregions. The null hypothesis is rejected which indicates that there are other factors which influence the demand for water and the use of a single model could result in biased estimates.     

Human response to blast-induced vibration and air-overpressure: an Indian scenario

Ground vibration (V_max) and air-overpressure/noise (p) are some of the negative effects of blasting. The associated human annoyance and complaints are expected to show an increasing trend in the future as there is no economically viable alternative to blasting in mines in India.A study of the human response to blasting in four mining localities across India has shown that the response is not simply political, as frequently assumed. It has been found that irrespective of those questioned, a basic concern for the safety of property was the main response. There was a greater response from the middle-aged and middle-educated while fewer women than men responded. Assuming that a 100% negative response from the inhabitants will translate into complaints, a methodology is suggested to take account of the human response criteria when considering blasting within 400 m of habitations.     

CROSS - a Program for Determination of Coefficients of Subgrade Reaction

Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering -     

Characteristics and stabilities of residues from the Wheal Jane constructed wetlands

The characteristics and solubilities of residues formed during effluent treatment at the Wheal Jane constructed wetland facility in Cornwall, UK are described. The constructed wetland treats an acidic (pH 3 to 4) mine discharge enriched in iron (<100 mg/l), zinc (<80 mg/l), manganese (<20 mg/l) and arsenic (<2 mg/l). The processing strategy adopted at the site is to remove elements selectively from the mine water in distinct unit process operations and concentrate the iron and base metals into residues within the circuits. Solubility tests conducted on the materials from the aerobic and anaerobic cells attempt to simulate future possible leaching processes within landfill sites used for ultimate disposal. The tests used in the evaluation included TCLP, MARG, washing and column leaching. The aerobic solids overall have very low solubilities which are well below the TCLP thresholds for As, Cd and Pb. The TCLP results for these toxic elements are supported by the washing and column test work. The anaerobic substrates are carbonaceous in nature, composed of straw, wood pulp and manure. They contain minimal amounts of toxic compounds and are considered to be less of a disposal problem. Ochre precipitated at a pH of 3-4 in the aerobic cells contains significant concentrations of arsenic (>0.1%). This element is carcinogenic, and such residues are classified as hazardous waste under current UK landfill regulations. This classification does not take into consideration the solubility of the material but is based solely on the bulk chemical composition.     

Modification of Polycaproamide Composites Based on 1H,1H,13H-rihydroperfluorotridecan-1-ol and Montmorillonite

Fibre Chemistry - Modification of polycaproamide by 1H,1H,13H-trihydroperfluorotridecan-1-ol immobilized on montmorillonite produced an F-containing polymer composite. The structure of the...     

Improving the Quality of Cellulose for Use in Disposable Sanitary and Hygiene Products

Fibre Chemistry - Under modern conditions the creation of materials for sanitary hygiene and medical products based on cellulose is of paramount importance. Development and improvement in this area...     

Gas-Phase Treatment of Dump Tailings from Metallurgical Plants in Nitrating Media to Enhance Nickel Extraction

Theoretical Foundations of Chemical Engineering - A new approach to the processing of the dump waste product stored in the tailings dumps of the nickel production enterprise Punda Gourda (Cuba) has...     

Development of a Catalyst Based on Titanium Nanoparticles in a Zeolite Matrix

Glass and Ceramics - A catalyst was developed in the form of a composite based on a zeolite matrix modified with titanium nanoparticles based on zeolite raw materials from the Kulikovskoe deposit...