Preprints
Filtering by Subject: Engineering
THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING SMALL HERITAGE SITES. THE CASE OF LA TUIZA SANCTUARY (ZAMORA, SPAIN).
Published: 2024-01-30
Subjects: Engineering
Granite has been one of the most used natural stones to build heritage for centuries. This is obviously the case when granite is the main regional rock, like the case in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. The sanctuary of La Tuiza in Lubian (Zamora, northwest of Spain) was built with the granite of Calabor. This sanctuary dates from the 18th century, and was declared as Cultural Interest [...]
Gender diversity in editorial boards of scientific journals. Some earth science case studies for a geoethical reflection.
Published: 2024-01-30
Subjects: Engineering
Any scientific area can benefit from the contributions of a diverse society. Upon reflection, many notable achievements have been made by women to the advancement of science, but they were not highlighted enough. Such was the case of Hedy Lamarr, who co-authored the development of a radio guidance system (the start of the present Wi-Fi) or Rosalind Franklin, who contributed enormously to the [...]
Evaluating a conceptual hydrological model at gauged and ungauged basins using machine learning-based limits-of-acceptability and hydrological signatures
Published: 2024-01-30
Subjects: Engineering
Hydrological models are evaluated by comparisons with observed hydrological quantities such as streamflow. A model evaluation procedure should account for dominantly epistemic errors in measured hydrological data such as observed precipitation and streamflow and avoid type-2 errors (rejecting a good model). This study uses quantile random forest (QRF) to develop limits-of-acceptability (LoA) over [...]
Effect of UV radiation on chromatic parameters in serpentinites used as dimension stones.
Published: 2024-01-29
Subjects: Engineering
Colour is an important parameter that must be taken into account if aesthetic homogeneity in both construction and restoration work is to be achieved. In serpentinites, the different degrees of serpentinization or carbonation can influence their final colour. Sunlight, especially ultraviolet (UV) radiation, is a common agent that can decay properties such as hue, lightness, and chroma, and can [...]
Flow dynamics and tributary mouth bar formation at river confluences with high rates of tributary sediment supply
Published: 2024-01-29
Subjects: Engineering, Life Sciences
River confluences influence the formation of secondary circulation, bed morphology, and associated feedbacks. With distance downstream through a drainage network, it becomes likely that the flow momentum of tributaries is lower than that of the main river, creating confluences with very low momentum ratio. However, the tributary may be able to supply significant quantities of sediment, especially [...]
Femtosecond laser texturing as a tool to increase the hydrophobicity of ornamental stone: The influence of lithology and texture
Published: 2024-01-29
Subjects: Engineering, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
In the field of stone conservation, a very common direct intervention seeks to increase the water repellence of objects. By limiting the interaction between the solid and the water, the possibility of alteration due to the action of the water (liquid or solid) as well as that related to the colonisation of surfaces by organisms is reduced. To decrease wettability, chemicals are often applied to [...]
Decoding the Hysteretic Behavior of Hydraulic Variables in Lowland Rivers with Multivariate Monitoring Approaches
Published: 2024-01-29
Subjects: Engineering
This paper demonstrates that the multivariate monitoring methods are capable to underpin the systematic investigation of the hysteretic behavior occurring during gradually-varied flows. For this purpose, we present simultaneous measurements of stage, index velocity, and free-surface slope acquired continuously with high-frequency sampling instruments deployed at several river gauging sites [...]
WEATHERING OF SERPENTINITE STONE DUE TO IN SITU GENERATION OF CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM SULFATES
Published: 2024-01-25
Subjects: Engineering
This paper presents a thorough study of the main features and the decay causes and mechanisms of serpentinites both freshly quarried and after centuries exposure at the main façade of the sixteenth century Royal Chancery (Granada, Spain). In particular, the process of in situ formation of calcium and magnesium sulfates has been studied. Several decay factors are identified, all of them acting [...]
Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) associated with asbestos chrysotile, tremolite and actinolite in the Calabria region (Italy)
Published: 2024-01-25
Subjects: Engineering, Medicine and Health Sciences
Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) host in asbestos elongate mineral particles is one of the factors which have been invoked to explain their toxicity/pathogenicity effects. This study quantifies and compares these elements in terms of major, minor and trace element concentrations (Si, Mg, Ca, Al, Fe, Mn, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Be, V, As, Rb, Sb, Ba, Pb, Sr) in various types of asbestos using micro [...]
Unsupervised Structural Damage Assessment from Space using the Segment Anything Model (USDA-SAM): A Case Study of the 2023 Türkiye Earthquake
Published: 2024-01-23
Subjects: Computer Sciences, Earth Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Sciences
This paper explores advanced deep learning methods, specifically utilising the Segment Anything Model (SAM) along with image processing techniques, to evaluate the structural damages caused by the devastating earthquake that occurred in Turkey on February 6, 2023. Leveraging exceptionally high-resolution pre- and post-disaster imagery provided by Maxar Technologies, this paper showcases the [...]
UNESCO Global Geoparks as useful sceneries to disseminate science and raise awareness of geological risks: the case of Las Loras Geopark (Spain)
Published: 2024-01-22
Subjects: Education, Engineering
Natural and anthropic hazards derived from climate change are endangering heritage and society. Geoheritage is vulnerable. Nowadays we are witnessing the destruction of monuments with high emotional significance due to wars, but climate change is also contributing to the loss of the same cultural heritage. Prevention is often the best way to protect geoheritage from disappearing and society is [...]
The numerical evaluation of the effect of Geotextile sample size on the behavior of reinforced cohesive soil
Published: 2024-01-20
Subjects: Civil and Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering
The effect of sample size is a phenomenon that involves the dependence of resistance on the size of the tested sample, where smaller samples exhibit higher resistance compared to larger ones. Due to the importance and sensitivity of determining the resistances of laboratory samples for use in design, codes, and standards, efforts are made to minimize the effects of sample size. This issue holds [...]
Experimental Modelling of Water-Wave Interactions with a Flexible Beam
Published: 2024-01-19
Subjects: Engineering, Physical Sciences and Mathematics
A series of fluid-structure-interaction (FSI) experiments is presented for studying water-wave interactions with a flexible beam in a wide range of sea conditions, thereby yielding a repository of FSI test-case data. The aim is to use these experimental data in order to validate FSI solvers commonly employed by the maritime industry in the design of fixed-foundation, offshore wind turbines. The [...]
Comparing Continuous Methane Monitoring Technologies for High-Volume Emissions: A Single-Blind Controlled Release Study
Published: 2024-01-18
Subjects: Engineering
Methane emissions from oil and gas operations are a primary concern for climate change mitigation. While traditional methane detection relies on periodic surveys that yield episodic data, continuous monitoring solutions promise to offer consistent insights and a richer understanding of emission inventories. Despite this promise, the detection and quantification ability of continuous monitoring [...]
Stones that tell stories
Published: 2024-01-18
Subjects: Education, Engineering
When a historical building, monument, or cultural heritage artifact is affected by a natural or anthropic event, the first reaction is to recover and restore them to maintain our heritage for the next generations. If they are made of stone, some are completely destroyed, but it is often still possible to recognize the facts that made them a cultural item. In many cases, the marks of violent [...]