In many geophysical or industrial applications involving flows of grains, a continuum description would be of considerable help, for example in predicting natural hazards or in designing industrial processes. However, constitutive equations for dry granular flows are still matter of debates 1-10. One difficulty is that grains can behave like a solid (in a sand pile), a liquid (when poured from ...

Ground improvement has been used on many construction sites to densify granular material, in other word to improve soil properties and reduce potential settlement. This paper evaluates the efficiency of rapid impact compaction (RIC), which is an improvement on the process of deep dynamic compaction, in improving soil properties and controlling soil settlement. In this technique ground improveme...

This paper examines the possible use of a bio-cementation process to reduce excessive bulging that occurs during loading granular columns in soft clays. A 12-phase percolation bio-chemical treatment technique was used bio-cement part targeting upper section, where usually occurs. Upon application unit cell surface loads up 350 kPa, placement bio-cemented column substantially reduced vertical st...

Suitability of various substrates for anaerobic biodegradation of DDT in contaminated soil was tested in lab-scale tests with granular sludge inoculation. Use of carbohydrate-based substances such as starch, sucrose, molasses and whey resulted in acidification, which in extreme cases inhibited DDT removal. A large amount of phosphate buffer prevented pH drop for starch, but not for sucrose. Bet...

Many techniques have been proposed in recent years for in situ soil characterization, and among them, acoustic methods have been revealed to be particularly promising. These methods are based on measurements of the propagation velocities of seismic, sonic, and ultrasonic waves. However, in granular and porous mediums, velocities depend on the state of the saturation of the soil in a complex and...