Topic Review
Urban Building Height Estimation Using Multiple Source Images
The use of remote sensing imagery has significantly enhanced the efficiency of building extraction; however, the precise estimation of building height remains a formidable challenge. In light of ongoing advancements in computer vision, numerous techniques leveraging convolutional neural networks and Transformers have been applied to remote sensing imagery, yielding promising outcomes.
  • 99
  • 18 Dec 2023
Topic Review
Slope Stability
The issue of slope stability is one of the most important and yet most difficult geotechnical problems. Assessing slope stability is particularly difficult because of the many uncertainties involved in the process. To take these uncertainties into account, probabilistic methods are used, and the reliability approach is adopted. There are many methods for reliability assessment of earth slope stability. However, there is no system that would organize all of these methods in an unambiguous way. In fact, these methods can be classified in different ways: by assignment to a deterministic classification of methods, by description of uncertainties of soil parameters, by level of reliability according to the theory of reliability, etc. The huge number of articles summarizing the research in this field, but in various “disordered” directions, certainly do not facilitate the understanding or ultimately the practical application of the reliability approach by the engineer. We propose a universal classification system of reliability methods for evaluating the stability of earth slopes. This proposal is preceded by a brief literature review of both historical background and contemporary study on reliability analysis of earth slope stability.
  • 1.1K
  • 17 Aug 2021
Topic Review
Role of Basalt Geochemistry in CO2 Storage
The geochemistry of basalt plays a crucial role in the storage of CO2, as it possesses natural properties that enable the capture and sequestration of CO2. Basalt exhibits a remarkable ability to react with CO2 and form stable carbonate minerals, a process known as mineral carbonation or carbon sequestration.
  • 345
  • 06 Sep 2023
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Numerical Solution of Desiccation Cracks in Clayey Soils
This entry presents the theoretical fundamentals, the mathematical formulation, and the numerical solution for the problem of desiccation cracks in clayey soils. The formulation uses two stress state variables (total stress and suction) and results in a non-symmetric and nonlinear system of transient partial differential equations. A release node algorithm technique is proposed to simulate cracking, and the strategy to implement it in the hydromechanical framework is explained in detail. This general framework was validated with experimental results, and several numerical examples were published at international conferences and in journal papers.
  • 1.3K
  • 25 May 2022
Topic Review
North American Datum
The North American Datum (NAD) is the horizontal datum now used to define the geodetic network in North America. A datum is a formal description of the shape of the Earth along with an "anchor" point for the coordinate system. In surveying, cartography, and land-use planning, two North American Datums are in use for making lateral or "horizontal" measurements: the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27) and the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83). Both are geodetic reference systems based on slightly different assumptions and measurements. Vertical measurements, based on distances above or below Mean High Water (MHW), are calculated using the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). NAD 83, along with NAVD 88, is set to be replaced with a new GPS- and gravimetric geoid model-based geometric reference frame and geopotential datum in 2022.
  • 584
  • 20 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Natural Hazards in Pakistan
Natural hazards are dynamic and unpredictable events that are a continuous threat to global socio-economic development. Humans’ reactions to these catastrophes are influenced by their proximity to the hazards and their ability to anticipate, resist, cope with, and recover from their consequences. Due to climatic changes, the risk of multiple natural hazards is expected to increase in several regions of Pakistan.
  • 3.9K
  • 08 Feb 2023
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Natural Disasters: Origins, Impacts, Management
Natural hazards are processes that serve as triggers for natural disasters. Natural hazards can be classified into six categories. Geophysical or geological hazards relate to movement in solid earth. Their examples include earthquakes and volcanic activity. Hydrological hazards relate to the movement of water and include floods, landslides, and wave action. Meteorological hazards are storms, extreme temperatures, and fog. Climatological hazards are increasingly related to climate change and include droughts and wildfires. Biological hazards are caused by exposure to living organisms and/or their toxic substances. The COVID-19 virus is an example of a biological hazard. Extraterrestrial hazards are caused by asteroids, meteoroids, and comets as they pass near earth or strike earth. In addition to local damage, they can change earth inter planetary conditions that can affect the Earth’s magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere. This entry presents an overview of origins, impacts, and management of natural disasters. It describes processes that have potential to cause natural disasters. It outlines a brief history of impacts of natural hazards on the human built environment and the common techniques adopted for natural disaster preparedness. It also lays out challenges in dealing with disasters caused by natural hazards and points to new directions in warding off the adverse impact of such disasters. 
  • 4.5K
  • 13 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Microbially Induced Carbonate Precipitation
 Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) is a promising technology for solidifying sandy soil, ground improvement, repairing concrete cracks, and remediation of polluted land. By solidifying sand into soil capable of growing shrubs, MICP can facilitate peak and neutralization of CO2 emissions because each square meter of shrub can absorb 253.1 grams of CO2 per year.
  • 803
  • 01 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Large-Scale Geothermal Collector Systems
A Geothermal collector system is a ground heat exchanger connected to a heat pump which provides heating energy from the ground for buildings. A Large-scale geothermal collector systems differ from small systems, which are usually built for individual buildings, in their size and complexity. Typical large-scale geothermal collector systems supply entire settlements with heating and cooling energy via 5th Generation District Heating and Cooling (5GDHC) by using the very Shallow Geothermal Potential (vSGP). They can also be constructed in multiple horizontal layers.
  • 1.6K
  • 04 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Laboratory Testing and Classification of Mudrocks
Mudrocks are fine-grained clay-rich rocks that comprise different lithotypes forming more than 60% of all sedimentary rocks, and thus, they occur frequently in engineering projects either as natural ground or as made ground. These rocks may display a range of engineering behaviours controlled mostly by their composition and structural features. Due to rapid breakdown and susceptibility to volume changes, they may cause problems both during and after construction. Research into the susceptibility of mudrocks to breakdown aims to predict problematic behaviour and provide guidance for avoiding or mitigating these effects. Low-durability materials that disintegrate during sampling and testing can be especially difficult to assess. 
  • 147
  • 19 Oct 2023
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