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The article discusses the paper on geographical information system (GIS)-based kinematic slope instability and slope mass rating (SMR) maps as an application to a railway route in Sivas, Turkey. It shows the potential use of kinematic stability and SMR maps using a GIS. However, there is a debate on several aspects in the paper about the SMR geomechanical maps elaboration. The paper's authors explained that SMR is a slope geomechanical classification based on Bieniawski's classification. It is believed that the use of continuous slope mass rating instead of original discrete functions for the elaboration of SMR maps can considerably simplify the implementation of SMR through a GIS.

This paper discusses the engineering geological investigations, engineering properties of the rock mass at the dam site, and construction materials for the dam embankment. Kandil Dam is located in Kahramanmaras southeastern Turkey. It is used for energy production and water storage for irrigation. Engineering geological mapping, analysis of the discontinuity system, drilling, trial pitting, Lugeon water pressure tests and laboratory tests were undertaken. As a result of site survey and test results, three pervious and one impervious material quarries were identified. Rock mass classifications were performed in accordance with Rock Mass Rating (RMR) systems for the diversion tunnel. Bedrock in the foundation consists of amphibolites rated by the RMR method as 'good rock'. Based on evaluation of the site and laboratory data, two different quarries were selected for embankment fill materials. In addition, one impervious material quarry was located for cofferdam construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the cut slope stability problems of southern engineered slopes along 57 km long Mersin-Tarsus Motorway. While the northern slopes were slipping during and following construction, the stability problems occurred at southern slopes after heavy rains in December 2001. The most recent slope stability problem took place on chainage at the km 10+800 embankment on 9 April 2009. About 3.62 × 10 m soil materials have currently slipped at 60 different location. After the occurrence of slides, different remedial methods (reshaping slopes, soil improvements, etc.) have been applied to stabilize the slipped slopes. The slope stability studies were carried out using back analysis to determine the slope failure mechanisms and to estimate effective shear strength parameters. Pore water pressures increase following intense rainfall events and cause reduced resistance to shear strength at the engineered slopes. In addition, the affects of the static and dynamic parameters to analyse the state of the slope after excavation were investigated and possible remedies to improve the state (toe rockfill and retaining wall) were assessed for motorway slopes through determining the slope stability with water parameter and seismic loading, separately and together. The results of the stability analysis have exhibited that a good drainage system and retaining wall prevents the motorway slope slides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Kayranlik Mountain (Goksun) in Kahramanmaras is a rich resource of an attractive conglomerate with many uses in the construction industry including blocks, shaped stones, pavement, sidewalks and landscape architecture. The paper reports a study to assess their compliance with the relevant Turkish and European Standards and provides correlations between the uniaxial compressive strength, flexural strength, Brazilian tensile strength, water absorption, abrasion and density. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article offers the author's insights on an article on the surface subsidence due to twin subway tunneling in Istanbul, Turkey's soft grounds. The author says that tail void is not the distance between the diameters of external shield and outer segment. He states that more details on the effect of face pressure on surface settlements should have been provided by the authors of the article. He adds that the growth of the tunneling project cost discussed in the article is different from the literature. He mentions the authors' use of building measurement points (BMP) does not give an accurate view of surface settlement.

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract  The paper reports an assessment of the engineering geological characteristics of the rock mass to be encountered between Mecidiye and Gazino stations on the new extension of the Ankara metro and the determination of appropriate support and excavation methods. The rock mass quality was estimated using the rock mass rating (RMR), geological strength index (GSI) and rock mass quality (Q) systems and the tunnel divided into sections. The RMR, Q and NATM systems were used to determine the support and excavation methods in these areas. The deformations and stress concentrations around each tunnel section were investigated and the interaction of the support systems with the rock mass was analyzed using finite element software. It is concluded that rock mass classification systems should be used in tandem with numerical tools, although it is emphasized that the estimation of rock mass properties is not an exact science and both rock properties and numerical models should be refined based on observations and the results of instrumentation installed during the construction of a tunnel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The paper summarizes the different modes of failure affecting earth dams as a consequence of earthquake shaking. A case study is presented to illustrate seismic deformation analysis using the Alibey Earth Dam, Istanbul, Turkey as an example. The dynamic behaviour, failure modes and mechanisms of failure of the dam under possible ground motions were investigated. The results from finite element analysis are compared with the experimental study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Each day some 400–450 ton solid waste is dumped on land and in the sea and rivers in the coastal cities of the eastern Black Sea, creating serious environmental problems. The paper reports the engineering geological studies of a proposed landfill site for Trabzon, a major city in the region. Fieldwork included scan-line and seismic surveys as well as boreholes and in-situ testing. Water absorption tests indicated permeabilities in the order of 10−8 m/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Recent examples show that strong earthquakes can cause damage to dams, notably tailings or hydraulic fill dams or relatively small earth fill embankments. Liquefaction is known to be one of the most dangerous consequences of the dynamic loading of an embankment dam and hence must be considered during the dam site selection and construction stages. This paper presents the liquefaction analyses undertaken for the Demir�z� dam site in Northeast Turkey. The liquefaction assessments are mainly based on field-performance data using SPT- and CPT-based methods in conjunction with the results of the available cyclic triaxial tests. The presence of a very shallow groundwater table, loose sandy layers and the seismic features of the region result in a high susceptibility to liquefaction. The results obtained from the SPT- and CPT-based criteria for evaluating the liquefaction potential are generally consistent and show that the thickness of the liquefiable layers increases in the area between the left bank and the central part of the proposed dam. Further studies are required to evaluate the suitability and efficiency of measures which could be taken to avoid liquefaction-induced problems at the dam site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The paper presents the geotechnical properties along the route of the 9,325 m twin tunnel metro route in the Greater Municipality of Ankara. Convergence measurements taken during tunnel construction are presented and discussed. In addition, the convergence of the twin metro tunnels was analysed by means of a 2D plane strain finite element (FE) analysis. The FE model estimations and the field measurements are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three types of carbonate building stones from Turkey were selected for testing their physical and mechanical properties after freeze-thaw cycles with salt solutions. In this study, two types of basic experimental studies were conducted. First, material characterization was performed. For this purpose, chemical (XRF) and mineralogical-petrographic (polarized microscope, XRD, SEM analysis) tests, pore size distribution (MIP), and physico-mechanical tests were performed on the tested samples. The aging test was conducted by applying immersion-freeze-thaw cycles with water, sodium sulfate, and sodium chloride solutions. In the freeze-thaw experiment, the water absorption, uniaxial compressive strength, and ultrasonic wave measurement values of all examined samples increased in the 10, 20, 30, and 40 cycles. At the end of the 40 cycles for silver travertine, water absorption decreased by 1.93% and 14.95% for NaCl and Na2SO4 solutions, and for Burdur limestone, the water absorption decreased by 7.24% and 10.39%, respectively. The presence of pores with a diameter of fewer than 0.1 µm in the silver travertine (7.34%) and Burdur limestone (43.75%) also directly affected this. After 10, 20, 30, and 40 freeze-thaw cycles with Na2SO4 solution, the ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) values of the travertine samples decreased by 11.95%, 26.24%, 34.85%, and 42.78%, respectively. Uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) values of all tested samples for 10, 20, 30, and 40 freeze-thaw cycles decreased gradually in all solutions (water, Na2SO4, and NaCl). These results were realized due to the water in the pores turning into crystallization pressure caused by the ice and salt crystals, and forming new micro-cracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eskişehir Basin, which is a graben depression in Central Anatolia, has been subjected to ground shaking that has led to destructive earthquakes in the past. It is expected that most of the 108,807 structures built on the alluvial sediment in the study area will be subject to the effects of spectral soil amplification. Fast and economical assessment methods can be used to determine the sediment depth. In this study, an approach to compute the depth of the alluvial soil in urban residential areas using microtremor measurements is presented through the example of the Eskişehir graben. Microtremor measurements were carried out at 741 points at variable intervals of 200 m and 1000 m depending on the density of the residential area. The results showed that the dominant frequencies were from 0.2 to 15 Hz. The alluvial sediment in the Eskişehir graben was associated with the third peaks in the dominant frequency curves, and a nonlinear regression relationship between sediment thickness and the dominant frequency was proposed using shallow drilling data. The thickness of the alluvial sediment in the basin was calculated using the proposed equation and the basic geometry of the alluvial soil was plotted along N–S and E–W oriented sections using the thickness information obtained. Finally, it was found that structural risk assessments in areas where the alluvial ground is 15 m or deeper should be prioritized by considering other soil parameters such as bedrock depth, the focusing effect, the resonance effect, the Vs30 velocity, the soil class, and the groundwater level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the radioactive potential hazard of granite, which is widely used as building material in Turkey. Natural radiation levels of 18 various, globally-distributed industrial granite samples imported by Turkey, were analyzed using gamma-ray spectrometer. The results are compared with the formerly published findings of granite samples from Turkey. Radioactivity levels of 238U, 232Th, and 40K natural radioactive series elements of the selected 18 specimens were measured, which were from 2.4 ± 0.5 to 88.8 ± 3.6 Bq kg −1 for 238U, from 2.4 ± 0.7 to 273 ± 0.9 Bq kg −1 for 232Th, and from 169 ± 24 to 1,479 ± 94 Bq kg −1 for 40K. Radium equivalent activities (Ra eq) were calculated for the granite samples to assess their radiation hazards in the construction of dwellings. The Ra eq values of granite samples varied in the range of 39.05–570 Bq kg −1, only one sample exceeded the safe limit value of 370 Bq kg −1 set by the OECD-NEA (Nuclear Energy Agency. Exposure to radiation from natural radioactivity in building materials. Report by NEA Group of Experts 1979 ). Absorbed dose rates in air were found between 18.74 and 261 nGy h −1 and radiogenic heat production values were calculated in the range of 0.45–6.53 μW m −3. All rock samples used in this study were also analysed mineralogically and defined their compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Design in swelling mediums is mostly based on uniaxial data since the standards proposed by the International Society for Rock Mechanics Commission on Swelling Rocks for uniaxial tests are in the form of recommendations, triaxial sets are not highly available; and there is no standard developed for triaxial tests. The main purpose of this study is to define the relationship between the uniaxial and the triaxial swelling equations and to predict the triaxial values using the uniaxial data. The other purpose of the study is to contribute to the development of the standards and to expand the data available in the literature about triaxial swelling behavior. Numerous uniaxial and triaxial swelling tests were performed on the samples from seven different locations, in Turkey, in a state of the art swelling laboratory. As a result of the determination of the triaxial swelling behavior of these samples, the relationships between the uniaxial and the triaxial swelling data for the individual samples as well as the whole set of samples are expressed by the equations derived from the statistical analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was undertaken to determine the variation in groundwater quality of an open-pit copper mine in Maden (eastern Turkey) which has been in operation since 2000 BC, and with modern methods since 1939. Physical and chemical parameters (including pH, temperature, electrical conductivity, concentrations of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cl, HCO 3, SO 4, NO 3, Fe, Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Al, Cd, and Pb) of the groundwater and spring water samples from the study area were measured on a seasonal basis between October 2009 and July 2010. The groundwater quality was hydrochemically assessed in order to determine its suitability for human consumption and agricultural use. The measured and analyzed parameters in all the water samples were below the maximum admissible concentrations set out in international and national standards, guidelines, directives, and regulations for human consumption and for agricultural purposes. In addition, the results of previous studies on the possible effects of the mine site on soil, stream sediment, plants, and surface water in the same area are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The 1998 Ceyhan (Adana, Turkey) earthquake caused major damage to construction on caliche formations. Caliche (a heterogenous secondary calcium carbonate deposit formed in arid and semi-arid regions) is widespread in the Adana area. The paper distinguishes three types of caliche: massive, containing vegetation remains and containing gravel. The porosity, water absorption and unconfined compressive strength of these three groups of caliche were determined. The compressive strengths are low compared to caliches in other areas—an important consideration as Adana is the fourth largest city in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most important methods that are used to estimate ballast fouling are the Los Angeles abrasion and MgSO4 tests. The effects of chemical and mineralogical properties of basalts on ballast fouling have not been investigated sufficiently. The aim of this study was to investigate the chemical, mineralogical, and aggregate properties of different basaltic rocks and to evaluate them for ballast fouling. Aggregate samples were collected from different locations in Turkey. Their mineralogical, petrographic, chemical, and physicomechanical properties were determined. Aggregate tests were conducted on these samples. Los Angeles abrasion and MgSO4 test results were compared with other test results, and their effect on ballast fouling was investigated. The test results were analysed using simple linear regression. The Los Angeles abrasion value increased with an increase in SiO2 and Al2O3 content but decreased with the amount of Fe2O3, CaO, and MgO. The MgSO4 value decreased with the amount of SiO2 and plagioclase content. The content of plagioclase and opaque minerals affected ballast fouling more than other minerals in basalt aggregates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to determine the extent of deterioration of the limestone on which the İvriz rock monument is engraved. This monument is near Aydınkent (İvriz) village and located 12 km from the Ereğli district of Konya. The height of the İvriz Hittite monument is 4.20 m and its width is 2.40 m. It dates back to the second-half of the eighth century BC. The rocks on which the reliefs are engraved are limestone; the lower parts are brecciated with open cracks, and the upper parts show fewer cracks with smaller gaps. To enable the identification of the characteristics of the rocks on which the figures are located, non-destructive methods were used. Surface humidity, P wave velocity, thermal imaging, and Schmidt hardness measurement were applied to the wall surface of the monument, and mapping studies were conducted. Surface humidity varied between 26 and 58% with the highest values measured in the sections where the cracks are densest. The P wave velocity measured at the rock monument varied between 1.6 and 5.8 km/s, with the lowest values found in the sections where cracks were denser. Schmidt rebound values varied between 18 and 42, with higher values obtained in those sections with fewer effects of deterioration. According to the detailed observations and data obtained from non-destructive techniques (NDT) and laboratory data, the most significant deterioration has resulted from atmospheric conditions and damage by humans. The most common effects of degradation in this area are erosion by water, granular disintegration, cracks, microkarst, black crust, biodegradation (lichen, algae, and higher plants), and vandalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excavation of rock masses has a crucial importance for the safety and cost of construction of engineering projects. In this study, a flexible excavation assessment (EXCASS) system was developed with two components, the geological strength index (GSI) and the point load strength index (Is50). In order to develop the system, artificial neural network (ANN) analysis were performed using datasets from surface excavations (12 sites in Turkey and 61 sites in Greece reported by Tsiambaos and Saroglou (2010)). The EXCASS system in this study includes two parameters, namely the excavation power index (EPI) and the excavation performance rating (EPR) ranging between the value of 0 and 100. The optimum excavation power index (EPIopt) can be determined theoretically by using ( GSI 2 × Is 50 ) as an input when EPR is equal to 0, for the selection of the optimum excavation method. EPR is a rating which provides relative information on the ease or difficulty of the excavation method. Although the value of EPR varies between 0 and ± 100 in the EXCASS system, the use of the excavation method for "normally classes" is recommended in order to achieve costly and efficient excavation. The EXCASS system, on the other hand, has an ability to respond to possible technological developments by associating the excavation method with the EPI rating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uzungöl settlement and Lake Uzungöl are located in the south of Çaykara, Trabzon, Eastern Black Sea region, and are an important tourist destination in Turkey, with natural beauty and rich flora. However, the settlement and the lake were formed by a historical landslide that covered the front of the Haldizen stream. Residential buildings, tourist facilities, transportation routes, and agricultural activities are located on ground that consists of the material that accumulated from the landslide. In this study, a geophysical investigation using integrated shallow seismic methods was carried out in Uzungöl settlement to provide detailed scientific imaging data on the structure of the subsurface, the physical properties of the soil and rock, the bedrock topography, and the vertical and lateral variation in the landslide deposits. For this purpose, seismic refraction and active and passive multichannel surface wave data were collected from 16 profiles in four separate zones designated according to the agricultural activity and geomorphology of the area. In addition, an electrical resistivity tomography survey of a profile was carried out to determine the reason for low-velocity anomalies such as cavities or man-made voids appearing in P-wave velocity–depth sections and underground water content. After applying basic processes including trace killing/editing, random noise filtering of the data, and amplitude balancing to all seismic data, 2D P-wave velocity–depth sections obtained by tomographic inversion, 1D S-wave velocity–depth profiles, and 2D S-wave velocity–depth sections were generated via analysis of MASW and ReMi data. P- and S-wave velocity–depth sections generally demonstrate three main lithological units in the area: the soil (Vp = 300–600 m/s, Vs = 195–350 m/s and H = 0–2.5 m), the landslide material (Vp = 600–2400 m/s, Vs = 350–680 m/s and H = 2.5–15 m), and the bedrock (Vp > 2400 m/s, Vs > 680 m/s and H ≥ 15 m). In particular, the landslide material exhibits variable thickness from profile to profile and represents the complexity of the subsurface. However, we observed that the deposit thickness increases close to the lake. It was determined that the high seismic velocities of the landslide deposits are attributable to the densely packed deposits and the primarily dry or very poor underground water, according to electrical resistivity tomography results. Moreover, the top of the bedrock is characterized by soft rock, and the deeper part of the bedrock is harder and more compact. We believe that this information will be a useful contribution to geotechnical project development and risk mitigation in the Uzungöl area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Determining permeability of fractured rocks is a focal point in engineering projects. Many methods have been developed for direct in situ determination of the hydraulic parameter; nevertheless, especially in the preliminary stages of rock mass characterization, empirical correlations are used to estimate the rock permeability. This study proposes a relationship between rock mass depth and permeability that may be useful for initial hydraulic characterization of fractured media. For this purpose, results of core drilling, injection tests, and geophysical prospecting carried out in fractured hard rocks—mainly andesites and secondly metamorphites—of western Turkey were considered. A decrease in rock mass permeability with depth is evident from the results of injection tests. Within the depth of investigation (the first 100 m), hydraulic conductivity shows an exponential declining trend with depth and depends on the surface value of the hydraulic parameter. No correlation is evident between discontinuity spacing and depth or rock quality designation (RQD) and depth. The applicability of the relationship found requires a hydrostructural homogeneity of the rock mass, which can be verified through inexpensive geological survey and geophysical prospecting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature, different sampling strategies (such as landslide area, seed cell, scarp, point) have been applied to landslide susceptibility mapping studies. Landslide sampling strategy should reflect the pre-failure conditions of failures. Hence, researchers tried to develop sampling methods to provide pre-failure conditions. The main purpose of this study was to modify the seed cell sampling strategy for landslide susceptibility evaluations. Furthermore, landslide susceptibility maps were produced using two different sampling strategies (seed cell and landslide area), and compared in terms of their results. In accordance with these purposes, the eastern part of the Gallipoli Peninsula (Canakkale, Turkey) was selected as the study area in which to apply these two sampling strategies. For the seed cell sampling strategy, different random samplings were prepared by considering different buffer distances and different spatial resolutions. Sensitivity analyses were carried out using the landslide area (with depletion and accumulation zones) and samples and seed cells were acquired from different buffer zones with respect to different resolutions. The spatial performance of the landslide susceptibility maps of both sampling strategies were evaluated using area under the ROC curve (AUC) values. The resulting AUC results obtained from different random samplings and different spatial resolutions indicated that the appropriate buffer distance used to produce seed cells for the evaluation of landslide susceptibility maps in medium scale should be approximately 50 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Denizli basin is situated at the junction of NW-SE trending Gediz Graben and E-W trending Büyük Menderes Graben in the eastern part of the western Anadolu (Anatolian) extensional province in western Turkey, which has been home to many civilizations during its long history and therefore has ruins of many antique cities and settlements. Most of antique cities were destroyed by strong earthquakes that occurred in ancient times. Strong historical earthquakes in Denizli basin caused heavy damage to antique cities in the region, namely, Hierapolis in Pamukkale, Laodikeia in Denizli city center, colassae in Honaz, Attuda in Babadağ and Tripolis in Buldan. A strong earthquake occurred in the early seventh century AD in Lykos (Çürüksu) Valley of the Denizli area, heavily damaging the antique cities in the region and causing people to abandon their cities. Recent archaeological excavations in Hierapolis and Laodikeia clearly revealed many relics associated with the early seventh century AD earthquake. For example, the collapse directions of columns and walls are mainly towards the NE or SW. The surface ruptures in the Hierapolis antique city area in the Pamukkale area prove that Pamukkale Fault is the main active fault producing strong earthquakes in the region, and severe damage is induced by earthquakes having a magnitude 6.5 or more. However, the largest earthquake could be up to 7.1 in the Denizli Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two devastating earthquakes with moment magnitudes of 7.2 and 5.6 occurred on October 23, 2011 (Van-Erciş earthquake) and November 9, 2011 (Van-Edremit earthquake), respectively, in the Van Province of the eastern Turkey. The Van-Erciş and Van-Edremit earthquakes caused 604 and 38 fatalities, respectively, and heavy damage to buildings and other structures, particularly in Erciş town and Van City. In this study, characteristics of both main shocks and their geotechnical aspects, such as local site conditions, liquefaction phenomena and associated ground deformations and slope failures are evaluated. The failures of slopes and embankments and rock falls and ground liquefaction may also be indications of diluted ground deformation caused by the earthquake fault. It seems that a wedge-like body bounded by two fault planes was uplifted. As a result of this movement, the northern shoreline of Van Lake uplifted. The November 9, 2011 Van-Edremit earthquake was triggered due to the variation of crustal stresses induced by the October 23, 2011 earthquake. The effects of local site conditions have contributed to the damage of some parts of Erciş city and its vicinity; however, the ground liquefaction was not observed in the city as anticipated. With a magnitude of 5.6, the Van-Edremit earthquake is probably the smallest magnitude earthquake to cause liquefaction in Turkey so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to select alternative landfill sites for Ankara based on the growing trends of Ankara toward the Gölbaşı municipality, and to eventually select the best alternative through the use of decision-making tools. Geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analyses were employed to perform landfill site selection. Several criteria, including geology, slope, proximity to roads, availability and proximity of landfill containment material, settlement, suitability for agriculture, vegetation cover, erosion, and lineament system were gathered in a GIS environment. A weight value was assigned to each criterion by applying the pairwise comparison method and the analytical hierarchy method. An ideal point method, namely, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was applied to choose the best alternative landfill site. The geotechnical properties of 'Ankara clay', which shows widespread distribution in Ankara, were reviewed and assessed for the clay's suitability as a single, compacted clay liner and as a component of a geomembrane-compacted clay composite liner for the alternative landfill site selected. The HELP model was employed in order to determine the cumulative, mean leachate head and cumulative, unitized expected leakage rate amounts through the landfill. Four different profiles, from the least conservative to the most conservative, were created and analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geomechanical properties of the metacrystalline rock masses vary due to alteration. The Devonian aged Yedigoller formation crops out in the Asarsuyu valley (Bolu, Turkey). The aim of this study is to investigate the alteration degree of the amphibolite and metagranodiorites based on their geomechanical and petrographical properties. The P-wave velocity is 1,613-5,588 m/s and the unconfined compressive strength varies between 12.75 and 99.86 MPa. Several weathering products occurred due to carbonisation, oxidation and sericitation. These rocks, subjected to hydrothermal effects, are classified as 'fresh' to 'completely altered' according to the unified alteration index (UAI). In addition, the values of the loss on ignition, modified weathering potential index and chemical index of alteration were taken into account for supporting the alteration process. Since the main process is hydrothermal alteration, the rocks which were exposed to alteration are weathered on the slopes after excavation. Weathering classification and the chemical indices indicate this process. Thus, UAI is concluded to be more suitable and credible in order to evaluate the hydrothermal alteration process of such crystalline rocks numerically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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Abstract  The study considers the hydrothermal alteration of the volcanic rocks in the Köprülü region (western Turkey). Four alteration zones related to hydrothermal solutions have been determined: unaltered/fresh (UZ), altered (AZ), ferrous (FZ) and ferrous and manganese (FMZ). The distribution of the zones is closely related to the fracture/fault pattern. In addition to microscopic examination and X-ray diffraction, the physico-mechanical properties of the samples were established. A positive correlation was found between the mineralogical alteration index, water absorption and apparent porosity. However, there is an inverse relationship between uniaxial compressive strength and mineralogical alteration index (MI). The good correlation (r 2 = 0.822) between MI and strength ratio (Rs) indicates that MI can be a useful tool in determining the alteration degree of volcanic rocks, which has an important effect on their use in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The concentrations of natural radionuclides in 20 pumice samples from the Toprakkale-Osmaniye area were studied using γ-ray spectrometry in order to assess the radioactivity levels and health hazard. The activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the pumice samples ranged from 9.44 to 27.31, 12.24 to 25.43 and 289.48 to 673.18 Bq kg−1, respectively. The radionuclide concentrations in pumice samples were matched with typical world values and the radium equivalent activity (Raeq), external (H ex) and internal (H in) hazard index and representative level index (I γr) determined. All the calculated values were below the internationally accepted limits and indicate that the Toprakkale-Osmaniye pumice can safely be used in construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  A case study for the use of an artificial neural network (ANN) model for landslide susceptibility mapping in Koyulhisar (Sivas-Turkey) is presented. Digital elevation model (DEM) was first constructed using ArcGIS software. Relevant parameter maps were created, including geology, faults, drainage system, topographical elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, topographic wetness index, stream power index, normalized difference vegetation index and distance from roads. Finally, a landslide susceptibility map was constructed using the neural networks. The drawbacks of the method are discussed but as the validation procedures used confirmed the quality of the map produced, it is recommended the use of ANN may be helpful for planners and engineers in the initial assessment of landslide susceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Large-scale instability phenomena frequently occur in slopes in such geologically complex areas as Dogankent in NE Turkey. This study presents an application of the interaction matrices (IM) methodology, as a semi-qualitative method sensitive to large-scale slope instability. For both rock and soil slopes, the main interactive factors were distance from faults, degree of weathering and slope angle. Using IM, a slope failure susceptibility map was created for the Dogankent area and checked again field evidence. The results indicated that IM could be a useful method for slope stability assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The standard penetration test (SPT) is the in situ test most commonly used to investigate the properties of silt, clay, sand and fine gravel. The Menard pressuremeter test (PMT) can be utilized to obtain the strength and deformation properties of any soil or weak rock. The study investigated the relationship between the corrected SPT blow count (N cor) and the PMT parameters of elastic modulus (E m) and limit pressure (p L). It is concluded that for the soils tested, E m and p L can be estimated as a function of N cor values, with r = 0.91 and 0.97, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate statistical models for predicting the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and average Young’s modulus (E av) for caliches, using some index and physical properties. The caliche samples, from Adana, southern Turkey, were of low strength and difficult to sample. X-ray diffraction and microscopy were undertaken and the following physical parameters established: unit weight, apparent porosity, Schmidt rebound number, Shore hardness, P-wave velocity, slake durability, point load, uniaxial compressive strength and average Young’s modulus. Simple and linear regression variable selection analyses were performed. The best relationships were obtained for UCS with P-wave velocity and unit weight and for average Young’s modulus with P-wave velocity, porosity and slake durability. Empirical equations are proposed, although it is emphasised that these may only be applicable for caliche of a similar geological character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  Yznc Yıl University (YYU) campus area is located on the eastern shore of Lake Van, within one of the active tectonic belts of Eastern Anatolia. The sediments accumulated in a lake formed when the Murat River was dammed by volcanoclastic deposits and hence include lacustrine, fluvial and sandy shore sediments. In order to delineate the liquefaction-prone soils, geological and geophysical data were assessed. On the basis of the Liquefaction Potential Index (IL), three main geotechnical zones were identified in the study area and three microzones were delineated within the university campus to reflection the potential damage to structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limestones are the major source of crushed rocks for use in concrete in Istanbul. The existing quarries are located in a variety of limestone types. The study reported here was carried out in the Kartal Quarry in eastern Istanbul. The physico-mechanical properties of limestones of different compositions and textures were determined and the results were compared with those from standard aggregate tests. The relationships between all parameters were described by simple regression analyses. Kartal Quarry produces coarse aggregates, which are considered suitable for concrete. Laboratory testing of limestones with different compositions from Kartal Quarry indicates that fine-grained micritic limestones have superior mechanical and physical properties compared to other limestones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. Swelling of expansive soils and associated movements of foundations cause serious problems to many structures. With the existing expansive clays in Ankara, capital city of Turkey, some light buildings, road pavements and buried pipelines have shown some damage. To avoid such damage, prior to construction expansive clays may be stabilized. There has been little work concerning the stabilization of Ankara Clay and this was concentrated on the lime mixture technique. The main objective of this study was to investigate the performance of the lime column technique on laboratory-scaled models to improve the physical, swelling, strength and consolidation characteristics of this clay. The characteristics of the treated samples were determined in terms of distance to the column and curing period. In general, the results suggested that the most effective zone for the lime migration developed at a distance approximately twice the column diameter and a curing period of 28 days generally seemed to be sufficient. Application of the technique provided a gain in strength between 40 and 80% and resulted in an increase in pre-consolidation pressure and a decrease in the compressibility characteristics of the treated soils, depending on the distance to the lime column. Construction of the column caused a drastic reduction in swell pressure, between 40 and 75%. Résumé. Le gonflement des sols expansifs et les mouvements associe amener les problèmes sérieux sur plusieurs constructions. A cause d''existence des argiles expansive à Ankara, la ville capitale de la Turquie, certains bâtiments légers, chaussées des routes et les lignes de vie étaient confrontée aux dommages. Pour éviter de ces détériorations avant de la construction, les argiles gonflant peuvent être stabilisé. Il y avait peu des études concernant la stabilisation des argiles d''Ankara et ils étaient centralisés seulement sur la technique d''introduire de chaux. L''objective principal de ce travail est d''examiner la performance de technique colon chaux a une échelle laboratoire pour améliorer des caractéristiques physiques, de gonflement, de résistance à la compression uniaxiale et de consolidation de ces argiles. Le caractère des échantillons traité est déterminé suivant la distance au colon et le période de cure. En général, les résultats montrent que la zone la plus efficace pour migration de chaux correspond à peu près le double de diamètre de colon, et un duré de cure 28 jours semble suffissent. Apres l''application de la technique, la vigueur des spécimens traité s''élève entre 40 au 80%. Un accroissement en pressure de pre-consolidation et un affaissement de la compressibilité selon la distance au colon chaux sont aussi décidé. La construction de colon provoque une réduction radicale en pressure de gonflement entre 40 et 75%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial and agricultural activities have directly or indirectly affected the concentrations of a large number of inorganic chemicals in groundwater, for example NO 3, N 2, Cl, SO 4, H +, K, Mg, Ca, Fe, Cu, B, Pb and Zn, as well as a wide variety of pesticides and other organic compounds. For reactive contaminants like NO 3, it is recommended that a combination of hydrochemical and environmental-tracer analytical approaches might be required to resolve changing inputs from subsequent alterations as causes of concentration gradients in groundwater. The water type of Incesu-Dokuzpinar Springs is mainly Na–Mg–Ca–Cl–HCO 3. Note that the water types of the Springs were directly related to the hydrogeochemical properties of outcrops at the study area. Thus, the high concentration of Ca +2 and HCO 3 is mainly related to the high CO 2 contents in the marbles, whereas the high Na concentration arises from the existing syenite, volcanic ash, basalt and clay units, although the Incesu-Dokuzpinar Springs cover most of the drinking and irrigation water demands at the study area. Therefore, relevant hydrogeochemical and statistical studies were carried out for estimating the mentioned environmental impacts on the water quality of Incesu-Dokuzpinar Springs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]