Development of a Device for Monitoring Erosion in the Field.

Monitoring erosion is an important part of understanding the causes of this geotechnical and geological phenomenon. In order to monitor them, it is necessary to develop equipment that is sophisticated enough to resist the sun and water without damage, that is self-mechanized, and that can support the amount of data collected. This article introduces a rain-triggered field erosion monitoring device composed of three main modules: control, capture, and sensing.

Statistical evaluation of testing conditions on the saturated hydraulic conductivity of Brazilian lateritic soils using artificial intelligence approaches.

The saturated hydraulic conductivity, k, is a crucial variable to describe the hydromechanical behavior of soils. The value of k of lateritic soils that are typically found in tropical regions is highly affected by the soil's structure, void ratio, and fine particle aggregation. As a result, the determination of k in the field or in the laboratory is complex and involves greater variability, depending on the type of test and on the spatial location of sampling.