The increase in demand of building stones and construction-grade sand has resulted in aggressive hard rock quarrying in many parts of the world. The problems are to be evaluated in detail for the judicious use of resources on the one hand and ensuring health of the ecosystems on the other. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of hard rock quarrying on one of the important twin - river basins in SW India, the Netravati-Gurpur river basin, which hosts the fast developing urban centre, the Mangalore city. A total of 64 hard rock quarries are located in the basin which together extracts about 6.75 million t y of rocks/rock products for different purposes. An assessment of the impacts of quarrying using the rapid impact assessment matrix (RIAM) reveals marginal, short-term positive impacts in economic-operational components but major negative impacts on all the other environmental components. The study indicates that the present intensity of quarrying is unsustainable with a sustainability index of - 0.25. Therefore, hard rock quarrying in the study area is to be strictly regulated for bringing down the river basin degradation to the barest minimum level and maximizing the ecosystem benefits to its full potential.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08485-x | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
January 2025
School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Quzhou College of Technology, Quzhou, 324000, China.
Pneumatic impactor is widely used in the drilling process of various medium and high hard rocks with poor drill ability. Currently, there is relatively little analysis on the impact of the inclination of the rock surface during the drilling process on the drilling efficiency and excavation capability of pneumatic impactors. Based on the dynamic theory of impact drilling and finite element method (FEM), the constitutive model of HJC criterion and INVENTOR 3D mechanical structure design software, a 3D numerical analysis system of piston-bit head-rock during pneumatic impactor drilling is established by ANSYS LS-DYNA, a nonlinear dynamic analysis software.
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January 2025
Power China Guiyang Engineering Corporation Limited, Guiyang, China, 550081, Guizhou.
Aiming at the crucial engineering challenge of the ambiguous excavation deformation mechanism of hard and brittle surrounding rock under high geos-tress conditions, with the right bank diversion tunnel at the dam site of the hydropower station as the research object, the deformation and failure characteristics of the surrounding rock and their formation mechanisms during the layered excavation of the diversion tunnel were investigated. The research findings show: (1) The main factors influencing the deformation of the diversion tunnel's surrounding rock are the high ground stress environment, the degree of fracture development in the rock mass, and the effectiveness of the support system. (2) Following the excavation of the first layer, extensive shallow damage predominates, with damaged blocks primarily exhibiting sheet-like and plate-like forms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChemosphere
January 2025
School of Water Resources Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, West Bengal, India. Electronic address:
Groundwater toxicity and water level depletion are serious concerns today. Assessing groundwater quality (GWQ) is crucial for effective planning and management due to increasing demands for drinking and irrigation water. Therefore, this study aims to analyze groundwater hydrochemistry, variability, and factors influencing quality for drinking and irrigation purposes using indices and models.
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January 2025
Xincheng Gold Mine of Shandong Gold Mining Co., Ltd., Laizhou, 261400, Shandong, China.
The creep failure of rocks is related to its microstructure, external loading and time. A nonlinear yield model was introduced to describe the variation in the cohesion and friction angle with plastic strain and intergranular stress. The mechanical properties and creep characteristics of deep granite were obtained by indoor tests, and a variable radius particle clump model was constructed based on the particle flow method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWorld J Microbiol Biotechnol
January 2025
Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology, Zhejiang University, 310028, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, P.R. China.
For large, open-air lithic cultural heritage, colonization is an inevitable process. This study examines the dual impact of colonization on the Leshan Giant Buddha's sandstone monuments, focusing on both biodeterioration and protection. Over three years, we conducted field surveys and monitored biocrusts (bryophytes, lichens, and biofilms) on these monuments, observing significant biodeterioration primarily due to mechanical exfoliation and acid corrosion.
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