Abstract: A method for cemented material dam construction based on whole-process quality control includes: determining a water-binder ratio of a sand and gravel material through a simulation test; laying rockfill on the first cemented sand and gravel layer before the final setting time of the first cemented sand and gravel layer; adjusting the maximum particle size of the rockfill and the distance between the particles in the rockfill according to the design requirements; spraying a cement slurry on the rockfill to wrap all the particles in the rockfill and laying a second cemented sand and gravel layer before the initial setting time of the cement slurry; performing rolling compaction on the construction layer until the decline in the thickness of the construction layer and the apparent density of the rolled surface meet the design requirements; and completing the cemented material dam construction.

Abstract: A flood protection system that includes at least one elongated flexible tube arranged for being filled with a liquid and containing such liquid, at least one rigid coupling unit arranged for interconnecting the flexible tubes, and a monitoring system that includes at least one liquid level indicator arranged for measuring the liquid level inside the at least one coupling unit. The system ensures that that any leak in one or more of the flexible tubes or any malfunction of the coupling unit can easily be detected.

Abstract: A dam (1) for shielding against water, said dam comprising at least one elongate section (10), each section comprising a section bottom (2), a section top (3) and two longitudinal side faces (4) and two end faces (5) together defining a volume (6), said at least one section (10) comprising one or more openings (11, 12) configured for filling and emptying of liquid to the volume (6), said at least one end face (5) comprising a collar (7) extending in the width along the periphery of the end face in extension of the bottom section and the two longitudinal side faces.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for compacting material in a unit. In one embodiment the compacting apparatus comprises an attaching device, a base coupled to the attaching device, and a head coupled to the base, wherein the head comprises at least one sloping face. The head is lowered within the unit to compact material within the unit. As force is applied by the head, the sloping face distributes the force in a direction normal to the slope of the face. This compacts the material within the unit and prevents the formation of voids within the unit.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a polymeric cellular confinement system which can be filled with soil, concrete, aggregate, earth materials, and the like. More specifically, the present disclosure concerns a cellular confinement system characterized by improved durability against damage generated by UV light, humidity, and aggressive soils, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for constructing a water barrier. In the method a core of quarry run is arranged on the underwater bottom and provided with a protective layer of stones or concrete blocks, with the proviso that, at least at the position of the water barrier, the underwater bottom is raised using bottom material. The method is particularly suitable for constructing a water barrier for relatively deep water.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a polymeric cellular confinement system which can be filled with soil, concrete, aggregate, earth materials, and the like. More specifically, the present disclosure concerns a cellular confinement system characterized by improved durability against damage generated by UV light, humidity, and aggressive soils, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to a polymeric cellular confinement system which can be filled with soil, concrete, aggregate, earth materials, and the like. More specifically, the present disclosure concerns a cellular confinement system characterized by improved durability against damage generated by UV light, humidity, and aggressive soils, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: In accordance with at least one methodology of the present disclosure, an excavating machine (e.g., excavator, backhoe, bulldozer, etc.) moves an excavating apparatus (e.g., a bucket, blade, etc.) such that the excavating apparatus skims the underwater surface of a beach close to the shoreline to gather sand thereby forming a shallow trench in such surface. The depth of trench is small so that the effects of the sand removal to the contour of the beach is quickly compensated by the wave action of the ocean. Although the depth of the removed layer of sand is small, a significant amount of sand can be gathered by continuing the skimming operation over a much longer horizontal distance relative to the vertical depth of the removed sand. Moreover, by repeating the skimming operation along a shoreline, large amounts of sand can be gathered from the underwater surface of a beach close to the shoreline without a significant prolonged impact to the beach's underwater surface contour.

Abstract: A method for constructing or rehabilitating a marsh or wetland comprises the step of inserting propagatable material into liquid or slurry emerging from a high-pressure spray nozzle to form a mixture. The liquid/ or slurry/propagatable material mixture is then sprayed over a marsh or wetland area desired to be constructed or rehabilitated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for constructing a filter zone of an earthfill dam, in which the filter zone includes adjacent coarse and fine filter layers. The coarse and fine filter materials are discharged simultaneously from an earthmoving vehicle having an ejector body. The ejector body includes a longitudinal divider wall that maintains segregation of the materials during transport, and the materials are discharged through separate chute assemblies so as to place the materials in elongate, side-by-side berms. The ejector vehicle is followed by a dozer or other piece of equipment that grades both berms simultaneously. Each pass of the ejector vehicle and dozer thus forms a stratum of the filter zone. The passes are repeated to form a plurality of strata in overlying relationship such that the coarse particulate material forms the coarse filter portion of the filter zone and the fine material forms the fine filter portion of the zone.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a new and useful labor saving method of constructing &Lgr;-shaped dam structures to retain silt in farm field intermittent watercourses by utilizing 10″ and 2″ black plastic drainage tile.

Abstract: A dam includes a body (11) made of loose material, for example earth and/or rocks (A), and a water barrier (12) axially extending to the dam body (11), including a waterproofing layered membrane (13) and a zone of waterpermeable loose material (B), on at least one side of the membrane (13), which can be injected with a sealing fluid and is designed to avoid puncturing of the membrane (13) and to allow the monitoring of the leakage water due to failures in the waterproofing membrane (13). The water barrier (12) can be provided inside the dam body or close to the upstream face.

Abstract: A material distribution vessel for distributing material recovered in a dredging operation is disclosed. The material distribution vessel includes a hull; a propulsion system for selectively moving the hull through a waterway; and a conveyor system supported by the hull. The conveyor system has a first end for receiving recovered material and a second end for depositing the recovered material. At least a portion of the conveyor system is movable relative to the hull to move the second end to a desired position. The material distribution vessel also includes at least one support pad. The at least one support pad is movable in at least a vertical direction to support the hull on a bottom of the waterway. The recovered material may be deposited into the waterway to form an island (which may be a levy), into another water-borne vessel, or into an on-shore station such as a wheeled transportation vehicle.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for extracting contaminants from the ground using a vacuum extraction process. Specifically, the invention discloses a circuit that can control the flow of atmospheric air into a vacuum extraction well. By controlling the air flow into the well, the air flow circuit serves to regulate the vacuum that is applied to sub-surface contaminants. This vacuum lifts the contaminated effluent from the ground, so it can be subjected to further processing.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods of using environmentally friendly cementitious compositions for terminating water flow in a subterranean formation such as in a fresh water zone or water aquifer. Preferred compositions of the present invention include a hydraulic cementitious material such as Portland cement, a viscosifying agent such as bentonite which increases the viscosity of the composition in the presence of water, and a vegetable oil.

Abstract: Methods and compositions or enhancing metal uptake of plants, such as members of the family Brassicaceae, comprise treating the roots, plants, seeds, and/or soil in which the plants are grown, with metal-uptake altering microorganisms, preferably of the bacterial genus Pseudomonas and Bacillus.

Abstract: A trench is excavated from the top surface of an earthen dike, all the way down into the foundation below the base of the dike. Dry powder, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA) is mixed with fresh water and soda ash in proportions of 20 lbs PHPA, to 4 lbs of soda ash, to 68 barrels of fresh water (2856 gallons) to form a slurry having a funnel viscosity of at least 45 sec/quart. As the trench is being excavated, the slurry is pumped into the trench immediately. A section of geo-membrane having a thickness of 0.080" is placed in the trench all the way to the bottom of the trench, overlapping at the top of the membrane onto the top surface of the dike. Dry sand is then pumped into the trench to displace the slurry in the trench.

Abstract: A trench is excavated from the top surface of an earthen dike, all the way down into the foundation below the base of the dike. Dry powder, partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (PHPA) is mixed with fresh water and soda ash in proportions of 20 lbs PHPA, to 4 lbs of soda ash, to 68 barrels of fresh water (2856 gallons) to form a slurry having a funnel viscosity of at least 45 sec/quart. As the trench is being excavated, the slurry is pumped into the trench immediately. A section of geo-membrane having a thickness of 0.080" is placed in the trench all the way to the bottom of the trench, overlapping at the top of the membrane onto the top surface of the dike. Dry sand is then pumped into the trench to displace the slurry in the trench.

Abstract: A levee gate and the process for the production thereof. The levee gate of the invention includes a rectangular sheet of thermoplastic material with a rectangular sleeve located on one edge of the thermoplastic material, the rectangular sleeve being a portion of the rectangular sheet fused to the rectangular sheet. The process for the production of the levee gate includes extruding a cylindrical tube of thermoplastic material, inflating the cylindrical tube as it is extruded to provide an inflated length of tube, flattening the inflated length of tube without fusing the opposed walls of the tube to each other, and continuously fusing a portion of the opposed walls together to form a seam.

Abstract: A method for distributing a dredged slurry of water and solids over a substantially large area wherein the solids may be distributed in a thin environmentally acceptable manner of uniform thickness or a land area or the bottom of a water area may be significantly raised in elevation. A plurality of aerial projectors in the form of nozzles mounted upon movable supports distribute the slurry and the supports and nozzles move over the area in a predetermined manner to produce slurry distribution as desired.

Abstract: Process for soil treatment and successive installations of a plurality of equipments at different respective locations and apparatus for implementing said process, comprising the operations of: drilling the soil by driving a tubular stem tool having an axis and a predetermined overall diameter around its axis, introducing one equipment inside the tubular stem tool, removing from the soil said tubular stem tool while leaving the equipment within the soil, modifying the soil compacity around the equipment by mechanical action during at least part of the removal of the tubular stem tool and repeating the above operations with remaining equipments at other locations.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method for the building or restoration of marshes and beaches wherein a slurry of solid material and water is formed at one location and pumped to a remote location for uniform distribution of the slurry over a large area to substantially increase the elevation for the purpose of building a marsh, restoring a beach, or the like. The slurry is distributed by a high pressure nozzle uniformly directing a spray which falls in a mist over the area on which the slurry is deposited to produce a significant elevational increase in the area. The nozzle may make alternate directional sweeps, or rotate in a common direction to cover a circular area, with various adjustable vertical angles and pressure variations to control distribution.

Abstract: A solid, water impervious landfillable composition of a process for treating iron chloride wastes such as those obtained when chlorinating titanium ore is disclosed. The process involves reacting the iron chlorides with limestone in molten CaCl.sub.2.xH.sub.2 O, where x equals 3-6. The composition comprises CaCl.sub.2.xH.sub.2 O where x is from 3-6 and FeO.sub.Y where Y is from 1.0-1.5 and the weight ratio of CaCl.sub.2.xH.sub.2 O (calculated as CaCl.sub.2.2H.sub.2 O)/FeO.sub.Y is from 1/9-4/1.

Abstract: A mobile pipe conveyor system which is capable of bending smoothly and freely both in horizontal and vertical within a certain range to be moved and/or laid in zigzag without dropping transported materials in contrast to the conventional flat-belt conveyor, and a method for reclaiming and leveling grounds utilizing said mobile pipe conveyor system arranged between a swiveling conveyor and a base point inside or outside of a land to be reclaimed, the entire pipe conveyor system together with the swiveling conveyor being pulled by one or more bulldozers and easily moved about the base point without adjusting l/e zigzag movement and/or laying, so that reclaiming and leveling works on a large scale can be completed in a short time.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for constraining a liquid such as water, either alone or mixed with sand, soil or the like and which includes providing an envelope and pumping a mixture of water and soil into the envelope.

Abstract: The downstream side of earthen dams is provided with relatively non-erodable reticulate reinforcement so that whenever the upstream water level has exceeded dam overtopping level, the reticulately reinforced dam will resist the forces of overtopping water flow and reduce the likelihood of dam breaching and consequent valley floods. Methods of internally reticulately reinforcing existant earthen dams with a plurality of transversely extending concrete check-walls and longitudinally extending embedded concrete spacer-walls are also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming embankments comprising a trapezium-shaped shield open at top and bottom and rearwardly. Material for the embankment is introduced into the top of the shield in slurry form and the difference in level between the slurry contained by the shield and the water outside the shield results in a force on the end wall of the shield. This causes the shield to travel end-wall first along the surface on which it is supported. As it moves forward, the shield will leave behind it an embankment formed to the same trapezium-shape as the shield itself. So that a layered form of embankment may be constructed, the shield may be fitted with a number of hoppers each associated with the formation of a particular layer.

Abstract: Method and means for protecting earth dams from failure caused by overflow or internal (tunnel) erosion. The invention provides a barrier between the dam and the impounded water in the form of a water-impervious covering for the vulnerable surfaces of the dam. At the least the covering should sheathe the top and upstream face, but better protection is provided by extending the covering to the downstream surface. The covering is flexible to conform to the contours and surface irregularities of the dam, and anchoring means are provided to secure the covering to the dam and to prevent or minimize seepage.