This paper summarizes the influence of geocell reinforcement on the performance of earth embankments on soft clay overlying dense sand. The geocell reinforcement can enhance the bearing capacity of the soft clay apart from reducing settlement. Correspondingly, the fill height can be increased significantly. Prototype simulations indicate that the geocell mattress can enhance the embankment height in the range of about 50%–64%, compared with the unreinforced case. In addition, the geocell mattress can effectively share the embankment loading even at a very low level of settlement that exhibits its structural ability. The strain measurement indicates that the geocell mattress acts like a wide slab and thereby effectively supports the embankment even after yielding of the foundation bed. The enhanced bearing capacity of the foundation bed owing to provision of the geocell mattress was estimated through the slip-line field theory. For relatively shallow soft clay with thickness less than 1/12th of the embankment base width, the estimated bearing capacity was comparable to the test data. However, with an increase in the thickness of the soft clay, the prediction has tended to diverge from the experimental result, in the range of about 16%–21%. This is attributed to the difference in the failure mechanism such that the thinner soft clay failed through lateral extrusion as assumed in the slip-line theory, while the deeper one was prone to rotational slip. The finite element analysis of prototype embankments indicates that the general behavior and mechanisms observed in the model tests are reproduced at large scale.

Expansive soils cause damages and distortions to pavements as they swell and shrink. The present study aims to develop an understanding of the mechanical stabilisation of highly plastic expansive soil with sand. The expansive soil was mixed with a wide range of sand fractions, and a series of controlled tests were performed. The results show that the addition of sand can lead to reduced plasticity, swelling and shrinkage. For example, sand inclusions (40%-80%) reduced the swell potential from 124% to a range of 80%-9% and the swell pressure from 850 kPa to 608-150 kPa, representing improvements of 35%-93% and 28%-82%, respectively. Microstructural study indicates that sand aggregates tend to form a likeskeleton-like structure that tends to share increased loading giving rise to enhanced performance. The CBR values indicate that increasing the sand content (40%-80%) improved the bearing resistance of the expansive soil by 87%-452%. Correspondingly, the resilient modulus is found to have increased by 117% to 558%, respectively. A mechanistic-empirical analysis indicates that sand blending of expansive soil subgrades can lead to reduced pavement thickness.

Ballast, typically composed of gravel-sized natural crushed aggregates with uniform gradation, is the most important structural layer of the ballasted railway track. It supports the rail track structure due to its high shear strength, significant load-bearing capacity, and excellent drainage properties. However, ballast undergoes a gradual and irreversible fouling process by various fines, including coal and subgrade soil, throughout its service life. Coal spillage from freight wagons, during transportation, is the primary contributor to this fouling process. As the fouling progresses, the ballast’s strength and drainage capacity are compromised, leading to potential issues such as differential settlement and reduced track stability. Accurately estimating the degradation mechanisms caused by coal fouling in the ballast layer could significantly reduce maintenance costs for ballasted tracks. In this context, a series of large-scale direct shear tests were conducted to investigate the shear and deformation behaviors of clean and coal-fouled ballast. Experimental results show that coal fines act as a lubricant, causing ballast grains to displace and rotate, thereby reducing shear strength and accelerating deformation. Additionally, the friction angle (φ) of coal-fouled ballast decreases as the void contamination index (VCI) increases from 0 to 5

This paper investigates the influence of geocell reinforcement on the load carrying mechanism of embankments over soft soil. Using a geocell mattress beneath an embankment on soft soil, the size of the rupture zone in the foundation bed is found to have increased significantly, leading to increase in the mobilized shear resistance, and giving rise to enhanced bearing capacity. While the unreinforced embankment, owing to differential settlements, tends to crack and disintegrate, the geocell reinforced embankment continues to behave as a monolith up to a high surcharge pressure/fill height. The performance improvement tends to increase with increase in height of the geocell mattress. Strain variation in the geocell mattress indicates that its reinforcing efficacy is the largest at the central crest region of the embankment and decreases toward the toe. As the geocell mattress behaves as a semirigid slab, when it is present, the stress dispersion angle tends to increase significantly. Considering the stress dispersion zone as an equivalent rigid footing, the bearing capacity of unreinforced and geocell reinforced embankments are analyzed. The predicted bearing capacities are found to be in close agreement with the experimentally observed ones. Three-dimensional numerical analyses indicate that the pressure–settlement behavior of the embankments observed in the model tests is reproduced at large scale.

Several series of laboratory California bearing ratio (CBR) tests have been conducted to evaluate the influence of geosynthetics on load bearing behaviour of railway track formations over clay subgrade. The effects of subgrade strength, subballast thickness, placement depth of geogrid reinforcement, number of geogrid layers and geotextile at subballast base have been brought out. With a layer of geogrid in the subballast, the increase in bearing resistance and stiffness of the track bed can be as high as 115% and 83% in case of strong subgrade and 97% and 61% for weak subgrade, respectively. An additional increase in CBR due to four layers of geogrid can be as high as 35% and 59%, for strong and weak subgrade condition, respectively. The CBR test parameters were correlated with the plate load tests parameters, through regression analysis. The obtained equations are found to be reasonably good in predicting the subgrade modulus and the strain modulus values of the track beds.

The present study aims at conducting a comprehensive seismic risk assessment for the North Eastern Region of India at regional and sub-regional levels by integrating probabilistic seismic hazard and social vulnerability assessments. Bedrock-level peak ground acceleration varied from 0.14 to 0.69g for the return period of 475 years. Using PCA, the social vulnerability index (SVI) was generated considering district-level socioeconomic indicators. Built environment quality, illiteracy, access to amenities, dependent population, and employment opportunities contributed to high SVI. Most vulnerable districts were concentrated in the Brahmaputra floodplains, Tripura fold belt, and Imphal valley. At the regional level, significant parts of Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tripura lie in moderate to very high-risk zones. At the sub-regional level, Nagaland accounts for the highest proportion of areas in high to very high-risk zones. The findings will aid site-specific resilient infrastructure design, disaster risk reduction, and effective resource allocation for the risk-prone areas.

An attempt to recycle the massive quantum of mine overburden (OB) waste, generated as a by-product during coal extraction has been made in this study. Experimental and numerical investigations have been carried out to better understand its behavior as a railway subballast material under cyclic loading. On model railway tracks with varying OB-subballast layer thicknesses reinforced with geocells of various pocket sizes, a series of cyclic model tests were conducted. Three-dimensional cyclic FEM models were used to validate the model tests. The validated FEM models served as training data sets for the artificial neural network (ANN) technique, which was used to predict deformations. As the loading cycles increased, the geocells became more effective at reducing track deformation rates. Correspondingly, vertical strains and stresses in the track beds were also reduced in a noticeable way. The findings also supported the use of a shallow OB-subballast thickness in the presence of a geocell, which can withstand track degradations for longer load cycle durations and thus prolong costly track maintenance cycles. The ANN technique, which demonstrated good agreement with the numerical output, can predict the displacements of geocell reinforced tracks in a reliable manner and serve as an efficient deformation prediction tool for railways.

This paper reports the failure mechanism of geocell-reinforced vertical anchors in sand through a series of tests and numerical analyses. It is observed that the anchor load-carrying capacity significantly increases with the application of geocell reinforcement, which is primarily associated with the rupture behaviour of reinforced anchor beds. The rupture surfaces are found to have originated from the bottom edge of the geocell mattress and propagated to the soil surface in a curvilinear shape. The size of rupture surface tends to increase with an increase in length, width and height of the geocell mattress leading to an increased load-carrying capacity of the system. However, beyond a certain length, width and height of the geocell mattress, further increase in size of the rupture surfaces was marginal. Geocells of relatively smaller pocket size (i.e. close to anchor size) can effectively confine the soil leading to a coherent structure that inhibits potential rupture close to the anchors. However, geocells with wider pocket openings enable rupture to occur within the geocell mattress. Hence, it is concluded that the load-carrying capacity of reinforced anchors that is dependent on the size of the rupture surface is influenced by the geometry of the geocell mattress.

Background:The classical ayurvedic formulation Bru-satavari after consumption by people can get a restful night's sleep and feel rejuvenated.The goal of this study is to look at important phytoconstituents which may influence the neuropharmacological activities.Therefore, we made an effort to learn the methanol extract of classical ayurvedic formulation Bru-Satabari having anyneuropharmacological activity.Materials and Methods: The open field, hole cross, rota-rod, and thiopental sodium-induced sleeping duration tests on mice were used to examine the sedative effect of brusatavari at dosages of 400 mg/kg.The anxiety-relieving effect evaluated using the hole-board test.Compared to the positive control drug diazepam, sedative and anxiolytic effects were seen.Analgesic effect was evaluated by tail flick method.Results: According to the study, the extract has remarkable neuropharmacological action because it lowers mice's anxiety and locomotor activity in all instances of hole cross, open field, and rota rot tests when compared to the control.Additionally, compared to the standard and control group, the extract extends sleep time with a rapid onset of effect.Further the Bru-satavari exhibited excellent analgesic activity in comparison to control.Conclusion: The findings confirm the use of Bru-Satabari in traditional medicine by showing that it exhibits sedative and anxiolytic properties.Best suggested: More research into the drug's mechanism of action and the isolation of its active compounds.

Volume instability of expansive soils due to moisture fluctuations is often disastrous,causing severe damages and distortions in the supported structures.It is,therefore,necessary to adequately improve the performance of such soils that they can favorably fulfil the post-construction stability requirements.This can be achieved through chemical stabilization using additives such as lime,cement and fly ash.In this paper,suitability of such additives under various conditions and their mechanisms are reviewed in detail.It is observed that the stabilization process primarily involves hydration,cation exchange,flocculation and pozzolanic reactions.The degree of stabilization is controlled by several factors such as additive type,additive content,soil type,soil mineralogy,curing period,curing temperature,delay in compaction,pH of soil matrix,and molding water content,including presence of nano-silica,organic matter and sulfate compounds.Provision of nano-silica not only improves soil packing but also accelerates the pozzolanic reaction.However,presence of deleterious compounds such as sulfate or organic matter can turn the treated soils unfavorable at times even worser than the unstabilized ones.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common endocrine disorder, now considered as a major global health problem which is affecting around 9.3% of world population and its incidence is increasing day by day. In India, several plants having hypoglycemic property are traditionally used in management of diabetes. Solanum torvum (Swartz) (ST) plant belonging to family Solanaceae; is medicinally reported and claims to cure various diseases in Indian traditional system of medicine (Ayurveda) and also in folklore and as per previous report, the decoction of its fruits is very useful in the treatment of diabetes. The thrust of this investigation is to examine the hypoglycemic efficacy of methanolic fractions (50, 100 and 200mg/kg body wt.) of ST fruits (MFST) from defatted hydro-alcoholic extract in normoglycemic, followed by Streptozotocin (45mg/kg) induced diabetic, and glucose loaded hyperglycemic rats by single as well as multiple oral administration in contrast to the standard drug glibenclamide (2.5mg/kg body wt.). In the beginning of the investigation, acute oral toxicity study of MFST was carried out in rats to determine the dose for experiment animals. The study report showed that the MFST (200mg/kg) significantly (p<0.05 to p<0.01) declines blood glucose level both in normoglycemic and diabetic rats induced by Streptozotocin, and oral glucose loaded hyperglycemic rats till the end of 8th hour and 3rd hour respectively during the single dose study and from the 15th day to 30th day in multi dose study. The blood glucose level decreasing activity of MFST may be due to the secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, tannins and phenolic compounds present in it. Hence the present investigation report reveals that MFST possess significant hypoglycemic and anti-diabetic activity which persuades the traditional use of the plant for the treatment or management of diabetes mellitus.

The Seven Sister States of the North Eastern Region of India, located on the complex seismotectonic belt, is characterized by high seismicity. A comprehensive seismic hazard exposure assessment is carried out by quantifying hazard using a probabilistic approach, vulnerability by factor analysis, and exposure mapping by integrating seismic hazard and vulnerability. Peak ground acceleration (PGA) values at bedrock are calculated with the help of ground motion prediction equations (GMPE) for 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years (475 years) and 100 years (950 years), and 2% probability of exceedance in 50 years (2475 years). The resulting spatial distribution of the PGA values considering return periods of 475, 950, and 2475 years are presented through seismic hazard maps. The social vulnerability analysis indicates that 21 districts covering 91.43% area of the state of Assam and the entire state of Tripura are under high vulnerability. With the help of spatial cluster analysis, it is found that 17.14% of the study area are having an average social vulnerability index (SVI) score of 0.329 and therefore can be considered as hotspots. Through seismic hazard analysis, it is observed that more than 50% of the area of North East India is under moderate to very high exposure class. The seismic hazard maps developed can help in disaster mitigation planning and execution leading to sustainable development goals and targets.

Railways are an integral part of transportation sector of many countries like USA, China, and India. New tracks are being laid at a fast pace as well as existing tracks are being upgraded to meet the demands of the ever-increasing population. Geosynthetics in the form of geocells can be used as a reinforcement material in railways to reduce settlements and track deteriorations which can also reduce the maintenance costs involved. Upgrading tracks require parametric studies to evaluate the effect of various properties of track components on the track system. In the present study, three-dimensional geocell reinforced tracks are modeled using Midas GTS-NX, which is a commercial finite element analysis software. The displacement and vertical stress variations for the railway tracks over clayey subgrade under applied train load were obtained using finite element analyses. The parametric studies involved variation in subgrade modulus and infill modulus to show their effects on reduction in settlements as well as vertical stresses. The comparison of the geocell reinforced model with the unreinforced model showed improvement of railway tracks using geocell. The results of parametric studies show that increase in modulus of subgrade and infill material can effectively improve the performance of railway tracks.

Weak subgrade condition generally develops large settlements in ballasted tracks, leading to adverse performance. To ameliorate such problems, a commonly adopted technique is to provide a thick cushion of granular subballast/blanket over the subgrade. Owing to scarcity of natural resources, this is often a costly proposition. In the present study, application of geogrid reinforcement for possible reduction of the subballast thickness has been explored through large model plate load tests. The investigations include both single and multiple layers of reinforcement in the subballast. With geogrid reinforcement, stiffness and resiliency of track beds were found to have increased markedly. Optimum depth of single-layer geogrid in the subballast giving maximum performance improvement was about 0.33 times the loading diameter. The corresponding improvement in stiffness of the track bed was about 77%. With multiple layers of geogrid in the subballast, the improvement in stiffness was as high as 99%. It is observed that with just one layer of geogrid in the subballast, its thickness can be reduced by 33% (i.e., from 600 to 400 mm).

Influence of soil density on the performance of geocell-reinforced vertical plate anchors was studied through a series of model tests and numerical analyses. It is observed that the geocell-induced performance improvement is present over a wide range of relative density, varying from 30% (loose) to 95% (very dense). However, increase in load bearing capacity and stiffness of the anchor bed continues to increase with increase in density of the soil mass. Moreover, compared to the unreinforced case, the increase in anchor capacity due to increase in soil density tends to be greater with geocell reinforcement. This is attributed to the dilation-induced volume expansion that tends to mobilise enhanced resistance from the geocell reinforcement. In addition, the size of the rupture surface was found to increase with the increase in density of the fill soil, which indicates that, at higher density, a larger volume of soil mass has participated in sharing the anchor load, leading to the enhanced performance of the system. Numerical analysis using the computer program Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua was carried out. The computed results were found to be in good agreement with the observed ones.

EDITORIAL article Front. Built Environ., 17 March 2021Sec. Transportation and Transit Systems Volume 7 - 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fbuil.2021.656498

Mimusops elengi Linn. is a plant with high medicinal and commercial value. Although several secondary metabolites have been reported from different species of this plant, there has been not much information available on the complete profile of phytochemical constituents in Mimusops elengi Linn. The HPTLC fingerprinting of methanol extract showed 6 peaks having maximum Rf values 0.10, 0.27, 0.34, 0.51, 0.72, and 0.80 at 254nm. The same extract showed 3 peaks having maximum Rf value 0.25, 0.29 and 0.49 at 366 nm. This study applies Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry technique to determine the possible chemical components in the methanol extract of Mimusops elengi Linn. Unripened fruits reports for the first time most extensive profile of the plant. The determination and identification of bioactive chemical compounds is established and based on the peak area, retention time molecular weight, and molecular formula. GC-MS analysis of Mimusops elengi Linn. revealed the existence of the 2,2’ Methylenebis [3,4,6-trichloroanisole] which was found to be major component followed by Z-1,9-Hexadecadiene, Cyclopentaneundecanoic-acid, 4-Methyloctanoic acid and E-10-Dodecen-1-ol propionate. The results obtained may be helpful to the further study of pharmacological action for their promising utilization as therapeutic agents.

PCOS is considered as common endocrine diseases among the females in their regenerative age. The purpose of the study was to analyze phytochemicals by GC–MS followed by the pharmacological evaluation of Sukumaram Kasayam on PCOS induced rats. GC–MS analysis of Sukumaram Kasayam was accomplish to identify phytoconstituents. Twenty-four female rats were used (n = 6/group) in the study consisting of healthy control (Group-I). The experimental groups were divided into 3 subgroups, including rats with PCOS which received no treatment (Group-II), PCOS group (Group-III and Group-IV) was administered daily dose of Clomifene citrate 200 mg/kg and Sukumaram Kasayam 0.5 ml/kg for 3 weeks, respectively. In all experimental groups, oral dose of 1 mg/kg letrozole for 21 days to induce PCOS. After treatment period, rats were anesthetized, blood sex hormone and lipid profile was carried. The GC–MS analysis identified Butane, 1, 1-diethoxy-3-, (+)-2-Bornanone abundant compound in formulation. The PCOS induced rats were treated with Clomiphene citrate, Sukumaram Kasayam, the testosterone decreased significantly (P < 0.01), progesterone increased significantly (P < 0.01), estradiol increased significantly (P < 0.01), the serum LH decreased (P < 0.05), the FSH levels were decreased significantly (P < 0.01). In case of the lipid profile the result showed that the triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL decreased significantly (P < 0.01), whereas the HDL increased significantly (P < 0.01) in comparison to PCOS control rats. Results concluded that Sukumaram Kasayam has beneficial effect on levels of the testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, LH, and FSH in alleviating the complications of PCOS.

In the present study, a series of tests has been carried out to develop an understanding of the influence of geocell reinforcement in improving performance of foundation beds under strip loading. It is observed that with the provision of geocell reinforcement, the bearing capacity of sand bed can be increased as high as 8 times compared to the unreinforced case. Improvement in bearing capacity increases with decrease in pocket size of geocells. The performance improvement is significant up to a geocell height of about 2 times the width of the footing. The optimum width of the geocell layer is around 4 times the footing width (B) at which stage, the geocell would intercept all the potential rupture planes formed in the foundation soil. To obtain maximum benefit, the top of geocell mattress should be at a depth of about 0.1B from the bottom of the footing. The findings of this study will be of use in efficient utilization of geocell reinforcement in increasing the performance of foundation beds.