#petrographic analysis

[blueiscoool]

New Type of Amphora Found in 4th-Century Roman Shipwreck

A new study, featured in the journal “Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences,” brings to light important discoveries on an ancient Roman shipwreck found near Mallorca, one of Spain’s Balearic Islands.

Situated only 65 meters away from a well-visited beach close to Palma, Mallorca’s capital, this shipwreck has caught the interest of many due to its preservation and interesting cargo.

A group of archaeologists and researchers conducted the study using a detailed analytical method to uncover the secrets behind the shipwreck’s origin, contents, and importance.

They used various techniques such as petrographic analysis, archaeozoology, residue analysis, and the examination of wood and plant remains to thoroughly investigate the site, according to “Archaeology” magazine.

Amphora named ‘Ses Fontanelles I’ found in the wreck

Inside the ship’s cargo area, researchers discovered a collection of ceramic objects, mainly amphorae, which were commonly used to store and move different items.

A significant discovery from the study is the recognition of a new kind of amphora, called Ses Fontanelles I, only found in this wreck. The newly identified amphora is larger and heavier than others, and it was mainly used for transporting plant oil.

The recovered amphorae from the shipwreck have painted inscriptions called tituli picti, which give important details about where the items came from, what they were, and who owned them.

These inscriptions tell us that the makers of the amphorae were Ausonius et Alunni, and they also reveal that the cargo contained fish sauce, olive oil, and wine.

During the Late Roman era, fish sauce, called liquamen flos, was a popular flavor enhancer, different from the more commonly known garum.

The analysis suggests that this fish sauce was mainly made from anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus), with some sardines occasionally mixed in.

Materials used in the construction of cargo

Residue analysis of the amphorae showed signs of grape derivatives, possibly used to add flavor or preserve the contents. Additionally, traces of animal products were found, adding to the complexity of the cargo.

The materials used to build the ship’s hull were carefully examined. Pine was used for the main parts, while harder types of wood like juniper, olive, and laurel were used for assembly. Vine branches and other plants were used as filler and to protect the cargo during the voyage.

Based on the research, it’s likely that the ship set sail from the Cartagena area in southeastern Spain, traveling along the trade routes of the Western Mediterranean. This thought is supported by the petrographic analysis of the amphorae, which suggests a link to the Cartagena region.

By Abdul Moeed.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

First lunar far side samples collected from the other half of the moon

A Chinese team of scientists has undertaken a study of lunar samples retrieved by the Chang'E-6 mission. These are the first samples studied from the farside of the Moon. They mark a significant milestone in lunar exploration science and technical exploration capability. The study was published in the journal National Science Review on September 17, 2024.

"As the first lunar sample obtained from the far side of the Moon, the Chang'E-6 sample will provide an unparalleled opportunity for lunar research," said Prof. Chunlai Li, National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This unique sample helps to advance the understanding of several key aspects of lunar science, including the Moon's early evolution; the variability of volcanic activities between the nearside and farside; the impact history of the inner solar system; the record of galactic activity preserved in the lunar weathering layer; the lunar magnetic field and its anomalies and duration; and the composition and structure of the lunar crust and mantle. "These insights are expected to lead to new concepts and theories regarding the origin and evolution of the Moon, and refine its use as an interpretive paradigm for the evolution of the terrestrial planets," said Li.

Adding together the lunar samples gathered from the six Apollo missions, three Luna missions, and the Chang'E-5 mission, scientists have collected a total of 382.9812 kg of lunar samples. These lunar samples have provided scientists with critical information on the formation and evolutionary history of the Moon. "Returned lunar samples are essential to planetary science research, as they provide key laboratory data to link orbital remote sensing observations to actual surface ground truth," said Li. The samples have contributed to the development of hypotheses, such as the Moon's giant impact into early Earth origin, the Lunar Magma Ocean, and the Late Heavy Bombardment. These earlier studies of lunar samples, all of them collected from the lunar nearside, have significantly advanced the discipline of planetary science. From a sampling perspective, the farside has remained unexplored until now.

"Nearside samples alone, without adequate sampling from the entire lunar surface, especially from the farside, cannot fully capture the geologic diversity of the entire Moon. This limitation hampers our understanding of the Moon's origin and evolution," said Li. Scientists gained the much-needed farside lunar samples when the Chang'E-6 mission collected 1935.3 grams of lunar samples from the South Pole-Aitken basin on June 25, 2024.

The samples were gathered from the lunar surface using drilling and scooping techniques. The team analyzed the samples' physical, mineralogical, petrographic, and geochemical properties. Their analysis showed that the collected samples reflect a mixture of "local" basaltic material and "foreign" non-mare material. The rock fragments in the Chang'E-6 samples are mainly basalt, breccia, and agglutinates. The primary constituent minerals of the soils are plagioclase, pyroxene, and ilmenite, with very low olivine abundance. The lunar soil in the Chang'E-6 samples is mostly a mixture of local basalts and non-basaltic ejecta materials.

The lunar surface is divided into three very distinct geochemical provinces based on variations in geochemical characterization and petrologic evolutionary history. These are the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT), the Feldspathic Highland Terrane (FHT), and the South Pole-Aitken Terrane (SPAT).

"These local mare basalts document the volcanic history of lunar farside, while the non-basaltic fragments may offer critical insights into the lunar highland crust, South Pole-Aitken impact melts, and potentially the deep lunar mantle, making these samples highly significant for scientific research," said Li.

The lunar samples collected from the nearside by the Apollo, Luna, and Chang'E-5 missions included samples from the PKT and the FHT. Until now, no samples had been collected from the unique SPAT on the lunar farside. Scientists believe the South Pole-Aitken basin was formed 4.2 to 4.3 billion years ago in the Pre-Nectarian period. It is the largest confirmed impact basin in the Solar System.

IMAGE: The Topographic Map illustrates the landing sites of the Chang'E Missions, Apollo Missions, and Luna Missions. Credit Image by NAOC

[the-technicolor-whiscash]

holy SHIT I just found a webpage that has petrographic analysis of lunar rocks and dude they have xpl thin sections

I am in love god look at these beauties

Might need to break out the ol petrology textbook and spend some time with these

[southeastasianarchaeology]

[Paper] The intentional variability of Lapita pottery fabrics

A paper by Leclerc et al. looking at Lapita pottery in Vanuatu, suggesting that the variability observed in raw materials are guided by the same cultural norms and social behaviours that led to the variability in other aspects of the Lapita pottery.

via Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 07 November 2023: A paper by Leclerc et al. looking at Lapita pottery in Vanuatu, suggesting that the variability observed in raw materials are guided by the same cultural norms and social behaviours that led to the variability in other aspects of the Lapita pottery. Results from petrographic and chemical analysis of decorated Lapita pottery from…

[concreteconsultingservices22]

Petrographic Analysis: Revealing the Hidden Insights of Rocks and Minerals

Petrographic analysis is a crucial scientific technique used to study rocks and minerals, providing valuable insights into their composition, texture, and origin. This article explores the methods, applications, and significance of petrographic analysis in various fields such as geology, engineering, and environmental science.

What is Petrographic Analysis?

Petrographic analysis involves examining thin sections of rocks or minerals under a polarizing microscope. The primary goal is to identify mineral constituents, textures, and relationships within the rock. This analysis can reveal essential information about the rock’s history, formation conditions, and potential uses. If you are looking for a Petrographic Analysis then you may visit this website https://c3sinc.com/petrographic-analysis-scanning-electron-microscopy/.

!https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:875/0*QgBsT_l7ry6Su9Ks.jpg

Key Components of Petrographic Analysis

Thin Section Preparation: Samples are cut into thin slices, usually around 30 micrometers thick, allowing light to pass through for microscopic examination.

Microscopic Examination: A polarizing microscope is used to analyze the optical properties of minerals, which helps in their identification.

Data Interpretation: The collected data is interpreted to understand the mineralogy, petrology, and geological history of the sample.

Methods of Petrographic Analysis

Petrographic analysis employs several methods to obtain and interpret data:

1. Optical Microscopy

Description: Uses light to examine thin sections of rocks.

Applications: Identifies mineral types and textures based on their optical properties, such as birefringence and interference colors.

2. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)

Description: Provides high-resolution images of mineral surfaces.

Applications: Offers detailed information about mineral morphology and composition.

3. X-ray Diffraction (XRD)

Description: Analyzes crystal structures by measuring the diffraction of X-rays.

Applications: Identifies mineral phases present in the sample and quantifies their abundance.

4. Chemical Analysis

Description: Determines the chemical composition of minerals using techniques like Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX).

Applications: Provides insights into the geochemical processes that formed the rock.

Applications of Petrographic Analysis

Petrographic analysis has wide-ranging applications across various fields:

1. Geology

Stratigraphy: Helps in understanding the layering of rocks and geological history.

Petrology: Aids in classifying rocks based on their mineral composition and origin.

2. Engineering

Construction Materials: Evaluates the suitability of rocks and aggregates for construction projects.

Foundation Studies: Assesses the stability and integrity of geological formations for infrastructure development.

3. Environmental Science

Contamination Studies: Analyzes soil and rock samples to identify pollutants and assess environmental impact.

Resource Exploration: Assists in the exploration of natural resources, such as minerals and fossil fuels.

Importance of Petrographic Analysis

Petrographic analysis is essential for several reasons:

Understanding Geological History: Provides insights into the formation and evolution of the Earth’s crust.

Resource Management: Helps in the efficient extraction and use of natural resources.

Infrastructure Safety: Ensures that construction projects are built on stable geological foundations, reducing risks associated with landslides and other geological hazards.

Environmental Protection: Aids in identifying and mitigating the impacts of human activities on geological formations.

Conclusion

Petrographic analysis is a powerful tool in the study of rocks and minerals, offering valuable insights into their properties and origins. Its applications in geology, engineering, and environmental science make it an indispensable part of earth sciences.

As technology advances, petrographic analysis will continue to evolve, enhancing our understanding of the Earth’s complex systems and contributing to sustainable resource management and environmental protection. Whether in academia, industry, or environmental studies, petrographic analysis remains a cornerstone of geological investigation.

[sunaleisocial]

MIT course helps researchers crack secrets of ancient pottery

New Post has been published on https://sunalei.org/news/mit-course-helps-researchers-crack-secrets-of-ancient-pottery/

MIT course helps researchers crack secrets of ancient pottery

Jennifer Meanwell carefully placed a pottery sherd — or broken fragment of ceramic — under the circular, diamond-coated blade of a benchtop saw.

“Cutting the sample is the first big step,” says Meanwell, a lecturer in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. She was leading a lab in making thin sections of pottery for petrographic analysis, a method used to examine ceramics and determine their composition, structure, and origins.

“You want a slice that’s thin enough to work with but thick enough to maintain its structure through the rest of the process.”

The lab was part of a summer intensive course at MIT for PhD students and early-career researchers in ceramic petrography, a specialized skill in archaeology. The course focuses on using optical microscopy to characterize pottery from ancient civilizations, revealing information about manufacturing techniques and provenance.

Twelve students from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia participated in the three-week course in June to develop advanced skills, enriching students’ understanding of ancient ceramics and their broader historical and cultural contexts. It included morning seminars in mineralogy and archaeological theory and hands-on laboratories to identify and characterize materials, understand how they were manufactured, and infer what they were most likely used for.

Meanwell and Senior Technical Instructor William Gilstrap taught the group how to examine pottery samples collected from around the world — Greece, Mexico, and the Middle East — using polarized light microscopes to examine the materials.

“Polarized light will transmit through a mineral at 30 microns in a predictable manner — it interacts with its structure, and the optical properties help us identify which mineral types they are,” says Gilstrap. By determining the minerals, researchers can link them to the geological landscape they came from. “This helps us know more about how people interacted with their environments, and perhaps, how people transferred knowledge on time and space.”

Hands-on training

The course builds on the two-semester-long class Materials in Ancient Societies, run by the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology (CMRAE), a consortium of eight Boston-area schools that provides training in archaeological and ethnographic materials. Few institutions globally teach ceramic petrography, and most provide short, one- to two-week courses.

Gilstrap highlighted the need for extended training. “It takes time to develop the skills to find the nuances in the structure as well as to learn mineralogy, geology, and the manufacturing techniques of ceramics,” Gilstrap says.

Students learn to reconstruct the production methods of past ceramics, from cooking pots to roof tiles, by examining the underlying structure of materials to determine how they were made. For example, they can identify whether a vessel was crafted by pinching, a technique in which a potter presses into a ball of clay to form indentations, or coiling, which involves stacking rope-like strands of clay to build up the vessel’s walls. This analysis can reveal production, transport, and consumption patterns.

“We can see where things are made. We can see where things ended up and direction of exchange. And that’s the basics of an economy,” says Gilstrap.

The course blends sciences and humanities, covering basic chemistry, geology, and anthropological theory. Students also learn how to make their own petrographic thin sections — slices of pottery impregnated in epoxy and mounted on glass slides. These sections are essential for microscopic analysis of the ceramic’s composition and structure. Most researchers, however, typically do not make their own thin sections. Instead, they send their samples to specialized labs, where the preparation process costs approximately $45 per sample.

“When you have 300 samples, that gets costly,” Gilstrap adds.

Applying new skills

This practical experience resonated with Jean Paul Rojas and Michelle Young, from Vanderbilt University’s anthropology department. As did all the students, they brought in their own slides for analysis. Theirs were made by a colleague two decades ago.

“These have never been petrographically analyzed, so it would be the first time looking at them and trying to identify the petro groups,” says Rojas, a PhD student in archaeology. His research focuses on human migration, exchange, and movement in the Caribbean, particularly the mineralogical origins of ceramics.

Before the MIT summer course, Rojas had little training in geology or mineralogy. Two weeks in, he joked, “I know what rocks are now.”

“Now I feel like I know how to really look at all these different minerals, the feldspars and the quartz and the plagioclase — the different types of feldspars — the micas, and I can identify them and make something useful out of it.”

Young is an assistant professor in Vanderbilt’s anthropology department and Rojas’ thesis advisor. She’s always had an interest in materials science and ceramics, and she’s collaborated with a petrographer in the past.

“But in order to truly understand the data, I needed an introduction into the technique,” Young says.

When she returns to Vanderbilt, she plans on including petrography as one of the techniques featured in a lab sciences course for non-science majors.

“I am hoping at some point that I will eventually publish on petrographic results, or at least use the technique as a very preliminary way of grouping different ceramics,” Young says.

Another summer course student, Anna Pineda, a PhD candidate from the Philippines studying at the Australian National University, is analyzing jar burial sites in the islands and archipelagos between Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean. She’s particularly interested in understanding how mineral analysis techniques in geology can inform archaeology.

“When I talk to geologists, they can’t really get what I want to do unless they have an archeological background,” Pineda said. “It’s good to have a perspective from people who do archaeology.”

Pineda plans to incorporate knowledge gained from the course into her PhD research.

“Hopefully, I can get better results out of research on materials that have never been studied yet, using methods that aren’t commonly applied, in Island Southeast Asia.”

[jcmarchi]

MIT course helps researchers crack secrets of ancient pottery

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/mit-course-helps-researchers-crack-secrets-of-ancient-pottery/

MIT course helps researchers crack secrets of ancient pottery

Jennifer Meanwell carefully placed a pottery sherd — or broken fragment of ceramic — under the circular, diamond-coated blade of a benchtop saw.

“Cutting the sample is the first big step,” says Meanwell, a lecturer in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. She was leading a lab in making thin sections of pottery for petrographic analysis, a method used to examine ceramics and determine their composition, structure, and origins.

“You want a slice that’s thin enough to work with but thick enough to maintain its structure through the rest of the process.”

The lab was part of a summer intensive course at MIT for PhD students and early-career researchers in ceramic petrography, a specialized skill in archaeology. The course focuses on using optical microscopy to characterize pottery from ancient civilizations, revealing information about manufacturing techniques and provenance.

Twelve students from North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia participated in the three-week course in June to develop advanced skills, enriching students’ understanding of ancient ceramics and their broader historical and cultural contexts. It included morning seminars in mineralogy and archaeological theory and hands-on laboratories to identify and characterize materials, understand how they were manufactured, and infer what they were most likely used for.

Meanwell and Senior Technical Instructor William Gilstrap taught the group how to examine pottery samples collected from around the world — Greece, Mexico, and the Middle East — using polarized light microscopes to examine the materials.

“Polarized light will transmit through a mineral at 30 microns in a predictable manner — it interacts with its structure, and the optical properties help us identify which mineral types they are,” says Gilstrap. By determining the minerals, researchers can link them to the geological landscape they came from. “This helps us know more about how people interacted with their environments, and perhaps, how people transferred knowledge on time and space.”

Hands-on training

The course builds on the two-semester-long class Materials in Ancient Societies, run by the Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology (CMRAE), a consortium of eight Boston-area schools that provides training in archaeological and ethnographic materials. Few institutions globally teach ceramic petrography, and most provide short, one- to two-week courses.

Gilstrap highlighted the need for extended training. “It takes time to develop the skills to find the nuances in the structure as well as to learn mineralogy, geology, and the manufacturing techniques of ceramics,” Gilstrap says.

Students learn to reconstruct the production methods of past ceramics, from cooking pots to roof tiles, by examining the underlying structure of materials to determine how they were made. For example, they can identify whether a vessel was crafted by pinching, a technique in which a potter presses into a ball of clay to form indentations, or coiling, which involves stacking rope-like strands of clay to build up the vessel’s walls. This analysis can reveal production, transport, and consumption patterns.

“We can see where things are made. We can see where things ended up and direction of exchange. And that’s the basics of an economy,” says Gilstrap.

The course blends sciences and humanities, covering basic chemistry, geology, and anthropological theory. Students also learn how to make their own petrographic thin sections — slices of pottery impregnated in epoxy and mounted on glass slides. These sections are essential for microscopic analysis of the ceramic’s composition and structure. Most researchers, however, typically do not make their own thin sections. Instead, they send their samples to specialized labs, where the preparation process costs approximately $45 per sample.

“When you have 300 samples, that gets costly,” Gilstrap adds.

Applying new skills

This practical experience resonated with Jean Paul Rojas and Michelle Young, from Vanderbilt University’s anthropology department. As did all the students, they brought in their own slides for analysis. Theirs were made by a colleague two decades ago.

“These have never been petrographically analyzed, so it would be the first time looking at them and trying to identify the petro groups,” says Rojas, a PhD student in archaeology. His research focuses on human migration, exchange, and movement in the Caribbean, particularly the mineralogical origins of ceramics.

Before the MIT summer course, Rojas had little training in geology or mineralogy. Two weeks in, he joked, “I know what rocks are now.”

“Now I feel like I know how to really look at all these different minerals, the feldspars and the quartz and the plagioclase — the different types of feldspars — the micas, and I can identify them and make something useful out of it.”

Young is an assistant professor in Vanderbilt’s anthropology department and Rojas’ thesis advisor. She’s always had an interest in materials science and ceramics, and she’s collaborated with a petrographer in the past.

“But in order to truly understand the data, I needed an introduction into the technique,” Young says.

When she returns to Vanderbilt, she plans on including petrography as one of the techniques featured in a lab sciences course for non-science majors.

“I am hoping at some point that I will eventually publish on petrographic results, or at least use the technique as a very preliminary way of grouping different ceramics,” Young says.

Another summer course student, Anna Pineda, a PhD candidate from the Philippines studying at the Australian National University, is analyzing jar burial sites in the islands and archipelagos between Southeast Asia and the Pacific Ocean. She’s particularly interested in understanding how mineral analysis techniques in geology can inform archaeology.

“When I talk to geologists, they can’t really get what I want to do unless they have an archeological background,” Pineda said. “It’s good to have a perspective from people who do archaeology.”

Pineda plans to incorporate knowledge gained from the course into her PhD research.

“Hopefully, I can get better results out of research on materials that have never been studied yet, using methods that aren’t commonly applied, in Island Southeast Asia.”

[pooma-today]

The National UN Volunteers-India

Noida International Public School, Noida

Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse - Presentation

Title: Mathematical Analysis of the destruction

Guide: Mrs. Meenu, Mathematics teacher

1. What Could be the Potential Cause of Tunnel Collapse?

About:

The Silkyara-Barkot tunnel is part of the ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project of the Central Government.

The construction of the tunnel was tendered to Hyderabad-headquartered Navayuga Engineering Company by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL), a fully owned company of the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Government of India.

2. Potential Causes of Tunnel Collapse:

The exact cause of the tunnel collapse is yet to be ascertained, but a possible factor could be:

▪️The collapsed section, situated around 200-300 meters from the tunnel mouth, might have contained a hidden loose patch of fractured or weak rock, undetectable during construction.

▪️Water seepage through this compromised rock could have eroded it over time, creating an unseen void atop the tunnel structure.

3. What are the Critical Aspects of Tunnel Construction?

▪️Tunnel Excavation Techniques:

• Drill and Blast Method (DBM): Involves drilling holes into rock and detonating explosives to break it apart.

• DBM is often used in regions like the Himalayas (Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand) due to the challenging terrain.

• Tunnel-Boring Machines (TBMs): It bore through rock while supporting the tunnel behind with precast concrete segments. It is a more expensive but safer method.

• TBMs are ideal when the rock cover is up to 400 metres tall. Underground tunnels for the Delhi Metro were dug using a TBM at shallow depth.

4. Aspects in Tunnel Construction:

¹Rock Investigation: Thoroughly examining the rock's strength and composition through seismic waves and petrographic analysis to assess its load-bearing capacity and stability.

²Monitoring and Support: Continuous monitoring using stress and deformation meters, along with various support mechanisms like shotcrete, rock bolts, steel ribs, and specialized tunnel pipe umbrellas.

³Geologist Assessments: Independent geologists play a crucial role in examining the tunnel, predicting potential failures, and determining the rock's stability duration.

5. What are the Other Major Tunnels in India?

¹Atal Tunnel: Atal Tunnel (also known as Rohtang Tunnel) is a highway tunnel built under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway in Himachal Pradesh, India.

At a length of 9.02 km, it is the longest tunnel above 10,000 feet (3,048 m) in the world.

²Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel: This 11.2 km long tunnel is India's longest transportation railway tunnel.

It runs through the Pir Panjal mountain range between Quazigund and Baramulla.

³Jawahar Tunnel: It is also called Banihal Tunnel. The length of the tunnel is 2.85 km.

The tunnel facilitates round-the-year road connectivity between Srinagar and Jammu.

⁴Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Road Tunnel: It was previously known as Chenani-Nashri Tunnel and is the longest road tunnel of India.The length of this road tunnel is 9.3 km.

6. Way Forward

¹Regular Maintenance: Implement a stringent maintenance schedule, including inspections for structural integrity, drainage systems, and ventilation to identify and rectify issues promptly.

Employ sensors and monitoring technologies to continuously assess structural health, detecting any potential weaknesses or anomalies early.

Risk Assessment and Preparedness: Conducting third party risk assessments periodically, considering geological, environmental, and usage factors.

Developing contingency plans and emergency protocols in case of any structural concerns.

²Training and Awareness: Training personnel in tunnel management and emergency response procedures. Public awareness campaigns can educate users and nearby residents about safety measures and reporting mechanisms.

³Technology Integration: Explore innovative technologies like Artificial Intelligence, drones, or robotics for more efficient inspections, maintenance, and early detection of potential issues.

[concretecanberra]

Concrete Remediation Canberra

Concrete remediation Canberra involves a detailed evaluation of the existing concrete structure, determining its causes of deterioration and selecting repair methods. It also involves assessing the structure’s performance after repair.

Every concrete repair scenario requires a unique approach. This is because the physical environment of each site is different. This will affect the type of repair required.

Damaged Concrete

Concrete is an incredibly durable construction material but it can be damaged. Damage can be the result of a number of different things including weather conditions, structural issues and the wrong type of waterproofing.

Some of the most common signs of damage to concrete are cracks, spalling and discoloration. Often these are a sign of more serious problems and they need to be addressed right away to prevent further damage and cost.

The most common reason that concrete is damaged is water damage. This can be caused by a number of different factors, from plumbing leaks to seismic soil movement. If left untreated, this can lead to major damage and even structural failure.

There are many products available to repair concrete damage but it is important that the affected area is thoroughly cleaned and dry prior to application. Most products require that the surface be brought to saturated surface dry (SSD) and this is important to ensure a good bond.

Structural Issues

Structural problems can arise in concrete structures due to ageing, poor design and construction, changes in load conditions or environmental factors. This can result in damage that requires structural repairs or reinforcement.

Structural issues can lead to subsidence in Canberra homes, which is a major problem that can affect the entire building structure and its foundations. Subsidence puts immense pressure on the home and can cause serious damage if left untreated.

Underpinning is a method of strengthening and stabilising a structure that involves pumping a concrete mix or cement grout underneath the building or structure to fill in gaps or holes. This is an alternative to the mass concrete underpinning technique that requires excavation of large holes under a home.

Before repairing cracks in a concrete structure, an evaluation must be undertaken to determine the cause of the deterioration and distress. This is so that a suitable repair method can be selected. This may include a review of design and construction documents, a visual inspection, destructive and non-destructive testing and chemical and petrographic analysis.

Corrosion Issues

The corrosion of the steel reinforcing in concrete is a worldwide problem that affects the utilisation and aesthetics of buildings. It can also cause structural damage and is a major cost to the economy. However, the corrosion of steel in concrete can be avoided or at least delayed with proper planning and adequate maintenance.

Carbonation, caused by CO2 dissolving in the concrete pore fluid, and chloride (salt) ingress, attack and corrode the reinforcement of concrete structures. This creates a voltage differential between the anodic and passive sites of the concrete. This causes the steel to corrode and it rusts rapidly, forming a sacrificial anode, and acid is produced that reduces the pH of the concrete – it’s like the tip of an iceberg.

The corroded concrete may crack, crumble or spall. This presents serious safety issues for hotel guests and staff and is an aesthetic issue as well, especially in heritage buildings. It is difficult to repair a building that has serious problems such as this and hotel operators cannot afford to close for several hours while disruptive drilling and grinding takes place.

Aesthetic Issues

Concrete is one of the most utilised construction products in history, but it comes with its own set of issues. Almost every case of damage to concrete requires a different approach. This is because the underlying cause of the issue can vary so greatly. For example, repairing chemical damage in a service station will require a very different method than repairing the same issue at a metal plating plant.

The overall aim of any repair programme should be to keep as much of the original fabric in place as possible. However, the fact is that the structural integrity of a building often dictates that more invasive work be undertaken to ensure its safety and longevity.

Various factors can affect the structural condition of concrete; from ground settlement and tectonic movement, to extreme weather conditions and poor de-shuttering techniques. In addition, once deterioration has begun it can spread rapidly, leading to the failure of structures or their sudden collapse.

source https://concretecanberra.wordpress.com/2023/06/12/concrete-remediation-canberra/

[bilingualpublishing]

Assessment of Geotechnical Properties of Laki Limestone for Coarse Aggregate, Nooriabad, Jamshoro Sindh, Pakistan

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.30564/agger.v4i2.4545 Abstract Present study is aimed at assessment of geotechnical properties of Laki limestone as coarse aggregate which is being quarried in Nooriabad area, Sindh, Pakistan. Coarse aggregate samples (n=20) of limestone were collected for the evaluation of physico-mechanical properties of the aggregate. Petrographic analysis revealed that the…

[aroguexenolith]

(It's me) 

 Happy #thinsectionthursday everyone! :D

This is an opaque mineral in my dolerite samples, as seen in plane-polarized light. With opaque minerals, it’s very difficult to determine what they actually are in thin section. Even at 0.03mm, light doesn’t pass through them, so you can’t use their optical properties (such as birefringence) to identify what they are. A lot of times the best you can do is hold the slide up to the light and see what color the opaques reflect! In this case, I have a good sense of this rock’s composition, which helps me make an educated guess. As a mafic rock, dolerite has more magnesium and iron than its felsic counterparts, so these opaques are most likely an iron oxide (magnetite, likely). In other mafic rocks, a titanium oxide wouldn’t be a bad guess, either, except that whole rock analysis has revealed these rocks to be very titanium-poor. The surrounding minerals are plagioclase (low-relief, relatively colorless) and clinopyroxene, with maaaaybe some olivine in the bottom right of the less-magnified snapshot.

[noragaribotti]

https://apple.news/A9d3Ub5iPShScVVccL7imCA

[lostcauses-noregrets]

I only learned now that you used to work as an archeologist, that's so cool! Would you mind sharing a little bit about what got you into this field and your experiences while learning it? :) My mother always wanted to go to university for archeology but wasn't able to for various reasons and while she's now really happily working at an used book store I can't help but feel sad that she couldn't do that sometimes.

I have to confess that I ended up becoming an archaeologist purely by accident!  When I went to university I chose it as my third subject, because the lectures were at a convenient time and I was vaguely interested in it.  I ended up really enjoying it, so I dropped the two subjects I had planned to study, and did an MA in Archaeology instead. I was primarily interested in the Iron Age and early historic archaeology of North West Britain and Ireland and I did most of my field work in the North of Scotland.  I originally wanted to do a PhD after I graduated but I couldn’t get a grant and couldn’t afford to self-fund, so I started working as a contract digger instead, working on building sites, road works etc. I later got a job as the material science technician at the University where I originally studied.  I taught remedial conservation, did some post excavation analysis, and made ceramic sections for petrographic analysis.  I also worked on student training excavation, which I found really rewarding.  I really enjoyed teaching the students how to dig.   Like any small discipline, academic archaeology is really cut throat though, university posts were few and far between and you had to be incredibly competitive to get anywhere, which is the one things I hated about it.  After working on the field project in Jordan, I decided it was time to cut my losses and move on, so I left the subject and got a job working in one of the new multi-media companies that were springing up at the time.  I’m still really interested in history and archaeology and still have a lot of friends in the domain, but I have no regrets about leaving when I did. I was definitely the right choice at the time. 

One thing I would say is that there are lots of ways that you can get involved with archaeology without making a career of it.  Some excavations and field work projects will often take amateur volunteers for example, and local museums will sometimes run summer programmes too.   So if your mom is still interested in archaeology, there are definitely ways she could get involved. 

Thanks for the ask Anon! 

[lupinepublishers]

Lupine Publishers | Mineral Supplements of Soils

Lupine Publishers | Earth and Environment Journals

Abstract

Improving soil quality results in increased yields and benefits for farmers. Research has been carried out on the use of selected mineral waste collected in heaps to improve the quality of poor soils. The natural soil supplements obtained in this way will not only improve their quality and increase polonies but will also allow the liquidation of some of the heaps. This will contribute to the reclamation of the landscape and the environment.

Introduction

Soil and agricultural crops have been the object of multidirectional interests since ancient times. This is documented in scientific literature. Among other publications, a large part deals with those that concern soil as a source of nutrients for plants [1-5]. Another important field of research is publications on the role of soil fauna in improving soil quality [6-18]. Another research complex is geochemical research on the relationship of chemical fertilizers - improving the performance of soil with particular regard to the toxicity of additives, in particular those containing radioactive elements [19-24]. A lot of publications address the problem of the relation of fauna, and soil flora and its mineral composition [25-28] as well as the influence of mineral factors on the development of individual plant elements [4,5,29]. There are also publications on the use of organic waste for fertilization glkeb [30-33], the role of soil sun exposure in stabilizing its beneficial properties [34,35] and the use of the so-called. antagonistic plants [36,37].

A separate section is soil relations - geology [30,38-40], mineralogy - regulation of physical soil parameters including its water retention capacity [41]. Quite extensive literature concerns the use of natural minerals and rocks to improve the quality of soil and increase the size of crops from it [18,38-50]. It is in this trend that the presented publication is included, bearing in mind the impact of the proposed proceedings on possible environmental modifications [41,51-54].

Material and Methods of Research

The material for the research was taken from the profile of sediments found in the Devonian dolomite deposit exploited in the “Józefka” mine near Kielce (Figure 1). In addition, material from local heaps and granulates made from materials stored in heaps were collected for testing. In order to determine the mineralogical and petrographic characteristics of the obtained rocks, the following tests were carried out:

A. Microscopic examination in transmitted and reflected light. The Chinese production of Menij was used. The observed phenomena were documented with micrographs.

B. The analysis of the mineral composition of natural samples was made using the XRD method

C. In order to recognize the content of silty fractions and the clay minerals present in it, samples were sludged.

D. The analysis of the chemical composition of the obtained clay fraction was made using the XRD method

E. Analysis of the degree of quartz grain overlaying and SEM morphology of siliceous minerals as well as the non-standard qualitative analysis of the EDS spectrum (Figure 2.a & 2.b).

Microscopic Tests in Polarized Saint Lighting

Sand Muck

Structure: aurytowo-psamitowa, texture: compact, random Composition: quartz, min. clay, min. heavy, among which tourmaline was recognized (Figure 3). Degree of sorting of quartz grain on average sorted.

Figure 3: Microscopic photos of sandy silt. A: picture of rock at 1 polaroid, B: picture of rocks in polarized light. Visible quartz grains and brown tourmaline grain. Minerals are located in intergranular spaces.

Kaolinite Heel

Structure of silty claystone, texture, texture in places parallel, disturbed. The rock background is a very low birefringent kaolinite mass (Figure 4). In the background of the rocks there are almost exclusively clay minerals, accompanied by single quartz grains with a size of up to 20μm of quartz grain, columnar aggregates of kaolinite in places with a wormlike habit.

Figure 4: Photographs of microscopic kaolinite claystone. A: picture of the rock at 1 polaroid, B: picture of the rock in polarized light. Visible different orientation of kaolinite microaggregates manifested in the variable polarization blanking mode.

Molecular Muscovite Heel

The clay is a parallel texture made of kaolinite, smectite and muscovite (Figure 5). They are accompanied by single quartz grains.

Figure 5: Microscopic photos for kaolinite-muscovite claystone. A: picture in a non-polarized light, B: A photo in polarized light.

Figure 5.a: A: water columns

Kaolinite-Illitic Heel

Pellet structure, random texture, disturbed (flow processes) Mineral composition is a mixture of smectite and kaolinite (Figure 6). The microscopic examination shows that the overburden mainly consists of siltstones, sandy mudstones and claystone’s. The sediments are present next to quartz and clay minerals such as kaolinite and smectite also mica. Thanks to microscopic observations, several generations of quartz can be distinguished, as well as iron oxides and hydroxides responsible for the red color of the sediments.

Figure 6: Microscopic images of kaolinite-illite claystone. A: Image in natural light, B: Image in polarized light. in which the granulometric composition was determined. B: granulometric curve of the tested samples.

Analysis of the External Matrix of Natural Tests Used by the XRD Method

Due to the uncertainty of the clay components, the polarizing microscopy method was used to test the X-ray diffraction method. Analyzes of natural samples, clayey, prażed and glycolated fractions were performed (Graphs 1,1a,2, 2a,3, 3a,4,4a,5). They allowed to state that beside the detritus components in the overburden samples and heaps there are clay minerals represented by kaolinite and illite. X-ray examinations indicate that all overburden sediments and heaps occurring in the heap contain minerals beneficial for agriculture. They do not contain toxic minerals (Figure 5.a).

Graph 1: X-ray diffraction pattern of sandy silt.

Graph 1a: X-ray diffraction pattern for silt sand grain fractions. From the top: raw, roasted and glycolated preparation.

Graph 2: A diffractogram of kaolinite claystone.

Graph 2.a: X-ray diffractogram of clay fraction of kaolinite claystone. From the top: raw, roasted and glycolated preparation.

Graph 3: X-ray diffractogram of kaolinite-muscovite claystone.

Graph 3.a: X-ray diffractogram for clay fraction of clay-muscovite clay. From the top: raw, roasted and glycolated preparation.

Graph 4: X-ray diffractogram of kaolinite – illite.

Graph 4.a: X-ray diffractogram for clay fraction of clay-illite clay. From the top: raw, glycolated and roasted preparation.

Graph 5: X-ray diffraction pattern of dolomite-clay pellets containing quartz crystals.

Results Designated by Content of The Content of the Cross-Fraction on a Standing Water Post

In the case of two samples, the content of clay minerals (fraction <2 μm) in selected samples with extremely small and extremely high clay minerals were tested. They showed that the amount varies both in the overburden material and material from the heap from 3 to 64% by weight (Table 1).

Table 1.

Results of the Analysis of the Quarter of Quartz Grassing and Distribution of Minerals of Chlorine Minerals in Granulates SEM

SEM observations were made for both overburden and granulate deposits. Their distribution in pellets is of great importance as they favor the disintegration of granules and thus the dispersion of granulated material in the enriched soil. Clay minerals in overburden scales are present as aggregates of kaolinite or illite microcells (Figure 7). On the other hand, both on the heap and in the granulate, clay aggregates are degraded by micrometry (Figure 8), which means that in the process of stripping off, staying on heaps and in the granulation process, the clay aggregates disintegrate. This is a favorable phenomenon conducive to material granulation. After pouring on granules, thanks to such a construction, they undergo a faster process of foresting. thanks to which the ingredients of the granules combine with the glaze more quickly.

Figure 7: Kaolinite doline from the dolomite overburden. A: characteristic aggregates made of kaolinite tiles. B: one of the aggregates under magnification.

Figure 8: Granules, visible quartz grains (blue arrows) and dolomite (orange arrow) stuck together with clay minerals. SEM image.

SEM Images (Figures 9-11)

Figure 9: The heap of Józefek quarry. containing overburden rocks collected from the Devonian dolomites.

Figure 10: Granules with different granulation of soil supplements with different grain size, which were made from sediments accumulated in heaps.

Figure 11: Granular structure observed in the cross-section of granules. Visible dolomite grains in the clay anchor. A: magnification 10 x, B: magnification 20 x.

Summary

The performed research indicates that in the dolomite deposit of the Józefka deposit, rocks containing clay minerals from the kaolinite and illite groups as well as quartz, dolomite and calcite are present. The origin of these rocks is not fixed, but for raw material reasons, these rocks are suitable for enriching class IV-VI soils with clay minerals that can provide many ions and promote water retention in soil. Natural granules made from overburden rocks deposited on heaps and small dolomite fractions (waste) can be used as soil supplements enriching it with many elements, including magnesium. It is a beneficial stimulator of biological processes in plants. The use of the described granulates as soil supplements will increase yields, biologically strengthen growing plants and contribute to increasing harvests, and thus will increase the profits of agricultural producers. Both magnesium and other elements that will be delivered to the soil with granules will naturally become the building blocks of plant tissues. In the production and processing cycle, they will then be transferred to organisms using the bred plants. These soil supplements are completely natural and do not contain synthetic toxic substances. They are therefore environmentally friendly and human. The use of granules in the described form will not only strengthen the soil, but will also help to eliminate mineral heaps, favoring the reclamation of mining areas and restoring them to natural conditions.

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[voyagerprobe]

you know that pokemon who's just rocks? Has anyone ever sliced him to perform a petrographic analysis

[rolliislam]

Halogen lamp bulb

Because of the new components, these advanced lamps were originally referred to using the term: quartz-iodide. Replacement of the lower-melting glass by quartz was necessary because the halogen regenerative cycle of the lamp (discussed in detail below) requires the envelope to be maintained at a high temperature (in excess of those tolerated by ordinary glass) to prevent tungsten halogen compounds from solidifying on the inside surface. In addition, minute amounts of iodine vapor were sealed inside the envelope. Tungsten-halogen lamps were first developed in the early 1960s by replacing the traditional glass bulb with a higher performance quartz envelope that was no longer spherical, but tubular in shape. Likewise, the loss of tungsten from the filament reduces the diameter, leaving it so thin that it ultimately fails. Over time, the lamp output diminishes as the residue of deposited tungsten on the inner envelope walls grows thicker and absorbs increasing amounts of the shorter visible wavelengths. The major concern with tungsten lamps is that, during normal operation, the filament continuously vaporizes to produce gaseous tungsten that slowly reduces the filament diameter and eventually solidifies on the inside of the glass envelope as a blackened, sooty deposit. In contrast, tungsten has a melting point of approximately 3380° C and can be heated to almost this temperature within a glass envelope to generate light having a higher color temperature and life span than any of the previous materials used for lamp filaments. Carbon lamps suffer from rapid vaporization of the filament at temperatures above 2500° C and thus, must be operated at lower voltages to produce light having a relatively low color temperature (yellowish). These advanced filaments, which could be looped, coiled, and operated at very high temperatures, were found to be far more versatile than their carbon and osmium-based predecessors. The first commercial incandescent lamps equipped with tungsten filaments were introduced in the early 1900s. In long-term experiments (typically, those requiring hundreds to thousands of image captures), this lamp is particularly stable and is subject to only minor levels of temporal and spatial output fluctuation under normal operating conditions. For imaging living cells with contrast-enhancing techniques (principally differential interference contrast ( DIC) and phase contrast) in transmitted light compound microscopes, the most common light source currently in use is the 12-volt, 100-watt tungsten-halogen lamp. Stereomicroscopes also take advantage of this ubiquitous light source in both entry-level and advanced models. Polarized light microscopes used for particle identification, fiber analysis, and birefringence measurements, as well as routine petrographic geological applications, typically use high power tungsten-halogen lamps to provide the necessary light intensity through crossed polarizers. They are excellent for brightfield examination, photomicrography, and digital imaging of stained cells and tissue sections, as well as numerous reflected light applications for industrial manufacturing and development. Several varieties of tungsten-halogen lamps are now the default incandescent illumination source (and are provided by the manufacturer) for most of the teaching and research-level microscopes marketed around the world. Due to their relatively weak emission in the ultraviolet portion of the spectrum, tungsten-halogen lamps are not as useful as arc lamps and lasers for examining specimens that must be illuminated with wavelengths below 400 nanometers. Tungsten-halogen lamps, the most advanced design in this class, generate a continuous distribution of light across the visible spectrum, although most of the energy emitted by these lamps is dissipated as heat in the infrared wavelengths (see Figure 1). These features are primarily responsible for the widespread popularity of incandescent light sources in all forms of optical microscopy. Tungsten lamps are relatively inexpensive (compared to many other light sources), easy to replace, and provide adequate illumination when coupled to a ground glass diffusion filter. Older lamps equipped with tungsten wire filaments and filled with inert argon gas are frequently used in student microscopes for brightfield and phase contrast imaging, and these sources may be sufficiently bright enough for some applications requiring polarized light. Incandescent light sources, including older versions with tungsten and carbon filaments, as well as the newer, more advanced tungsten-halogen lamps, have been successfully employed as a highly reliable light source in optical microscopy for many decades and continue to be the one of the illumination mechanisms of choice for a variety of imaging modalities.