Hasan Arman

Investigation of the soil amplification factor in the Adapazari region

Turkey is located on the highly active Eurasian plate. A very active strike slip fault, the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ), crosses Turkey from east to west; earthquakes occurred on this fault on August 17, 1999 (Kocaeli) and November 12, 1999 (Düzce). Regional geology and subsoil conditions can significantly change the characteristics of ground motion. For this reason, determining soil amplification during an earthquake, especially for soft soils, is a very important topic for researchers. In this study, one dimensional ground response analyses were performed for selected Adapazari sites using the August 17, 1999 Kocaeli earthquake strong ground motion record with SHAKE2000 software. Soil characteristics and depth to engineering bedrock at the selected sites are different and the observed level of structural damage at these sites during the Kocaeli earthquake was also different. Calculated soil surface response spectrums at these sites were compared with the recommended design spectra of the Turkish Earthquake Code and the Eurocode 8. According to one dimensional ground response analyses, the calculated response spectra of the selected sites exceed the recommended design spectra of the Turkish Earthquake Code and the Eurocode 8. Calculations show that higher amplification ratios occur at higher periods due to soil behaviour. Results of this study indicate that local geological conditions may amplify ground motion at some periods and, due to this amplification, the calculated response spectra may exceed the recommended design spectra. Therefore, it is clear that local site conditions must be considered for earthquake-resistant engineering designs on soft alluvial soil deposits.

Global Warming and Hydropower in Turkey for a Clean and Sustainable Energy Future

More generally, global warming and climate change and sustainable development interact in a circular fashion. Climate change vulnerability, impacts and adaptation will influence prospects for sustainable development, and in turn, alternative development paths will not only determine greenhouse gas (GHG) emission levels that affect future climate change, but also influence future capacity to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Impacts of climate change are exacerbated by development status, adversely affecting especially the poor and vulnerable socio-economic groups. The capacity to adapt to climate change goes beyond wealth, to other key pre-requisites of good development planning, including institutions, governance, economic management and technology (Kaygusuz, 2001; Yuksel, 2008a). Meanwhile, global warming and climate change poses an unprecedented threat to all human beings. While this problem is important in the long-run, most decision-makers recognise (especially in the developing countries), that there are many other critical sustainable development issues that affect human welfare more immediately. However, even in the short term, climate is an essential resource for development. For example, in many countries (especially the poorest ones), existing levels of climatic variability and extreme events pose significant risks for agriculture, economic infrastructure, and vulnerable households. Climatic hazards continue to take their human and economic toll even in wealthy countries. Such climate threats, which undermine development prospects today, need to be better addressed in the context of the long-run evolution of local and regional climates (PEWCLIMATE, 2002; Yuksel, 2008a). Delivering sustainability demands that this access and security of supply be provided, while avoiding environmental impacts, which would compromise future social and economic development. Drawing on the wide-ranging discussions of the Congress, the World Energy Council draws some conclusions a few of these as follows (WEC, 2004; Yuksel and Sandalci, 2009):

Effects of lithofacies and environment on in situ and laboratory Schmidt hammer tests: a case study of carbonate rocks

The Schmidt hammer (SH) test, which is quick, inexpensive, non-destructive and simple to use, has been widely applied to determine hardness and to assess the unconfined compressive strength of rocks. Lithofacies (composition and texture) and environmental conditions (mainly climate) influence the mechanical properties of rock masses as shown by the investigation presented here. To evaluate these effects, a range of carbonate rocks from Al-Ain arid region in the United Arab Emirates were used for extensive in situ and laboratory SH tests. The results expose a wide range of Schmidt hardness rebound (SHRcor) values for both the in situ and the laboratory tests, but show comparable correlation coefficients between the in situ and laboratory natural surface data. This indicates that field SH measurements can be a simple and reliable tool to obtain data on rock mechanical properties; however, caution should be taken in generalization even in a small locality or a region. Although our data are within the wide range of SH values in the published literature, it is apparent that they represent unique values for the rock type investigated and the environment and thereby provide better constraints for engineers in planning for the safety aspects of constructions.

Slake Durability Test on Lower Oligocene Limestones from Al Ain City,United Arab Emirates

A term of durability, which controls the stability of surficial and underground cavities, is usually used to describe the resistance of a rock to weathering and the rate of occurrence of such changes. To assess the durability of rocks, the slake durability test was widely used for evaluation of physical changes and/or slaking behavior of rocks as result of wetting-drying processes. First time, large number of laboratory tests will be conducted to understand durability of the Lower Oligocene limestones, which have extensively fractured and cavernous features. Since Al Ain city is located on the foundational level of these limestones bedrock, it has been motivated to conduct a detailed laboratory study to characterize the durability behavior of the bedrocks. The area of Jabel Hafit and surrounding hills will be selected as a targeted study area due to the easily accessible of rock outcrops. This study is a unique and will tackle problems related to rock engineering such as underground openings and slope stability, which have been encountered in the study area during and after any engineering applications. Furthermore, this study may help better understanding of durability problems, mitigate any possible causality and reduce loss of property today and/or in the future too.

Trend Detection in Annual Temperature and Precipitation Using Mann–Kendall Test—A Case Study to Assess Climate Change in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Annual average temperature and precipitation can be considered as two important indicators to judge the possibility of future climate change. The main objective of this study is to analyze the possibility of trend in annual average temperature and precipitation for Abu Dhabi and Al Ain cities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Mann–Kendall non-parametric tests were run at 5% significance level on annual time series data obtained from two stations located in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain cities for the period of 1972–2014. Significant increasing trend in temperature and no significant trend in precipitation of both cities were detected. Thus, there is a possibility to have higher temperature, but not significant change in precipitation of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain cities in the long run.

Present Situation and Future Prospect of Energy Utilization and Climate Change in Turkey

Turkey is heavily dependent onexpensive imported energy resources that place a big burden on the economy andair pollution is becoming a great environmental concern in the country. Themajor cities of western Turkey are cosmopolitan centers of industry, financeand trade, whereas the eastern part of the country is relativelyunderdeveloped. Turkey’s high rate of energy-related carbon emissions growth isexpected to accelerate, with emissions climbing from 57 million tons in 2000 toalmost 210 million tons in 2020. Carbon intensity in Turkey is higher than thewestern developed nation average. In this regard, renewable energy resourcesappear to be the one of the most efficient and effective solutions for cleanand sustainable energy development in Turkey. More generally, climate changeand sustainable development interact in a circular fashion. Climate changevulnerability, impacts and adaptation will influence prospects for sustainabledevelopment, and in turn, alternative development paths will not only determinegreenhouse gas emission levels that affect future climate change, but alsoinfluence future capacity to adapt to and mitigate climate change. The key toan effective climate change response strategy is a better understanding ofrelevant policy linkages. Development planners, naturally, place developmentfirst, and therefore, climate policies need to be integrated within nationalsustainable development strategies. In particular, they would like to knowwhether specific climate change impacts and response measures will makeexisting development efforts less, or more, sustainable in terms of theireconomic, social and environmental dimensions. However, developing theremaining hydropower potential offers many challenges and pressures from someenvironmental action groups over its impact has tended to increase over time.Hydropower throughout the world provides 17% of our electricity from aninstalled capacity of some 730 GW is currently under construction, makinghydropower by far the most important renewable energy for electrical powerproduction. The contribution of hydropower, especially small hydropower to theworldwide electrical capacity is more of a similar scale to the other renewableenergy sources amounting to about 47 GW of this capacity is in developingcountries. The share of renewables in total electricity generation is 17%, whilethat of thermal is 80% in 2009. The projection for the period 2010-2020 is forannual growth of 8% in total electricity generation. The additional generationcapacity needed up to 2020 will require huge investments. Electricity supplyinfrastructure in Turkey is being rapidly extended, as policymakers andinvestors increasingly recognize the essential role of energy in improvingliving standards and sustaining economic growth. This paper deals with presentsituation and future prospect of energy utilization for improving renewable energy in Turkey.

How do the Geological and Geomechanical Properties of the Carbonate Rocks affect the land development in AlAin Vicinity

Al-Ain City is located in the eastern part of Abu Dhabi Emirate and is considered as one of the most urbanized cities in the UAE (Fig. 1). The rocks outcropping around the city are made up of carbonate rocks, mainly limestone and interbeds of marl. These rock types represent the foundation bedrocks in most of Al-Ain City. They also form the rock slopes surrounding many new developing sites to the south of the city like the road to the summit of Jabal Hafit and the eastern border of Al-Ain Wildlife Park & Resort (AWPR), whereas some engineering problems appeared. Therefore, it requires knowing the geological and geotechnical characteristics of these carbonate beds. This would overcome any uncertainties that might occur at any type of engineering applications such as design of structures either upon or inside the rocks, slope instability and others. The overall rock properties are considerably controlled by their geologic setting as stratigraphy, mineralogy, petrography and tectonic structures. So, the present study aims to find the geological and geotechnical properties of these rocks which are outcropped in Jabal Hafit and extend northward under Al-Ain City. The stratigraphy of these carbonate rocks were studied in detailed by many authors among them are Abdelghany (2002), Hunting (1979), Cherif and Deeb (1984), Noweir ( 2000), Anan et al. (1992) and Boukhary et al. (2005). The rocks build up the Hafit Mountain (Fig. 1) which represents a large doubly plunging highly asymmetric anticline that developed over a thrust fault underlying its eastern limb (Noweir, 2000; Warrak, 1996 and Ali et al., 2008). Numbers of other interesting research papers were already pointed out to the relation between the geological and geotechnical properties with respect to various rock types (Willard and McWilliams, 19969; Merriam et al., 1970; Basu et al., 2009; Tsiamboas and Sabatakakis, 2004; Sabatakakis, 2008 and Arman et al., 2007).