Journal of Engineering Geology

---

Introduction
The landslides, as a natural hazard, caused to numerous damages in residential area and financial loss. In many cases, we can forecast the occurrence probability of this natural phenomenon with using of detail geological and Geomorphological studies. This seems that one of the most effective parameters in landsliding phenomenon is structural parameters, especially faulting in rocky outcrops. For verifying this hypothesis, the Nargeschal area, as high potential of hazardous area, is selected as case study for investigation on influences of faulting on landslide occurrence probability. Many large composite landslides were happened in 2016 and hence, this area is enumerated an active zone of landsliding. This area with geographic attitude 55° 09' 06" to 55° 27' 21" Eastern Longitude and 36° 54' 23" to 37° 05' 15" Northern Latitude located in south of Azad shahr (in Golestan Provinces) placed in Northeastern of Iran.
Geological studies indicate that this area located in northern limb of Alborz fold belt (as a young fold-thrust belt with 900 km length) which formed in late Alpine orogenic events by convergence Afro-Arabian and Eurasian plates. In this zone, the structures have main NE-SW trends with main active faults such as Khazar and North Alborz faults, as reverse faults with north-ward movements. The remnant part of Paleotethyan rocks (which transported from collision zone toward southern part by low angle thrusts) located between these faults and formed the mountain-plain boundary hills.
Material and Methods
In this research, we investigated on effective parameters in landslide occurrence probability of Nargeschal area with using of remote sensing techniques, GIS environment abilities and complementary field investigations. Therefore, we have prepared the seven data layers of geological and morphological effective parameters which are affected on landslide probabilities. These data layers consist of: lithology of outcropped rocks, faulting condition, topographic slopes categorizes cultivation circumstances, seismicity condition, spring population (ground water condition) and surveyed occurred landslides. Then, the content of each data layer is weighted and classified into five classes in GIS environment. Finally, the content of each pixels in all of 7 layers are algebraically summed and recorded as an attributed table. Hence, the landslide hazard zonation map was prepared by drawing the isopotential surface map on the basis of quantities of attributed table by using of GIS functions in Arc view 3.2 software.
Results and Discussion
The results of this research illustrate that a high risk zone is located in central part of area as an oblique broad-stripe zone with NE-SW trend [6]. This zone is correlatable with high density of fractures zone and high population of springs and earthquake focus and also, taken place in Shemshak formation with shale, marl and siltstone rocky outcrops (upper Triassic- Jurassic in age). 
Also, the results of investigations on influences of structural parameters (especially faulting) in landslide hazard demonstrated that faults are indirectly impressed on this hazard probabilities via formed the high slope topography, poor strength faulted rocks, locating of spring presences and creation of seismicity, and hence, defined the spatial pattern of landslides.
Conclusion
Nargeschal area in Northern limb of Eastern Alborz is selected as case study for investigation on temporal relationship between Faulting and Landslides. The following conclusions were drawn from this research.
- It seems that the fault surface plays the role of rupture planes for landsliding.
- The structural factors also increased the ground slope and then, the close relationship is formed between landslides and faults.
- The results demonstrate the genetically relationships between landslides and faults in macroscopic scale in Nargeschal area.
 

---

Abstract
This study aimed at evaluating the effect of calcic aggregates of engineering geological properties on the artificial stones properties, non-resin cemented and then, to make a comparison between the engineering properties of artificial and natural stones. To investigate the effect of calcic aggregates properties on artificial stones, seven samples of building stones including black limestone, three samples of marble (Chinese stone, marble and crystalline marble) and two samples of travertine and onix were used. Engineering geological properties of the samples were then determined. In the next stage, after designing mould for constructing artificial stones, aggregates with the same grading and mixture design were provided. Then two samples including coarse and fine grained artificial stones were made for all of the mentioned aggregates under the same vibration, pressure and vacuum conditions. Next physical, strength and durability tests were conducted, and the obtained results were compared. The results of engineering parameters showed that Hojjat Abad travertine artificial stones have similar engineering quality to own natural stone and Crystaline Marble and Turan Posht travertine artificial rocks have about 11 to 32% increase in quality but Chinese stone, Black limestone, onix and marble have a 6 to 33% lower quality than own natural stone. However, the samples made of other stones in view of the compared parameters related to artificial stones have lower quality than natural stones; however, they are placed in the acceptable range as building materials.
Introduction
Given the variation of construction materials, the importance of the economy in its supply and large use of natural stone mines and the production of seemingly unusable slags, it is necessary to reuse these slags. One of these reusing methods is to make artificial stones and its application as construction materials. Rock powder, aggregate, a small amount of cement or resin and other chemicals are used for producing artificial stone. In this study, carbonate minerals, rock powder and white cement in the first phase are mixed and wet. Then, in the next stage, to form the sample in a cubic mold, they have been compacted under three physical processes of vibration, vacuum and pressure. The aim of this study is to investigate how to make artificial stone, to evaluate the engineering properties of artificial rock and the effect of limestone engineering properties on artificial stone properties of non -resin cement and then comparing the properties of artificial rocks made with natural stones
Material and methods
In this study, in order to investigate the effect of calcic aggregates properties on artificial stone properties, seven samples of building carbonate rocks including crystalline marble, two samples of marble, black limestone, and two samples of travertine and onix were used.
Engineering geological properties of the used samples were then determined. In the next stage, after designing mold for constructing artificial stones, aggregates with the same grading and mixture design were provided. Then two samples including coarse and fine grained artificial stones were made for all of the mentioned aggregates under the same vibration, pressure and vacuum conditions. After construction, physical, strength and durability tests were conducted, and then the results were compared.
Results and discussion
Investigation of the effect of engineering geological properties of carbonate aggregate on artificial stone properties showed that the artificial stones made of travertine aggregates have higher quality than natural travertine in terms of physical, strength and durability properties. Due to the existence of pores on the surface of travertine aggregates, the used cement can result in reducing effective porosity and increasing strength and durability in the artificial stones.
In Table 1 a proposed research has been used for rating rock engineering parameters based on the degree of importance for building stones. Then, according to this table, the score of each natural stone and related artificial stones were determined. For building stones, the importance of durability and strength is more than the density.  Also, the density shows its effect on durability. At the same time, with increasing the percentage of water absorption, the durability of rock has decreased. Therefore, the rocks with less water absorption are more important.
Table 1. Scoring of building stones based on the engineering parameters

Parameters	Description	Excellent	Good	Marginal	Poor
	Total score	100	75	50	25
Water absorption (%)	Range	0-2	2-3	3-5	>5
	Score	25	20	15	10
Unit weight (kN/m3)	Range	>24	22-24	18-22	<18
	Score	15	10	5	3
Uniaxial compressive strength (MPa)	Range	>50	40-50	30-40	<30
	Score	20	15	10	4
Tensile strength (MPa)	Range	>20	15-20	10-15	<10
	Score	20	15	10	4
Durability (%)	Range	<1%	1%-2%	2%-3%	>3%
	Score	20	15	10	4

The total score of fine-grained artificial stones (65%) is almost similar, indicating that the type of carbonate grains does not affect the characteristics of fine-grained artificial stones, but the total score of coarse artificial grains are in the range of 58 to 74%. This range of score indicates that structural weakness, especially the cleavage surface, porosity, lamination, vein and acetylolite of aggregates have more influence on engineering properties in coarse-grained artificial rock.
Conclusion
Comparison between the engineering properties of artificial and natural stones were studied. The following conclusions were drawn:
- The artificial stones of Hojjatabad travertine have similar engineering quality with their natural stone.
- Both Crystaline marble and Turan Posht travertine artificial rocks have about 11 to 32% increase in quality but Chinese stone, black limestone, onix and marble have 6 to 33% decrease in quality compared to natural stone but in acceptable ranges when they are considered as construction materials.
- The samples made of other rock samples have lower quality than natural stones; however, they are placed in the acceptable range as building materials../files/site1/files/144/Mirjalili.pdf
 

---

The present work is conducted to investigate the effect of texture and carbonate content on internal friction angle of carbonate soils. Carbonate soils are majorly found in the bed of shallow waters and also offshores in tropical regions. Recently there is a huge construction projects including oil and gas extraction platform and facilities, harbors, refineries, huge bridges and other big construction projects in many offshore and onshore areas around the world. One of these area is located on southern part of Iran. We collected soil samples from different parts of northern coasts of Persian Gulf, then the following experiments were performed, carbonate content, three-dimensional grain size, angularity, relative density & direct shear. The results showed that the average of internal friction angle of carbonate soil is higher respect to known silicate sands. This angle is affected by effective grain size, grain angularity, and calcium carbonate content. Based on the experimental results of this study, one of the results was that the internal friction angle of carbonate soils decreases as their effective size of soil aggregates increases.
 

---

Introduction
Landslides have an effective role in the destruction of freeways and railroads, which have been caused to many human and financial losses. Understanding this phenomenon and its effective factors can be important in planning for development projects and away from landslide prone areas. Based on extensive field in the Qazvin-Rasht freeway that the authors carried out in various researches in 2014-2017, it was found that the freeway was threatened by the type of instabilities due to variety of lithologies  and tectonic structures exploitation phase and needs to be stabilized. The purpose of this study is to determine of the distribution of landslides in different types of lithologicalunits of the Qazvin-Rasht freewaythat shows the role of geology and differences in geotechnical characteristics and tectonic structures in the creation and distribution of landslides on the road.The role of geology on the difference in geotechnical properties and tectonic structures in the creation and distribution in the road. Geological engineering properties and appropriate stabilization methods is the other goals of this study.
Material and Methods
In the study, the locations and the type of landslides are distinguished and the information were plotted on geological map. Then by the ARC GIS 10.2 program, and the use of area density method, the percentage of landslide events in each geological formation was identified. In order to study the role of lithology (type of rock, texture, mineralogy, weathering, alteration and erosion), sampling were carried out from rocks of Karaj formation, Shemshak formation, Cretaceous orbitalolina limestone and Fajan conglomerate. Geotechnical characteristics of the samples were determined by performing laboratory tests such as dry weight, porosity, uni-axial compressive strength according to ISRM standard (1979). For determining the role of tectonic structures (number of joints, dip and dip direction, length (m), spacing (cm), filling percentage, opening (mm), roughness, weathering, water, friction angle) were performed. Then, the results obtained from relative density and frequency were matched with the geological, geotechnical characteristics and tectonic structures of each formation.
Results
In order to separate different types of landslides on various kinds of rocks, area density and frequencyof  landslides were determined by Eqs 1 and 2. Graph of frequency and area density are presented in Fig. 6 and Table 2, respectively. As can be seen in this figure and table, in Karaj formation, the percentage of rock fall, toppling, avalanche, scree slope and combined slip are the highest. In the rocks belonging to the Shemshak formation, the susceptibility of the debris flow and landslides has been increased. In Fajan conglomerates and limestones of the Ziarat and Cretaceous formations, the rockfalls is more formed.
where L_I: area density, A_L:  area of landslides in each lithological unit, A_T: area of landslides in total area.
where L_F: frequency of landslide, N_L:  number of landslides in each lithological unit, N_T: number of landslides in total area.
Conclusion
Result showed that despite significant heterogeneity in lithology, geotechnics, engineering geology and tectonic structures, there are similarities between the types and distribution of landslides. Four of the identified landslides consist of rock fall, toppling, avalanche in the resistant and medium strength rocks such as andesite, trachy-andesite and basalts of Karaj formation, Cretaceous orbitalolina limestone and Fajan conglomerate with regard to the dominant direction of the joints in relation to the slope, the shear strength of the joints and their weathering, falling and scree slope in thesiliceous zone and composite landslide in the argilite-alounite zone due to the high alteration and groundwater level and water retention by the presence of clay minerals, landslide in the sequence of loose and resistant rocks, debris flow and landslides in the soils of Shemshak formation due to the lepidoblastic texture of the slate and their high erosion potential due to the weather climate along the Manjil-Rudbar freeway../files/site1/files/151/4.pdf

---

Safety design of structures concerning surface faulting effects such as shear and differential subsidence are very costly and in some cases are impossible. Then the appropriate approach for encountering surface faulting is to determine a suitable fault-avoidance zone. In this study, firstly the theorem of avoidance fault zone is presented, and then the setback area from the fault zone of South Mashhad fault is proposed. Recent studies show that South Mashhad fault is a right-lateral strike-slip fault with a normal component that cut the Quaternary sediments. In this work, the average slip rate and estimated return period for South Mashhad fault are 0.59 mm/yr and 2930 years, respectively.  Accordingly, the proposed avoidance zones in the south (hanging-wall) and north (foot-wall) of the fault are 80 and 70 meters, respectively. Considering the avoidance zones, many residential and other important structures are located in the avoidance zone of the South Mashhad fault../files/site1/files/152/%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B8%DB%8C.pdf
 

 

---

./files/site1/files/%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B8%D9%85%DB%8C_%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%85%DB%8C.pdf

---

Extended Abstract

---

Many researches have been currently conducted on the effects of fault distance on structures revealing that their seismic response can differ according to their distance from the fault. Suspension bridges due to their long period and high flexibility can be more sensitive to this phenomenon, especially in vertical vibration. Since the engineers tend to use longer spans, the length factor should be studied more accurately. In this paper, the effects of length factor on the seismic response of the suspension bridge under near and far-fault ground motions were addressed. The Vincent Thomas and Golden Gate suspension bridges as short and long ones, respectively, are selected as the case studies. The seismic responses of two bridges under five main worldwide ground motions contained both near and far-fault ones, with the same peak ground’s acceleration, are evaluated. The results indicated that the response of both bridges to the near and far-fault ground motions are perfectly different. Short span suspension bridges are vulnerable to near-fault ground motions, whereas long span ones are completely susceptible to both near and far-fault ground motions, and by increasing the length of span, the sensitivity of bridge was increased against far-fault low frequency excitations. Also, maximum displacement responses of spans in both bridges did not increase by maximizing peak ground’s acceleration.

---

---

---

---

---

---