Interested in the stone industry, in the stone characterization and in the understanding of diamond tools used to cut and transform the stone, I have developed my own testing benches to help the machines operators to improve the efficiency of the process. I'm looking for partners to develop research activities for the stone industry.
ConsoliTest is a geophysical method for estimating geomechanical parameters of the shallow subsur... more ConsoliTest is a geophysical method for estimating geomechanical parameters of the shallow subsurface. The procedure is based on the MASW method (Park et al, 1999) and has additional verification and validation modules. The Dutch subsurface can consist of an alternation of very stiff layers and weak layers. In these types of soils many non-standard waveforms are generated, which cannot be inverted properly by using only the MASW algorithm. By describing two case-studies we explain the developments at TNO-NITG for creating a surface wave method designed for the Dutch subsurface.
This paper deals with an innovative methodology dedicated to the study of historical mortars. Gat... more This paper deals with an innovative methodology dedicated to the study of historical mortars. Gathering macroscopic observation, petrography in thin sections, chemical analyses as well as physical and mechanical data namely obtained with non destructive technologies developed for the petroleum industry, it allows cross-interpretation that can effectively contribute to archaeological research through correlations with the age, the function, the technology and the provenance of each mortar sample collected on a studied site. Following a synthetic description of the proposed approach, a practical application is illustrated on the site of a mediaeval fortress located in Belgium.Peer reviewe
The determination of the physicomechanical properties of building materials is usually done by th... more The determination of the physicomechanical properties of building materials is usually done by the use of characterization techniques which are standardized and which require the preparation of samples of standardized geometries and sizes. Unfortunately, this type of test cannot be applied to materials for which samples in sufficient quantity and size are not available. It is particularly the case in the field of the conservation and the restoration of historical structures. However, in this particular field, the knowledge of the state of conservation or deterioration of materials is crucial to decide what treatments to apply in order to maintain the historical works. Many researchers have developed and tested a number of methods to characterize building materials on the basis of a very small sample in alternative ways, The Department of Civil Engineering and Structural Mechanics of the University of Mons has developed one such methodology using case studies of historical materials ...
ABSTRACT In 2005, in Belgium, the proportion of the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) accounted for ... more ABSTRACT In 2005, in Belgium, the proportion of the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) accounted for less than 2.5% in energy production. The National Renewable Energy Action Plan defined ambitious goals for 2020: thirteen percent of total energy consumption in Belgium should be produced from RES. As everywhere in Europe, the interest in using the ground as source or storage device for thermal energy has grown considerably in the last few years. In 2010, 1250 ground source heat pumps (GSHP) were installed with a total installed capacity of 15 MW. Around 75% of the GSHP installed in Belgium are vertical loops. In 2011, the market for heat pump installations has grown slowly but surely (+12%). The main barriers encountered for the potentially huge market development are the investment costs and lukewarm policy support (financial incentives, unequal treatment compared to other renables) to get a competitive edge with conventional sources. There are many parameters to take into account for borehole heat exchangers design. Among them, the ground thermal properties suffer from a lack of research in order to improve the performance of closed vertical loop systems. The design of borehole heat exchangers for small, individual applications is actually done with empirical values and guidelines for rock thermal properties from Germany, France and Switzerland. The local geological context may be quite different, e.g. the fold and thrust beld in the southern part of the country contains Devonian limestones which obviously differ from the standard French Jurrasic limestones from a geomechanical and thermal point of view. In order to overcome the current setbacks to full scale implementation of GSHP in Belgium, the knowledge base for the industry has to be improved, which can be realized by research and dissemination on relevant ground parameters in the following way: (1) characterize the thermal and geomechanical properties of Belgian subsoil (2) calculate and map the thermal conductivity for GSHP for the Belgian territory (3) show how these parameters could influence the design of closed vertical loops installations , and consequently the drilling costs, with case studies in two very different geological contexts
International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 2011
The Our Lady Cathedral of Tournai in Belgium has been recognized in 2000 by UNESCO as a World Her... more The Our Lady Cathedral of Tournai in Belgium has been recognized in 2000 by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. However, today several parts of the Cathedral exhibit signs of weaknesses and interventions are needed. This article deals with the interdisciplinary approach followed for the study of the frameworks of the Cathedral. According to the historical study, the roof has exhibited different roofing materials throughout the ages. To make the contemporary architectural choices for the restoration, preliminary studies were initiated. Indeed, for the 800-year old frameworks of the transept, specific attention is needed to ensure that the substitution of the slate roofing by thick lead slates will not cause additional damages or pathologies. Through the study led by historians, archaeologists and engineers, this article gives a global overview of the preliminary studies performed by specialists in what could be considered as a good example of a rewarding interdisciplinary work. A special focus is made here on the work provided by engineers to understand all the specific problems of such a building and to propose respectful, efficient, and consistent solutions. The structural study of the Cathedral frameworks is mainly developed here coupled with on-site investigations and information led by historians and archaeologists to enlighten the structural behavior of the building.
Since the civil authorities have understood the necessity to preserve old heritage buildings, imp... more Since the civil authorities have understood the necessity to preserve old heritage buildings, important budgets have been allocated to finance restoration campaigns. For historical masonry buildings affected by structural pathologies, the restoration campaigns have to be preceded by stabilisation works. In order to understand precisely the structural behaviour of such constructions and to propose effective solutions for the future, engineers need correct knowledge of the constitutive materials (stone, mortar, ...) Several on-site determination techniques exist, each having advantages and disadvantages. This paper presents a scratching device, used daily by the petroleum industry for the measurement of the mechanical properties of rock materials. The scratching test has already shown its suitability in that field [1, 2, 3] and the paper proposes to extend it for on-site determination, from a small piece of mortar, of the uniaxial compressive strength UCS. First, the method is present...
... | Ayuda. Etude des mécanismes de coupe dans le Petit Granit de Soignies en vue de l'amél... more ... | Ayuda. Etude des mécanismes de coupe dans le Petit Granit de Soignies en vue de l'amélioration des performances des haveuses. Autores: Fabrice Dagrain; Localización: Mines et carrières, ISSN 0994-2556, Vol. 86, Nº. 172, 2010 , pags. 22-28. ...
The weathering of limestone results in the partial dissolution of calcium carbonate and leaves a ... more The weathering of limestone results in the partial dissolution of calcium carbonate and leaves a soft porous material called alterite. The properties of the weathered rock differ significantly from those of its parent due to the changes in composition and the removal of soluble materials. The resulting increase in porosity modifies the hydrological proprieties of the rock such as its permeability, hydraulic conductivity, and reservoir capacity. The loss of material also weakens the structure of the rock and decreases its mechanical resistance. This study quantifies the progressive changes in the mineralogical, petrographic and mechanical properties that occur during the weathering of the Carboniferous Petit Granit, a limestone found around Soignies in southern Belgium. The rock samples, representing various stages of weathering, were collected within the same stratum and analysed in terms of their porosity, permeability, density, carbonate content, and mechanical resistance. The min...
Chain saw cutting technology has been widely described by the author those last years in several ... more Chain saw cutting technology has been widely described by the author those last years in several scientific and technical articles. The main problems encountered on chain saw machines have been described. Several experimental approaches have been developed in laboratory to better understand the stone cutting mechanisms and to improve the efficiency of the machines. New cutting designs have been developed increasing the performances of the machines. Monitoring systems have been introduced on the machines to follow their performances while operating in quarries. Even if the technology is well described, very few information can be found on the costs of the technique. This paper overcomes this lack of information and introduces a rigorous methodology to estimate the real costs of the sawing operations with chain saw machines. The technological parameters introduced and described in the literature have been implemented in a cost evaluation program developed by Stone Assistance, in order...
ConsoliTest is a geophysical method for estimating geomechanical parameters of the shallow subsur... more ConsoliTest is a geophysical method for estimating geomechanical parameters of the shallow subsurface. The procedure is based on the MASW method (Park et al, 1999) and has additional verification and validation modules. The Dutch subsurface can consist of an alternation of very stiff layers and weak layers. In these types of soils many non-standard waveforms are generated, which cannot be inverted properly by using only the MASW algorithm. By describing two case-studies we explain the developments at TNO-NITG for creating a surface wave method designed for the Dutch subsurface.
This paper deals with an innovative methodology dedicated to the study of historical mortars. Gat... more This paper deals with an innovative methodology dedicated to the study of historical mortars. Gathering macroscopic observation, petrography in thin sections, chemical analyses as well as physical and mechanical data namely obtained with non destructive technologies developed for the petroleum industry, it allows cross-interpretation that can effectively contribute to archaeological research through correlations with the age, the function, the technology and the provenance of each mortar sample collected on a studied site. Following a synthetic description of the proposed approach, a practical application is illustrated on the site of a mediaeval fortress located in Belgium.Peer reviewe
The determination of the physicomechanical properties of building materials is usually done by th... more The determination of the physicomechanical properties of building materials is usually done by the use of characterization techniques which are standardized and which require the preparation of samples of standardized geometries and sizes. Unfortunately, this type of test cannot be applied to materials for which samples in sufficient quantity and size are not available. It is particularly the case in the field of the conservation and the restoration of historical structures. However, in this particular field, the knowledge of the state of conservation or deterioration of materials is crucial to decide what treatments to apply in order to maintain the historical works. Many researchers have developed and tested a number of methods to characterize building materials on the basis of a very small sample in alternative ways, The Department of Civil Engineering and Structural Mechanics of the University of Mons has developed one such methodology using case studies of historical materials ...
ABSTRACT In 2005, in Belgium, the proportion of the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) accounted for ... more ABSTRACT In 2005, in Belgium, the proportion of the Renewable Energy Sources (RES) accounted for less than 2.5% in energy production. The National Renewable Energy Action Plan defined ambitious goals for 2020: thirteen percent of total energy consumption in Belgium should be produced from RES. As everywhere in Europe, the interest in using the ground as source or storage device for thermal energy has grown considerably in the last few years. In 2010, 1250 ground source heat pumps (GSHP) were installed with a total installed capacity of 15 MW. Around 75% of the GSHP installed in Belgium are vertical loops. In 2011, the market for heat pump installations has grown slowly but surely (+12%). The main barriers encountered for the potentially huge market development are the investment costs and lukewarm policy support (financial incentives, unequal treatment compared to other renables) to get a competitive edge with conventional sources. There are many parameters to take into account for borehole heat exchangers design. Among them, the ground thermal properties suffer from a lack of research in order to improve the performance of closed vertical loop systems. The design of borehole heat exchangers for small, individual applications is actually done with empirical values and guidelines for rock thermal properties from Germany, France and Switzerland. The local geological context may be quite different, e.g. the fold and thrust beld in the southern part of the country contains Devonian limestones which obviously differ from the standard French Jurrasic limestones from a geomechanical and thermal point of view. In order to overcome the current setbacks to full scale implementation of GSHP in Belgium, the knowledge base for the industry has to be improved, which can be realized by research and dissemination on relevant ground parameters in the following way: (1) characterize the thermal and geomechanical properties of Belgian subsoil (2) calculate and map the thermal conductivity for GSHP for the Belgian territory (3) show how these parameters could influence the design of closed vertical loops installations , and consequently the drilling costs, with case studies in two very different geological contexts
International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 2011
The Our Lady Cathedral of Tournai in Belgium has been recognized in 2000 by UNESCO as a World Her... more The Our Lady Cathedral of Tournai in Belgium has been recognized in 2000 by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. However, today several parts of the Cathedral exhibit signs of weaknesses and interventions are needed. This article deals with the interdisciplinary approach followed for the study of the frameworks of the Cathedral. According to the historical study, the roof has exhibited different roofing materials throughout the ages. To make the contemporary architectural choices for the restoration, preliminary studies were initiated. Indeed, for the 800-year old frameworks of the transept, specific attention is needed to ensure that the substitution of the slate roofing by thick lead slates will not cause additional damages or pathologies. Through the study led by historians, archaeologists and engineers, this article gives a global overview of the preliminary studies performed by specialists in what could be considered as a good example of a rewarding interdisciplinary work. A special focus is made here on the work provided by engineers to understand all the specific problems of such a building and to propose respectful, efficient, and consistent solutions. The structural study of the Cathedral frameworks is mainly developed here coupled with on-site investigations and information led by historians and archaeologists to enlighten the structural behavior of the building.
Since the civil authorities have understood the necessity to preserve old heritage buildings, imp... more Since the civil authorities have understood the necessity to preserve old heritage buildings, important budgets have been allocated to finance restoration campaigns. For historical masonry buildings affected by structural pathologies, the restoration campaigns have to be preceded by stabilisation works. In order to understand precisely the structural behaviour of such constructions and to propose effective solutions for the future, engineers need correct knowledge of the constitutive materials (stone, mortar, ...) Several on-site determination techniques exist, each having advantages and disadvantages. This paper presents a scratching device, used daily by the petroleum industry for the measurement of the mechanical properties of rock materials. The scratching test has already shown its suitability in that field [1, 2, 3] and the paper proposes to extend it for on-site determination, from a small piece of mortar, of the uniaxial compressive strength UCS. First, the method is present...
... | Ayuda. Etude des mécanismes de coupe dans le Petit Granit de Soignies en vue de l'amél... more ... | Ayuda. Etude des mécanismes de coupe dans le Petit Granit de Soignies en vue de l'amélioration des performances des haveuses. Autores: Fabrice Dagrain; Localización: Mines et carrières, ISSN 0994-2556, Vol. 86, Nº. 172, 2010 , pags. 22-28. ...
The weathering of limestone results in the partial dissolution of calcium carbonate and leaves a ... more The weathering of limestone results in the partial dissolution of calcium carbonate and leaves a soft porous material called alterite. The properties of the weathered rock differ significantly from those of its parent due to the changes in composition and the removal of soluble materials. The resulting increase in porosity modifies the hydrological proprieties of the rock such as its permeability, hydraulic conductivity, and reservoir capacity. The loss of material also weakens the structure of the rock and decreases its mechanical resistance. This study quantifies the progressive changes in the mineralogical, petrographic and mechanical properties that occur during the weathering of the Carboniferous Petit Granit, a limestone found around Soignies in southern Belgium. The rock samples, representing various stages of weathering, were collected within the same stratum and analysed in terms of their porosity, permeability, density, carbonate content, and mechanical resistance. The min...
Chain saw cutting technology has been widely described by the author those last years in several ... more Chain saw cutting technology has been widely described by the author those last years in several scientific and technical articles. The main problems encountered on chain saw machines have been described. Several experimental approaches have been developed in laboratory to better understand the stone cutting mechanisms and to improve the efficiency of the machines. New cutting designs have been developed increasing the performances of the machines. Monitoring systems have been introduced on the machines to follow their performances while operating in quarries. Even if the technology is well described, very few information can be found on the costs of the technique. This paper overcomes this lack of information and introduces a rigorous methodology to estimate the real costs of the sawing operations with chain saw machines. The technological parameters introduced and described in the literature have been implemented in a cost evaluation program developed by Stone Assistance, in order...
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