There are only a few worldwide cases where distant earthquakes have caused damage. One such example is the municipality of Centro located in Tabasco, Southeast Mexico, approximately 360 km from the Mesoamerican trench, where a strong ground shaking was felt during the M(w)8.2 earthquake of September 08, 2017. In this study, for 20 sites shear-wave velocity profiles were determined using Multichannel Analysis of Surface Wave and V-P profiles using Seismic Refraction techniques. Also V-S30 (shear-wave velocity up to a depth of 30 m) values were obtained for the same sites. The distribution of the V-S30 values in the study area varied from 120 m/s to 570 m/s and it was observed that sites where damage to buildings were reported lie near areas with V-S30 < 270 m/s. Additionally, the transfer functions of the 20 sites were estimated using the Thomson-Haskell method. The fundamental frequencies (f(0)) obtained through transfer functions had values varying from 0.9 <= f(0) <= 2.0 Hz. These transfer functions were convolved with the signal that represents the record in the bottom of the soil column in the study area to obtain synthetic accelerograms in the municipality of Centro. The only accelerograph station located in the study area (VHSA station) was used as a reference site. The horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio of the VHSA location was used for site characterization to assess the effects of regional events. The study concludes that several factors contribute to the susceptibility of Centro municipality to distant seismic events. These factors include low shear-wave velocity (V-s), low fundamental frequency (f(0)), local site conditions, the presence of buildings on former lake zones, low seismic wave attenuation, and the regions' overall vulnerability to regional earthquakes.

Pavement design in cold regions is challenging due to the difficult conditions of soils, humidity, and temperatures. Insulation layers have been identified as a suitable solution for these conditions. Due to their unique engineering properties, foam glass aggregates (FGAs) are a promising material for use as an insulating granular layer in pavement design. However, understanding their mechanical performance is critical for predicting longterm layer and pavement behavior. In this laboratory study, an empirical transfer function was developed using an environmental and heavy vehicle simulator and an experimental pavement built in an indoor test pit. The study aimed to determine the allowable number of load repetitions for an FGAs insulation layer and to develop an empirical transfer function that can be used as part of a mechanistic-empirical pavement design procedure. This article proposes a linear relationship between permanent deformation, the number of load cycles, and the equivalency factor between the effect of resilient strain, or vertical stress, and allowable damage. The proposed empirical transfer functions allow defining an allowable number of load repetitions for a characteristic resilient strain or vertical stress and an allowable damage. The allowable damage can be modulated with respect to road classification, and a damage value of 0 % to FGAs layer can be considered as a safety factor. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the use of FGAs as an insulating granular layer in pavement design in cold regions.

Soil corrosivity is a term used to describe the corroding susceptibility (risk) of metal infrastructure in different soil environments. Soil corrosivity mapping is a crucial step in identifying potentially problematic, high-maintenance fence lines and can help improve fence longevity by identifying soil environments where the use of more expensive, corrosion-resistant materials would be more cost-effective in the long term. Soil corrosion damage sustained on exclusion fences can be a serious management issue for conservation programs and initiatives, as it weakens the fence netting and provides opportunities for invasive animal migration and occupation (e.g. feral cats and foxes) into areas of high conservation value. The increasing accessibility of geospatial analysis software and the availability of open-source soil data provide land managers with the opportunity to implement digital soil databases and pedotransfer functions to produce fence corrosion risk maps using commonly measured soil attributes. This paper uses open-source government agency soil data (shapefiles) to map fence corrosion risk in the southern part of the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, with the intention to assist with the installation of a new barrier (exclusion) fence as part of the Marna Banggara rewilding project. The risk classifications (low, moderate and high risk) made by this map were compared with rates of zinc corrosion (mu m/year zinc loss) observed at field sites and correctly predicted the amount of fence damage sustained at five of the eight sites. The mapping approach outlined in this study can be implemented by environmental managers in other areas to inform strategies for enhancing fence longevity.