Papers by Slobodan Mickovski
Roadside grass verges are an important part of transport corridors and have a critical role in en... more Roadside grass verges are an important part of transport corridors and have a critical role in ensuring road user safety. However, the verges require ongoing maintenance on a regular basis throughout the growth season and throughout the design life of the transport infrastructure. The collection of the verge cuttings, which are currently left in situ, may create environmental benefits such as economic and energy benefits from biogas production. This study focuses on Scotland where there are 56,000 km of verge potential and where the grassed verges commonly receive a 1.2 m swath cut two times per year. Our investigations revealed that the potential productive land along Scotland's road network was of the order of 270x10 6 m 2. Using comparative statistical analysis, we have estimated the potential average dry mass of cuttings per kilometer to be between 300 kg and 400 kg, yielding a biochemical methane potential of 0.271 m 3 per kilogram of volatile solids added. The cautious estimate showed that potentially 18.2x10 6 m 3 methane (CH 4) could be produced, while, in the best-case scenario, up to 24.3x10 6 m 3 CH 4 may be produced through regular maintenance of the grass verge strips in Scotland. Cost-benefit analysis showed that considering the availability of cutting machinery and a potential increase in the swath cutting to 1.6 m would potentially yield between 24.3 x10 6-32,4 x10 6 m 3 CH 4. The sustainable treatment of cuttings arising can promote a healthy roadside verge environment and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions as Scotland looks to achieve their 80% emission target by 2050.
C.4-Hazard and risk management ECSMGE-2019-Proceedings 2 IGS être effectuées pour éclairer la con... more C.4-Hazard and risk management ECSMGE-2019-Proceedings 2 IGS être effectuées pour éclairer la conception d'un système de stabilisation. Une analyse critique a montré que la majorité des travaux d'ingénierie liés à la correction de l'instabilité dans les tunnels en dur est basée sur le jugement d'un ingénieur plutôt que sur des normes en vigueur, ce qui complique la gestion des problèmes d'instabilité par les parties prenantes. sur des consultants pour des conseils. Pour tenter de résoudre ce problème, la présente étude vise à fournir aux ingénieurs géotechniques de la partie prenante une méthodologie de meilleures pratiques pour traiter l'instabilité dans les tunnels en pierre dure, en passant en revue de manière critique les techniques d'investigation du site utilisées et en assurant le suivi du flux d'informations et de la gestion des données géotechniques. Étape de conception.
Développer un cadre innovant pour sélectionner des options durables afin de réduire les risques d... more Développer un cadre innovant pour sélectionner des options durables afin de réduire les risques d'érosion des sols et de pollution environnementale
Published guidance is intended to provide a robust technical approach to assessing the underlying... more Published guidance is intended to provide a robust technical approach to assessing the underlying ground conditions at proposed windfarm developments, with a large focus on the need for peat investigation and assessment of peat slide risk and disturbance. The civil engineering design process for windfarms takes into consideration all findings of ground investigations but, with exception of peat landslide issues, ground investigation design relies on the knowledge and experience of geotechnical engineers to ensure sufficient ground investigations take place to inform an economical, efficient civil design while, in turn, meet the varying parameters of turbine manufacturer's specifications. Extensive critical literature review revealed that there is an opportunity for establishing good practice guidance in ground investigation schemes for windfarms. Additionally, there is also a need to evaluate the effects of ground investigations on civil design process for windfarms. For this study we engaged with a range of industry professionals and reviewed relevant case studies to investigate the above needs. Based on the results of our research, we propose an innovative good practice framework that will promote effective ground investigation design for windfarms and a standardisation of civil design. RÉSUMÉ: Les directives publiées visent à fournir une approche technique solide pour évaluer les conditions du sol sous-jacentes aux aménagements de parcs d'éoliennes proposés, en mettant l'accent sur la nécessité d'étudier la tourbe et d'évaluer les risques et les perturbations causés par les lames de tourbe. Le processus de conception du génie civil pour les parcs éoliens prend en compte tous les résultats des investigations au sol. Cependant, avec le guidage des glissements de tourbe, la conception des investigations au sol repose sur les connaissances et l'expérience des ingénieurs géotechniciens. conception tout en répondant aux différents paramètres des spécifications du fabricant de turbines. Une analyse critique approfondie de la littérature a révélé qu'il existe une possibilité d'établir des directives de bonne pratique dans les systèmes d'investigation au sol pour les parcs éoliens. En outre, il est également nécessaire d'évaluer les effets des enquêtes au sol sur le processus de conception civile des parcs d'éoliennes. Pour cette étude, nous avons collaboré avec divers professionnels du secteur et examiné des études de cas pertinentes pour étudier les besoins ci-dessus. Sur la base des résultats de nos recherches, nous proposons un cadre innovant de bonnes pratiques qui favorisera une conception efficace des investigations au sol pour les parcs d'éoliennes et une normalisation du design civil.
WIT Transactions on the Built Environment, Jul 7, 2015
Combating coastal erosion and sea level rise puts constant pressure on local authorities and gove... more Combating coastal erosion and sea level rise puts constant pressure on local authorities and government departments to ensure cost effective and environmental sustainable practices are used and the outcomes of reducing flooding and erosion are achievable. This study assesses and compares the coast protection policies and practices at two case study locations in the southern North Sea: those of the Lincolnshire and Netherlands coastlines. The coastal policies of these two countries have been manipulated under repeated threat of disaster since the 1953 storm surge. The five year rolling Lincshore beach nourishment practice is considered against the innovative mega-nourishment sand-motor project of the South Holland coastline. The latter is expected to last for 20 years and so its cost effectiveness, efficiency and environmental sustainability is discussed and compared with the Lincshore programme. Rationale is provided on why mega-nourishment projects should be considered by all coastal bound local authorities and why the sand-motor is an effective and innovative option for coastal protection and environmental sustainability.
Journal of Environmental Management, Apr 1, 2023
Road and Rail Infrastructure VI, May 20, 2021
The rail industry in the United Kingdom is constantly investing in its infrastructure to make a b... more The rail industry in the United Kingdom is constantly investing in its infrastructure to make a better experience for passengers by providing more frequent and faster journeys. Large parts of this investment are the renewal of infrastructure that needs upgrading and introduction of new rolling stock which requires strategic and operational planning, multidisciplinary design input and approvals from Network Rail Route Asset Managers (RAM). With the evolving standards set out by Network Rail it is becoming increasingly difficult to design track alignments without derogations to these standards. The aim of this paper is to gauge industry professionals' opinions on aspects surrounding track design such as their industry experience, their experience on working with software tools, as well as to highlight areas of design difficulty with regards to the Network Rail standards. Furthermore, this paper will explore a case study where the existing and proposed alignments have been analysed and an alternative proposed alignment has been designed in an attempt to eradicate the derogations encountered in the original design. Qualitatively collected data showed that 63% of sites designed by the respondents contain derogations, mainly connected to the restrictions and limitations in the design standards, as well as the changes to the scope during the project life cycle. Following on from this, the results of the case study highlighted the original accepted proposed design contained six derogations which, in the second proposed alignment, were reduced to three more serious derogations which resulted in the design being rejected.
Frontiers in Earth Science, Nov 4, 2021
The idea of nature providing solutions to societal challenges is relatively easy to understand by... more The idea of nature providing solutions to societal challenges is relatively easy to understand by the layperson. Nature-based solutions (NBS) against landslides and erosion mostly comprise plant-based interventions in which the reinforcement of slopes provided by vegetation plays a crucial role in natural hazard prevention and mitigation, and in the provision of multiple socio-ecological benefits. However, the full potential of NBS against landslides and erosion is not realised yet because a strong evidence base on their multifunctional performance is lacking, hindering the operational rigour of NBS practice and science. This knowledge gap can be addressed through the definition of repositories of key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics, which should stem from holistic frameworks facilitating the multi-functional assessment of NBS. Herein, we propose the 'rocket framework' to promote the uptake of NBS against landslides and erosion through the provision of a comprehensive set of indicators which, through their appropriate selection and measurement, can contribute to build a robust evidence base on NBS performance. The 'rocket framework' is holistic, reproducible, dynamic, versatile, and flexible in helping define metrics for NBS actions against landslides and erosion along the NBS project timeline. The framework, resultant from an iterative research approach applied in a realworld environment, follows a hierarchical approach to deal with multiple scales and environmental contexts, and to integrate environmental, eco-engineering, and socioecological domains, thus establishing a balance between monitoring the engineering performance of NBS actions against landslides and erosion, and the wider provision of ecosystem functions and services. Using a case study, and following the principles of credibility, salience, legitimacy, and feasibility, we illustrate herein how the 'rocket framework' can be effectively employed to define a repository with over 40 performance indicators for monitoring NBS against landslides and erosion, and with over 60 metrics for establishing the context and baseline upon which the NBS are built and encourage their reproduction and upscaling.
Agricultural Systems, Nov 1, 2020
A holistic tool that combines spatial data analysis methods, multi-criteria analysis, and numeric... more A holistic tool that combines spatial data analysis methods, multi-criteria analysis, and numerical models was created to predict the spatial effect of applying biosolids to land. A robust framework was developed first to chart the effects of applied biosolids on the environment and, potentially, on the human food chain. Selecting cadmium as a prototype contaminant, a conceptual model was designed as the basis to define the workflow for the tool. Using open source and freely available data the operation and outputs form the tools are demonstrated at a national scale.
Journal of Hydrology, Mar 1, 2020
A novel experimental approach and numerical framework are proposed to study the effect of tree ar... more A novel experimental approach and numerical framework are proposed to study the effect of tree architectural traits on stemflow yield and its effects on soil-water dynamics. The framework includes a data mining workflow employing information from two experimental steps: (i) evaluation of the effect of tree aboveground architecture on stemflow yield and (ii) quantification of specific parameters for soil-water dynamics with and without stemflow. We studied double-funnelling (stemflow and root-induced preferential flow) under three sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) trees growing on a slope in Scotland during the summer season and measured architectural traits. Stemflow yield ranged from 1.3 to 3.8 % of the incident rainfall, with funnelling ratios of between 2.22.1 and 5.23.9. Double-funnelling to a depth of up to 400 mm beneath the soil surface occurred as matrix flow and was significantly and positively correlated with the vertical root distribution. Soil-water dynamics were distinctly different with and without stemflow. Our framework revealed that the number of tree branches, their insertion angle, leaf number, and stem basal diameter influenced stemflow yield within rainfall thresholds of 1.1 and 3.5 mm d-1. The framework also showed that stemflow yield had a negative impact on soil matric suction, while air temperature was the most influential covariate affecting soil-water dynamics, likely due to its strong correlation to evapotranspiration during the summer season. In spite of the study limitations, such as small sample size and differences between individuals, we show that the proposed framework and experimental approach can contribute to our knowledge of how stemflow generated aboveground triggers major responses in soil-water dynamics belowground.
HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Jul 23, 2012
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Ecological Engineering, Sep 1, 2017
Plant-Best is a novel tool for the selection of the most suitable plant cover against rainfall-in... more Plant-Best is a novel tool for the selection of the most suitable plant cover against rainfall-induced shallow landslides. It explores the plant-derived likelihood of slope failure reduction under wetting and drying events, respectively. Plant-Best comprises five comprehensive open-source modules built in the freeware R. The modules' objectives range from the spatial detection of landslide-prone zones to the integrated evaluation of plant-derived hydro-mechanical effects on sloped terrain; from the selection of the best performing plant species to the identification of sensitive plant traits. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of the Plant-Best modules and we show how this holistic tool can be effectively employed for plant cover selection in a shallow landslide context. To do so, we demonstrate the application of Plant-Best on a site with a history of slope failures in Northeast Scotland, where the tool is implemented using seven native plant species including both woody and herbaceous vegetation. The results reveal that different plant species were suitable for protection depending on the hydrological conditionsi.e. wetting or drying. Plant effects were limited to the topmost soil and, in general, underweight plants with dense root systems and broad thick canopies offered the best resistance to failure. This suggested that botanically diverse slopes with different plant functional groups are desirable for a more effective slope protection. Plant-Best proved to be a relatively simple but robust tool for the detection of landslide-prone zones, the selection and evaluation of plant covers, and the identification of relevant plant traits related to shallow landslides mitigation. The open-source nature of the tool confers a great versatility and applicability to the tool which can be deployed as a multidisciplinary aid to the decision making process.
Springer eBooks, 2018
Highlights: The effects of soil strength and temperature were investigated on young seedlings of ... more Highlights: The effects of soil strength and temperature were investigated on young seedlings of two pine species. The rate of axial development of root systems of both species decreased with the increase in soil compaction, while both species had the largest increase in axial length at 15°C, which might be close to the optimal temperature for root elongation rate. These differences in the form and behaviour of the root systems of the two pines might be important for competition and integration of the species into the environmental management strategies.
Springer eBooks, 2008
Fagus sylvatica root network exposed through erosive processes, on the east bank of the River Alm... more Fagus sylvatica root network exposed through erosive processes, on the east bank of the River Almond at Cramond near Edinburgh, UK. Reproduced by kind permission of Bruce C.
Advances in science, technology & innovation, 2018
The energy supply sector is considered a major polluter by the emission of greenhouse gases in th... more The energy supply sector is considered a major polluter by the emission of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
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Papers by Slobodan Mickovski
About the book: Climate change will increase drought frequencies, periods and intensities leading to less vegetation cover, more runoff, flooding and erosion. Decreased land and agricultural productivity, degraded terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems health, reduction of water quality and natural disaster risks are some of the major problems to be faced in the upcoming decades. The use of sustainable materials and ecological engineering solutions are essentials tools to cope