Effects of Mechanical Aeration on the Compaction and Hydraulic Conductivity of a Grassy Sward

In a golf course located at El Kantaoui, Sousse, Tunisia, this study was carried out over a sandy soil grassy sward to investigate the effects of mechanical aeration （perforation of the sward with an aerators machine called ＂Vertidrain＂） on its compaction and hydraulic conductivity. For this purpose, many soil cores were extracted using a 1.6 e.g. m effective width Verti-Drain aerator equipped with hollow spades spaced 65 e.g. mm apart. Aeration was performed at a rate of 350 holes/m2. Soil resistance to penetration and permeability were determined at the initial state before aeration as well as 10, 20, and 30 days after aeration. Compared to the initial state, the results showed that mechanical aeration greatly affects the grassy sward ground by reducing its resistance to penetration as 35% and 43% decrease in penetration resistance were noticed at 5 e.g. cm depth 10 and 20 days after aeration, respectively. Also, resistance to penetration decreased by 41% and 48% at 15 e.g. cm depth during the same two periods of time with a relatively constant moisture content. However, soil resistance to penetration at 5 and 15 e.g. cm depths only decreased by 21% and 26%, respectively. Regarding the soil hydraulic conductivity measured after aeration, a significant improvement at the 1% level with the method of variance analysis, was observed compared to that at the initial state （4.9 e.g. cm hl）. Indeed, the hydraulic conductivity was 12.5, 13, and 14.1 e.g. cm h-1 10, 20, and 30 days after aeration, respectively.

Impact of Mechanical Aeration on the Soil Resistance to Penetration and Density of Grassy Sward

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of mechanical perforation of a golf course grassy sward, subject to maintenance machinery traffic and golf players trampling on its compaction and density. The evolution of soil compaction state after aeration was also conducted in four stages of measurement. This operation aims to improve the structure and soil texture, which is also called ＂perforation＂ or ＂coring＂. The taken cores leaving on the soil holes of adjustable depth and density （350 holes/mE） are made with an aerator machine called Vertidrain. Soil resistance to penetration and density were determined at the initial state before aeration as well as 10, 20, and 30 days after aeration. Compared to the initial state, the results show that mechanical aeration greatly affects the grassy sward ground by reducing its resistance to penetration as 35% and 43% decrease in penetration resistance were noticed at 5 cm depth l0 and 20 days after aeration, respectively. Also, resistance to penetration decreased by 41% and 48% at 15 cm depth during the same two periods of time with a relatively constant moisture content. However, soil resistance to penetration at 5 and 15 cm depths only decreased by 21% and 26%, respectively. Regarding the soil density measured after aeration, a significant improvement at the 1% level with the method of variance analysis was observed compared to that at the initial state （e.g. 1.33 g·cm^-3） Indeed, the density was 1.29, 1.26 and 1.30 gcm^-3 10, 20 and 30 days after aeration, respectively.

Treatability of volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon-contaminated soils of different textures along a vertical profile by mechanical soil aeration：A laboratory test

Mechanical soil aeration is a simple, effective, and low-cost soil remediation technology that is suitable for sites contaminated with volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons（VCHs）. Conventionally, this technique is used to treat the mixed soil of a site without considering the diversity and treatability of different soils within the site. A laboratory test was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of mechanical soil aeration for remediating soils of different textures（silty,clayey, and sandy soils） along a vertical profile at an abandoned chloro-alkali chemical site in China. The collected soils were artificially contaminated with chloroform（TCM） and trichloroethylene（TCE）. Mechanical soil aeration was effective for remediating VCHs（removal efficiency 〉 98%）. The volatilization process was described by an exponential kinetic function.In the early stage of treatment（0–7 hr）, rapid contaminant volatilization followed a pseudofirst order kinetic model. VCH concentrations decreased to low levels and showed a tailing phenomenon with very slow contaminant release after 8 hr. Compared with silty and sandy soils, clayey soil has high organic-matter content, a large specific surface area, a high clay fraction, and a complex pore structure. These characteristics substantially influenced the removal process, making it less efficient, more time consuming, and consequently more expensive. Our findings provide a potential basis for optimizing soil remediation strategy in a cost-effective manner.

Engineering practice of mechanical soil aeration for the remediation of volatile organic compound-contaminated sites in China： Advantages and challenges

In recent years, many industrial enterprises located in the urban centers of China have been relocated owing to the rapid increase in urban development. At the sites abandoned by these enterprises, volatile organic compounds have frequently been detected, sometimes at high concentrations, particularly at sites abandoned by chemical manufacturing enterprises. With the redevelopment of sites and changes in land-use tvpe associated with these sites, substantial amounts of contaminated soils now require remediation. ＂Since China is a developing country, soil remediation warrants the usage of techniques that are suitable for addressing the unique challenges faced in this country. Land shortage is a common problem in China; the large numbers of contaminated sites, tight development schedules, and limited financial resources necessitate the development of .cost-effective methods for land reclamation.Mechanical soil aeration is a simple, effective, and low-cost soil remediation tectm^que mat is particularly suitable for the remediation of large volatile organic compound-contaminated sites. Its effectiveness has been confirmed by conducting laboratory studies, pilot tests, and full-scale projects.This study reviews current engineei-ing practice and developmental trends of mechanical soil aeration and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of this technology for application in China as an emerging soil remediation market. The findings of this study might aid technology development in China, as well as assist other developing countries in the assessment and implementation of costeffective hazardous waste site soil remediation programs.

Simulated annealing optimization and experiments of a five-bar aerating mechanism for vertically aerating on salt-affected lands

Current agronomic improving treatments for soil salinization are faced with challenges of heavy workload,high cost,etc.,which may seriously restrict agricultural productivity and sustainability on a large scale.Aerator has been applied to loosen soil and enhance soil permeability.In this research,aiming to realize vertically aerating,an aerator with a five-bar aerating mechanism was proposed to improve the aerating performance for saline-alkali land.The five-bar structure of aerating mechanism was designed based on analysis of the aerator on saline-alkali land.The kinematic model was established to describe the aerating process,and the key parameters of the aerating mechanism were obtained by satisfying the motion trajectory conditions.Subsequently,the related parameters were optimized by a simulated annealing method.Furthermore,numerical modeling was simulated to verify the perpendicularity performance after aerating head hitting into the soil.The simulation results indicated that the optimized five-bar aerating mechanism could decrease swinging extreme value by 24%compared with the initial parameters.Finally,the physical prototype of the aerator was tested in the field and performed as expected,producing<7 mm depth tolerances and<3.3°angle tolerances,which met the design requirement.