
Carlos Hidalgo SignesPolytechnic University of Valencia | UPV · Geotechnical and Geological Engineering
Carlos Hidalgo Signes
Phd. Civil Engineering
About
35
Publications
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Introduction
PhD in Civil Engineering and Geologist Engineer from Univertitat Politècnica de València (UPV), Spain. Since 2004, he has been working as a Technician in the Geotechnical Laboratory (UPV). As a complement to the academic training, from the University he collaborates on research projects related with Civil Engineering. In addition, he has a long professional experience in the sector of quality control of public Works, especially in the planning and management of geotechnical report.
Publications
Publications (35)
The mechanical characteristics of rocks stand as pivotal parameters across multiple engineering domains, including petroleum, mining, civil, and environmental engineering. Among these attributes, the phenomenon of crack propagation holds paramount importance. This intricate process encompasses the initiation point, trajectory of extension, and morp...
This research presents a new drillability value (SJ*) that corrects the most-used Sievers’ J-value (SJ) by removing the accommodation effect of the drill bit in the first tenths of a millimetre to better represent the real drillability of limestones. Moreover, this research demonstrates how such an effect is more notable when porosity and micro-cra...
The effect of exposure to high temperature on rock strength is a topic of interest in many engineering fields. In general, rock strength is known to decrease as temperature increases. The most common test used to evaluate the rock strength is the uniaxial compressive strength test (UCS). It can only be carried out in laboratory and presents some li...
This research evaluates the variation in the Drilling Rate Index (DRI) and its relationship with thermal damage on thermally treated rocks. Samples from ‘Prada’ limestone, a lower cretaceous formation in the southern Pyrenees (Lleida, Spain), were subjected to temperatures of 105, 300, 400 and 500 °C and then cooled at a slow rate. Ultrasound P-wav...
The determination of static elastic modulus in the laboratory requires rock core extraction and the subsequent testing of the samples by means of standardised uniaxial compressive strength tests. However, this destructive procedure is not always suitable – as in the case of protected historic buildings. In these cases, the static elastic modulus ca...
In this research, the variation of thermal conductivity with temperature of a limestone and its relationship with porosity is studied. Samples from Prada formation, a lower Cretaceous limestone from the Catalan Pyrenees (Spain), obtained from the Tres Ponts road tunnel were subjected to temperatures of 105, 300, and 600 °C and then cooled at a slow...
Temperature and cooling methods strongly affect the stability of tunnels drilled in rock masses and so condition interventions for fire emergencies. Samples from two horizontal boreholes drilled in Prada limestone during the design stage of the Tres Ponts Tunnel in the Catalan south Pyrenean zone (Spain) are heated from 105 to 600 °C, and subsequen...
This work evaluates the effect of high temperatures and cooling methods on the drillability of Prada limestone. Samples from boreholes drilled during the design stage of the Tres Ponts Tunnel in the Catalan south Pyrenean zone (Spain) were subjected to temperatures of 105, 200, 300, 400, and 600 °C, and then cooled at a slow rate or by quenching. S...
Cement concrete is the most widely used construction material worldwide due to its favourable mechanical characteristics. However, it is responsible for 8% of the total carbon emissions in the world, which are generated mainly during the production of clinker. Due to that fact, finding alternatives to cement for some applications in which it is not...
In this investigation, two different varieties of ‘Prada’ limestones were studied: a dark grey texture, bearing quartz, clay minerals, organic matter and pyrites, and a light grey texture with little or no presence of such components. We have observed two effects of different intensity when heating the dark texture from 400 °C: (1) the explosion of...
The experience gained in the 1999 fire catastrophes in the Tauern (Austria) and Montblanc (France) tunnels, as well as full-scale tests and investigations reveal the effect of high temperatures on the weakening of rock structures in tunnels. The effect of high temperature on tunnel lining has been studied profusely. Investigations are less numerous...
Experience gained from the most relevant fire catastrophes on road tunnels, and research on the effect of high temperatures on rock, show that heating causes the weakening of rock and this implies great risk for people and infrastructures. Finding indirect methods for evaluating the decrease in strength induced by temperature in intact rock could f...
The variation of the physical and mechanical properties of limestone after high temperature treatment has become a major issue of interest for a number of reasons, such as tunnels safety, protection of historical monuments affected by fires, and geothermal energy. Therefore, an understanding of the effects of temperature on the variation of rock pr...
The mechanical behaviour of rocks is one of the main research topics in rocks mechanics. More specifically, there is a large body of scientific literature focused on the effect of high temperatures on rock properties. Recent fires in tunnels and historic monuments have revived interest in this topic. Most of these studies are focused on the evaluat...
In this study we have investigated the use of one of the components of the carob tree, Ceratonia Siliqua L. polyphenols, as an additive to improve the rheological properties of clay mortars used for sustainable construction. To obtain comparable results, soils with different clay bases have been used as raw materials. The most relevant results were...
Scrap tires are a solid waste material produced in large quantities over the last decades. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a proper management process of disposal and reutilisation, as scrap tires are non-biodegradable. Nowadays there are several options for scrap tires reutilisation. They may be retreaded for further use, burnt as fuel in...
Presented to the 6th Conference of Portuguese-Spanish Geotechnics to be hold in Açores, Portugal on 28th May 2018
This paper represents a final stage in the assessment of granular sub-ballast materials mixed with tyre-derived aggregate (TDA) without binder material. The objective is to evaluate such mixtures through a full-scale test under real traffic conditions. An experimental track with three 30-metre long sections was constructed: one section was built wi...
It is increasingly common that linear constructions such as roads or railways have to cross large areas where soils with special geomechanical characteristics are found. These materials tend to suffer variations in volume with the change of moisture, either due to swelling or by collapse of its structure. In those cases where the volume of land is...
The marls in facies Tap belongs to a geological formation present in an important extension of the Valencian Community and thus the construction of highways and freeways in areas where this formation arises is unavoidable. Therefore important clearings in these materials have been excavated and numerous embankments have been built using this kind o...
Scrap tyres are a solid waste material which has been generated in large quantities over the last decades. In Spain, between 2000 and 2014 the number of vehicles increased by 30% and a further 3.5% increment is expected for the next fifteen years. Likewise, the number of scrap tyres is also expected to rise within the same order of magnitude.
Taki...
This paper focuses on the assessment of the vibration behaviour of granular sub-ballast materials mixed with rubber particles from scrap tyres. The main objective is to evaluate whether these mixes attenuate vibrations caused by passing trains, and if so, to what extent. Several laboratory and field tests were carried out to monitor the response of...
Over the last years rubber from scrap tyres has been reused in different civil works such as road embankments and railway platforms due to its resilient properties, low degradation and vibration attenuation. Unfortunately, this issue is still scarce. For instance, in Spain about 175.000 tonnes of scrap tyres were collected in 2014, of which only 0....
Scrap tyres are a problematic waste material. As a method for recycling large quantities of rubber from scrap tyres, this paper analyses the use of unbound granular mixtures with varying percentages of rubber particles as sub-ballast in railway lines. Bearing capacity for such mixtures is studied in laboratory and field tests using static and dynam...
Los últimos planes de transporte de la Unión Europea apuestan por el desarrollo de modos de transporte más eficientes y respetuosos con el medio ambiente, como el ferrocarril y el tranvía. No obstante, a pesar de sus ventajas, éstos tienen algunos inconvenientes entre los que destacan la generación y transmisión de vibraciones al entorno, un proble...
Una de las posibles formas de resolver el problema de las vibraciones inducidas por el ferrocarril es llevando a cabo una ligera modificación de los materiales que forman la vía. En este artículo, se presenta un estudio de la capacidad de atenuación de mezclas compuestas por zahorras y partículas de caucho para ser usadas como sub-balasto (capa loc...
Over the last years rubber from scrap tyres has been reused in different civil works such as road embankments and railway platforms due to its resilient properties, low degradation and vibration attenuation. Unfortunately, this issue is still scarce. For instance, in Spain about 175.000 tonnes of scrap tyres were collected in 2014, of which only 0....
Nowadays scrap tyres pose a significant environmental threat. Reusing them as a
raw construction material is one of the most promising alternatives for their disposal.
Within this context, the present paper proposes reusing scrap tyres in the form of
unbound aggregate-rubber mixtures to be used as a subballast layer. This option
offers two potentia...
The European Union is committed to encourage the most efficient transport modes such as rail and tram. However, railway tracks are a significant source of vibrations which propagate through the ground to the nearby buildings.One of the most common ways to mitigate vibration is using resilient materials (rubber plates) placed between the different e...
Scrap tyres are a solid waste material produced in large quantities. One potential way of disposal is to use rubber particles from shredded tyres as a construction material. Within this context, this paper presents a comprehensive set of laboratory and field tests carried out to evaluate the characteristics of coarse aggregates mixed with rubber pa...
Soil Mechanics Laboratory Manual with test procedures.