Chemical compatibility tests using hydraulic conductivity testing with chemical permeants are normally undertaken to assess the integrity of compacted clayey liners used for waste containment. This paper highlights the fact that current routine methods of flexible wall and rigid wall testing techniques fail to represent the zero lateral strain boundary condition that is required to realistically represent the field situation. The test results indicate that flexible wall permeameters underestimate the likely increases in hydraulic conductivity due to chemicals, while the rigid wall permeameters can severely overestimate these effects. A new test technique, which incorporates the zero lateral strain condition in a simple manner, is presented. This technique involves the use of a rigid wall concept in a flexible wall permeameter. A split rigid mould is used to encase the soil specimen that is glued to the internal surfaces of the mould, to apply the zero lateral strain boundary condition. The new technique is shown to be suitable for both chemical compatibility and desiccation testing. The tests were undertaken with varying concentrations of saline water, methanol, and landfill leachate. The test results indicate that the new technique produces results that fall between the results obtained from flexible wall and rigid wall permeameters. It is argued that the new test technique provides a more rational approach for chemical compatibility testing than the current rigid wall and flexible wall techniques.Key words: soil, hydraulic conductivity, chemical compatibility, landfill, permeameter, boundary condition.
Studies on the Chemical Compatibility of Alloy D9 with B4C in the Presence of Sodium
