scholarly journals The Application of the Seismic Cone Penetration Test (SCPTU) in Tailings Water Conditions Monitoring

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wojciech Tschuschke ◽  
Sławomir Gogolik ◽  
Magdalena Wróżyńska ◽  
Maciej Kroll ◽  
Paweł Stefanek

The safe operation of the large, outflow Tailings Storage Facilities (TSF) requires comprehensive and continuous threat monitoring. One of the basic kinds of threat monitoring is to monitor the water conditions in deposited tailings, which is usually carried out using a conventional piezometric observation method from a network of installed piezometers. In complex tailings storage conditions, the reliability of the piezometric method may be questioned. The Seismic Cone Penetration Test (SCPTU) can meet high test standards. The results of the penetration tests closely identify conditions of sediments that determine the tailings water regime verified locally on the basis of pore water pressure dissipation tests. On the other hand, seismic measurements perfectly complement the characteristics of sediments in terms of their saturation. The analysis of the results of SCPTU implemented in the tailings massif also showed that below the phreatic surface, a zone of not fully saturated tailings can be found. Its presence improves the stability conditions of the tailings massif and dams, but also limits the possibility of the static liquefaction of tailings.

2004 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 796-813 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Marie LeBlanc ◽  
Richard Fortier ◽  
Michel Allard ◽  
Calin Cosma ◽  
Sylvie Buteau

Two high-resolution multi-offset vertical seismic profile (VSP) surveys were carried out in a permafrost mound near Umiujaq in northern Quebec, Canada, while performing seismic cone penetration tests (SCPT) to study the cryostratigraphy and assess the body waves velocities and the dynamic properties of warm permafrost. Penetrometer-mounted triaxial accelerometers were used as the VSP receivers, and a swept impact seismic technique (SIST) source generating both compressional and shear waves was moved near the surface following a cross configuration of 40 seismic shot-point locations surrounding each of the two SCPTs. The inversion of travel times based on a simultaneous iterative reconstruction technique (SIRT) provided tomographic images of the distribution of seismic velocities in permafrost. The Young's and shear moduli at low strains were then calculated from the seismic velocities and the permafrost density measured on core samples. The combination of multi-offset VSP survey, SCPT, SIST, and SIRT for tomographic imaging led to new insights in the dynamic properties of permafrost at temperatures close to 0 °C. The P- and S-wave velocities in permafrost vary from 2400 to 3200 m/s and from 900 to 1750 m/s, respectively, for a temperature range between –0.2 and –2.0 °C. The Young's modulus varies from 2.15 to 13.65 GPa, and the shear modulus varies from 1.00 to 4.75 GPa over the same range of temperature.Key words: permafrost, seismic cone penetration test, vertical seismic profiling, seismic tomography, dynamic properties.


1993 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. P. Stewart ◽  
R. G. Campanella

The downhole seismic cone penetration test (SCPT) procedure has been extended to allow the measurement of material damping at small strains at minimum expense while one is measuring shear wave velocity. The nature of damping, the required equipment characteristics, and the recommended procedure and calculation methodology are presented in a practical way. SCPT results from four different sites give results that are in general agreement with laboratory measurements of damping for sands and clays and with values recommended by other authors. It appears, however, that previously reported measurements of damping by borehole methods are higher, by a factor of two or more, when compared with SCPT and laboratory results. Key words : in situ, damping, seismic, shear wave, cone penetrometers, procedures.


2013 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 3-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irena Bagińska ◽  
Wojciech Janecki ◽  
Maciej Sobótka

Abstract The paper deals with the methodology of performing and interpretation of seismic cone penetration test (SCPT). This type of test is used to determine velocity of the seismic wave in the soil medium. This study is focused on shear wave. The wave is triggered on the ground surface by hitting an anvil with a sledgehammer. Then, vibrations induced at different depths are measured. Based on recorded measurements wave velocity (Vs) and thus also small strain shear modulus Gmax may be calculated. An interpretation of exemplary seismic test results is presented. Crossover and cross-correlation methods are discussed and another, more adequate one is featured and then applied in the interpretation example. Conditions for correct test performance and interpretation are discussed.


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