Field performance of four vibrating-wire piezometer installation methods

Vibrating wire piezometers provide a number of advantages over the traditional hydraulic piezometer design. There are currently many methods and configurations for installing vibrating-wire piezometers, the most common being: single piezometers in sand packs (SP), multilevel piezometers in sand packs (MLSP), and fully-grouted multilevel piezometers using either bentonite (FGB) or cement-bentonite grout (FGCB). This study assesses the performance of these four different installation methods at a field site possessing complex stratigraphy, including glacial and marine sediments. To accomplish this objective, pore pressure data recorded between December 2017 and July 2019 were analyzed. Data indicate that SP, MLSP, and FGB piezometers performed most reliably, based on the fact that piezometers installed at the same depth with these methods recorded similar pressure variations that were coherent with the hydrogeological setting. Of the two fully-grouted installations using cement-bentonite grout, one installation failed completely due to a hydraulic short circuit, likely caused by preferential flow occurring along the wires of the embedded instruments. The lack of a standard method for mixing cement-bentonite grout at the time of construction likely contributed to the failure of the FGCB installations, as the grout mixture used in this study was likely too viscous to provide a suitable seal.

Oil Spill Response in Remote Inland Locations

There are many factors that contribute to the complexity of co-ordinating effective oil spill response in remote locations. This poster will focuses on the complexities associated with unique risks encountered in remote locations, with an emphasis on water resources. The hydrogeological setting must be understood if oil spill response organisations (OSRO) are to co-ordinate a response that affords the environment and local populations the best level of protection. The relationship between communities and their environment should be clearly understood as part of preparedness work. This will facilitate the implementation of a suitable and timely response with pre-defined ‘end-points’.

Features of Planning a Detailed Study of the Hydrodynamic and Hydrochemical Properties of the “Yeniseiskiy” Site of the Nizhnekanskiy Massif

In the coming years, an underground research laboratory will start being constructed at the Yeniseiskiy site within the Nizhnekanskiy rock mass. In this regard, arranging for subsoil monitoring is seen as a priority task to identify the required parameters of undisturbed rock mass. Specific features of hydrogeological setting within the rock mass at the Yeniseiskiy site necessitate interval monitoring in deep wells with open holes using multipacker systems. In-depth studies of sections with a discreteness of 1—2 m are required to identify the monitoring intervals. However, Russia has no hands-on experience in this matter. The article discusses international practice for arranging detailed research at analogue facilities and describes the equipment used. Interpretation of the data obtained is seen as an important part of the research with relevant technique associated with interval injection at constant pressure being discussed in the article