Recycling of End-of-Life Tires (ELTs) for Sustainable Geotechnical Applications: A New Zealand Perspective

End-of-life tires (ELTs) are tires, unusable in their original form, which go into a waste management scheme (for recycling and energy recovery purposes), or otherwise are disposed. In New Zealand, the annual disposal of 3.5 million ELTs is posing critical environmental and socio-economic issues, and the reuse of ELTs through large-volume recycling engineering projects is a necessity. In this study, gravel and recycled granulated rubber were mixed to explore the possibility of obtaining synthetic granular geomaterials (with adequate geotechnical and environmental characteristics) that are suitable as structural fills for geotechnical applications including foundation systems for low-rise light-weight residential buildings. Moreover, an original framework with a set of geo-environmental criteria is proposed for the acceptance of gravel–rubber mixtures (GRMs) as structural fills. It is shown that when gravel-size like rubber particles are used, GRMs with volumetric rubber content of 40% or less have adequate strength (ϕ’ > 30°), low compressibility (εv ≤ 3%), excellent energy adsorption properties, and acceptable leachate metal concentration values (e.g., Zn < 1 mg/L), making them ideal synthetic structural fill materials for many sustainable geotechnical applications.

Study for gravel slection and pack operation for oil production well on Song Doc oil field

Sand control by gravel packing is by far the most reliable and effective sand control method and is being used worldwide. One of the most important factor for successful operation is gravel size selection which is suitable with properties of well and particle size of sand from the reservoir, also the operation method needs to be considered during study. Due to the variety of different oilfield, the selections of gravel size and operation method are challenges for petroleum engineer and manager. Oil production wells in Song Doc oil field are producing in Miocene and Oligocene with very high rate of sand production; some of the wells were plugged by sand. Therefore, the study on the selections of gravel size and operation method is needed and important. In this study, theory analyzing was used in order to yield advantage and disadvantage of each gravel packing method and their operation. Based on the operating condition on Song Doc field and the availability of equipment on site, gravel packing method by thru-tubing with vent screen was selected. The coil tubing was chosen as the operation method. This is the best sand control method for the Song Doc oil field with low cost and high effectiveness sand control.

Experimental Analysis of Incipient Motion for Uniform and Graded Sediments

So far, few studies have focused on the concept of critical flow velocity rather than bed shear stress for incipient sediment motion. Moreover, few studies have focused on sediment mixtures (graded sediment) and shape rather than uniform sediment for incipient motion condition. Different experiments were conducted at a hydraulic laboratory at the University of Guilan in 2015 to determine hydraulic parameters on the incipient motion condition. The aim of this study is to conduct a comparison between uniform and graded sediments, and a comparison between round and angular sediments. Experiments included rounded uniform bed sediments of 5.17, 10.35, 14 and 20.7 mm, angular uniform sediment of 10.35 mm, and graded sediment. Results demonstrated that angular sediment has a higher critical shear velocity than rounded sediment for incipient motion. Results also showed that for a given bed sediment, although critical shield stress and relative roughness increased with the bed slope, the particle Froude number (based on critical velocity) decreased. In terms of the sediment mixture, the critical shear stress (Vc*) was higher for the graded sediment than for the three finer uniform sediment sizes. The finer fractions of the mixture have a higher particle Froude number than their corresponding uniform sediment value, while the coarser fractions of the mixture showed a lower stability than their corresponding uniform sediment value. Results demonstrated that the reduction in the particle Froude number was more evident in lower relative roughness conditions. The current study provides a clearer insight into the interaction between initial sediment transport and flow characteristic, especially particle Froude number for incipient motion in natural rivers where stream beds have different gravel size distribution.

Mosaic desert pavement influences water infiltration and vegetation distribution on fluvial fan surfaces

Desert pavements are critical for maintaining ecological stability and promoting near-surface hydrological cycle in arid regions. However, few studies have reported the desert pavements on ecological on fluvial fans. Although desert pavement surfaces appear to be barren and flat, we found that the surfaces were featured by mosaic pattern of desert pavement (DP) and bare ground (BG). In this study, we investigated the effects of mosaic DP on water infiltration and vegetation distribution at six sites (i.e. one on the hillside and five in the sectors of fluvial fans) along a southwest belt transect on the fluvial fans in the Northern Linze County, in the middle of Hexi Corridor. The results showed that significant differences of Mosaic DP between hillside and sectors of fans were found in pavement thickness, thickness of vesicular horizon (Av thickness), particle composition and bulk density, rather than soil moisture content (SMC), gravel coverage and surface gravel size. The mosaic DP can inhibit water infiltration by pavement layer, where the sorptivity (S), initial infiltration rate (i) and steady- state infiltration rate (i) and infiltration time (T) averaged 1.30 cm/min-0.5, 5.03 cm/min, 0.23 cm/min, and 12.76 min respectively. If pavement layer was scalped, the S, i and i increased by 0.75 cm/min-0.5, 2.90 cm/min and 0.13 cm/min, respectively, and the T was shortened by 5.34 min. Water infiltration was mainly controlled by the pavement layer thickness (+), Av thickness (-), surface gravel coverage (-), and fine earth (+) and fine gravel (-) of pavement layer. Mosaic DP grew less shrubs than mosaic BG where distributed plenty of herbs. It can be concluded that desert pavements can keep vegetation stability by self-regulating rainfall. This study would deepen our understanding of the eco-hydrological cycle of pavement landscape in arid regions.

Experimental Study of the Dynamic Permeability in Two-Stage Gravel Packs Considering Particle Blockage and Remigration

The two-stage gravel-packing technique has been widely adopted in the development of unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs with high sanding rates and silt contents. Compared with the traditional gravel-packing operation, the lifespan and long-term conductivity of the two-stage gravel pack improve significantly. In the present study, an experimental study was undertaken to determine the dynamic permeability change of two-stage gravel packs during sand production. Thirty-nine groups of flooding tests were carried out with various experimental settings, and the pressure drop of each section (i.e., the sanding section, gravel bed I, and gravel bed II) was monitored dynamically during flooding. The permeability characteristics of each section were used to determine the mechanisms of sanding, pore blockage, and particle remigration under different packing arrangements. Using the proposed experimental setup, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to study the parameters that may affect the permeability of the sand pack, such as the two-stage gravel size, packing length, flooding rate, and silty sand content. Based on the observed permeability recovery phenomena in gravel bed I during the experiments, a dynamic permeability prediction model considering the remigration of deposited particles was proposed. Compared with the traditional deep-bed filtration model and the experimental results, the verification showed that the new model is more suitable for predicting the dynamic permeability of two-stage gravel packs.

Application of Bottom Ash as Filter Media for Construction Site Runoff Control

The potential application of bottom ash (BA) for construction site runoff control as an alternative filter media with high removal efficiency of total suspended solids (TSS) and longer operation period were evaluated. Both lab-scale single-layer and pilot-scale multi-layer filtration experiments were performed using BA filter media with different particle sizes and various volumetric flow rates. Due to the mesoporous, irregular, and spherical shape of gravel-size BA filter media used in this study, relatively low surface area, negligible pore volume, and greater pore size were observed. Both TSS removal efficiencies and clogging of BA filter media were a complex function of particle size of BA filter media and loading rate of TSS. Incoming TSS particles did not significantly penetrate beyond 46-cm BA filter media depth, accumulating on the upper layers and gradually forming a clogging layer to critical thickness, and finally the clogging filtration mechanism dominated the overall removal efficiency of TSS. Accumulation of TSS on BA filter media can be explained by the lumped sigmoidal empirical model, and an exponential decline in accumulation of TSS with depth results in minimal accumulation beneath the clogging layer. As practical implications, BA filter media depth of less than 46 cm is recommended with dual- or multi-media filters using mixtures of gravel-size BA and silt-size fine media, and a combination of detention basins can reduce frequent periodic de-clogging operation and management.

Long-term dispersion of river gravel in a canyon in the Atacama Desert, Central Andes, deduced from their 10Be concentrations

Intense storms or earthquakes in mountains can supply large amounts of gravel to rivers. Gravel clasts then travel at different rates, with periods of storage and periods of displacement leading to their downstream dispersion over millennia. The rate of this dispersion controls the long-term downcutting rate in mountainous rivers as well as the grain-size signature of climate and tectonic variations in sedimentary basins. Yet, the millennial dispersion rates of gravel are poorly known. Here, we use 10Be concentrations measured in individual pebbles from a localized source along a 56 km-long canyon in the Central Andes to document the distribution of long-term gravel transit rates. We show that an inverse grain-size velocity relationship previously established from short-term tracer gravel in different rivers worldwide can be extrapolated to the long-term transit rates in the Aroma River, suggesting some universality of this relationship. Gravel are also dispersed by large differences in the mean transport rates independent of gravel size, highlighting that some gravel rest at the river surface over tens of thousands of years. These different transport rates imply a strong spreading of the gravel plumes, providing direct proof for the long-term river buffering of sediment signals between mountainous sources and sedimentary basins. The inferred distribution of residence times suggests the first evidence of anomalous diffusion in gravel transport over long timespans.

Experimental Study on Shear Failure Mechanism and the Identification of Strength Characteristics of the Soil-Rock Mixture

Soil-rock mixture (SRM) is a special geological material that has the unique properties of rock or soil. Studies on the strength characteristics of the SRM have very important theoretical significance and practical value. In this study, the gravel proportions, gravel sizes, gravel shapes, and repetitive results of shear experiments are considered in laboratory experiments and for the identification of strength parameters. To the gravel shapes, from the angle of the composition materials of SRM, the experimental samples include samples with breccia gravels and with subrounded gravels. And, in this study, the laboratory model experiment is used to research the strength characteristics of SRM. In addition, the shear failure mechanism is used to establish the relationship between the microfailure mechanism and the macrostrength parameters identification. Taking gravel proportion, gravel size, gravel shape, and repetitive shear process as the influencing factors of the SRM, the laboratory models have been remolded, and laboratory direct shear experiments have been carried out. The shear deformation laws of the SRM are researched on the basis of the analysis of the curves of shear stress and the horizontal displacement.

Effect of Gravel Size and Weir Height on Flow Properties of Gabions

The variation between flow depth generated in front of gabion barrier and flow rate has been studied in open laboratory flume. Flow profiles have been observed for each of "Transition Flow" and "Overflow" regimes. Effects of gabion height and material coarseness on the upstream flow depth are studied by testing four different gabion heights and four different medium aggregate sizes. The analysis of experimental results showed that the relative decrease in flow depth varies between 38% and 17% for "Through Flow" type when material coarseness and discharge increase. In "Transition Flow" regime, increasing material coarseness and discharge causes an average decreases in relative flow depth of 7.6% and 4.4% for gabion heights 15cm and 30cm, respectively. Gabion begins to operate as an overflow weir when the average water depth to the gabion height (H/P) is 1.19. While the overall average increase in discharge relative to solid weir is 15%. Prediction relationships for flow depth upstream the gabion for each of the three flow regimes is suggested. Also, dimensionless relation to predict discharge coefficient are proposed with good accuracy.