Experimental study of the effect of nanoscale zero-valent iron injected on the permeability of saturated porous media

In comparison of modified nanoscale zero-valent iron (NZVI), bare NZVI used to remediate deep contaminated groundwater source areas has more advantages. However, the influences of injected bare NZVI deposition on the permeability of aquifer remain unclear, which are still the key factors of engineering cost and contamination removal. Hence, this study sought to assess method of measuring hydraulic conductivity with constant head device and examine the permeability loss mechanism of NZVI injected into different saturated porous media, using column tests. The results showed that it was feasible to determine hydraulic conductivity by the constant head device. The permeability loss caused by NZVI injection increased with a decrease in grain size of porous media, and was determined by the amount and distribution of NZVI deposition. NZVI distribution area had a good linear correlation with dispersivity of the porous media. Additionally, although surface clogging occurred in all porous media, the amount of NZVI deposition at the injection point in fine sand was largest, so that its permeability loss was the most, which was more likely to cause hydraulic fracturing and then expand the area of contaminant source zone. These results have implications for NZVI field injection to successful groundwater remediation.

An Analytical Solution for Non-Darcian Flow on a Constant Head Packer Test in the Interlayer Staggered Zone

Groundwater flow in an aquifer has frequently been found to be non-Darcian by performing in situ tests. A novel analytic model is proposed in this study for describing the unsteady non-Darcian flow in a confined aquifer by taking advantage of the observed flow rate and injection pressure during the constant head packer test. A linearization approximation of the Izbash equation is used to approximate the nonlinear term in the governing equation. This analytic model is applied to describe the non-Darcian flow in the interlayer staggered zone at the Baihetan hydropower station, China. The test results inversed by the genetic algorithm show that non-Darcian flow happened during the test under the injection pressure 0.3 MPa with the power index n is 1.278, non-Darcian hydraulic conductivity k 1 is 1.613 × 10 − 5 cm/s and the specific storage S s is 9.757 × 10 − 5 m-1, respectively. The sensitivity analysis indicated that when the power index n or the specific storage S s is larger, and the hydraulic head will increase more slowly and needs longer to stabilize, but the non-Darcian hydraulic conductivity k 1 shows the opposite trend. Moreover, the hydraulic head is more sensitive to the power index n compared to other parameters at late times. The findings of this study reveal the non-Darcian flow during the constant head packer test and provide a simple and fast way to estimate parameters for more accurate seepage field simulation.

1-Dimensional numerical modelling of unsaturated water flow and oxygen diffusion in overburden material column using hydrus 1-D

Coal mining activities, especially overburden material dumping can cause a negative impact into the environment, i.e., acid mine drainage, Acid mine drainage is characterized as low pH water with high sulphate and metal content produced from sulphidic-bearing overburden material with oxygen and water. In unsaturated condition, both of gaseous and water phases exist, acid mine drainage is generated. This study aims to characterize and model the water content in unsaturated condition and diffusion of oxygen of overburden material using the Hydrus 1-D software in a laboratory-scaled column. Laboratory-scaled column is initially filled with 75-cm height of dry overburden material and subjected into 5-cm constant head water level at the top of the column with free-flow condition at the bottom of column. The modelling result shows the water content of overburden material varies within depth and time elapsed and is saturated between 32400 minutes and 36000 minutes after initial wetting. Diffusivity of oxygen is linearly correlated with the water content of the overburden material at any given time and depth that varies between 1.34 × 10−7 m2/s and 8.80 × 10−12 m2/s. Water content and diffusivity of oxygen is expected to affect the generation of acid mine drainage in the overburden material.

Hydrogeological Conceptual Model in the Middle of Randublatung Groundwater Basin

Randublatung groundwater basin is one of the groundwaters basins with massive utilization of groundwater pumping. However, the knowledge of the comprehensive hydrogeological system in this groundwater basin is limited, so this research aims to determine a comprehensive hydrogeological conceptual model of the Randublatung groundwater basin. The methodology was conducted by collecting secondary and primary data of deep and shallow wells to evaluate boundaries of pattern and direction of groundwater flow and develop the aquifer system’s geometry. The result shows that the groundwater flow boundaries are Grogol River in the west, Wado River in the East, Bengawan Solo river in the South as a river boundary, and Rembang Mountains in the North as a constant head boundary. Therefore, groundwater flows from the hills area to the Bengawan Solo River and the north as the river’s flow. Based on the log bor evaluation, the aquifer system of the study area consist of an unconfined aquifer with a maximum thickness of 20 m and three layers of confined aquifers with thickness vary between 8 to 60 m. the hydraulic conductivity of the aquifers depends on the aquifer’s lithology range from sand, gravel, limestone, and sandstone. This hydrogeological conceptual model provides essential information for numerical groundwater models in the middle of the Randublatung groundwater basin.

An Improved Large-Scale Stress-Controlled Apparatus for Long-Term Seepage Study of Coarse-Grained Cohesive Soils

Clay–gravel mixture has been widely used in high embankment dams and understanding its seepage characteristics is critical to dam safety. From the instrumental perspective, the realization of continuous pressurized water supply becomes a key technical challenge, significantly restricting the working conditions replicated in previous seepage apparatuses. To this end, a novel water provision system, relying on parallel-disposed sensor-based pressure devices, was introduced, so that the application of an existing large-scale stress-controlled apparatus can be expanded to long-term seepage tests regarding coarse-grained cohesive soils. Constant-head permeability tests were conducted on original-graded clay–gravel mixtures to investigate their hydraulic properties, incorporating the influence of stress relaxation. Test results show that with 35% gravel content, the clay–gravel mixture is suitable for dam construction as the core material. The stress relaxation holds a marginal effect on the hydraulic conductivity of soil. The functionality of this improved apparatus is verified, especially under long-term seepage conditions.

Shear Strength and Drainage Characteristics of Elastomeric Polyurethane Treated Coal-Fouled Ballast

The shear behavior and drainage characteristics of coal-fouled ballast when treated with elastomeric polyurethane are assessed by means of large-scale direct shear and permeability tests. The results from direct shear tests confirmed that the shear strength of both stabilized and unstabilized coal-fouled ballast was highly influenced by the extent of fouling (VCI: void contamination index). The performance index (PI) of elastomer-stabilized coal-fouled ballast (ESFB), determined as the fraction of shear strength of fouled ballast to the shear strength of fresh and unstabilized ballast, lies in the range of 1.23 to 0.84. Moreover, the performance of ESFB having VCI ≥30% was found to be either similar to or poorer than that of clean ballast without any treatment, thus indicating that the elastomer treatment may be provided only to ballast with VCI ≤30%. The results from constant head permeability tests indicate that the hydraulic conductivity of ballast ( k) is highly influenced by the presence of fouling materials but is only slightly reduced as a result of the elastomer stabilization. The k of ballast decreased from 43 to 0.18 mm/s as the VCI increased from 0 to 75%. For VCI ≥ 45% the k of ballast was found to be lower than that recommended for sub-ballast. On the other hand, the k of ballast reduced slightly from 43 to 37 mm/s because of the elastomer stabilization. Furthermore, an empirical relationship is established between k and e to determine the k of both stabilized and unstabilized fouled ballast.

Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of earth materials in a weathering profile over the Kuantan Basalt, Pahang, Malaysia

Three broad morphological zones can be differentiated at the weathering profile; the top, 3.80 m thick, pedological soil (zone I with sub-zones IA, IB and IC) comprising soft to stiff, brown clays and the bottom bedrock (zone III) being an outcrop of vesicular olivine basalt. The intermediate zone II (saprock) is 1.12 m thick and consists of brown, very stiff, sandy clayey silt with many lateritic concretions. Laboratory constant head permeability tests show the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) to vary with depth; sub-zone IB having a conductivity of 0.007 cm/hr, and sub-zone IC (saprolite), and zone II (saprock), having conductivities of 0.147, and 0.447, cm/hr, respectively. The conductivity values show no correlation with physical properties of the earth materials, but increase with increasing sand, gravel, and silt, contents. The conductivity values also decrease with increasing clay and colloid contents. The low hydraulic conductivity of sub-zone IB will lead to surface runoff and ponding over natural ground surfaces during rainfall events, though over disturbed ground surfaces, infiltration is anticipated in view of exposed saprolite and saprock earth materials with relatively high conductivity

Hydraulic hysteresis of natural pyroclastic soils in partially saturated conditions: experimental investigation and modelling

In many geotechnical applications, especially in the study of weather-induced landslides, a reliable soil hydraulic characterization in unsaturated conditions is required. Currently, the experimental techniques that neglect the hydraulic hysteresis represent the greatest limitation to landslide forecasting. In this paper, a procedure to obtain an unsaturated soil hydraulic characterization on natural pyroclastic samples is proposed and verified. The approach enables the evaluation of the soil hydraulic properties along the main drying path and wetting/drying cycles to fully quantify the effects of the hydraulic hysteresis. Pyroclastic soil samples collected at a test site at Mount Faito in the Campania region (southern Italy) were tested. The experimental investigation consisted of a sequence of testing phases: a constant-head hydraulic conductivity test, a forced evaporation test followed by several wetting–drying cycles, and a drying test in a pressure plate apparatus. The hysteretic model proposed by Parker and Lenhard (1987) was adopted to fit the data, while inverse modelling of the forced evaporation tests allowed to derive the model parameters. Therefore, the main drying and wetting branches and the soil response to drying and wetting cycles from any reversal point were reproduced with the model, which suitably described the hysteretic behaviour of the pyroclastic soil under all conditions and along all paths.