Geological Engineering Commons^™

Modeling Heat Propagation And Thermal Enhanced Decay In A Solar Thermal Remediation System, Justin Trainor

All Theses

Low temperature solar thermal remediation is designed to accelerate ongoing biotic and abiotic treatment processes at a much lower temperature and cost than high temperature thermal remediation strategies. An array of borehole heat exchangers are used to circulate a solar-heated fluid through a closed-loop system of thermally conductive pipes. Thermal energy heats the surrounding contaminated zone through the process of thermal conduction which serves to enhance the degradation of the contaminant.

A three dimensional analytical solution was previously constructed to model heat propagation from borehole heat exchangers into the surrounding subsurface. The model utilizes a system of finite line sources …

A Hidden Spider Web Of Roots: Utilizing Ground Penetrating Radar To Uncover Laterally Expansive Roots Of An Oak Tree, Megan Lapkoff

All Theses

Roots are critical to understanding tree health, subsurface biomass, and overall tree root stability. However, accessing tree roots is difficult and traditional methods used to quantify roots harm or kill the tree. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) provides a non-invasive way to characterize subsurface roots without harming the tree. GPR provides high-resolution data and the ability to collect data with high spatial coverage, making it an ideal tool for characterizing roots. GPR works by detecting contrasts in dielectric permittivity or electromagnetic (EM) velocity at interfaces between materials. Small scattering objects, like roots, generate predictable artifacts called diffraction hyperbolas. Diffraction hyperbolas will …

Geology-Based Shear-Wave Velocity Model Of Reference Site Conditions In South Carolina For Seismic Site Response Analysis, Camilius Amevorku

All Dissertations

Assessing earthquake hazard in the State of South Carolina is important because it is one of the most seismically active regions of the eastern United States and has experienced earthquakes of damaging levels in the historical past. Examples of these damaging seismic events are the 1886 Charleston earthquake (M 6.7 to 7.5) and the 1913 Union County earthquake (M 4.5 to 5.5).

Small-strain shear-wave velocity (V_S) is an important parameter in performing site response analysis. The deep nature of the top of reference firm rock (i.e., V_S ≥ 760 m/s or B-C boundary) due to …

Fate And Transport Of Toxoplasma Gondii Oocysts In Saturated Porous Media: Effects Of Electrolytes And Natural Organic Matter, Christian Pullano

All Theses

Toxoplasma gondii is a pathogenic microorganism that is currently a threat to public health. Understanding the fate and transport of T. gondii through the soil and groundwater is vital in determining the risk it poses to water resources and human health. The physico-chemical interactions between the groundwater and the bio colloid within an aquifer will dictate its mobility and its ability to infect humans. This research examines how various naturally occurring groundwater chemistries containing organic compounds and monovalent and divalent salt solutions will alter the fate and transport of T. gondii. Solutions containing various concentrations of humic acid, fulvic …