Engineering Commons^™

Davis Aqueduct Reach 1 - The Design And Construction Of Large Diameter Pipelines, Shane Mcfarland

Spring Runoff Conference

Designing and building a seismically resilient 72-inch pipeline.

District Overview: Weber Basin Water Conservancy District

From Vulnerabilities And Concern To Action: How Perceived Climate Vulnerabilities And Concern For The Great Salt Lake Desiccation Shape Utahns’ Migration Decision, Mufti Nadimul Quamar Ahmed, Jennifer E. Givens

Spring Runoff Conference

In light of the current climate crisis, how do Utahns perceive their climate or disaster vulnerabilities and concern for the Great Salt Lake desiccation? Does the perception of vulnerabilities and concern for the Great Salt Lake desiccation influence their intention to migrate from Utah?

Water And Journalism Panel, Heather May, Anastasia Hufham, Ben Winslow, Sheri Quinn

Spring Runoff Conference

Respondents’ sources of information on Great Salt Lake issues

The Practical And The Possible: How Research Informs Policy And Management For Land, Forest, And Water Management, Charlie Luce

Spring Runoff Conference

The practical and the possible: How research informs policy and management for land, forest, and water resources.

What Does Our Water Year Look Like?, Candice Hasenyager

Spring Runoff Conference

Drip Drip Drop: Water in Utah

In Utah, we are either in drought or preparing for the next one

We Shall Have A Seat At The Table, Yanna Liang

Spring Runoff Conference

Uniqueness of ESE 

• The only environmental BS program in the nation that has “Sustainable” in its title.
• Sustainability in water treatment, air pollution control, energy production, resource re-utilization 

The Once And Future Variability Of Colorado River Water Resources, Balaji Rajagopalan

Spring Runoff Conference

The Plot – “Millennium Drought” Since 2000 

• Current Water Crisis 

Impacts Of Changing Temperatures On The Water Budget In The Great Salt Lake Basin, Grace Affram, Jihad Othman, Reza Morovati, Saddy Pineda Castellanos, Sajad Khoshnoodmotlagh, Diana Dunn, Braedon Dority, Katherine Osorio Diaz, Cody Ratterman, Wei Zhang

Spring Runoff Conference

Temperature affects precipitation phases and the evolution of snowpack.

Canal Improvements: Balancing Piping And Automation, Trevor Nielson

Spring Runoff Conference

Factors to Consider 

- Piping 

• Size/Cost 
• Loss saved per mile 
• Longer Lifespan 
• Safety Benefits 

- Automation 

• On-going Cost 
• Cover Existing O&M Costs 
• More Skilled Staff 
• Higher Quality of Life for Field Employees 
• Safety Benefits 

Box Elder County - Countywide Water Master Plan, Quinn Dance

Spring Runoff Conference

Box Elder County Water Master Plan.

Project Background: 

Pre-Project Planning 

• Box Elder County General Plan Update 
• Steering Committee Organization 

Soil Health And Water Conservation, Tony Richards

Spring Runoff Conference

What are Healthy Soils? 

• Stable 
• Functional 
• Productive 
• Resilient 

Great Salt Lake Model Depletion, Katherine Wright

Spring Runoff Conference

When does water leasing make sense? Using New Information to Make Better Leases.

Lease, but only if it makes sense.

• Farmers have a legal right to use water on their farms for agriculture.
• Leasing might be a good economic decision for you, but not your neighbor.
• Leasing is voluntary, the purpose of this presentation is to explain the benefits of leasing and give you the information you need to decide if it is right for you. 

Utah Water Research Lab, David Tarboton

Spring Runoff Conference

The concept of a dedicated water research laboratory evolved over years, with significant contributions from Vaughn E. Hansen, Dean F. Peterson, and George D. Clyde. The UWRL represents the culmination of a long-held vision at USU to advance water research.

Legislative Updates Panel, Casey Snider, Brian Steed, Kelly Pehrson, Joel Ferry

Spring Runoff Conference

Legislative Updates Panel

Water Rights Update, Teresa Wilhelmsen

Spring Runoff Conference

State Engineer's Update:

2024-2025 Strategic Action Plan

2024 Updates by functional section:

• Adjudication
• Applications & Records
• Dam Safety & Stream Alterations
• Data Services
• Field Services
• Technical Services

Northern Utah Gaging And Measurement Infrastructure Needs And Updates, Beth Neilson

Spring Runoff Conference

We can’t manage what we don’t MEASURE. We can’t manage what we don’t UNDERSTAND.

Great Salt Lake: What’S Next?, Brian Steed

Spring Runoff Conference

Water security is key to living in the West.

Snowpack And Water Supply Outlook, Jordan Clayton

Spring Runoff Conference

>95% of the water we use in Northern Utah comes from snow. Therefore, it’s critically important to quantify how much water is stored in our snowpack.

Seepage Evolution Patterns And Self-Sealing Characterization Of Mining-Induced Overburden Fractures In Ecologically Vulnerable Mining Areas, Li Jianwei, Sun Yanchao, Zhang Chuanjiu, Ta Xupeng, Cao Jian, Zhang Jian

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The ecologically vulnerable areas (EVAs) in West China have been significantly affected by coal mining. In these areas, aquifers overlying goaves have been damaged under mining disturbance, being prone to cause water resource loss and desertification. Hence, it is crucial to guide the self-sealing of fractures artificially to preserve and further restore the groundwater level.Methods This study investigated mining face 22108 in the Buertai coal mine in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Based on the physical simulation experiments using similar materials, numerical calculations, and theoretical analysis, this study delved into the seepage evolution patterns of fractures in the …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Geological Technological Innovations And Contributions In The Exploration And Development Of The Shenfu Coalfield, Fan Limin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The discovery and exploration of the Shenfu coalfield (i.e., a Jurassic coalfield in northern Shaanxi Province) represent the most significant achievement in China’s coal industry during the 6th Five-Year Plan of the country, marking the onset of the strategic westward shift of China’s coal industry. The complex discovery and exploration processes of the Shenfu coalfield have yielded valuable technological innovations. A summary of advances in the geological exploration and research of this coalfield will provide significant implications and references for the geologic work and green development of major coal-producing areas in West China. Advances First, research on the coal …

Mining-Induced Fault Slip: Assessment Model And Method For Determining Fault Instability Ranges, Zhao Hongbao, Zhang Bo, Zhang Chi, Ji Dongliang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Faults are highly susceptible to activation and slip instability under the influence of mining. This might trigger many disasters such as mine earthquakes, posing serious threats to mine safety. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the mechanical mechanisms behind mining-induced fault activation and determine the ranges of mutual feedback between mining and fault activation in advance. Methods With the 213B mining face of the Xinzhi coal mine as the engineering background, this study analyzed the fault activation process induced by mining and created an elastic mechanical model for the impacts of mining on the surrounding rocks of faults. Accordingly, …

Geological Characteristics And Key Technologies For Exploration And Development Of The Yanchuannan Coalbed Methane Field, Ordos Basin, He Xipeng, Xiao Cui, Gao Yuqiao, Li Xin, Guo Tao, Cai Xiao

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective China boasts abundant coalbed methane (CBM) resources, which serve as a crucial replacement for the reserve growth and production addition of natural gas resources. In recent years, CBM exploration and production have gradually expanded into deep, thin coal seams, which, however, are characterized by strong heterogeneity, ultra-low permeability, high in situ stress, and complex enrichment patterns. Therefore, the exploration and exploitation of deep, thin coal seams face challenges such as inadequate geological theories, poor adaptability of key technologies, and low investment returns, which hinder large-scale commercial CBM production. Methods Focusing on the exploration and exploitation practice of middle-deep, thin …

Exploring Sandstone-Hosted Uranium Deposits In Coal-Bearing Basins Using Geophysical Methods: A Case Study Of The East-Central Erlian Basin, Liang Jiangang, Kuang Haiyang, Cao Zhanning, Yang Weimin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background Sandstone-hosted uranium deposits, critical to the uranium resources growth in China, are extensively distributed in continental and marine-continental transitional sedimentary rocks. Currently, the exploration and research on these deposits in China focus primarily on the Meso-Cenozoic sedimentary basins in the northern regions. Objective and Methods‌ The Erlian Basin exhibits the coexistence of uranium, coals, and oil. This study investigated the east-central part of this basin using multiple geophysical data, including regional gravity survey, aeromagnetic survey, and airborne radioactivity survey (ARS). Furthermore, six 2D seismic profiles totaling 130 km in length were deployed, and instantaneous soil radon measurement as employed. …

Impacts Of Diamond Particle Sizes On Performance Of Ni-Cu Superhydrophobic Coatings On Drilling Tool Surfaces, Wen Qi, Li Tao, Duan Longchen, Pan Bingsuo

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Applying superhydrophobic coatings on drilling tool surfaces can effectively alleviate the challenges posed by drill bit balling and core barrel blockage. However, the limited mechanical stability of superhydrophobic coatings has somewhat hindered their widespread application in practical operations. Methods To improve the durability of superhydrophobic coatings, this study co-deposited diamond micropowder into Ni-Cu composite coating using composite electrodeposition, followed by surface modification using 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane (PFDTES). Employing a variety of testing methods, this study investigated the impacts of the mass fractions of diamonds with particle sizes of 1 μm and 20 μm (also referred to as diamonds W1 and W20, …

Primary Geological Characteristics, Advances In Exploration And Production, And Strategies Of Coalbed Methane In South China, Guo Tao, Zhou Yatong, Jin Xiaobo, Gao Xiaokang, Peng Xingping

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods South China contains abundant coalbed methane (CBM) resources from numerous, superimposed, thin coal seams, serving as a significant replacement for China’s CBM exploration and production in the future. Despite significant progress in recent years, the CBM industry still faces several challenges in comprehensive and effective production. To accelerate its development, this study summarizes the primary geological characteristics of CBM resources in South China, organizes the current status and advances in CBM exploration and production in this region, and proposes corresponding technical strategies. Results The results indicate that the abundant CBM resources in South China exhibit coal seams …

Stratigraphic Characteristics And Shale Gas Enrichment Interval Distribution Of The Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation, Upper Yangtze Region, China, Wang Hongyan, Shi Zhensheng, Zhao Qun, Zhou Tianqi, Wang Pengfei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Shales in the Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation within the Upper Yangtze region preserve critical information about primitive oceans. Furthermore, these shales serve as vital source rocks and reservoirs, having demonstrated considerable potential for shale gas exploration. Methods Using seismic, borehole, and outcrop data, this study investigated the shale strata and their distribution in the Qiongzhusi Formation through comparative analysis. Accordingly, the sweet-spot interval was determined. Results and conclusions The results indicate that the Lower Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation in the Upper Yangtze region can be divided into the first and second members (also referred to as the Qiong 1 and …

Advances In Research On Technologies For Large-Scale Coal Gangue Utilization For Green Mine Construction, Shi Quanlin, Long Lihua, Yang Qian, Wang Shaohui, Xie Dawei

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The coal gangue, a solid waste, features high production and a continuous increase in the amount piled in China. The long-term piling up of coal gangue will cause the waste of land resources and environmental pollution in mining areas. Various methods for utilizing coal gangue, such as preparing high-value-added chemical products and extracting useful elements, suffer a limited consumption capacity, failing to meet the requirements of large-scale disposal and utilization of solid wastes and green mine construction. Advances The comprehensive utilization of coal gangue for mining area reclamation and underground backfilling represents a critical direction for its large-scale disposal …

Advances In Research On The Mechanical Responses Of Hot Dry Granites Under Varying Cooling Conditions In China, Xie Jingyu, Song Jiwei, Sui Jiancai, Zhao Meng, Wang Ren, Zeng Chong, Wang Jianlong

Coal Geology & Exploration

Significance Enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs) serve as a key technique for exploiting hot dry rocks (HDRs) presently. During the construction and operation of EGSs, rocks of the HDR reservoirs will experience various cooling conditions, such as natural cooling, cyclic cooling, and water cooling, rendering it greatly significant to investigate the mechanical response characteristics of granites—typical HDRs—under varying cooling conditions. Advances This study offers a summary and analysis of experimental data about the mechanical responses, i.e., uniaxial compressive strength (σ_c), elastic modulus (E), tensile strength (σ_t), and Poisson's ratio (ν), of …

Engineering Practice Of Advance Gas Control For Crushed Soft Coal Seams Through Directional Fracturing Using A Long Borehole In The Coal Seam Roof, Jia Bingyi, Li Shugang, Chen Dongdong, Zhang Qun

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods The crushed soft coal seams susceptible to intense coal and gas outbursts exhibit high gas content and pressure. Consequently, during borehole drilling for regional gas pre-drainage in such coal seams, high blowout intensity is prone to cause gas overrun and low drilling efficiency. To accelerate its development, this study analyzed the status and adaptability of existing technologies for regional advance gas drainage and pressure relief, as well as the fracture propagation characteristics of coal seam roofs during indirect fracturing using boreholes near the roofs. Accordingly, this study proposed an advance gas drainage and pressure relief technology for …