Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Engineering Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 10 of 10

Full-Text Articles in Engineering

Long-Term Performance Of A Permeable Reactive Barrier In Acid Sulphate Soil Terrain, Gyanendra Regmi, Buddhima Indraratna, Long Nghiem Dec 2011

Long-Term Performance Of A Permeable Reactive Barrier In Acid Sulphate Soil Terrain, Gyanendra Regmi, Buddhima Indraratna, Long Nghiem

Buddhima Indraratna

Deep drainage technique utilised for flood mitigation in low-land coastal areas of Australia during the late 1960s has resulted in the generation of sulphuric acid in soil by the oxidation of pyritic materials. Further degradation of the subsurface environment with widespread contamination of the underlying soil and groundwater presents a major and challenging environmental issue in acid sulphate soil (ASS) terrains. Although several ASS remediation techniques recently implemented in the floodplain of Southeast Australia including operation of gates, tidal buffering and lime injections could significantly control the pyrite oxidation, they could not improve the long-term water quality. More recently, permeable …


Geo-Environmental Approaches For The Remediation Of Acid Sulphate Soil In Low-Lying Floodplains, Buddhima Indraratna, Gyanendra Regmi, Long Nghiem, Alexandra N. Golab Dec 2011

Geo-Environmental Approaches For The Remediation Of Acid Sulphate Soil In Low-Lying Floodplains, Buddhima Indraratna, Gyanendra Regmi, Long Nghiem, Alexandra N. Golab

Buddhima Indraratna

Acidity generated from the oxidation of pyrite and other sulphidic compounds that exist at shallow depths in acid sulphate soils (ASS) presents a challenging environmental problem in coastal Australia. The generated acidic groundwater can adversely impact coastal ecosystems, aquaculture and agriculture. Groundwater manipulation using weirs and modified floodgates in creeks and flood mitigation drains in ASS-affected farmland, which has been practiced for over a decade for preventing pyrite oxidation, is not effective in low-lying floodplains due to the high risk of flooding. In this paper, the authors present an overview of their experience in coastal Australia, a critical evaluation of …


Occurrence And Consequences Of Acid Sulphate Soils And Methods Of Site Remediation, Alexandra N. Golab, Buddhima Indraratna Dec 2011

Occurrence And Consequences Of Acid Sulphate Soils And Methods Of Site Remediation, Alexandra N. Golab, Buddhima Indraratna

Buddhima Indraratna

The oxidation of sulphides in acid sulphate soils (ASS) causes the acidification of many Australian coastal river systems. The acidity negatively impacts upon coastal ecosystems, aquaculture, agriculture and concrete and steel infrastructure. In the low-lying floodplains, relatively deep surface drains fitted with one-way floodgates lower the watertable, thereby exposing the sulphidic minerals to oxidation. On the Broughton Creek floodplain in SE Australia, four distinct remediation strategies have been developed to tackle the issue of acidification by ASS: (i) simple V-notch weirs that raise the level of the watertable surrounding the drains thereby submerging the pyrite and preventing the further formation …


Modeling Of Acid Generation In Pyritic Estuarine Soils, Buddhima Indraratna, Bruce G Blunden Dec 2011

Modeling Of Acid Generation In Pyritic Estuarine Soils, Buddhima Indraratna, Bruce G Blunden

Buddhima Indraratna

The effective management of acid sulfate or pyritic soils is a major issue for many coastal regions in Australia. Drainage and subsequent aeration of potential acid sulfate soils often leads to pyrite oxidation and the acidification of the soil and groundwater. A numerical model has been developed to calculate the rate and magnitude of pyrite oxidation in acid sulfate soils, and the distribution of oxidation products such as H+, SO4 2- and Fe3+ within the soil profile. The pyrite oxidation model includes vertical diffusion of oxygen from the atmosphere through soil macropores, lateral diffusion of dissolved oxygen from the macropores …


Treatment Of Acidic Groundwater In Acid Sulfate Soil Terrain Using Recycled Concrete: Column Experiments, Gyanendra Regmi, Buddhima Indraratna, Long Nghiem, A. Golab, B Guru Prasad Dec 2011

Treatment Of Acidic Groundwater In Acid Sulfate Soil Terrain Using Recycled Concrete: Column Experiments, Gyanendra Regmi, Buddhima Indraratna, Long Nghiem, A. Golab, B Guru Prasad

Buddhima Indraratna

Acidic groundwater generated from pyrite oxidation in acid sulfate (AS) soil is a major geoenvironmental problem in Australia. This study aims to evaluate recycled concrete as a reactive material in permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) for the remediation of acidic groundwater in low-lying AS soil floodplains. Laboratory experiments were systematically conducted to investigate the acid neutralization behavior of recycled concrete and its potential to remove dissolved Al and Fe. The results confirmed that recycled concrete could effectively treat acidic groundwater from an AS soil terrain, resulting in near neutral effluent over a long period with complete removal of Al and Fe. …


Evaluating Waste Concrete For The Treatment Of Acid Sulphate Soil Groundwater From Coastal Floodplains, Gyanendra Regmi, Buddhima Indraratna, Long Nghiem, Laura Banasiak Dec 2011

Evaluating Waste Concrete For The Treatment Of Acid Sulphate Soil Groundwater From Coastal Floodplains, Gyanendra Regmi, Buddhima Indraratna, Long Nghiem, Laura Banasiak

Buddhima Indraratna

The treatment of acidic groundwater generated from acid sulphate soil (ASS) terrain is a challenging environmental issue in coastal floodplains of Australia. In this study, a laboratory column experiment was conducted to assess the performance of waste concrete for treating the acidic groundwater leachate from ASS terrain of the Shoalhaven region of NSW. The groundwater was highly acidic (pH of 2.5–3.5) and contained elevated concentrations of iron (10–90 mg/L) and aluminium (30–45 mg/L). Passage of the acidic groundwater through the column filled with waste concrete resulted in a significant improvement in water quality. Reduction in the concentration of iron and …


Performance Of A Prb For The Remediation Of Acidic Groundwater In Acid Sulfate Soil Terrain, Buddhima Indraratna, Gyanendra Regmi, Long Nghiem, A. Golab Dec 2011

Performance Of A Prb For The Remediation Of Acidic Groundwater In Acid Sulfate Soil Terrain, Buddhima Indraratna, Gyanendra Regmi, Long Nghiem, A. Golab

Buddhima Indraratna

Contaminated groundwater resulting from pyrite oxidation of acid sulfate soils (ASSs) is a major environmental problem in coastal Australia. A column test was carried out for an extended period with recycled concrete to study the efficiency of the reactive materials for neutralizing acidic groundwater. Results show that the actual acid neutralization capacity of the recycled concrete could decrease to less than 50% of the theoretical value due to armoring effects. Nevertheless, the performance is good as a spot treatment in ASS Terrain using a near-zero cost waste product. Based on the test results and site characterization, a permeable reactive barrier …


Effective Remediation Of Groundwater In Acid Sulphate Soil Terrain, Gyanendra Regmi, Buddhima Indraratna, Long Nghiem Dec 2011

Effective Remediation Of Groundwater In Acid Sulphate Soil Terrain, Gyanendra Regmi, Buddhima Indraratna, Long Nghiem

Buddhima Indraratna

Acidic groundwater, generated from acid sulphate soil (ASS) is a major geo-environmental problem in Australia. Manipulation of groundwater through the use of weirs and gates in the nearby creeks and drains of ASS, which is being practised right now for preventing pyrite oxidation, are not effective in low land floodplains due to the risk of flooding. The application of permeable reactive barrier (PRB) can be a novel alternative for remediation of acidic groundwater in such floodplains. Laboratory column experiments were carried out prior to installation of the PRB for examining the efficiency of the material. Results of these experiments have …


The Impact Of Floodgate Modifications On Water Quality In Acid Sulphate Soil Terrains, William Glamore, Buddhima Indraratna Dec 2011

The Impact Of Floodgate Modifications On Water Quality In Acid Sulphate Soil Terrains, William Glamore, Buddhima Indraratna

Buddhima Indraratna

The installation of one-way tidal restricting floodgates in regions containing acid sulphate soils has increased the problems associated with acid drainage in many areas of coastal Australia. In southeastern NSW, one-way flap gates installed in deep flood mitigation drains maintain a low groundwater table and increase acid production and transport. Moreover, by restricting the intrusion of brackish water into the drainage system, the floodgates create a reservoir of acidic water. Recent studies suggest that by allowing a controlled amount of brackish water into the drains, via modified floodgates, buffering agents can neutralize the acidic water. A fifteen-month study was undertaken …


Biodiesel Separation And Purification: A Review, Abdul Aziz Abdul Raman Feb 2011

Biodiesel Separation And Purification: A Review, Abdul Aziz Abdul Raman

Abdul Aziz Abdul Raman

Conventional technologies used for biodiesel separation such as gravitational settling, decantation, filtration and biodiesel purification such as water washing, acid washing, and washing with ether and absorbents have proven to be inefficient, time and energy consumptive, and less cost effective. The involvement of membrane reactor and separative membrane shows great promise for the separation and purification of biodiesel. Membrane technology needs to be explored and exploited to overcome the difficulties usually encountered in the separation and purification of biodiesel. In this paper both conventional and most recent membrane technologies used in refining biodiesel have been critically reviewed. The effects of …