Geological Engineering Commons^™

Characterization Of Coarse Aggregate Angularity Using Digital Image Processing, Gregory Allen Swift

Masters Theses

"This thesis involves a comparative analysis between well-established physically performed measurements for coarse aggregate and an image-based system. A thorough literature review was conducted, focusing on the importance of aggregate shape and how it is measured. In addition, state of the art in image-based aggregate measurement was reviewed along with the impacts and difficulties of an image-based methodology. Physical testing, consisting of Uncompacted Void Content, Index of Particle Shape and Texture (Compacted Voids), and Percent of Fractured Particles (fractured face or crush counts), was performed on aggregate control samples prior to testing on bulk aggregate samples. All aggregate samples were …

Numerical Modeling Of Focused Remediation Using A Groundwater Circulation Well, Gretchen R. Miller

Masters Theses

"Groundwater circulation wells (GCWs) allow for the in situ treatment of contaminated water resources. Focused remediation with a GCW could be used to treat groundwater before it enters an existing domestic well already in use. GCWs have been installed at the former Nebraska Ordnance Plant; the model originally developed for these was slightly modified and used to perform a feasibility study of a focused remediation system.

If the focused remediation system works properly, the capture zone of the domestic well should be within the recharge zone of the GCW. Deterministic modeling with capture zone analysis indicated that a GCW installed …

The Mechanical Properties Of The Bonne Terre Formation Dolostone According To Carbonate Facies And Moisture Conditions, Sweetwater Mine, Viburnum Trend, Southeast Missouri, Harvey Edwin Goodman

Masters Theses

"The mechanical properties of the Bonneterre Formation dolostone are critical to the design of underground mine openings at Ozark Lead Company's Sweetwater Mine, southeast Missouri. Host rock strength and elastic moduli, as affected by carbonate facies and varying moisture conditions, can influence rock stability in this multi-horizon mine.

Lead and zinc sulfide ores occur throughout the 350 foot-thick Bonneterre formation found in the mining area. Orebodies are mined in all four carbonate facies of the Bonneterre, including the (1) micrite (mudstone/wackestone) and shale facies, (2) the oolitic (packstone/ grainstone) facies, (3) the digitate stromatolite (boundstone) facies, and (4) the planar …

Site Characterization Of Riverfront Park, Kansas City, Missouri, For The Purpose Of Hazardous Waste Site Remediation, Helen Hudson Scannell

Masters Theses

"Riverfront Park, Kansas City, Missouri is located on a point bar along the Missouri River. Portions of the site have historically been used (1950 - 1973) as a municipal landfill receiving residential, commercial and industrial wastes. Relatively high concentrations of elemental lead have been found in small areas of the surface soil within the limits of the Park. Chemicals that may be present in the landfill wastes create a potential for groundwater contamination. A Remedial Investigation, including a series of groundwater monitoring wells is necessary to characterize groundwater geochemistry and flood-induced changes in groundwater flow direction, and to assess any …

Selection Of Remedial Engineering Techniques For Dioxin-Contaminated Soil Sites ; Based On Site Geological Characteristics, Jeffrey John Lux

Masters Theses

"Specific geologic, hydrologic, and topographic characteristics influence the selection of technologies employed in the remediation of sites affected by dioxin-contaminated soil. These characteristics are significant in the selection of equipment and methods for excavation and materials processing.

The only currently sociologically acceptable method of treatment of dioxin-contaminated soils is incineration. As more is learned concerning the nature of dioxin sorption to soil particles and the mobility of dioxin in the environment, long-term storage in underground mines, and land burial appear to offer strong potential alternatives. Strong public sentiment against non-destructive remedial options would have to be overcome. There are also …

Site Characterization And Remedial Engineering Options At An Uncontrolled Hazardous Waste Site : Fulbright Landfill, City Of Springfield, Mo., Kathleen Carey Duckett

Masters Theses

"Fulbright Landfill is located approximately 3 miles north of the City of Springfield, Missouri along State Highway 13. Hazardous substances, including acids and cyanides, were disposed of regularly in the landfill for a period of about 7 years, from 1962 to 1969. Because of its disposal history, Fulbright Landfill was placed on the Interim National Priorities List in October of 1981. A full-scale remedial investigation and feasibility study is presently being conducted by SCS Engineers (Reston, VA).

The purpose of this thesis is to assess the nature and extent of the threat to the public or the environment based on …

Contouring And Analysis Of Rock Hardness And Point Load Strength Index Values For The Bethany Falls, Winterset, And Argentine Limestones In The Greater Kansas City Area, John Robert Cramer

Masters Theses

"A field study was conducted to evaluate the variations in selected physical properties of the Bethany Falls, Winterset and Argentine Limestones in the Greater Kansas City Area. On-site and laboratory testings of these rocks for hardness and strength were made. Data from the different sites were contoured to graphically illustrate changes in the rock properties geographically. Results of this study are presented with the hope that they may be useful preliminary information for rock excavation engineers working in the area.

The area covered by the study included Platte, Clay, Johnson, and Cass counties in Missouri, and Leavenworth, Wyandotte and Johnson …

Ground Control Evaluation Of The Sahara No. 20 Mine Marion, Illinois., Marvin E. Adam

Masters Theses

"Roof falls in coal mines are the single greatest cause of mining accidents in the U.S. today. For this reason it is imperative that the mechanism of roof failures be identified. An investigation funded by the U.S. Bureau of Mines was initiated in 1970 to determine the factors influencing the deterioration of coal mine roof shale. This thesis was a portion of the investigation that concentrated on the Sahara Coal Company underground mine No. 20 near Marion, Illinois.

The regional geology was studied to determine if geological discontinuities might be an influencing factor on roof falls at the Sahara 20 …

The Geology And Hydrogeology Of The New Lead Belt, Missouri, Charles Scott Fletcher

Masters Theses

"In order to analyze the effects of pumping groundwater from underground lead mines upon present groundwater resources of the New Lead Belt area, the geology and hydrogeology of that area must first be determined. The primary method of investigation of this analysis was interpretation of ecologic and hydrogeologic data taken from water well logs and mineral exploration well logs, with supplemental information supplied by published and unpublished literature sources. From all these sources of data, structural contour maps of the Precambrian erosional surface; the tops of the Lamotte, Bonneterre, and Davis Formations; isopachous maps of the Davis and the Lamotte/Bonneterre …

Regional Geological Engineering Mapping By Erts-1 Imagery A Case Study On Taiwan., Shih-Tsu Chen

Masters Theses

"Three types of maps of Taiwan were made by using color composites of ERTS-1 images. The three types of maps, consisting of a regional land use map, an offshore sediment distribution map, and a tectonic map, were made from a color composite imagery utilizing Diazo chrome and Esco chrome films with a planimetrically accuracy sufficient for a 1:1,000,000 scale map.

Color enhanced imagery was found to increase the accuracy level of the land use interpretation. Three color enhancement techniques were used to increase the color contrast between the scenes of different land use. Particular land use scenes required a special …

A Geohydrologic Study Of The St. Francois County Regional Sanitary Landfill., Kent David Gastreich

Masters Theses

"The St. Francois County Sanitary Landfill is a 503.8-acre site located 1n the Old Lead Belt area of southeast Missouri. The landfill, which was opened in July 1973., is being operated by the non-profit St. Francois County Environmental Corporation. The site is largely covered by up to 80 feet of tailings finely ground dolomite of the lower Bonne Terre Formation., wh1ch are a product of decades of lead mining and milling at the Deslodge, Missouri, Mine. The landfill 1s surrounded on three sides by the Big River. Approximately 36,000 people are being served by the landfill which takes in about …

An Investigation Of The Vertical Distribution Of Sulfur Forms In Surface Mine Spoils, Henry County, Missouri, Walter Carter Von Demfange Jr.

Masters Theses

"Samples of material in the spoil banks left by surface coal mining operations in Henry County Missouri were taken from various depths and preserved to prevent further oxidation of the pyrite in the samples. Quantitative determinations were then made for sulfate and sulfide sulfur. It was shown that near the surface the sulfide sulfur concentrations were much lower than those at greater depth while sulfate concentrations were higher near the surface than at depth. Since this is probably the effect of years of oxidation of the pyrite, it can be used to show at what depth the pyrite is being …

Measurement Of The Surface Energy Of Rock By The Three-Point Bending Of Notched Beams, John Walter Corwine

Masters Theses

"In this investigation, the surface energy of a medium-grained igneous rock (Barre granite) was measured by breaking small, notched beams in bending. The technique was adapted from fracture toughness tests that have been used with metals and ceramics. The equations used for the calculation of surface energy were derived from several writers' equations for the stress intensity at the end of a notch in a beam subject to bending. Beam thickness, notch width and mineral occurring at the notch tip were evaluated for their influence on the calculated values of surface energy. The surface energy values obtained were used in …

An Investigation Of The Application Of Photoelastic Coatings To Soil Studies, James Kenneth Meisenheimer

Masters Theses

"The purpose of this investigation was to determine if photoelastic coatings could be adapted to soil systems and used as a workable tool for analyzing deformation and stress distribution. The required physical properties of a photoelastic coating on soil is discussed and a number of photoelastic materials are investigated as possible soil coatings. Mixing procedures, coating application techniques, curing methods, testing procedures, and results are discussed for gelatin and several plastics. Compacted soil samples and extruded soil samples from a Vac-Aire extrusion device were coated with reflective and photoelastic coatings and then loaded in an unconfined compression machine. The stress …

A Photoelastic Study Of The Stresses Around An Underground Opening And Its Support System, Alphonse C. Van Besien

Masters Theses

"The stress conditions around openings in rock have long been of interest to the field of rock mechanics. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the stress distribution around an opening with a rib and wall-plate support system. A photoelastic model of the opening (a modified horse-shoe section) was loaded in the centrifuge to determine the effect of body loading. Both the tangential stress and the stress within the rock bench, due to the opening, were determined. The stress conditions within the bench were examined using simulated ribs and a loading frame. Application of the data is discussed, as …

An Aggregate Quality Investigation Of The Meramec River Gravels, Kadri Ercin Kasapoglu

Masters Theses

"This thesis represents a study which was made to evaluate and interpret the downstream variations in the quality of the Meramec River gravels as coarse aggregate for concrete. Since gravel deposits constitute a valuable resource for a region, it is desirable that extent and quality variations of these deposits are known. It was hoped that an evaluation of certain properties of the Meramec River gravels would assist in determining the value of the Meramec River as undeveloped aggregate source by indicating the relative quality of the gravels from alternate sites of the river. For the purpose of this investigation, representative …

Hydrologic Characteristics Of Shallow Bedrock Aquifers In The Vicinity Of Norman Creek, Central Phelps County, Missouri, Michael A. Nawrocki

Masters Theses

"Groundwater is becoming increasingly important as a source of water supply in the United States. Consequently, the prediction of well yields is a vital concern. In order to predict the quantity of water which can be reduced from a given aquifer it is necessary to know the aquifer's hydrologic characteristics. Many theoretical formulae have been derived for determining the aquifer characteristics. To date, these formulae have been tested mainly on unconsolidated and clastic rock aquifers. It has never been shown that these formulae can also be consistently applied to carbonate aquifers which underlie regions of karst terrain. This paper summarizes …

Maximum Present Value Calculations With Digital Computers, James Boyd Robison

Masters Theses

"This paper discusses maximum present value calculations for a mineral property using digital computers. A semi-quantitative mathematical model to optimize operating conditions is considered. The model is based on a modified cash flow analysis. Many variables affect the solution, and their effect upon present value is described. Selected data (mining rate, costs, reserves, metal sales price, and others) for a hypothetical open pit copper mine are used in a set of solutions for present value. The results are discussed in detail. It is concluded that: (1) Digital computer methods are rapid and useful, (2) Changes in the mining rate, average …

Piezometric Levels And Shallow Aquifers, Dillon And Meramec Spring Quadrangles, Missouri, James Hugh Crouch

Masters Theses

"Little is known about groundwater in carbonate rock; quantitative data about limestone and dolomite aquifers are almost non-existent. Objectives of this study are: identification of shallow aquifers, and yield, occurrence, and piezometric level of groundwater in cherty dolomitic rocks in eastern Phelps County, Missouri. Area studied comprises of the 7.5-minute Dillon and Meramec Spring Quadrangles. The data used were derived from water well logs, interviews with well drillers and owners, and a previously available geologic map.

The Jefferson City, Roubidoux, and Gasconade formations are aquifers. Groundwater in the Jefferson City formation is perched. West and north of Dry Fork creek, …

The Effect Of Vegetation, Soil, And Rock Type On Runoff From Some Small Watersheds In Missouri, Anant Suthipas Narupon

Masters Theses

"A previous study of mean annual floods (Harbaugh, 1962) was based on watershed area, channel length, and channel slope of forty five small watershed in the State of Missouri. The present study investigates the effect of precipitation, soil distribution, vegetal cover, and underlying bedrock on annual peak rate of discharge. This study consists of statistical analysis by multiple correlations of additional quantitative data for nine of Harbaugh's forty five watersheds. Hydrologic data were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Weather Bureau climatological publications. Distribution of vegetation was compiled from U.S. Department of Agriculture aerial photographs. Soil and rock …