Geological Engineering Commons^™

Venezuela Undermines Gold Miner Crystallex's Attempts To Recover On Its Icsid Award, Sam Wesson

Loyola of Los Angeles International and Comparative Law Review

No abstract provided.

Framework For Evaluation Of Flash Flood Models In Wildfire-Prone Areas, Brian Cunningham, David Benepe, Bryan Cikatz, Evangelos Giakoumakis

SMU Data Science Review

Abstract. In this paper, we present an innovative framework for evaluating the increased risk of flash flooding in areas that have been subjected to wildfires. Wildfires cause large-scale damage to an area’s soil and vegetation thus increasing both the likelihood and severity of flash flooding. Utilizing remote sensing to analyze aerial imagery of areas that have been affected by wildfires, we can investigate how much a landscape has changed and how that may adversely affect downstream areas in the event of a flash flooding event. There are currently no established frameworks from which downstream local officials can quickly assess the …

Satellite-Based Assessment Of The August 2018 Flood In Parts Of Kerala, India, C. L. Vishnu, K. S. Sajinkumar, Thomas Oommen, R. A. Coffman, K. P. Thrivikramji, V. R. Rani, S. Keerthy

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

From 1 June to 29 August 2018, Kerala, a state in southwestern India, recorded 36% excess rainfall than normal levels, leading to widespread floods and landslides events and resulting in 445 deaths. In this study, satellite-based data were used to map the flood inundation in the districts of Thrissur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Idukki and Kottayam. Specifically, flood delineation was enabled with Sentinel-1A radar data of 21 August 2018 and was compared with an average pre-flood, water-cover map based on Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) that was developed using a January and February 2018 Sentinel-2A dataset. A 90% increase in water …

Assessment Of Post-Wildfire Debris Flow Occurrence Using Classifier Tree, Priscilla Addison, Thomas Oommen, Qiuying Sha

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Besides the dangers of an actively burning wildfire, a plethora of other hazardous consequences can occur afterwards. Debris flows are among the most hazardous of these, being known to cause fatalities and extensive damage to infrastructure. Although debris flows are not exclusive to fire affected areas, a wildfire can increase a location’s susceptibility by stripping its protective covers like vegetation and introducing destabilizing factors such as ash filling soil pores to increase runoff potential. Due to the associated dangers, researchers are developing statistical models to isolate susceptible locations. Existing models predominantly employ the logistic regression algorithm; however, previous studies have …

Separation Of Unburned Carbon From Coal Conversion Ash: Development And Assessment Of A Dry Method, Charlotte J. Badenhorst, Nicola J. Wagner, Bruno R.V. Valentim, Karel S. Viljoen, Ana C. Santos, Alexandra Guedes

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Unburned carbon found in coal conversion ash has the potential to be used in a variety of value-added applications. However, it is first necessary to separate the unburned carbon from the rest of the ash phases. This poses challenges due to the relatively low starting carbon-in-ash values (0.4 to 7.8 wt% reported for South African sources), and the high carbon grades (ideally ∼90 wt% carbon) and recoveries that need to be achieved. In this study a dry method for the separation of unburned carbon from coal ash was developed and assessed using fly, bottom, and gasification ash samples obtained from …

Influence Of Limit Equilibrium Methods In The Design Of Contiguous Cantilever Sheet Pile Walls Through Reliability-Based Analysis, Alvaro J. Mattos, Juan Camilo Viviescas, Juan Pablo Osorio

Conference papers

In geotechnical engineering the design of bored- pile walls is commonly performed in terms of the embedment length (D) defined according to the limit equilibrium methods (also known as balance methods) formulated by Krey, Blum, Rowe, Hansen and the empirical method of Look in sandy soils. The limit equilibrium methods are calculations associated with the shape of the earth pressures distributions in the shaft, earth pressures theories, geotechnical properties and safety factors, while the empirical criteria establish that the relationship between embedment and the free height (H) is of the order of D/H = 1.5. These design methods are complemented …

Use Of Ponded And Fresh Ashes From China For The Production Of Portland/Calcium Sulfoaluminate Clinkers, Tristana Y. Duvallet, Robert B. Jewell, Anne E. Oberlink, Thomas L. Robl, David Harris

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

This article summarizes the use of two fly ashes in the synthesis of Portland/calcium sulfoaluminate (OPC/CSA or A/CSA) clinkers. They are from the Shentou second power plant located in the Shanxi Province and from the Zhungeer power plant located in Inner Mongolia, China. The Zhungeer ash was collected dry, and the Shentou ash is from a pond. Their chemical compositions differ highly, especially the SiO2 and Al2O3 contents. The high contents of silica and alumina make both ashes candidates as a partial or total substitute for bauxite, an expensive source of alumina, in the production of OPC/CSA clinkers. These particular …

Conceptual Groundwater Remedial Alternatives At Coal Combustion Residuals Sites†, Herwig Goldemund, Jeffrey M. Ahrens

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Groundwater below many basins that have been used to store coal combustion residuals (CCRs) may have concentrations of certain inorganic constituents in excess of applicable regulatory standards. Given that many inorganic CCR constituents are also naturally occurring in the aquifer matrix, their detection may not always be indicative of a release from the CCR unit. Inorganics may be present at elevated levels in groundwater due to natural or background conditions, or due to changes to the aquifer geochemistry resulting from the presence of the CCR basin, which then mobilizes these naturally occurring constituents beneath the CCR unit. Care must be …

Fly Ash Composites, A Step Toward Pond Ash Composites, Kunigal N. Shivakumar, Wade H. Brown, Kazi A. Imran

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The study demonstrated that ash composites made from polyurethane and fly ash are able to reduce leaching of coal ash inorganics to less than one-third of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s maximum containment limit even after being exposed to an accelerated water circulation system for 14 months. Even if these ash blocks are broken, the composite is safe. The concept of encapsulation of fly ash into ash composite by using a polar polymer to bind the fine inorganic particles, as nature has done in the original unburned coal, makes the ash composite safe. The ash composites have compression and f …

In Situ Characterization Of Mixture Of Fly Ash And Fluidized Gas Desulfurization By-Product At Tennessee Valley Authority’S Gallatin Ash Stacking Facility†, David J. White, Pavana Vennapusa, Brendan Fitzpatrick, Jason F. Hill, Nicholas Mcclung

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

This article presents the results of field and laboratory testing performed on a new coal combustion product (CCP) derived from a mixture of fly ash and dry fluidized gas desulfurization by-product at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Gallatin Fossil Plant in Gallatin, TN. Field testing included geospatial mapping using a vibratory smooth drum roller instrumented with a validated intelligent compaction (VIC) system and by field testing to characterize elastic modulus, shallow shear wave velocity, moisture content, dry density, and shear strength properties. Field testing was performed in areas where the CCP had been placed several days before testing and in areas …

Managing Springs Emanating From Coal Combustion Residual Disposal Impoundments, Mark L. Orzechowski, Daniel M. Tolmer

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Affected springs emanating from coal combustion residual (CCR) disposal impoundments where “wet disposal” methods were employed is a typical issue that frequently needs to be addressed during operation and management of these facilities. Identifying potential effects on a spring is typically accomplished through regularly scheduled field reconnaissance and laboratory analyses. Analytical testing is performed to characterize the chemical constituents present in the spring water. The management approach employed for specific springs is developed on the basis of several factors, including chemical composition and flow rate of the spring water, regulatory requirements and discharge standards, available treatment technologies, facility operations, site …

Shear Strength Of Coal Combustion Product By Vane Shear, Wesley J. Herweynen, Christopher A. Bareither, Joseph Scalia

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The objective of this study was to evaluate the shear strength of a coal combustion product (CCP) by using the vane shear test. A series of small-scale vane shear (SS-VS; diameter = 12.7 mm and height = 25.4 mm) and large-scale vane shear (LS-VS; diameter = 25 mm and height = 50 mm) laboratory tests were conducted. Undrained and drained strength envelopes were determined using consolidated undrained triaxial compression tests, and drained strength was checked via consolidated drained direct shear. In addition, effects of (1) rate of vane rotation, (2) time delay between vane insertion and beginning rotation, and (3) …

Mineralogy And Geochemistry Of Feed Coals And Combustion Residues From Tunçbilek And Seyitömer Coal-Fired Power Plants In Western Turkey, Ali Ihsan Karayigit, Ozlem Yigitler, Seda Iserli, Xavier Querol, Maria Mastalerz, Riza Gorkem Oskay, James C. Hower

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

This study focuses on the enrichment of elements in feed coal (FC) and combustion residues, namely, fly ash (FA) and bottom ash (BA) samples, picked up from the Tunçbilek and Seyitömer coal-fired power plants in western Turkey. The FCs in both plants have generally similar mineralogical compositions, although siderite and dolomite are more prominent in Tunçbilek and feldspar and pyrite are more abundant in Seyitömer. Minerals in the FA from both power plants are mainly quartz, hematite, magnetite, anhydrite, and mullite. Along with quartz, the Fe-oxides are dominant phases in the BA samples. Accessory minerals in the FCs, FAs, and …

Phaselous Vulgaris Growth Under The Influence Of Manufactured Coal Ash Aggregates, Sangchul Hwang, Imiraily Hernandez, Isomar Latorre, Sahid Rosado

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

Manufactured coal ash aggregates (MAs) are a 2:1 (w/w) solidified composite of fly and bottom ash. The current study assessed the feasibility of beneficial utilization of MAs as a subsoil substitute for open-pit restoration to phyto-viable land. A series of indoor and outdoor experiments examined Phaselous vulgaris growth under the influence of MAs in the soil environment. With the MAs layer below the topsoil, P. vulgaris showed enhanced growth with respect to shoot height, leaf number, and leaf chlorophyll intensity. Similar growth enhancement was observed when the MAs were mixed with topsoil or applied as a micronutrient source over the …

Using The Conceptual Site Model To Efficiently And Effectively Implement Groundwater Monitoring And Corrective Action At Coal Combustion Residual Sites†, Carla Landrum, Jim Feild, Tim Glover, Alison Dunn

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

On 19 October 2015, the Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals (CCRs) for Electric Utilities final rule (CCR Rule), issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) under Subtitle D of the Recovery and Conservation Act (RCRA), became effective. The Groundwater Monitoring and Corrective Action subsections of the CCR Rule (40 CFR §§ 257.90–257.98) set out strict requirements for groundwater monitoring at the detection and assessment levels, followed by (if necessary) groundwater characterization in support of corrective measures assessment. Since the federal CCR Rule was implemented, the US EPA has proposed and finalized some amendments, and some states have proposed …

The Role Of Ash Mineralogy On Breakthrough Pressure And Contact Angle: A Statistical Evaluation, Jenberu L. Feyyisa, John L. Daniels

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

One method to minimize contaminant leaching from coal fly ash (CFA) involves modifying its surface to become water repellent. Five types of CFA, CFA-1, CFA-2, CFA-3, CFA-5, and CFA-6, were modified by three organosilane (OS) products at different mix ratios. Multiple breakthrough pressure (BP) experiments were conducted for different samples at different mix ratios to identify the performance of the modified surface to resist a positive water entry pressure. The contribution of oxides and minerals in CFA to form a water-repellent surface were analyzed without considering OS effects. Results showed that semi-log–transformed regression models can effectively establish the relationship between …

South Africa’S Power Producer’S Revised Coal Ash Strategy And Implementation Progress, Kelley Reynolds-Clausen, Nico Singh

Coal Combustion and Gasification Products Journal Archive

The South African electricity public utility Eskom has embarked on a process to increase utilisation of the ash produced through the electricity generation process at its coal-fired power stations. In the 2014–2015 financial year, 119.2 million tons of coal was consumed, producing 34.4 million tons (28.9%) of ash. About 7% of the Eskom ash is sold from 6 of the 13 coal-fired power stations. Many stations are currently running out of ash storage space, and expansion of the ash disposal facilities is required, which could affect security of supply because of limited ashing areas. Additionally, legislative requirements lead to extra …

Use Of Seismic Refraction In Determining Rock Mass Anisotropy, Mohammad Najmush Sakib Oyan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Seismic refraction is a popular method used by geological/geotechnical engineers to understand subsurface conditions. This method along with information collected from borings produce a realistic image of the ground beneath us. The goal of this study is to define and test a set of procedures to use seismic refraction alone to create high quality images of subsurface conditions. The focus is on areas with several meters of soil overlain by bedrock. The application of these procedures will minimize construction costs by eliminating the need for multiple boreholes. The results show that two important criteria must be met for successful application …

Historical Groundwater Data Analysis Of The Wilcox Aquifers In Lafayette County, Mississippi, Adam Schildhammer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lafayette County, Mississippi, is located in the northern central part of the state and relies on groundwater resources for all of the municipal water needs in the county. The population is increasing in the county; therefore, groundwater withdrawals are as well. With such a high demand on groundwater, it is important to have an understanding of the historical trends of the groundwater levels to determine is the population is over pumping the available supply. The Meridian-upper Wilcox aquifer and the lower Wilcox aquifer are the two groundwater sources for the county. In order to fully understand the behaviors of these …

Effects Of Depositional Processes On Strength And Compressibility Of Sediments Using Elastic Shear Wave Velocity, Wisam Razzaq Muttashar

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Depositional processes are the most critical, complicated conditions that govern sediment properties and their variations, which in turn significantly affect the geotechnical behavior of the sediment. The complexity of depositional and post-depositional processes, which results in a variety of depositional environments, makes constructing a plausible model for the consolidation process of sediments difficult. The mutual influence between the temporal and spatial variation of depositional environments with their resultant physical and mechanical properties cause several compression issues, such as consolidation settlement and land subsidence, which mostly occur in estuarine-riverine regions throughout the world.

The first aim of this study is proposing …

Investigation Of Long Term Pillar Stability In An Abandoned Gypsum Mine Based On Dissolution Models, Mohammadhossein Sadeghiamirshahidi

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The abandoned Domtar Mine in Grand Rapids, MI underlies Interstate I-196. The mine operated for over 140 years, mining a 30-meter-deep, four-meter thick gypsum seam. In 2000, the mine was abandoned with the removal of the mine’s dewatering pumps allowing groundwater to flood the mine. The initial flooding resulted in saturating the mine pillars along with some amount of pillar dissolution. Overtime, gypsum dissolution would cease as the water becomes saturated with the gypsum dissolution products. The mine, however, is located adjacent to the Grand River and has groundwater moving through the mine resulting in the potential for continuing dissolution. …

Groundwater Transfer And Injection Pilot Project: Construction Of A Three Dimensional Groundwater Flow Model, Wesley Bluvstein

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer has experienced substantial groundwater declines in eastern Arkansas and northwest Mississippi due largely to irrigation for rice corn soybeans and other water intensive crops. To alleviate groundwater decline and ensure future sustainability of water resources the U.S. Department of Agriculture has in conjunction with the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Mississippi initiated studies to determine potential avenues of remediation. Options include improved irrigation efficiency installation of surface weirs inter-basin transfers and groundwater transfer and injection. This study develops a three-dimensional groundwater flow model of a withdrawal well adjacent to a river for …

Geomechanical Modeling Of Salt Cavern Stability For Carbon Dioxide Storage In The Maha Arakham Formation, Northeastern Thailand, Narumas Pajonpai

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In Thailand, CO2 emissions quadrupled over the past three decades since 1989, with the power generation sector as the main contributor by burning fossil fuels to produce electricity. Therefore, the power generating industry has come under scrutiny and been pressed by society to take responsibility. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is one of the many methods to deal with CO2 emissions. Generally, CO2 is captured and stored in geological formations, e.g. rock salt deposits. Salt caverns have been intensively studied regarding their usage for CO2 storage because of their favourable characteristics. In this research, the Finite Element Method (FEM, ANSYS …

Using The Ert Method To Differentiate Resistivity Anomalies Attributed To Natural And Man-Made Activities, Ibrahim Faisal Alshareef

Masters Theses

"Karst terrain is considered to be a very complex topography compared with most other geological environments. Many features can be observed such as sinkholes, air-filled cavities, losing streams, and solution widened joints. These karst features can cause subsidence and damage infrastructure such as buildings and roads thus causing economic hardship and disruption of life. The typical geological and hydrological studies are not enough to understand the karst processes.

For this reason, two geophysical methods were involved in investigating the subsurface in the study area. In this research, the electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) data …

Evaluating The Use Of Suas-Derived Imagery For Monitoring Flood Protection Infrastructure, Eleanor Mei Dietz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the US there are approximately 33,000 miles of levees. This includes 14,500 miles of levee systems associated with US Army Corps of Engineers programs and approximately 15,000 miles from other state and federal agencies. More than 14 million people live behind levees and associated flood prevention infrastructure. Monitoring and risk assessment are an on-going process, especially during times of flood conditions. The city of New Orleans was heavily impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 by storm surges and intense rainfall. The impact of the hurricane was substantial enough to cause levee failure and I-wall toppling where many of the …

Developing A Calibrated Seepage Meter To Measure Stream-Aquifer Interaction In The Mississippi Delta, Wesley J. Bolton

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) is a premier region for irrigated agriculture in the United States producing approximately 9 billion dollars in annual revenues. The region receives around 138 cm of precipitation annually; however irrigation is necessary to maximize crop yields as most of the precipitation does not occur during the growing season. There are 8 million irrigated acres within the Mississippi Alluvial Plain. The source of most of the irrigated water is the surficial aquifer in the Mississippi Embayment the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA) and due to the reliance on irrigation for maximum crop yields recent potentiometric …

Pre-Feasibility Study Of Improving Quality Of Low-Grade Fluorite. A Case Study At Phanomthuan Deposit, Kanchanaburi, Thailand, Keosaychai Souvannavong

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In this study was presented the pre-feasibility study of improving quality of low-grade fluorite from Phanomthuan deposit, Kanchanaburi province, Thailand. The purpose of this study aims to explore the optimal condition in order to remove the impurities which contained high SiO2, CaCO3 and other minerals, also evaluate the project in term of economic. Therefore, the improvement quality of fluorite by using froth flotation techniques was reach the ceramic grade. The raw material characterization contains CaF2 = 29.4 Wt.%, SiO2 = 43.9 Wt.% and CaCO3 = 6.9 Wt.%. After flotation process the optimal condition result which contains CaF2 = 96.46 Wt.%, …

Analysis Of Crush Resistance And Mississippi-Sourced Sands To Determine Potential As Proppant Sands, Ryann C. Lam

Honors Theses

Proppant is a media used in hydraulic fracturing to bear in-situ stresses in order to maintain fracture networks, which act as highly permeable pathways for hydrocarbon recovery. Proppant can be made from a variety of materials such as glass, ceramic beads, sand particles, and more. Proppants are characterized by their size, sorting, roundness, and sphericity. These properties help determine the compressive strength of the pack proppant. This study focuses on these properties for natural sand. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the viability of lower-quality sands as proppant sands by testing the affect these properties have on the …

Correlation Development Of Wax Deposition Prediction From Fang Oil Field, Aung Thwin Thu Aye

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In petroleum industry, wax deposition is a critical operational challenge. It occurs in various locations in the petroleum production chain including well tubing. Hexane, chemical inhibitor, is used to prevent the wax problem of oil from Fang oilfield by the measurement of pour point, wax appearance temperature (WAT) and wax deposition. An increasing shear rate can reduce WAT and the deposited amount increases with lowering the temperature in Fang crude oil. Moreover, the non-linear regression analysis of Fang crude oil with and without hexane in different conditions are done for all three tests. Those regression analysis equations can predict WAT …

Ore Reserve Estimation By Using A Geostatistical Tool At Heinda Mine,Tanintharyi Region,Union Of Myanmar, Aye Min Tun -

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Heinda mine is one of major tin producers in Myanmar. The mine has been operated for over 100 years. The mine falls at Latitude 14° 8’ N and Longitude 98° 27’ E, approximately about 45 kilometers to the east of Dawei. The ore reserve is the principal factor of mining venture. The aim of this study is to improve the ore reserve estimation by using geostatistical method (ordinary kriging) compared with conventional method (polygonal method) In geostatistical evaluation, it involved variogram analysis, variogram modelling and kriging estimation. The exponential variogram modelling was used to calculate the ordinary kriging estimation. The …