Centrifuge Modeling of LNAPL Transport in Partially Saturated Sand

Model tests were performed at the Geotechnical Centrifuge Facility of Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands, to examine the mechanics of light nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) movement in a partially saturated porous granular medium. The experiment simulated a 2D spill of LNAPL in an unsaturated sand prepared at two values of porosity. The duration of the centrifuge model tests corresponded to a prototype equivalent of 110 days. The choice of modeling a 2D flow together with the use of a transparent container enabled direct visual observation of the experiments. Scaling laws developed in connection with other centrifuge modeling studies were used to support the test results. Tests were conducted at two different centrifuge accelerations to verify, by means of the “modeling of models technique,” the similitude between the different experiments. The paper presents details of the experimental methodologies and the measuring techniques used to evaluate the final distribution of water and LNAPL content in the soils.