Centrifuge Modeling of LNAPL Infiltration in Granular Soil with Containment
Publication: Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139, Issue 6
Abstract
This paper presents the results from four centrifuge experiments modeling light, nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) migration in a sandy soil. These experiments were performed to evaluate the performance of a soil-cement wall used as a containment barrier and to investigate the effects of groundwater flow on LNAPL migration behavior. Centrifuge modeling experiments were performed at 30 g to simulate 80 days of LNAPL migration through the soil. Pore water pressure measurements and video recordings were used to evaluate the LNAPL migration behavior. Results show that in all tests, the water level was depressed because of the large volume of LNAPL confined between the walls. When groundwater flowed, the LNAPL migrated faster and deeper than when there was no groundwater flow. As a result, the depth of a soil-cement wall should be designed to a greater maximum depth to account for the groundwater-flow effects. In addition, numerical simulations were performed and validated with the centrifuge test results. Both methods showed a good agreement as they provided similar behavior of the LNAPL migration and confirmed the effective performance of the soil-cement wall as a containment barrier.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank the Office of the Higher Education Commission, Thailand for the grant fund support under the program Strategic Scholarships for Frontier Research Network for the Joint Ph.D. Program Thai Doctoral degree for this research. The authors also thank Rajamangala Univ. of Technology Rattanakosin for providing funding for this research. Furthermore, thanks to staff of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute centrifuge laboratory for their help with the model design and testing.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
Volume 139 • Issue 6 • June 2013
Pages: 892 - 902
Copyright
© 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Aug 23, 2011
Accepted: Jul 10, 2012
Published online: May 15, 2013
Published in print: Jun 1, 2013
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