Use of the ASTM D6391-11 borehole infiltration methodology for measuring in-situ hydraulic conductivity of compacted clay liners

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Date
2024-09-16
Authors
Baker, Alex
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Abstract
This thesis focuses on the use of the ASTM D6391-11 (the ASTM) Borehole Infiltration Methodology for Measuring Hydraulic Conductivity in the field. The study's primary objective is to establish a procedure for using the ASTM to test the validity of site-specific hydraulic conductivity measurements and liner discharge estimations in the field relative to the current Shelby tube collection and laboratory testing method. The study is conducted through experiments testing hydraulic conductivity values in the laboratory and field, resulting data is analyzed and compared to previous studies, and a numerical model is developed to describe the liner discharge from the system. The findings of this study suggest that when applied to compacted clay liners that (1) the ASTM methodology produced reliable estimates of hydraulic conductivity, and that (2) borehole infiltration can be an effective and economical alternative to traditional laboratory testing for assessing hydraulic conductivity and estimating liner discharge. The study notes the low number of tests completed and the need for future research to investigate the environmental factors which may impact in-situ and laboratory testing. There is opportunity for further study to correlate in-situ and laboratory testing, examine the effect of borehole diameter, varying testing parameters, and subsurface soil conditions on the analysis. The engineering practice should consider using borehole infiltration as a tool for commissioning earthen manure and wastewater storage facilities and to calibrate liner discharge models to better understand and describe the performance of the liner systems and design innovative solutions to remediate deficient liners.
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hydraulic conductivity, in-situ testing, numerical modelling, compacted clay liner
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