Monitoring the performance of permeable reactive barriers constructed in acid sulfate soils

Medawela, S; Indraratna, B; Athuraliya, S; Lugg, G; Nghiem, LD

Monitoring the performance of permeable reactive barriers constructed in acid sulfate soils

Medawela, S Indraratna, B

Athuraliya, S

Lugg, G Nghiem, LD

Permalink

Publisher:: Elsevier BV
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Engineering Geology, 2021, pp. 106465
Issue Date:: 2021-01-01

Open Access

Copyright Clearance Process

Recently Added
In Progress
Open Access

This item is open access.

The embargo period expires on 1 Nov 2023

Adobe PDF

Download Accepted versionAdobe PDF (1.02 MB)

View on publisher's site

View statistics

Full metadata record

Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Medawela, S
dc.contributor.author	Indraratna, B https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9057-1514
dc.contributor.author	Athuraliya, S https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8515-0240
dc.contributor.author	Lugg, G
dc.contributor.author	Nghiem, LD
dc.date.accessioned	2022-01-16T04:07:38Z
dc.date.available	2022-01-16T04:07:38Z
dc.date.issued	2021-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	Engineering Geology, 2021, pp. 106465
dc.identifier.issn	0013-7952
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153158
dc.description.abstract	Two pilot-scale permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) were installed in an acidic terrain to treat contaminated groundwater with low pH and high concentrations of Al and Fe. The first pilot-scale barrier (PRB-1) was installed in 2006 using recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) as the reactive material, and the second barrier (PRB-2) was installed in late 2019 using limestone aggregates (LA) as the reactive material. Although the initial material cost of the recycled concrete aggregates is low, laboratory trials conducted before the field applications deduced that limestone is capable of more reliable and efficient pH neutralisation in the long term, reducing frequent maintenance or material replacement in the PRB. The performance of PRB-1 has been monitored continuously over the past 14 years. In particular, both internal (within PRB) and external (upgradient and downgradient) variations in acidity (pH), ion concentrations, and the flow conditions, including the piezometric heads, have been analysed. These decade long field observations have resulted in a comprehensive understanding of the temporal variations of treatment by RCA along the groundwater flow path through the alkaline granular mass and its biogeochemical clogging. For instance, acid neutralisation at the entrance of PRB-1 decreased by 31% over 14 years, whereas the corresponding reduction at the outlet is only 6%. The non-homogeneous biogeochemical clogging in different PRB zones was evident by a 48% reduction in hydraulic conductivity at the inlet and a 34% reduction at the outlet.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Elsevier BV
dc.relation.ispartof	Engineering Geology
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.enggeo.2021.106465
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/embargoedAccess
dc.subject	0905 Civil Engineering, 0909 Geomatic Engineering, 0999 Other Engineering
dc.subject.classification	Geological & Geomatics Engineering
dc.title	Monitoring the performance of permeable reactive barriers constructed in acid sulfate soils
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.for	0905 Civil Engineering
utslib.for	0909 Geomatic Engineering
utslib.for	0999 Other Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CTWW - Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater Treatment
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
utslib.copyright.embargo	2023-11-01T00:00:00+1000Z
dc.date.updated	2022-01-16T04:07:37Z
pubs.publication-status	Published

Abstract:

Two pilot-scale permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) were installed in an acidic terrain to treat contaminated groundwater with low pH and high concentrations of Al and Fe. The first pilot-scale barrier (PRB-1) was installed in 2006 using recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) as the reactive material, and the second barrier (PRB-2) was installed in late 2019 using limestone aggregates (LA) as the reactive material. Although the initial material cost of the recycled concrete aggregates is low, laboratory trials conducted before the field applications deduced that limestone is capable of more reliable and efficient pH neutralisation in the long term, reducing frequent maintenance or material replacement in the PRB. The performance of PRB-1 has been monitored continuously over the past 14 years. In particular, both internal (within PRB) and external (upgradient and downgradient) variations in acidity (pH), ion concentrations, and the flow conditions, including the piezometric heads, have been analysed. These decade long field observations have resulted in a comprehensive understanding of the temporal variations of treatment by RCA along the groundwater flow path through the alkaline granular mass and its biogeochemical clogging. For instance, acid neutralisation at the entrance of PRB-1 decreased by 31% over 14 years, whereas the corresponding reduction at the outlet is only 6%. The non-homogeneous biogeochemical clogging in different PRB zones was evident by a 48% reduction in hydraulic conductivity at the inlet and a 34% reduction at the outlet.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/153158