Unknown bridge foundations pose a significant safety risk due to stream scour and erosion. Records from older structures may be non-existent, incomplete, or incorrect. Nondestructive and inexpensive geophysical methods have been identified as suitable to investigate unknown bridge foundations. The objective of the present study is to apply advanced 2D electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) in order to identify depth of unknown bridge foundations. A survey procedure is carried out in mixed terrain water and land environments with rough topography. A conventional resistivity survey procedure is used with the electrodes installed on the stream banks. However, some electrodes must be adapted for underwater use. Tests were conducted in one laboratory experimentation and at five field experimentations located at three roadway bridges, a geotechnical test site, and a railway bridge. The first experimentation was at the bridges with the smallest foundations, later working up in size to larger drilled shafts and spread footings. Both known to unknown foundations were investigated. The geotechnical test site is used as an experimental site for 2D and 3D ERI. The data acquisition is carried out along 2D profile with a linear array in the dipole-dipole configuration. The data collections have been carried out using electrodes deployed directly across smaller foundations. Electrodes are deployed in proximity to larger foundations to image them from the side. The 2D ERI can detect the presence of a bridge foundation but is unable to resolve its precise shape and depth. Increasing the spatial extent of the foundation permits better image of its shape and depth. Using electrode < 1 m to detect a slender foundation < 1 m in diameter is not feasible. The 2D ERI method that has been widely used for land surface surveys presently can be adapted effectively in water-covered environments. The method is the most appropriate geophysical method for determination of unknown bridge foundations. Fully 3D ERI method at bridge sites is labor intensive, time consuming, and does not add enough value over 2D ERI to make it worthwhile.

As of September 2007, there were over 67,000 U.S. bridges in the National Bridge Inventory classified as having unknown foundations. The bridges spanning rivers are of critical importance due to the risks of potential scour. In fact, over half of all bridge collapses are due to scour. Not only are these failures costly, they can be deadly for the traveling public. On April 5, 1987, ten people were killed in New York when a pier collapsed on the Schoharie Creek Bridge causing two spans of the deck to fall into the creek. Several other fatal collapses have occurred since the Schoharie Creek Bridge failure. Detecting scour is only part of the assessment that must take place to determine risk of failure and knowing the foundation depth is a critical component of the assessment. While this issue is not new, current techniques are typically invasive or costly. This research explores the feasibility and effectiveness of induced polarization (IP) and electrical resistivity imaging (ERI), near surface geophysical methods, for determining the depth of unknown foundations. In this work, forward models are created to ascertain the effects of the bridge layout on data quality such as varying depths and the impact of adjacent foundations on the foundation in question. Next, an experimental study is conducted at a National Geotechnical Experimentation Site (NGES) to further identify key parameters for the testing design and setup in order to obtain optimal surveys of bridge foundations. The conclusions of the forward modeling and NGES investigations are used to plan the field surveys on four bridges with known foundations. The outcomes of the four bridges show that IP and ERI can be used in concert with one another to estimate the type and depth of bridge foundations. The results of the field surveys are used to create a probability of non-exceedance curve for future predictions of unknown bridge foundations using the methods described in this research.

Over 7.8 km of seismic reflection data and 2 km of electrical resistivity data were acquired, processed, and interpreted during this multi-method geophysical study. Objectives included the definition of geologic conditions underlying a contaminant plume in McCracken County, western Kentucky, and the determination of the potential for structural control on the rate and direction of plume migration. Both geophysical methods indicate the presence of multiple high-angle normal faults outlining a series of asymmetric grabens ranging in width from 160 m to almost 300 m and striking between N40°E and N45°E. There was agreement between the two methods on fault location and degree of near-surface offset, with offsets of 1 to 2 m observed at 10 to 20 m below ground surface and 3 to 8 m observed at 20 to 30 m depth. Bedrock displacement was generally 2 to 3 times larger, with offsets of 10 to 26 m observed. The faults appear to have originated in the Paleozoic with predominantly normal reactivation occurring as recently as the Pleistocene. The fault strikes generally approximate the orientation of the northwestern contaminant plume. Observed offset of the Regional Gravel Aquifer may form a preferential flow path for contaminant migration.

Submitted by BRUNO ZANON ENGELBRECHT null (bruno_zenon2@hotmail.com) on 2017-05-29T15:14:19Z No. of bitstreams: 1 engelbrecht_bz_me_rcla.pdf: 5854576 bytes, checksum: c42f1bd84eff53bf59926b2392253d96 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-05-31T16:34:17Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 engelbrecht_bz_me_rcla.pdf: 5854576 bytes, checksum: c42f1bd84eff53bf59926b2392253d96 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-31T16:34:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 engelbrecht_bz_me_rcla.pdf: 5854576 bytes, checksum: c42f1bd84eff53bf59926b2392253d96 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-03 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O sistema aquífero cristalino estende-se por cerca de 62.000 km² no estado de São Paulo, correpondendo a aproximadamente 25% de sua área. A prospecção desses aquíferos, contudo, baseia-se majoritariamente na delimitação de feições lineares nas unidades geológicas e sua correlação com a evolução tectônica regional. Modelos hidrogeológicos conceituais proporcionam a compreensão dos mecanismos que governam a circulação e o armazenamento de água em subsuperfície, permitindo aprimorar e subsidiar a prospecção e gestão dos recursos hídricos subterrâneos. Com este objetivo, o presente estudo apresenta um modelo hidrogeológico conceitual do aquífero cristalino no município de Itu (SP), fundamentado em levantamentos por imageamento elétrico e valores de permeabilidade da zona não-saturada, bem como em análises químicas e isotópicas, tendo como principal enfoque a porção rasa do aquífero e suas interações com as águas superficiais. O modelo embute a ocorrência do manto de alteração e as descontinuidades do maciço rochoso na avaliação do potencial hídrico, prevendo expressiva conectividade hidráulica entre os compartimentos hidráulicos do manto de alteração e do embasamento cristalino fraturado. Os resultados obtidos mostram que a presença de depósitos sedimentares recentes e a ação de processos intempéricos, que resultam em horizontes porosos e na abertura de estruturas preexistentes, favorecem a infiltração, ocorrência e circulação de água em subsuperfície. As características mineralógicas e geométricas do manto de alteração, sua extensão e continuidade regional, redundam em aquíferos heterogêneos e complexos. A constante renovação das águas subterrâneas e sua conectividade com águas superficiais proporcionam a captação das águas de aquíferos cristalinos como fonte hídrica complementar para o abastecimento público, desde que sejam apropriadamente estudadas e geridas. / In São Paulo state the crystalline aquifer system occupies about 62,000 km², corresponding to approximately 25% of its area. However, the prospection of these aquifers is based on the delimitation of linear features in the geological units and their correlation with the regional tectonic evolution. Conceptual hydrogeological models provide an understanding of the mechanisms that govern the circulation and storage of groundwater, allowing to improve and subsidize the exploration and management of groundwater resources. For this purpose, this study presents a conceptual hydrogeological model of the crystalline aquifer in the city of Itu (SP), based on electrical imaging surveys and permeability values of the unsaturated zone, as well as chemical and isotopic analyzes focused on the shallow portion of the aquifer and its interactions with surface water. The hydrogeological model incorporates the occurrence of the weathered zone and the discontinuities of the rock mass in the evaluation of the hydraulic potential, predicting expressive hydraulic connectivity between the hydraulic compartments of the alteration mantle and the fractured crystalline basement. The results show that the presence of recent sedimentary deposits and the processes, which result in porous horizons and the opening of preexisting structures, favor the infiltration, occurrence and circulation of subsurface water. The mineralogical and geometric characteristics of the weathered zone, its extension and regional continuity, results in heterogeneous and complex aquifers. The constant renewal of groundwater and its connectivity with surface water provides the usage of groundwater as a complementary water source for public supply, provided that they are properly studied and managed.

No description available.

Surface coal mining has caused significant land-use change in central Appalachia in the past few decades. This landscape altering process has been shown to degrade water quality and impact aquatic communities in the mining-influenced headwater streams of this biodiverse ecoregion. Among pollutants of concern is total dissolved solids (TDS) which is usually measured via its surrogate parameter, specific conductance (SC). The SC of valley fill effluent is a function of fill construction methods, materials, and age; yet hydrologic studies that relate these variables to water quality are sparse due to the difficulty of implementing traditional hydrologic measurements in fill material. We tested the effectiveness of electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) to monitor subsurface hydrologic flow paths in valley fills. ERI is a non-invasive geophysical inverse technique that maps spatiotemporal changes in resistivity of the subsurface. When a resistance or conductive change is induced in the system, ERI can reveal both geologic structure and hydrologic flows. We paired ERI with artificial rainfall experiments to track highly conductive infiltrated water as it moved through the valley fill. The subsurface structure of two other landforms were also imaged to confirm variations between forms. Results indicate that ERI can be used to identify the subsurface geologic structure as well as track the advancing wetting front and preferential flow paths. We observed that the upper portion of a fill develops a profile that more closely resembles soil with smaller particle sizes, while the deeper profile has higher heterogeneity, with large rocks and void spaces. The sprinkling experiments revealed that water tends to pond on the surface of compacted areas until it reaches preferential flowpaths, where it infiltrates quickly and migrates deeply or laterally. We observed water moving from the surface down to a 20 meters depth in one hour and 15 minutes, and to a depth of 10 meters in just 45 minutes. We also observed lateral preferential flow downslope within 5 meters of the surface, likely due to transmissive zones between compacted layers along the angle-of-repose. Finally, when compared to other landscapes we were able to see that a filled highwall slope has larger rocks near the surface than the valley fill, but a similar degree of heterogeneity throughout; while the natural slope has less heterogeneity at depth as is expected in consolidated bedrock. ERI applications can improve understanding of how various fill construction techniques influence subsurface water movement, and in turn aid in the development of valley fill construction methods that will reduce environmental impacts. / Master of Science

Surface coal mining has altered Appalachian landscapes, affecting water quality and aquatic ecology. Valley fills created from excess overburden are prominent features of many mined landscapes. Increased total dissolved solids (TDS), as measured by its surrogate specific conductance (SC), is a significant water quality concern related to the exposure of fresh mineral surfaces to weathering in valley fills. Specific conductance levels in waters draining Appalachian mined areas are highly variable, yet the causes for this variability are not well known. Here we sought to improve understanding of such variability by investigating the interior subsurface structure and hydrologic flowpaths within a series of valley fills and relating that to valley fill characteristics such as age and construction method. We used electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) to investigate the subsurface structure of four valley fills in two dimensions. We combined ERI with artificial rainfall to investigate the location and transit time of hydrologic preferential infiltration flowpaths through the fills. Finally, we used our ERI results in conjunction with SC data from effluent streams to improve understanding of SC relationship to fill flowpaths and characteristics. ERI results indicated considerable variability in substrate type and widespread presence of preferential infiltration flowpaths among the valley fills studied. We estimated an average preferential flowpath length of 6.6 meters, average transit time of 1.4 hours, and average velocity of 5.1 m/h or 0.14 cm/s through preferential infiltration flowpaths. ERI successfully distinguished fills constructed using methods of conventional loose-dump and experimental controlled-material compacted-lift construction. Conventional fills had greater ranges of subsurface resistivity, indicating a wider range of substrate types and/or more variable moisture content. Conventional fills also showed more accumulation of water within the fill during artificial rainfall, possibly indicating more quick/deep preferential infiltration flowpaths than in the experimental fill. Relationships between other fill characteristics as well as stream effluent SC were not related in a statistically significant way to fill structure or flowpaths. ERI appears to be a robust non-invasive technique that provides reliable information on valley fill structure and hydrology, and experimental compacted-lift valley fill construction produces significantly altered hydrologic response, which in turn affects downstream SC. / MS / Surface coal mining has altered Appalachian landscapes, affecting water quality and aquatic ecology. Valley fills created from excess mine spoil are prominent features of many mined landscapes. The streams draining valley fills often have very poor water quality, including high levels of increased total dissolved solids (TDS) related to weathering of mine spoils within valley fills. In this work, we investigated the subsurface structure of a series of valley fills and identified preferential hydrologic flowpaths, which are the “paths of least resistance” water follows for rapid infiltration. We related our results to various valley fill characteristics such as age and construction method. We found that the subsurface of a conventionally built fill tends to have more variation in material and/or moisture content than a fill built with an experimental construction method. Conventional fills also showed more accumulation of water within the fill during artificial rainfall experiments, possibly indicating more quick/deep preferential infiltration flowpaths than in the experimental fill.

<p>Determination of the subsurface geology is very important for the rock quarry industry. This is primarily done by drilling and mapping of the surface geology. However in Sweden the bedrock is often completely covered by Quaternary sediments making the prediction of subsurface geology quite difficult. Incorrect prediction of the rock-mass quality can lead to economic problems for the quarry. By performing geophysical measurements a more complete understanding of the subsurface geology can be determined. This study shows that by doing 2D-parallel data sampling a 3D inversion of the dataset is possible, which greatly enhances the visualization of the subsurface. Furthermore the electrical resistivity technique together with the induced polarization method proved to be very efficient in detecting fracture frequency, identification of major fracture zones, and variations in rock-mass quality all of which can affect the aggregate quality. With this technique not only the rock-mass quality is determined but also the thickness of the overburden. Implementation of geophysics can be a valuable tool for the quarry industry, resulting in substantial economic benefits.  </p>

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The increasing population in search for better social and economic development in coastal areas puts groundwater resources under pressure because of the high fresh water demand for domestic and agriculture use. Seawater intrusion is widely recognised as major concern in coastal aquifers across the globe and is influenced by multiple factors, being climate variation which is projected to adjust recharge of groundwater because of decreased precipitation patterns and to increase sea level variations and over-abstraction due to high freshwater demand as a result of increased population and agricultural practices, thereby inducing salinization in groundwater. The coastal aquifer in Heuningnes Catchment is not exempted from these issues and salinization is a major concern in the area affecting groundwater quality. In Heuningnes Catchment and South Africa in general there is limited knowledge on the application of integrated approach for assessing groundwater quality especially salinization mechanism in coastal aquifers. The main goal of this research is to test and demonstrate the viability of using joint interpretation approach of geophysics, geochemical and geological information to investigate groundwater quality in coastal aquifers thus improving on the understanding of using such approach. This work offers the initial thorough assessment of groundwater quality and understanding of the salinity sources and hydro-geochemical processes governing the chemical composition of groundwater in the region. Thus provide advice on the fitness of this water for consumption and irrigation purposes. Thirty-two groundwater samples were collected and analysed for (Mg2+), (Ca2+), (Na+), (K+), (Cl-), (SO42), (HCO3-), (pH, TDS and EC). To estimate fitness of groundwater quality for consumption purposes WHO (2011) and SANS241 guideline were used and for irrigation utilization the water quality indices (EC), (Na+%), (SAR), (RSC), (KR) and (MR) were used. Statistics approaches were employed to ascertain the primary geochemical processes governing the chemical composition of groundwater in the research region. Lastly, the spatial distribution maps were created by means of ArcGIS. Electrical resistivity method was used to map the extent of saline distribution within the subsurface. The findings of this study revealed that groundwater in the region is alkaline type and TDS, EC, Na+, Cl- exceeded WHO and SANS241 guidelines for consumption water. The geophysical investigation revealed that the sandy clay/clayey sand, fine sand and fractured sandstone units make up the coastal aquifer systems within the area. Further, revealed that these aquifers were saturated with fresh, saline or brackish water depending on the subsurface layer. The presence of saline and brackish was confirmed by the chemical results which indicated a Na+-Cl- type as a dominant water type. Also classifying groundwater based on EC and TDS supports these findings. The foremost hydro-geochemical processes that controls the salinity and quality of groundwater in the study region as indicated by Gibbs plot are water-rock interaction followed by evaporation process. Furthermore, analysis of hydrochemical data also proposes that weathering of silicate minerals, ion-exchange and dissolution of carbonate minerals amended ion concentration in groundwater thus influencing salinisation in certain parts of the study region. Also assessment of ionic-ratios displays influences of marine sprays as well as seawater, on the chemical structure of groundwater within the Heuningnes Catchment aquifer. Valuation of groundwater quality and its fitness for ingestion and irrigation purposes, the results indicated that shallow groundwater in the area is not suitable for any use; however, groundwater from deeper boreholes was found fresh and appropriate for irrigation and household purposes. Findings of this study indicated that salinity is the major groundwater quality issue for this area and that monitoring of groundwater quality in Heuningnes Catchment is limited. The absence of consistent monitoring program on groundwater quality makes it difficult to ascertain long term trends on groundwater quality parameters. Therefore, this study emphasizes the need for regular groundwater quality monitoring to assess the trends of these parameters in order to make an informed decision as to what can be done for mitigation purposes.

Determination of the subsurface geology is very important for the rock quarry industry. This is primarily done by drilling and mapping of the surface geology. However in Sweden the bedrock is often completely covered by Quaternary sediments making the prediction of subsurface geology quite difficult. Incorrect prediction of the rock-mass quality can lead to economic problems for the quarry. By performing geophysical measurements a more complete understanding of the subsurface geology can be determined. This study shows that by doing 2D-parallel data sampling a 3D inversion of the dataset is possible, which greatly enhances the visualization of the subsurface. Furthermore the electrical resistivity technique together with the induced polarization method proved to be very efficient in detecting fracture frequency, identification of major fracture zones, and variations in rock-mass quality all of which can affect the aggregate quality. With this technique not only the rock-mass quality is determined but also the thickness of the overburden. Implementation of geophysics can be a valuable tool for the quarry industry, resulting in substantial economic benefits. / QC 20101118