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published_or_final_version / Applied Geosciences / Master / Master of Science

Geopolymerization is a chemical reaction process, reacting SiO₂ and Al₂O₃ with alkaline solutions, which can transform aluminosilicate solids or particles to polymer materials. Geopolymers have many engineering applications such as cementation binders for construction and solidification or encapsulation of hazardous heavy metals. Mine tailings mainly consist of SiO₂ and Al₂O₃. Theoretically, mine tailings can be used as source materials for geopolymerization. However, for most researchers, they use fly ash, metakaolin or furnace slag as source minerals, because these minerals are much more reactive with alkaline solutions. Mine tailings are naturally-forming minerals and are considered to be inert in geopolymerization. How are mine tailings to be activated through different reaction conditions? We conducted several tentative or preliminary experiments to study the geopolymerization process step by step. We tried different methods to react mine tailings with alkaline solutions. Mine tailings were submerged into alkaline solutions in a plastic bucket for 6 days in room temperature (20-25 °C). We wanted mine tailings to be activated by soaking. The results were not satisfying. Then we tried to react mine tailings with alkaline solutions at 60 °C and 90 °C. After analyzing, we found that the results were not satisfying either. So, we conducted simplified geopolymerization experiments in order to better understand the chemical reaction mechanism. Pure SiO2 and Al2O3, which were two major reactants, were employed to simplify and simulate the geopolymerization process. We drew some useful conclusions such as that geopolymerization took place at elevated temperatures; Al₂O₃ almost did not react with alkaline solutions at low temperatures, etc. We conducted experiments at elevated temperatures (150 °C, 180 °C, 210 °C). Different levels of pressure (5 MPa, 10 MPa, 20 MPa) were applied to make compact specimens. After many attempts, the results were successful. The highest mechanical strength was about 20 MPa. Most importantly, we obtained polymers produced from geopolymerzation, which could be seen by naked eyes. The experiment techniques such as scanning electron microstructure (SEM) imaging and X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and unconfined compression tests (UCS) were applied to study the geopolymerization reaction mechanism and the feasibility of using mine tailing-based geopolymers as construction materials.

This project investigates the seismic response to facies variation by modelling facies variation itself, using two different modelling techniques, and then by modelling the seismic response to this variation. This study looks at a new set of attributes, examines their potential both as standard seismic attributes (a qualitative approach), and uses geostatistical analysis to further develop the ability of these attributes to differentiate the seismic response to facies variation. Sedpak, a basin modelling package was used to try to create facies models as a basis for further geophysical modelling. A case study using data from the Beryl area was unsuccessful at trying to create facies models due largely to the limited amount of input data and the scale of the models being attempted. Although an impressive package, Sedpak is most useful when modelling at a basin scale. In order to study the seismic response of sedimentary facies variation simple, deterministic models were set up using the geophysical modelling package, Gxii. An established methodology for analysing seismic data is the study of seismic attributes. The study considers some autocorrelation and power spectrum-derived functions previously described in the literature (Sinvhal and Sinvhal, 1992), and treats them as seismic attributes. Initial analysis of these new attributes in 2D showed them to be successful at detecting the presence of channels within seismic data. On the basis of this, a multivariate study was carried out. Results of this analysis show these attributes to have the potential to detect the presence of channels within seismic data. A suite of computer programs were developed to calculate 3D volumes of the new attributes, and to produce colour sections through the attribute volumes. The volumes were granted using a moving time window and calculating attribute values down through the data volume. Evaluation of the colour sections themselves to illustrate facies changes was disappointing. It is apparent that more work is needed to evaluate the window length over which the attributes are calculated.

Thesis (Ph.D)--Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2006. / Committe Chair: Terry W. Sturm; Committe Members: Dr. Fotis Sotiropoulos; Committee Members: Dr. Philip J. Roberts; Committee Members: Dr. Donald R. Webster; Committee Members: Dr. Anthony Hayter. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

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To quantify the roughness of natural rock fracture surfaces, a two dimensional version of the modified divider method was adopted. The parameter Dr2d×Cx was found to be suitable to quantify the roughness of natural rock fractures. In addition to the mean aperture, a modified 3D box counting method was used to quantify aperture distributions of the same fractures. The modified 3D box counting method produced fractal dimensions in the range 2.3104 to 2.5661.The following new functional relations were developed for aperture parameters: (a) power-functionally decreasing mean aperture with increasing normal stress, (b) power-functionally decreasing 3D box fractal dimension with increasing normal stress, (c) linearly increasing mean aperture with increasing 3D box fractal dimension, (d) linearly decreasing mean aperture with increasing fracture closure, and (e) linearly decreasing 3D box fractal dimension with increasing fracture closure.Fluid flow through nine natural single rock fractures was measured at different normal stresses. The flow calculated for three out of the nine fractures according to sample scale cubic law using mean apertures overestimated the experimental flow by 2.2 ~ 235.0 times within a normal stress range of 0 ~ 8 MPa. The elementally applied cubic law (EACL) through a finite element model (FEM) also overestimated the experimental flow by 1.9 ~ 111.7 times within the same normal stress range. As the normal stress applied on a natural rock fracture increases, the overestimation increases due to increasing contact areas and increasing tortuous behavior of flow. These findings clearly show the inapplicability of the cubic law to estimate flow through natural rock fractures especially under high normal stresses. New hyperbolic functions were developed to relate mean aperture to the power n to applied normal stress at both the sample and finite element scales.The following new functional relations were developed between fluid flow rate and the aperture parameters: (a) power-functionally increasing flow rate per unit head with increasing mean aperture, (b) exponentially decreasing flow rate per unit head with increasing fracture closure, and (c) power-functionally increasing flow rate per unit head with increasing 3D box fractal dimension.

<p> A monitoring methodology is developed for investigating seepage and internal erosion in earthen dams with time-lapse measurements of self-potential anomalies associated with conservative salt and non-conservative heat tracer migration in the subsurface. The method allows for 1) detecting seepage zones in earthen dams and determining the preferential flow paths through seepage zones in a non-invasive manner from the ground surface, 2) monitoring the transient evolution of seepage path geometry, flow velocity, and permeability in real-time if high frequency measurements can be made, and 3) long-term non-invasive monitoring with wired or wireless sensors The method is first theoretically developed and tested in a laboratory using a conservative tracer, and then demonstrated at a 12 m high, 100 m long leaking earthen dam with complex, unknown seepage paths. The method is shown to be capable of rapidly detecting seepage zones discovered during a reconnaissance survey, and delineates the predominant seepage directions through the dam from the time-lapse self-potential anomalies. The time-lapse monitoring approach ensures improved spatial resolution, increased measurement frequencies, and improved data analysis capabilities relative to traditional approaches to seepage detection, and a cost-reduction for the application of this methodology is anticipated to follow advancements in wireless sensing and monitoring technologies. This method is designed to be a more cost-effective means of interrogating earthen dams and levees to answer questions such as: Is the dam safe? What are the geometries of the seepage zones inside of the dam, and over what spatial scale does anomalous seepage occur? What are preferential paths through the seepage zones? Is internal erosion actively occurring? At what rates are the geometries, permeabilities and flow rates of preferential seepage paths evolving?</p>

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