Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1984.

Research Project Technical Completion Report (A-109-Ariz.) For: United States Department of the Interior, Project Dates: 1981-1983, September 1, 1983. / The Research on which this project is based was financed in part by the U.S. Department of the Interior, as authorized by the Water Research and Development Act of 1978 (P.L. 95-467) / A liquid level interferometer has been built to measure changes in water level to an accuracy of /8. A novel magnetic suspension is used to position the floating retroreflector of a laser interferometer. Direction sensing is achieved by dual optical channels phased near quadrature by means of an absorbing beamsplitter. The interferometer (laser) has been used to measure very accurately the drop in water level of a lined reservoir. The drop in water level thus provides a precise method of measuring evaporation. It was found that this drop in water level essentially ceased when the relative humidity approached very closely or equaled 100 percent during early morning calm periods. This provides a method of determination of seepage loss. In an unlined reservoir during calm periods when the relative humidity is 100 percent any remaining drop in water level is due to seepage. The laser can measure this rate.

No date on item. Authors' manuscript. / This report is concerned with laboratory testing and field investigations of a water seepage barrier consisting of asphalt cement and reclaimed crumb-rubber tire peel. The test methods that were utilized and evaluated included the following: water vapor transmission (ASTM E96 -72, Procedure BW), water absorption (ASTM 570-72), ductility (ASTM D113-74), viscosity, toughness, and brittleness /impact resistance (ASTM 0994-72). The test results showed that the asphalt-rubber as a membrane is relatively impermeable and absorbs an insignificant amount of water. The crumb rubber effectively increases the viscosity of the asphalt cement while decreasing the ductility value. The asphalt-rubber combination exhibits a tough, impact resistant membrane with excellent waterproofing properties.

In general, tailings dams are expected to seep. Anomalous seepage, especially when induced by internal erosion, is a major concern for owners and operators. The long established techniques for monitoring water seepage provide sparse information which may not be sufficient to detect and map the seepage path. Hence, there exists a great need for non-invasive techniques that would be sensitive to changing seepage conditions. The non-invasive nature of the techniques is particularly important because drilling and other penetrating (invasive) investigation methods are normally avoided. / Non-invasive techniques such as self-potential and high-resolution resistivity have been significantly improved in the past decade and have been successfully used for water retention dam investigation and monitoring. The main difficulty in the use of these techniques in monitoring sulfide rich tailings dams is the presence of electrochemical potentials that renders the interpretation of the acquired self-potential data difficult. / Numerical modelling is one of the latest methods in interpreting self-potential anomalies induced by liquid flow. But, in order to model streaming potentials several parameters need to be measured or estimated; (1) the hydraulic driving force and the hydraulic conductivity are required to solve for the hydraulic pressure distribution; (2) the cross-coupling conductivity distribution is needed to calculate the conduction current source parameter; and (3) the resistivity distribution is needed to determine the resulting potential distribution. / The zeta-potential and the resistivity of three pyrite rich tailings from the Abitibi region in Quebec were measured over the pH range 2 to 5 in different KCl aqueous solutions for the purpose of estimating the magnitude of electrokinetic effect induced by mine water seepage and the electrical resistivity variation induced by particle migration. The experimental and theoretical results obtained in the present study are pertinent to the interpretation of self-potential data. The zeta-potential was found to vary from -27 to -2 mV and the resistivity of the tailings was found to increase when fine particles are eroded.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D. - Hydrology and Water Resources)--University of Arizona. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S. - Hydrology and Water Resources)--University of Arizona, 1982. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 110-116).

Thesis (M.S. - Hydrology and Water Resources)--University of Arizona, 1988. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D. - Civil Engineering)--University of Arizona. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-102).

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2000. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 134 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 75).