Real Time Monitoring of Water Content in Reclaimed Mine Waste using Cone Penetration Time Domain Reflectometry

The research includes the development of a device that will measure the water content in soils. This device will be pushed into the soil and will provide a reading related to the volume of water stored within the soil. The device senses the dielectric properties of the soil, properties that are strongly controlled by the volume of water within the soil. The device is advanced into the soil using a conventional geotechnical engineering investigative test called a cone penetration test. The device will be used to obtain rapid, real-time profiles of stored water volumes within reclaimed mine waste. As a consequence, it can be used to rapidly map out the distribution of water over large areas of the reclaimed landscape a measurement that is critical in assessing the migration of water into the mine waste and the performance of the closure design.

Faculty Supervisor:

Lee Barbour

Student:

Spencer Chuhaniuk

Partner:

O'Kane Consultants Inc

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Environmental industry

University:

University of Saskatchewan