Organisation Outline:
The Geotechnical and Environmental Research Group is engaged in research covering the whole spectrum of geotechnical and environmental engineering. Current
interests of the group encompass construction processes, infrastructure, environmental engineering, earthquakes and the fundamental mechanics of soils.
In the area of Pollution Migration recent projects include investigation of accidental surface releases and improper disposal of non-aqueous phase liquid
(NAPL) contaminants such as petroleum products and volatile organic solvents; the question of whether aquicludes can degenerate and become leaky under the
influence of certain chemicals; modelling of solute transport at the pore (micro-scale), experimental column-scale, intermediate-scale 2D soil tanks
and through heterogeneous aquifers.
Recent Pollution Monitoring projects include development of instruments (fibre-optic based photometric sensors, pH probes, changes in refractive index)
for detection of contaminants for use in centrifuge modelling.
Recent Pollution Remediation projects include use of electricity to clean up mercury, cadmium, lead and copper; investigation of air sparging mechanisms
in a heterogeneous distribution of NAPL ganglia/pools; enhanced flushing technologies using cosolvents, surfactants and complexing agents to increase
contaminant solubility.
|
